When it comes to exemplars of the audio industry, there are few companies as revered as Neve, but can they apply that same status to their new audio interface? We bus-power-up some classic mic preamps.

In case you’d missed it, ‘Vintage’ is not so much the next big thing, as the beautiful-new-thing that has been rediscovered, yet again! While there is a quest for ever quieter and more discrete audio interfaces, there’s also a great demand for vintage sounding equipment, from hardware to software emulations.

Boxing large and clever

Neve’s new 88M audio interface perfectly straddles both ubiquitous territories, with a sense of the old, through the re-versioned use of preamp technology, but with the contemporary angle of a bus-powered interface.

Before we get into the sonics, let’s consider what we have in this box. Firstly, and most obviously, the 88M is a reassuringly weighty device, at 1.675Kg. That’s quite a number of bags of sugar, and might suggest that while it’s slightly larger than many other similar desktop audio interfaces, (it offers a18x20cm footprint) it’s going to feel pretty heavy in transit. Place on your desktop, and the rubberised feet keep it securely in place, while its tolex-style wraparound finish looks classic and stylish.

The front of the interface provides 2 x mic/line/DI inputs, via XLR/1/4” jack connectors, with 4 pots which double as push-button switches. Due to the added functionality, the pots don’t feel quite as sturdy as they might if they were just dampened pots, but the ‘made in the UK’ quality shines through. Each of the input channels toggles between mic/line/DI input, with phantom powering available from a button next to input connector.

The presence of a see-saw monitoring pot allows easy balancing between incoming signals and DAW playback, with the ability to dictate your signal priority, along with the option to switch to mono, proving to be flexible for playback and tracking possibilities. These elements are very simple to access, which is just as well, as the 88M does not offer any accompanying software, to fine tune your interface preferences.

Around the back of the interface, there are monitor outputs on TRS 1/4” jack only, with send and return insert points for both input channels. You may also extend the number of inputs via the on-board ADAT light pipe, making the 88M a perfect partner for outboard mic pre’s with ADAT functionality, which include Neve’s own excellent 1073 OPX, albeit with the optional digital card fitted.

Neve’s classic numbers

Let’s not beat around the bush here, the 88M is a premium quality product, with a premium price. If you buy into this device, you’ll be dialling in to Neve’s history, which might make you wonder why they haven’t placed their legendary 1073 pre amp at the front end? Put simply, it all boils down to power; one of the major party tricks that the 88M has to offer is its ability to run solely on bus power, which is to say that it powers directly from your computer. This explains the presence of the heftier USB3 connector to the rear, with included cables for conventional USB A and newer USB C connectivity, supplying the 88M with the appropriate amount of power. It still blows my mind that you can bus-power an interface such as this, and connect a condenser microphone using phantom power.

USB power has its limits, which explains the move toward a tweaked incarnation of Neve’s very own preamp circuit, culled from the legendary 88RS console. There is a reduction in headroom, over a fully powered channel, but it’s impressive and useable nonetheless, being reliant on the very same input transformers.

Sonically Neve

So having bought into the whole classic preamp argument, it’s time to take the 88M for a test drive.

I used several different mic’s, in different recording scenarios, to get a flavour of what the 88M could offer. Beginning with a U87, tracking was a total cinch! The low-latency monitoring proved to be impressive, with more than enough headroom for vocal work, both at the channel and monitoring stages. Some like their playback loud; that’s not me, although I would defy anyone to suggest that the 88M cannot crank to high enough levels.

While recording vocals, the depth of capture feels impressive, with what I would describe as a full-tone, particularly in the middle frequency band. My other day-to-day interfaces do feel different, with a suggestion of greater brightness in the upper frequency bands, but this is more likely due to a lessening of mid-register frequencies, providing more of a perception than a reality.

Reaching for a Coles 4038, paired with a Fet Head transformer, I picked up a trombone and layered up some tracks. In this scenario, the Neve sounds fantastic. Its classic calling pays enormous dividends here, where the richness of mid-register tone lends itself beautifully to the sonority of the instrument.

While the presence of some mighty channel preamps will provide one reason for the tonal colour, it’s worth noting that the 88M uses a SABRE 32 convertor, which is not the more usual D/A and A/D convertor, found in other interfaces. Under all circumstances, it’s a class act, but as with all timbral colours, you may well gravitate to your preferences, possibly directed by the music you choose to record and produce.

Further recording explorations yield a very solid sound-stage, which is wide and detailed in all respects. Everything just feels like it slots into place. As my time with the 88M increased, I found the overall sonic makeup really great to work with, although referring back to my usual day-to-day high-end interface, the 88M definitely presents what could be regarded as a slightly more vintage or classic tone, which is very desirable. It sounds just as sublime with bass and guitar based content, as it does with drums and synths.

Final summing

There can be no doubt that the 88M is a class performer. One point, that you will either love or hate, is its total reliance on hardware operation. The lack of Neve software could feel like a moot point, dependent on how you choose to use the device. Even more surprising then, that at the input stage, there is a lack of pad, phase reversal switch or low-cut. Granted, you can handle these elements elsewhere, but there is no option on-board. The convenience of USB powering does present less top-end gain, but for most recording scenarios, this is unlikely to be an issue for working.

