Thriller. The bestselling album of all time. But, what made it so special?
The tracks included in 'Thriller' had a strong pop feel, which was made technically using all of the musical elements. This perfect balance made the songs great for dancing to and everybody loved them!
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(From the left) Quincy, Michael and Bruce in the studio. |
Quincy Jones gave Swedien a lot of freedom whilst producing Thriller, and Bruce made the most of it! For example; he used the Shure SM7 for many of Michael's vocals, which some people weren't too sure about. This out of the ordinary choice, revolutionised music and removed limitations. Swedien also used to prepare the studio room how he wanted it. Jones always said, "We have to leave space for god to walk through the room", this is what made the production stand out from the rest, as the unexpected could happen. Several new techniques were experimented with, eventually Swedien found the technique he's been looking for, Acusonic.
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Michael in the studio (1982). |
The Acusonic Technique
Acusonic, although considered a 'technique', is actually just a name to describe 'the manner in which Swedien synchronised multiple 24-track tape machines to access practically a limitless track count', says Technical Editor, Hugh Robjohns. This technique involved recording a lot of acoustic tracks separately, rather than using a mono mic, in stereo with a stereo pair. To ensure that the room acoustics were correct, Swedien moved sources around the studio in front of a fixed stereo pair, instead of moving the mics about.![]() |
24-track recording machine, used by Swedien for the Acusonic technique. |
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Swedien and Jones at the mixing desk. |
What made Thriller so unique?
If you listen to any of Bruce Swedien's work you will notice how unique and different the music is. This is due to the hard work Swedien put in to achieve that 'tailored' sound and 'unique sonic personality' for each different record.
Bruce loved to use his 'Acusonic' technique, where he would overdub and sub-mix tracks from a master reel and then premix them for the final mix. This is what made the album of such high quality, especially for the time. If thriller would have been released in modern day this sound quality would be a lot easier to achieve. The use of a Blumlein pair was very beneficial aswell. This is where two microphones, both omnidirectional cardioid, were positioned next to each other to produce a comprehensive polar pattern (displayed in the diagram). Recording using a Blumlein pair enhances width, realism and emotional immediacy. It is interesting how Swedien opted to use this method rather than just recording with a stereo microphone. But in interviews with Bruce he says, 'you can do more with 2 mics than a stereo'.
Bob and Michael experimented a lot with different ways of recording sound in the studio. Personally, one of my favourite thing that they did was how they recording parts of verse 2 in Billie Jean which they created using a 5ft long cardboard tube to sing vocals through. Another thing that I found interesting was how drums were recorded, also in Billie Jean. To achieve the clear sounds from the drums a single live drum kit was separated, the hat was isolated from the snare using a purpose built foot square wood and mu metal panel. Whilst the kick drum was recorded using a cover made of furniture blanket, white a zipped hole which the microphone could go through. The drums were also mounted on top of a purpose built drum riser, which was used for 'Rok With You' too. This helped to prevent the low frequency drum sounds from reflecting off the floor and then entering the pick up area of the mics of other instruments. Plus, use of the platform reduces the risk of sound travelling through walls, decreasing sound absorption and eliminates second hand pick up.
Swedien used a great method to record Jackson's vocals. For example; In 'Rock With You', backing vocals were firstly recorded close to the microphone using a double track. Next, the same vocals would be repeated, but this time the vocalist would stand further away from the microphone and the engineer would increase the gain from the pre-amp to meet the previous levels. Then the vocals would be recorded again standing even further away, using a Blumlein stereo pair. Overall this increased the density of early reflections making the sound have more natural depth and increase the width of the sound field.
In Thriller, early reflections were a key factor, especially in lead vocals. This feature of depth and enhancement of vocals can be noticed in many of Michael's songs. Swedien produced this characteristic by getting Michael to stand on the drum platform surrounded by tube tracks whilst recording vocals. This allows the pattern of early reflections to be controlled and also supported sounds of Michael's singing and dancing too! This method allowed Swedien to keep the mic consistent during movement.
During our time in the recording studio we have experimented with recording several instruments, using a variety of recording techniques. Some of our techniques could be compared to the way Thriller was recorded, as both of the recordings were made in an insulated, well equipped recording studio. One obvious difference would be that Thriller was recorded back in the 1980's, whereas we recorded in 2015 so the technology has improved massively. This development has allowed us to record with a similar quality to Swedien's work, but with a lot less effort and knowledge.Swedien used a great method to record Jackson's vocals. For example; In 'Rock With You', backing vocals were firstly recorded close to the microphone using a double track. Next, the same vocals would be repeated, but this time the vocalist would stand further away from the microphone and the engineer would increase the gain from the pre-amp to meet the previous levels. Then the vocals would be recorded again standing even further away, using a Blumlein stereo pair. Overall this increased the density of early reflections making the sound have more natural depth and increase the width of the sound field.
In Thriller, early reflections were a key factor, especially in lead vocals. This feature of depth and enhancement of vocals can be noticed in many of Michael's songs. Swedien produced this characteristic by getting Michael to stand on the drum platform surrounded by tube tracks whilst recording vocals. This allows the pattern of early reflections to be controlled and also supported sounds of Michael's singing and dancing too! This method allowed Swedien to keep the mic consistent during movement.
