# How to use the mics in Abbey Road ONE - advice from Simon Rhodes



## paulthomson

Thought if I made my own thread for my vlogs it will encourage me to be more prolific!!
Hope this one is of interest. Please excuse the location sound in the second half!


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## doctoremmet

Organs are great indeed. And to be honest, I can’t even begin to explain WHAT it is that makes them great. So I will watch your video. Thanks.


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## Rory

Just listening to the first two minutes of this video, I'm really interested. The main reservation that I have about an organ library, whether Spitfire's or Hauptwerk, is that I have no background in playing the instrument. The idea is intriguing, but intimidating


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## Rasoul Morteza

Who's that organ player? I also like the decapitator effect 

Great watch, thank you for the video. Interesting timing too, a few days ago I was searching for a recreational model of the oldest known organ but I couldn't find much info (talking about the late BC / early AD period). Was trying to see if I could find one that would fit the historical period of the 4-6th century AD. If anyone knows more detail about such instrument (even if it's at a museum) please let me know!

To organ lovers, check out the J. Gabler organ, Basilika St. Martin, Weingarten (Ton Koopman's performances) because it sounds magnificent... I hope I can get my hands on it someday.

Cheers


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## CT

Looking forward to watching this Paul! I have a lifelong relationship with this instrument.


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## josephspirits

Great idea for a topic. Be prolific!


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## Technostica

The fact that they negate the need for a cutlery drawer is a big part of their appeal for me.


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## gussunkri

Thank you for the video, Paul! I really enjoyed it. This might be your best video.

Your timing is great. I have only recently (well, since a year back) taken an interest in the organ. I was given an opportunity to play a church organ for the first time late one evening last November. I was curious to try it, but I didn't think much of it. I thought I had church organs pretty much figured out sonically. I pretty much had the gothic cliche in mind. I was given a five minute introduction and then I was left alone with the organ for two hours. I was really amazed by the range of sounds available. What I really found a liking for were the softer more flute-like sounds. I hadn't realized the organ could sound so delicate. It might change, but for now I am with Berlioz on the mixture... 

Anyways, I of course had to sample my favorite settings on the organ. I was meaning to upload the samples to Christian's Pianobook site, but I never seem to find the time and energy to edit the samples (and try to deal with the noise). As a result of the great experience playing the organ I couldn't resist buying the Union Chapel Organ and I've been having a lot of fun with it. 

I will try to listen to the organ music you linked to, but so far I've not really listened to much organ music that really moves me. Again, so much of it seems to focus on harsher sounds. The piece that has really moved me is "De Profundis" by Arvo Pärt. 

I've been working on a mock-up of that piece using the Union Chapel Organ, but I am lacking a few registrations to just follow the score. I'm trying to work out alternative registrations. Fun!

Sorry. Long rant. 
Again, thanks for the interesting video.
Best,
Kristoffer


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## CT

Oh there are recommendations? Curious to see how my taste aligns with Paul's.


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## sostenuto

Such 'power' under fingertips !! 💪 Lifetime pianist pressed into service as newly-built church organist ..... Organ shoes ????? 6 years later ; major fulfillment ..... and '_*power*_' 👊


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## CT

I always feel goofy wearing those shoes. They're not the most stylish things.


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## CT

What a great video. It's fantastic to see someone bringing this stuff to a wider audience! My own long Saturday evenings spent practicing in a dark church are an absolutely integral part of who I am today as a musician.

I have to share this particularly compelling performance of one of my favorite organ works, which was written as a tribute to Alain and quotes _Litanies _(that last chord in _Litanies_ might be my favorite chord ever). Duruflé was actually standing next to Vierne when he died on the bench. I'll need to limit myself to this or I'll go overboard with the videos....


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## paulthomson

Hi all - thanks for the feedback and comments!! great to see how many of "us" there are here!

OK this next one isn't actually on my vlog but I thought I'd post a link to it here as it might be useful for some of us. Christian and I talked to two excellent therapists for an hour about how to keep yourself mentally well even if working in isolation - and some daily habits you can use to stay on track and be more resilient.

I learned some really useful stuff doing this so I hope its useful.

All the best!

Paul


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## paulthomson

Just premiered!!


