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FAB FOUR is a virtual instrument inspired by the sounds of the Beatles, using the same kind of period instruments and authentic rare EMI recording equipment the Beatles used to create their music.
FAB FOUR sound engineer KEN SCOTT worked on five Beatles albums, including “A Hard Days Night”, “Help”, “Rubber Soul”, “Magical Mystery Tour” (engineer), and “The Beatles” (engineer) – also known as the “White Album”. Drummer DENNY SEIWELL and Guitarist LAURENCE JUBER were both members of Paul McCartney and Wings.
“The Beatles had a profound impact on me, as they did for millions of others” said FAB FOUR producer DOUG ROGERS, “and they were the initial influence for my fascination with sounds. They were creative geniuses that never rested on their laurels, always producing exciting new music and sounds with each new record, much of it ground-breaking! Putting this project together took well over a year of research, equipment procurement (much of it from collectors), and putting together a team that could pull off such a feat; but it was a labor of love for us all, and we feel the result is truly worth it.”
No expense was spared finding the same kind of period instruments and rare authentic EMI and other recording equipment the Beatles used to create their sounds to produce this collection, much of which, ironically, will end up in EASTWEST Studios, where the Beach Boys “Pet Sounds” was recorded, the inspiration for the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album, according to Paul McCartney.
Well over a million dollars worth of instruments, amplifiers, microphones, recording desks (including very rare EMI REDD tube and TG12345 desks), outboard equipment (including Fairchild limiters and EMI RS124 modified Altec compressors), and Studer J-37 tube multi-tracks were used in this production. If you are a film/tv/game composer, or a musician/producer looking for sounds not found in other collections, this is it. Blending these unique and sometimes bizarre sounds with today’s music should enable you to produce something truly fab!
Produced by DOUG ROGERS
Engineered by KEN SCOTT (Beatles/David Bowie/Elton John/Supertramp etc.)
Includes authentic rare period guitars (acoustic and electric), basses, drums, keyboards, stringed and other misc instruments
The same kind of microphones were used to record all instruments (Neumann/AKG/Cole/STC)
The same kind of period amplifiers – Fender Tan Showman (1963), Fender Bassman (1963), Vox AC30 (1963), Vox AC50 (1965), Vox Defiant (1966), Vox 730 (1966), Vox 7120 (1966), Fender Showman (1967), Fender DeLuxe (1967) – were used with the electric guitars
The same kind of recording desks and preamps, including a very rare EMI REDD tube desk, EMI TG12345 desk (the same kind of desk used to record “Abbey Road” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”), and EMI REDD47 preamps, were used to record all instruments
The same kind of limiters (Fairchild) and compressors (rare EMI RS124 modified Altec) were used for dynamics control
The same kind of Studer J-37 tube 4-track was used to record everything
Listen to Demos
Watch the Tutorial
Read the Manual
Standouts for uncanny realism include, well, pretty much the entire library — Fab Four absolutely nails the iconic instrument sounds created at Abbey Road Studios by the Beatles.— SOUND ON SOUND
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Guitars (some costing over $200,000 each) played by LAURENCE JUBER (Paul McCartney and Wings) include Gretsch Firebird (1959), Gretsch Tennessean (1963), Rickenbacker 360-12 (1965), Martin D-28 (1966), Fender Stratocaster (1956), Epiphone Casino (1965), Fender Telecaster (1951), Gibson SG (1960), Les Paul Goldtop (1957), Gibson J200 (1966), Hofner 500 Bass (1963) and Rickenbacker 4001S Bass (1964).
Guitars were sampled with up and down strokes, multiple velocities and picking styles, some with chords and effects
Most of the sounds would be impossible to create without all of the above equipment. For example, the “revostortion” guitar sound was created by feeding a Epiphone Casino guitar into one EMI REDD 47 preamp, and the output into a second EMI REDD 47 preamp, which is exactly how it was created originally by the EMI/Abbey Road engineers
Drums played by DENNY SEIWELL (Paul McCartney and Wings) include a rare 1960 Ludwig downbeat kit with Zildjian cymbals (snare 5 x 14/toms 9 x 13/16 x 16/kick 22 x 14/zildjan 20″ crash ride/18″ crash medium/14″ Hi-Hat)
Drums are all multi-sampled with up to 16 velocity layers, left and right hand. The sounds were all matched to a particular style (e.g. A Day in the Drums, Ticket to Drums, Yer Drums). We even recorded some heavily modulated cymbals through a Fairchild limiter for authenticity
Keyboards include Baldwin Electric Harpsichord (Because I’m a Harpsichord), Clavioline (Baby I’m a Clavioline), Lucy in the Lowery, Strawberry Flutes, We Can Work a Harmonium, and other stringed instruments including Swarmandel Forever
FAB FOUR includes a software version of ADT (artificial double tracking) with built-in tape simulator, created and programmed specially for this project. The software includes the smoothest filters you’ll ever hear, delay, and multiple high quality reverb choices.
