Fab Four

Spielen Sie die Instrumente der Beatles!

EAST WEST bringt den Sound der Beatles ins 21. Jahrhundert: Die selben Instrumente, wie sie seinerzeit bei den legendären Aufnahmen der Beatles benutzt wurden. Über ein Jahr wurde darauf verwendet, die passenden Instrumente und natürlich die passenden Leute dazu zu finden. Für das FAB FOUR Virtual Instruments Project wurden auch Menschen verpflichtet, die direkt mit den Beatles zusammengearbeitet haben: Toningenieur Ken Scott, der z.B. an den Beatles Alben "A Hard Day´s Night", "Help", "Rubber Soul", "Magical Mystery Tour" und "The Beatles" gearbeitet hat. Gitarrist Laurence Juber und Schlagzeuger Denny Seiwell waren Mitmusiker von "Paul McCartney and Wings".

Eine kleine Übersicht des verwendeten Equipments: Neumann, AKG, Cole und STC Mikrofone, wie sie in den EMI/Abbey Road Studios verwendet wurden. Verstärker wie der legendäre 1963er Voc AC30, 1967 Fender Showman und der Fender DeLuxe, 1963 Fender Bassman, Tan Showman und 1966 Vox Defiant, 730 und 7120, wurden zur Aufnahme der Gitarrensounds benutzt.

• An Mischpulten und Preamps wurden unter anderem das sehr seltene EMI REDD Röhren Pult, das EMI TG12345 und der EMI REDD47 Preamp durch Fairchild Limiter und den modifizierten EMI RS124 / Altec Kompressore gejagt um schließlich auf einer Studer J-37 4-Spur Maschine zu landen.

• Hier eine Auswahl der bis zu 200.000 Dollar teuren Gitarren. Gretsch Firebird (1959) und Tennessean (1963), Rickenbacker 360-12 (1965), Martin D-28 (1966), Fender Stratocaster (1956) und Telecaster (1951), Epiphone Casino (1965), eine Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1957), SG (1960) und J200 (1966).

• Natürlich dürfen die Bässe nicht fehlen – ein Höfner (1963) und ein Rickenbacker (1964) Bass, die gleichen wie sie Paul McCartney auf den Beatles’ Alben gespielt hat. Alle Gitarren wurden mit Mehrfach-Velocity, Up- & Downstrokes und Akkorden gesampelt.

• Drums: 1960er Ludwig Downbeat Kit mit Zildjian Becken (Snare 5" x 14"/Toms 9" x 13" und 16" x 16"/Kick 22" x 14"/Zildjian 20" Crash Ride/18" Crash Medium/14" Hi-Hat). Die Drums wurden mit bis zu 16 Velocity Schichten getrennt für linke und rechte Hand gesampelt. Die Sounds wurden alle einem entsprechenden Style zugeordnet (z. B. “A Day in the Drums”, “Ticket to Drums”, “Yer Drums”).

• Keyboards: Baldwin Electric Harpsichord (“Because I´m a Harpsichord”), Clavioline (“Baby I´m a Clavioline”), “Birthday Piano” (über einen Vox Defiant Guitar Amp gespielt).

FAB FOUR Virtual Instruments enthält eine Version des ADT (Artificial Double Tracking). Eine - speziell für dieses Projekt programmierte – Bandsimulation. Alle Instrumente wurden neu aufgenommen. Kein einziges Sample stammt von einer Beatles Platte.

 

Standouts for uncanny realism include, well, pretty much the entire library ? the guitar sounds are so authentic they could have been lifted directly off the original multitrack session tapes. Fab Four absolutely nails the iconic instrument sounds created at Abbey Road Studios by the Beatles, George Martin, Ken Scott (who worked on engineering Fab Four, in fact), Geoff Emerick, Alan Parsons, and other producers and engineers on the Beatles? many brilliant albums. It should also be said that if you?re looking to recreate the Beatles sound with other libraries, you really have to know what you?re looking for. In Fab Four, so much of the work has been done for you that, uh, all you need is love . . . of the Beatles! Bottom line: Fab Four is a major accomplishment, and entirely worth the money. - KEYBOARD

I installed Fab Four in my Pro Tools rig and instantly fell in love with all the sounds--all 13GB of them. Check out: ?With A Little Help From My Bass?, ?Bass Tripper?, ?Because I'm A Harpsichord?, ?Madonna Piano?, ?Baby I'm Clavioline?, ?Strawberry Flutes?, ?We Can Work A Harmonium?, ?I'm A Blackbird Guitar?, ?Revostortion Guitar?, and Swarmandel Forever.? The drums and bass sounds are evocative of Ringo and Paul and the keyboards work excellently in any record production pastiche--just like the Beatles used them. The instrument's GUI includes many studio effects you can add to any sound such as convolution reverbs, delays, compressors and the Beatle's often-used ADT (artificial double tracking) tape recorder effect. As a collection of authentic Beatle sounds, Fab Four Virtual Instruments turns out to be an excellent record production and songwriting tool - MUSIC CONNECTION

