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The Making of Wu Tang Forever (studio info, gear used, and many more)

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  • The Making of Wu Tang Forever (studio info, gear used, and many more)

    Props to Carlos, engineer who recorded and mixed a majority of songs on "Wu Tang Forever".

    Around this time, Rza was in love with a small RED BOX which was a simple Drum Machine with some cool presets of kits.

    Rza called it the RED BOX and it was from Switzerland.

    Rza incorporated Record Drum loops and Live Drum (Played Loops) within his Drum program.

    I played live Drums on "Reuited", "Little Ghetto Boys" and "Deadly Melody"

    I would setup in the morning, Record & Mix Drums at noon, Hand Rza a DAT of Drums in the evening.My Drum set was very small. at the time it consisted of a:

    Ludwig - Supraphonic 400 - P83 Strainer 6.5"x14"
    Remo Coated Controlled Sound Drumhead (Black Dot) Tune Very High

    Gretsch Walnut Shell Drum Kick Drum KIK 18x22"
    Remo Pinstripe (The Skin with the oil in between) Tune Very High
    Open Back

    Avedis Zildjian Hihats 14"
    21 Inch Zildjian Ride

    That was all for my kit. Rza Loved it for what he was doing at the time and so did I.

    5 Microphones were used.

    2 AKG C28 C Over head
    1 Sure SM57 Snare Bottom, Kick Bleed
    1 AKG 414EB Snare Top , Hi-Hat Bleed
    1 U47 Room mic

    Signal Path - NEVE MIC PRE EQ, TELETRONIX LA-2A COMPRESSOR, Pultec Custom 2 Channel EQ, SSL Patch, Studer A 827 @ 15ips, to Ampex 499 2" tape. Mix stems were recorded to 1/2 inch / Repro to DAT About 4 DATS were made during the recording of Wu Tang Forever.

    DATS ranging from 60 minutes to 90 minutes of just drums. That was my workout.


    Rza as main producer would still use his ASR 10 as his main Sampler and Drum bank,
    THE RED BOX for his Basic Drum patterns and Hard Drum kits you hear on the majority of the album. The rest came from Producers Truemaster, 4th Decsiple and Allah Math. Here's the entire drum setup list in general for the entire album.

    Wu-Revolution - The Red Box
    Reunited - Live Drums Performed By Carlos Bess
    For Heavens Sake - The Red Box
    Cash Still Rules/Scary Hours The Red Box
    Visionz - Eps 16 + Produced By Deck
    As High As Wu-Tang Get The Red Box
    Severe Punishment The Red Box
    Maria - "Get out my life, woman" Lee Dorsey Drum Loop
    A Better Tomorrow Korg 01/W (Bretheren Drum Loop)
    It's Yours - Sing Sing Drum loop + The Red Box
    Triumph - The Red Box
    Impossible Drum loop w/Music + The Red Box
    Little Ghetto Boys Live Drums Performed By Carlos Bess
    Deadly Melody - Live Drums Performed By Carlos Bess
    The City - The Red Box
    The Projects - The Red Box
    Bells Of War Sneakin' In The Back Drumloop (Chop)
    The M.G.M. EPS 16 + Produced By Truemaster
    Dog Shit The Red Box
    Duck Seazon The Red Box
    Hellz Wind Staff Heaters ASR -10 RZA's Drum Banks
    Heaterz - EPS 16 + Produced By Truemaster
    Black Shampoo The Red Box
    Second Coming (Live Drums by Ramsey ODB's Brother)

    The Red Box was only set up in his personal home studio together with tons of Doepher and other Joints i can't remember.

    Rza Would dump the Beats on 3 ADATS, i would then transfer the ADATS to 2" at + Tape (About 60 Reels and 200 1/2" reels)

    Sorry about the lack of knowledge on The Red Box. A RZA Secret


    But i will make it up with tracksheets....