Microphones
I mentioned earlier in the blog about the freedom Bruce Swedien had with choosing the microphones. Here are a few examples of the mics Swedien used in the ledgendary recording of Thriller.
The AKG C414 is a condenser microphone, with a large diaphragm which offers 9 polar patterns, allowing for the perfect sonic capture for every recording. This mic has been around since 1971 and is still in use now. Its LED light shows even the slightest overload, allowing for the gain to be just right. This microphone produces a neutral sound and is very versatile.
Bruce Swedien used this mic to record the violins in the recording of Billie Jean as he said it was a 'really great mic for the classical approach for a string section'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL8J7gObDkA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL8J7gObDkA
Shure SM57
This mic was used during the recording of the snare drum in Billie Jean.
Throughout my blog I have already mentioned a lot about the Shure SM57. Bruce used this mic to record the snare drums, which isn't the most likely choice. This is a dynamic microphone which records in a cardioid pattern.
Back when Bruce was recording Thriller, these microphones weren't produced as consistently as they are today which made every mic a little bit different, and Swedien had 8. He said 'I have one marked snare drum', as he discover that one in particular microphone was perfect for the job.
He has tried experiementing using 2 mics to record the snare drum but says: if micing top and bottom of the snare, it can cause phasing problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ltqGkK_CA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ltqGkK_CA
Evaluating Our Own Recordings
Whilst planning our recording we had to consider many different factors. First of all sound quality, this includes accurate, enjoyable and intelligible sounds coming from an audio output form an electronic device. We ensured this by setting up the microphones properly and choosing the appropriate type for the selected instrument and also doing sound checks before the actual recording. When we completed a sound check for the glockenspiel, we realized that there was too much sound. Because of this we knew that for the actual recording we needed to place the mic further away.
Acoustic reflection was another important aspect to look into, especially whilst recording in a studio. Our studio at school has insulated walls, this soundproofs the studio by stopping the transfer of sound passing from one space to another with the use of materials which prevent the sound passing by absorbing the energy or the sound wave. In turn, this influences the acoustic reflection as sound is more likely to bounce back therefore giving more repititions of sound from the reflection of sound waves. Another advantage of having a sound proofed studio, is that it reduces the background noise. This is necessary in our studio, because it is located in a school so loads of people are around making noise plus you'd have other unwanted noises like air-conditioning. When Micheal Jackson was recording Thriller, he probably didn't have much unwanted sound around the studio, but soundproofing was still required to ensure high quality sounds.
Whilst recording vocal in the School's studio resonance was not a factor we considered, but is something that we would prioritize in future projects as it makes the recording sound very professional. Resonance is extremely noticeable over the album Thriller, especially in vocals. With improved resonance intensifies and prolongs sound. We could achieve this by using condenser mics for vocals which pick up high frequency sounds, or an effect could be applied to tracks digitally.
I worked in a group of 3 to complete these recordings, so we managed to switch around the roles a little so we all got the chance to do something new. For the glockenspiel, Lewis and I recorded Ryan playing the instrument, whereas for the guitar recording Lewis played guitar so me and Ryan recorded him. For the vocal recording I worked with Dan and Jon, Jon set up the studio and Dan recorded me singing vocals. Assigning roles for individuals helped us achieve a professional recording as we could focus on one job, this compares to the recording of Thriller because everyone could specialize with their own roles.
In the groups I worked with the group dynamics were extremely good as we all seemed to have different talents. This allowed us to develop existing skill and learn new skills by helping each other out.
The recordings we completed in school were only short, and mostly only included one instrument. This makes it a bit difficult for us to compare it to Thriller, as for the album he used over 24 tracks on each song. Another aspect of studio recording could be from the recording I did in the Summer at Ambitious Recording Studio's in Birmingham.
At ambitious I recorded 6 tracks, but instead I used a backing track and then recorded my vocals on top of the track. I used a similar technique to Michael as he also recorded his voice over the tracks produced by the instruments. But instead, Micheal's 'backing track' was produced especially for him. Some other artists would record vocals whilst the instruments were also recording theirs. This is a good method as it involves the listener more, especially if the tracks are being recorded in stereo. Stereo recordings give the listener a better sense of instruments and almost sounds like a natural or live performance. Thriller was also recorded in stereo, but tracks were recorded separately. The majority of recordings are recorded in stereo, but stereo was only introduced in 1958. Quincey Jones recorded on of the first stereo albums- The Genius of Ray Charles, in Phil Ramones studio on 48th Street.
The recording of these tracks are of a high sound quality as I worked with a profession sound engineer who has studied sound production for many years. He set up a condenser microphone, with a pop shield and a pop filter, this allowed my vocals to be recorded professionally and of a high quality. The room which I recorded in was similar to the School's studio, but a lot bigger. This difference gave a different sound, as the room size effected the way sound vibrates off surfaces and also sound reflection as sound had further to travel before being absorbed.
Bibliography:
Sound on Sound Magazine- Bruce Swedien: Recording Michael Jackson.
Sound on Sound Magazine- What is the Acusonic Recording Process.
Pop Music, The Text Book- Michael Jackson Artist Profile (Page 83).
Wikipedia- Thriller (Michael Jackson Album).
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