In all honesty, this was a library I didn?t expect to be very interested in. I found it admirable from an artistic standpoint that EastWest would go to the trouble of putting out what I expected to be a very esoteric product, but would anyone really be interested enough to open up their wallets? Wow, was I wrong. This is a charming sample library that grows on you the more you play it. It?s hard to imagine anyone not developing a severe crush on at least some of
these instruments. -VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS

Given their beauty, and the ease with which they can be molded, the bulk of the Fab Four samples are both outstandingly accurate reproductions of sounds that helped create some of the most memorable music in the history of rock, and sample sets that can be turned into aural tapestries that evoke an earlier era without being tethered to it.It takes a bit of cheek and a lot of skill to attempt such a task, and the producer/engineer tandem of Doug Rogers and Ken Scott deserve high marks for their efforts. -MIX MAGAZINE

Fab Four is a true jewel for all fans of the classic Beatles sounds. Producer Doug Rogers and engineer Ken Scott, (who has worked for example with the Beatles, David Bowie and Elton John) have tried with almost boundless efforts to capture the sound spirit of legendary recordings. Not only instruments and amps of that time have been used, also the authentic recording equipment. Along with old Neuman tube mics, venerable Fairchild and Altec compressors, they have used the EMI tube mixer and TG12345 mixer as well as a Studer J37 4 track tube tape machine. In addition, they got competent help by two former Wings members, Denny Seiwell (drums) and Laurence Juber (guitar). Fab Four is an accurate collection of sounds that created pop history, and are a great starting point to create new songs, and create alternatives to modern sounds. - KEYS  Review: FAB FOUR  Standouts for uncanny realism include, well, pretty much the entire library ? the guitar sounds are so authentic they could have been lifted directly off the original multitrack session tapes. Fab Four absolutely nails the iconic instrument sounds created at Abbey Road Studios by the Beatles, George Martin, Ken Scott (who worked on engineering Fab Four, in fact), Geoff Emerick, Alan Parsons, and other producers and engineers on the Beatles? many brilliant albums. It should also be said that if you?re looking to recreate the Beatles sound with other libraries, you really have to know what you?re looking for. In Fab Four, so much of the work has been done for you that, uh, all you need is love . . . of the Beatles! Bottom line: Fab Four is a major accomplishment, and entirely worth the money. - KEYBOARD

I installed Fab Four in my Pro Tools rig and instantly fell in love with all the sounds--all 13GB of them. Check out: ?With A Little Help From My Bass?, ?Bass Tripper?, ?Because I'm A Harpsichord?, ?Madonna Piano?, ?Baby I'm Clavioline?, ?Strawberry Flutes?, ?We Can Work A Harmonium?, ?I'm A Blackbird Guitar?, ?Revostortion Guitar?, and Swarmandel Forever.? The drums and bass sounds are evocative of Ringo and Paul and the keyboards work excellently in any record production pastiche--just like the Beatles used them. The instrument's GUI includes many studio effects you can add to any sound such as convolution reverbs, delays, compressors and the Beatle's often-used ADT (artificial double tracking) tape recorder effect. As a collection of authentic Beatle sounds, Fab Four Virtual Instruments turns out to be an excellent record production and songwriting tool - MUSIC CONNECTION

In all honesty, this was a library I didn?t expect to be very interested in. I found it admirable from an artistic standpoint that EastWest would go to the trouble of putting out what I expected to be a very esoteric product, but would anyone really be interested enough to open up their wallets? Wow, was I wrong. This is a charming sample library that grows on you the more you play it. It?s hard to imagine anyone not developing a severe crush on at least some of
these instruments. - VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS

Given their beauty, and the ease with which they can be molded, the bulk of the Fab Four samples are both outstandingly accurate reproductions of sounds that helped create some of the most memorable music in the history of rock, and sample sets that can be turned into aural tapestries that evoke an earlier era without being tethered to it. It takes a bit of cheek and a lot of skill to attempt such a task, and the producer/engineer tandem of Doug Rogers and Ken Scott deserve high marks for their efforts. - MIX MAGAZINE

Fab Four is a true jewel for all fans of the classic Beatles sounds. Producer Doug Rogers and engineer Ken Scott, (who has worked for example with the Beatles, David Bowie and Elton John) have tried with almost boundless efforts to capture the sound spirit of legendary recordings. Not only instruments and amps of that time have been used, also the authentic recording equipment. Along with old Neuman tube mics, venerable Fairchild and Altec compressors, they have used the EMI tube mixer and TG12345 mixer as well as a Studer J37 4 track tube tape machine. In addition, they got competent help by two former Wings members, Denny Seiwell (drums) and Laurence Juber (guitar). Fab Four is an accurate collection of sounds that created pop history, and are a great starting point to create new songs, and create alternatives to modern sounds. - KEYS