    Equipment used on Enter 36 chambers album

    This is a list of all the gear that I used to record and mix the first wu-tang album.

    Console

    Peavey Production Series 2400 With Megamix Automation (Run with a Mac SE-30)

    Audio Recorders.

    Ampex MM1200 24 track - Originally own by Prince. "Purple Rain" album was recorded with this machine.

    The majority of the record was recorded on 2" tape except "Protect your Neck" which was record on a Tascam MS16 16 track 1" reel with Without Dolby NR

    Sony APR5003 2 track 1/4" with SMPTE
    Tascam DA-30 DAT Recorder
    Tascam 244 portastudio 4 track was used to bounce final mixes from DAT to highspeed 4 track Cassette with Maxell MX 60 Crome Cassettes.

    Speakers and Amps

    Westlake Audio BBSM12
    Yamaha NS10m
    Aurtones C5
    (2) Bryston Amps 4B
    (2) OCS amps MX 700

    Signal Processors

    Ampex 350
    API 3124
    Quad 8
    Focusrite ISA 215
    API 550A
    Pultek Custom 2 eq's
    Aphex Lunch Box (2) eq's (2) Compressors
    1 UREI 565 Notch Filter
    2 UREI 1176
    2 UREI LA-4
    2 DBX 166
    1 DBX 160x
    2 DBX 266
    2 DBX 563x The Silencer
    1 Alesis 3630
    Valley People Dynamite Comp/gate
    Valley People Gatex
    Barcus Barry BBE802 Aural Exciter

    Efx Units

    Tascam 122 MKII was used on "repro" as an Analog slap back delay used on the vocals. You hear it more on "Bring the Ruckus"
    Roland R888
    Yamaha Rev 1 (Without the Remote...HaHa)
    Lexicon PCM 60
    Echo Plate III
    Stocktronics RX 4000A
    Lexicon LXP1-LXP5 + MRC
    Lexicon PCM 41 & 42
    (2) Yamaha SPX90
    (2) Delta Lab 1024
    Ibenez AD202
    Roland RE-301

    The only microphone that was used was an AKG-C414 EB


    At the time RZa used an SP-1200, EPS 16 Plus then Graduated to an ASR-10. We would lockup the units to tape using a Roland SBX-80

    The Following machines were used for the following Tracks

    1 Bring da Ruckus - EPS16+
    2 Shame on a Nigga - ASR10
    3 Clan in da Front - ASR10
    4 Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - ASR10
    5 Can It Be All So Simple/Intermission ASR10 /Sp-1200 for Intermission
    6 Da Mystery of Chessboxin' ASR 10
    7 Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit - EPS16+
    8 C.R.E.A.M. EPS16+
    9 Method Man SP1200
    10 Protect Ya Neck EPS16+
    11 Tearz -EPS16+
    12 Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber, Pt. 2 ASR 10 ( I provided the live Drums )

    Most vocal Performaces were flown in using Akai -S-1000 Stereo Sampler. We would sample a lead vocal on the left with a Snare or kik on the right for reference then fly in the verses in their places.
    sigpic

  • #2
    Not really info I can use, but interesting none the less! I was a fan of Wu-Tang before I was a fan of 2Pac (by a couple months lol)

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    • #3
      Always great to read information about production on albums, especially by mainstream artists. Thanks for the read nikola, drop some more please.
      SC:dopehouseuk

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      • #4
        WU TANG IS THE SHIT! Favourite East Coast group! Interesting info
        Only the Strong Survive

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Nikola View Post
          Props to Carlos, engineer who recorded and mixed a majority of songs on "Wu Tang Forever".




          Equipment used on Enter 36 chambers album
          I think the drums were the best of Foreve TBH. Super raw.

          "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
          If you were of the world, the world will love you as it's own; but because you are not of the world,
          but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

          -John 15:18-19


          "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."
          -Revelation 1:18

          "They claim that I'm violent."
          -Tupac Shakur


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