Sir Needs To Mixalothttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/ Mixing for rock, indie, punk, electronic, acoustic and Americana records. And short notes on the gear behind them.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 06:15:53 +0000 Two M160s, a stairwell and a Binson: the Levee drumshttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/11/levee-breaks-m160-drumshttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/11/levee-breaks-m160-drumsTue, 03 Nov 2026 22:42:00 +0000Everybody credits the stairwell at Headley Grange. Andy Johns gave a lot of the credit to an echo unit. Before you send a song to be mixedhttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/11/before-you-send-a-song-to-be-mixedhttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/11/before-you-send-a-song-to-be-mixedMon, 02 Nov 2026 21:15:00 +0000A short checklist. When a mix goes sideways early, it's usually because of something on this list. Bruce Swedien's SM7https://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/bruce-swedien-shure-sm7https://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/bruce-swedien-shure-sm7Sat, 31 Oct 2026 23:03:00 +0000The lead vocal mic on most of Thriller was a broadcast dynamic. Swedien said it raised some eyebrows. The dolceola, and a credit that stuck for 70 yearshttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/dolceola-washington-phillipshttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/dolceola-washington-phillipsFri, 30 Oct 2026 20:27:00 +0000For decades the liner notes said Washington Phillips played a dolceola. He almost certainly didn't. Ribbon plus 57 on a guitar cabhttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/royer-r121-sm57-guitar-cabhttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/royer-r121-sm57-guitar-cabWed, 28 Oct 2026 22:58:00 +0000Nobody owns the two-mic guitar cab, but the R-121 and SM57 pairing belongs to Ross Hogarth as much as anyone. A compressor from Ogden, Utah that sounds like Memphishttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/spectra-sonics-610-complimiterhttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/spectra-sonics-610-complimiterTue, 27 Oct 2026 21:41:00 +0000Spectra Sonics started in Utah in 1964. Its preamps ended up in the consoles behind Stax, and Dave Cobb still swears by the 610. Once you notice the J-45, it's on everythinghttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/gibson-j45-workhorsehttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/gibson-j45-workhorseSat, 24 Oct 2026 19:52:00 +0000Gibson's "Workhorse" has been on folk, country and indie records since 1942. A partial list, and a few notes on recording one. The RS124, an Altec that EMI took aparthttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/emi-rs124-compressorhttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/emi-rs124-compressorThu, 22 Oct 2026 23:36:00 +0000EMI bought some Altec compressors in 1959 and rebuilt them. The result may be on every Beatles album. The Sears amp with the most indie credhttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/silvertone-1484-twin-twelvehttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/silvertone-1484-twin-twelveTue, 20 Oct 2026 22:10:00 +0000The Silvertone 1484 was a department-store amp. Then Mudhoney, Jack White and half the indie bands of the 2000s got hold of them. "+12 on every EQ": how Rumours stopped sounding wronghttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/api-550a-rumourshttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/api-550a-rumoursSat, 17 Oct 2026 21:04:00 +0000Ken Caillat spent more than a week moving mics and swapping amps. The fix turned out to be on the console. The BBC ribbon over Ringo's kithttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/coles-4038-ringo-overheadshttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/coles-4038-ringo-overheadsThu, 15 Oct 2026 23:19:00 +0000The Coles 4038 was designed for the BBC in the 1950s and has barely changed since. Abbey Road used it on drums, bass and Hammond. A newer one: the Highland Dynamics BG2https://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/highland-dynamics-bg2https://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/highland-dynamics-bg2Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:45:00 +0000Not everything here is vintage. The BG2 is a hand-built tube compressor from Los Angeles that indie studios have quietly picked up. Crooners, Les Paul and the RCA 44https://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/rca-44-aea-r44chttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/rca-44-aea-r44cSat, 10 Oct 2026 22:31:00 +0000The big ribbon that made Bing Crosby sound close enough to touch is still made, part for part, in Pasadena. Lenny Kravitz or Beck? Two tube preamps from Kansashttps://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/coil-audio-ca-286-ca-70https://sir-needs-to-mixalot.pages.dev/2026/10/coil-audio-ca-286-ca-70Thu, 08 Oct 2026 21:22:00 +0000Coil Audio builds tube preamps from old broadcast circuits. Tape Op summed up the difference between two of them in one line.