Martin Hannett - stories, technique,etc

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wtmnmf

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 4, 2007
Messages
380
Location
Berkeley,CA USA
Anyone with insights into the work of the producer Martin Hannett?  I'm listening to Magazine's The Correct Use of Soap, and remembering what a fan of his work I am! 

Of course he worked with talented, creative people, but his contribution to the work is so clearly discernible.  A Song From Under The Floorboards is a great example of his technique.  Bass, guitar, vocals, drums, synth...  they all are clear examples of his style.  Each instrument has an interesting sound of it's own and does not fight for space with the rest. 

Gorgeous.

Are you a fan?
 
I love this vid of Martin at Strawberry Studios: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI-w7LjSNi4
Yeah, I'd also love to know more about his techniques. Does anyone know if there was ever a RE/P or dB magazine feature on him during his heyday?
I just heard 'Swimming' by the Names for the first time this week, another cool Hannet production. ESG, Jilted John, The Buzzcocks 'Spiral Scratch EP... all kinds of great work by that guy.
 
That's a fun video  :)  He has an interesting perspective.  "the walls of the room, rushing in and out at a fantastic rate"

Those Helios EQ's are really nice...   

Time to repair my Marshall Time Modulators!
 
I enjoyed this book about him

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Killed-Martin-Hannett-Magician/dp/1845131746/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1333137739&sr=8-3

I honestly don't remember there being much if any technical detail, but his personality comes through loud and clear.
 
monobass said:
I enjoyed this book about him

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Killed-Martin-Hannett-Magician/dp/1845131746/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1333137739&sr=8-3

I honestly don't remember there being much if any technical detail, but his personality comes through loud and clear.

Thanks for that!  I think I'll pick it up :)
 
Rather than re-write things...

http://repforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,33088.msg490942.html#msg490942

http://repforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,11174.msg295617.html#msg295617

Keith
 
Listening to the preview on that page, I can say that a genuine MTM would never have that HF response... and the character would have changed more significantly after all that regeneration.
 
sr1200 said:
Anyone ever thought about cloning the 5002's?

Yes  ;D

Someday, when the opportunity arises, I will x-ray  the potted bits and then take them apart.  Clearly the parts are there to build new ones, as replacements are available.  Without touching the 'magic' of the circuit, the design could be improved quite a bit.  What ever possessed SSC to use that stupid card edge connector for the power supply is beyond me, and the flex circuit and mechanical design are a nightmare as well.  The first MTM that I got clearly had the polarity wrong on the power connector...  I'm guessing that many MTM's suffered this fate.
 
wtmnmf said:
Clearly the parts are there to build new ones, as replacements are available.
The parts are only 'available' insofar as Studio Electronics in Burbank bought up the last remaining parts from the St Croix estate, and supplies are very definitely limited. -Not even THEY can make any more beyond what's limited by supplies they have presently to hand
wtmnmf said:
What ever possessed SSC to use that stupid card edge connector for the power supply is beyond me, and the flex circuit and mechanical design are a nightmare as well.  The first MTM that I got clearly had the polarity wrong on the power connector...  I'm guessing that many MTM's suffered this fate.
There was an article which I recall reading in the 1980s where Stephen explained his rationale behind this... I must say, I didn't get it either, but I eventually same to think that if you had a dozen of them mounted one-above-the-other in a rack, you could probably make some sort of 'buss' card running vertically, and there might be arguable benefits to powering like that... but I must say that -de-mount the power supply if you wish, but vastly I prefer things like chassis XLR connectors etc.

I'd buy a working analog MTM in a hertbeat, but then I used three with Hannett, and one on almost ALL the mixes that I did through the 1980's.

In another forum I think I posted about the sound of Adrian Gurvitz's single titled 'Classic' being defined by the MTM 'flange' and I did indeed use this a lot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVNkiknIPRQ

Another example I used it on was on the keyboard 'drone' on this Tune by UK band 'Demon'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwDNX2TU1YM

If I hunted around I could find a bunch of other stuff which I used to use it on, but personally I was a real sucker for that 'not-quite-a-phase-but-not-quite-a-flange' sound that they used to do. -It was stunningly useful for taking something which drew TOO MUCH attention to itself and might get 'boring' (like pedal notes, drones, plain-sounding keyboard pads etc) and giving them enough 'texture' to make them 'interesting'.

The plug-in might actually do this particular trick fairly well, but that's NOT how Hannett used to use them. -He tended to end up with 'fast-slap' speed repeats, and generally used the modulation as a 'madness'. -There was frequently some 'deliberately-random' element of chance which he seemed to enjoy, so it wasn't always planned to any great detail, but it was a tool which he ALWAYS used, certainly on the sessions where we worked together.
 
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