Fab Four is a virtual instrument inspired by the sounds of the Beatles, using the same kind of instruments and recording equipment the Beatles used to create their music. No expense was spared finding the same kind of equipment the Beatles used to create their sounds to produce this collection.

Well over a million dollars worth of rare period 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.

Key Facts

Recording:

• 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 - Vox AC30 (1963), Fender Showman (1967), Fender DeLuxe (1967), Fender Tan Showman (1963), Vox Defiant (1966), Vox 730 (1966), Vox 7120 (1966), Fender Bassman (1963) - 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 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.

Instruments:

• 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 (1956), Fender Telecaster (1951), Gibson SG (1960), Les Paul Goldtop (1957), Gibson J200 (1966), Hofner Bass (1963) and Rickenbacker 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), Birthday Piano (through VOX Defiant guitar amp), Lucy in the Lowery, Strawberry Flutes, We Can Work a Harmonium, and other stringed instruments including Swarmandel Forever.

Effects:

• Includes a software version of ADT (artificial double tracking) with built-in tape simulator, created and programmed specially for this project.
• All instruments are newly recorded multi-samples for this collection, none of the sounds came from any Beatles music or records.