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## Levon

paulthomson said:


> Hi all - thanks for the feedback and comments!! great to see how many of "us" there are here!
> 
> OK this next one isn't actually on my vlog but I thought I'd post a link to it here as it might be useful for some of us. Christian and I talked to two excellent therapists for an hour about how to keep yourself mentally well even if working in isolation - and some daily habits you can use to stay on track and be more resilient.
> 
> I learned some really useful stuff doing this so I hope its useful.
> 
> All the best!
> 
> Paul



Thanks for that. It was an interesting listen. Cheers.


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## doctoremmet

Levon said:


> Thanks for that. It was an interesting listen. Cheers.


It was. Thanks Paul. Oh, and please do an entire series about organs.


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## paulthomson

Here's a new one on rolling your own clusters in Kontakt!


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## Niah2

paulthomson said:


> Here's a new one on rolling your own clusters in Kontakt!




Love it Paul ! For years I have experimented with the pitch bend to get the same effect but couldn't get there. This is extremely helpful, thank you !


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## paulthomson

Thanks Niah2! Glad it’s useful!


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## Noeticus

Hello Paul,

Great video!!!

Disregarding the title of your video, why not just draw the pitch changes in the DAW and not inside Kontakt?

Also, my dream is that in the future you will actually record numerous useful pitch changes so as to better the sound, as post effect, pitch shift only goes so far, and I love certain Penderecki music. 

Thanks,
Martin


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## paulthomson

Noeticus said:


> Hello Paul,
> 
> Great video!!!
> 
> Disregarding the title of your video, why not just draw the pitch changes in the DAW and not inside Kontakt?
> 
> Also, my dream is that in the future you will actually record numerous useful pitch changes so as to better the sound, as post effect, pitch shift only goes so far, and I love certain Penderecki music.
> 
> Thanks,
> Martin



So you can perform them in real time! More like an instrument.

Nice ideas!


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## paulthomson

One of my friends just posted this quote and I really loved it. Wanted to share. It’s Kurt Vonnegut

“When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of ‘getting to know you,’ questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? What’s your favorite subject? And I told him, no I don’t play any sports. I do theater, I’m in choir, I play the violin and piano, I used to take art classes.
And he went WOW. That’s amazing! And I said, ‘
‘Oh no, but I’m not any good at ANY of them.”
And he said something then that I will never forget and which absolutely blew my mind because no one had ever said anything like it to me before: ‘ I don’t think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you’ve got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.’
And that honestly changed my life. Because I went from a failure, someone who hadn’t been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could ‘Win’ at them.”
Kurt Vonnegut


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## Bear Market

paulthomson said:


> One of my friends just posted this quote and I really loved it. Wanted to share. It’s Kurt Vonnegut



Beautiful!


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## Laddy

Cool! Is there any way to mimic this with HZ Strings? (since its not in kontakt..)


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## paulthomson

By request!


Give your Brass that Epic HYBRID Sizzle!


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## paulthomson

Here is some collated advice from Simon - dive in for the skinny on the mics!


ABBEY ROAD ONE - MIC TUTORIAL


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## easyrider

Great info


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## Pixelpoet1985

Very informative, not only for this specific library, but on microphones and combinations in general. Thanks!

Are there many real recordings using the decca tree #2 (= the more cardioid one)? Is it just a matter of taste when you go for this? I think in "Hollywood" productions the omni one is omnipresent.


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## spacepluk

Thanks for making this video!


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## CT

Great to hear what Simon himself thinks, along with some good common sense principles. Hopefully there'll be fewer people adding mic signals to mixes that already include them, and that sorta thing, now....


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## JonS

paulthomson said:


> Thought if I made my own thread for my vlogs it will encourage me to be more prolific!!
> Hope this one is of interest. Please excuse the location sound in the second half!



Loved this wonderful video, Paul!! Another great one!!


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## shropshirelad

Very helpful video, thank you.


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## gussunkri

This was very helpful, Paul. You are a good teacher. Would it be possible to do the same for BBCSO professional based on Jack’s advice. I know that there is a video on the mics but the focus on that one is different.


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## paulthomson

gussunkri said:


> This was very helpful, Paul. You are a good teacher. Would it be possible to do the same for BBCSO professional based on Jack’s advice. I know that there is a video on the mics but the focus on that one is different.



good idea! Will do


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## JonS

paulthomson said:


> good idea! Will do


I had no idea your background in organ playing. How special!!! Makes both Spitfire organs even more special now that I know this about you. Really love Spitfire libraries and both the Union Chapel Organ and Symphonic Organ!!! Loved hearing you play the organ in the video, Paul!!!


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