If you are a Mac user, the 88M is class compliant, and will just plug-and-go. I also tested the 88M, using GarageBand on an iPad Pro, and it worked amazingly well, although Neve recommend using a powered USB hub in this scenario, to provide the full-power-grunt required by the preamps. Connection without a hub did deplete my battery relatively quickly, which is unsurprising! PC users will also need a driver, to couple the device to their DAW.

It’s also surprising, that on a device of this calibre and price, that there is no provision for Word Clock connectivity. With the possibility for ADAT connected devices, this is often a useful preference for digital stability, although Neve confirmed that both the Core Audio driver for Mac and the AMS Neve USB ASIO driver for Windows have the ability to clock from the optical ADAT input or from the internal clock, allowing for accurate synchronization of external ADAT devices.

If you’re looking for a Stereo-based interface, which will provide a quick and easy route to tracking, with one of the classiest signal paths available in this format, the 88M is something of a winner. The price really reflects the overall quality of the product; cheaper interfaces are available, but this has a sonic identity all of its own, and it’s got Neve stamped all over it. Quality costs, and the 88M oozes quality in bundles.

Pricing  (RRP)

Neve 88M – £1075

Welcome to issue 7 of Audio Media International

The post Neve 88M USB Audio Interface review appeared first on Audio Media International.

Adding a platform to your studio monitors could do far more than stop your shelf from shaking. We stand tall with IsoAcoustics and discover what a pair of ISO Stands could do for you.

Have you ever had that annoying moment, when you’re listening avidly to your mix, only to wonder what on earth that rattling noise is? Is it emanating from your mix, or more likely vibrations transmitted by your speakers, juddering through your monitor shelf? Luckily there’s plenty you can do to eliminate speaker-box vibrations and distractions, enter the ISO Stands.

The Good Place

Speaker or monitor placement is a fine art and a pursuit that is dependent upon a number of factors; size of speaker for one, and while the saying ‘bigger is better’ doesn’t always apply, as a general rule, speakers have to be of a certain size, in order to accommodate the electronics and speaker cones, while delivering a reasonable frequency response. This is particularly important for a reliable bottom-end, without the need to wade out into the murky depths of sub-woofers. (That’s a story for another day!)

The reality is, any decent or high-end professional setup will benefit enormously from speaker/monitor isolation. If you have the space, placing a solid pair of tall speaker stands on your floor in front of your listening position is an ideal, even more so if your floor is concrete and your can fill your speaker stands with sand or lead shot. You’ll be trying to prevent anything that can resonate from doing so, and this is a great place to begin. However, if like me your listening area is not as spacious as you might like, placing your monitoring on some form of shelf or monitor bridge might be your only option. This means that your shelf is quite likely to shake in sympathy, and quite possibly your desk or attached furniture too.

ISO Convert

Thankfully, there is help at hand. Many succumb to the foam-pad concept, positioning shaped foam-rubber mats, designed for purpose, under each monitor to help de-couple the vibration. This may alleviate the problem up to a point, but a far more robust solution resides with ISO Stands from IsoAcoustics.

With a range of 5 stands, they have a product for just about every size and weight of monitor, as well as options for radically improving your listening sweet-spot. When I swapped-out the aforementioned foam-rubber pads for ISO Stands, some years ago, I became something of an ISO-convert.

Let’s examine a common situation; all monitors require a degree of decision making during setup, that might dictate orientation or positioning. Some work better on their sides, and some in a vertical position. This was an experiment I went through without stands, in order to dictate which ISO-Stands I required, ensuring a great fit for the weight and size of my monitors. Furthermore, they offered considerable enhancements for fine tuning the listening position.

The first three stands in their range are the ISO-130, ISO-155, and ISO-200. These are all pretty identical, increasing only in size and capacity. The stands themselves have a lower and an upper platform, which are connected via four metal tubes. By using a combination of either shorter or longer tubes, you can extend the height of the speaker and adjust the angle of tilt, meaning that you can easily place the speaker’s tweeter directly in line with your ears, whether you place your speakers at desk height or on some form of monitor bridge.

The combination of the two platforms creates superior decoupling, preventing your desk from vibrating. Of course, there can always be a degree of vibration a greater volumes, but working at a sensible volume, the overall influence is staggeringly effective.

While the mere positioning capabilities are enough to warrant ISO-Stands, it’s the effect on the overall soundstage that impressed me the most. While my previous monitors were not exactly lacking in response and detailing, the presence of the ISO-stands tightened up the bottom end considerably, delivering a more detailed mid-range which seemed to feel more in balance with the high-end.

ISO Stand Variety

The ISO-130, ISO-155, and ISO-200 will be the go-to for most small to medium sized monitoring setups. Sold in pairs, they merely increase in size to accommodate weight and dimensions of speaker. Should you find yourself moving up to larger or more serious monitoring, the ISO-430 is the top of the ISO-stand line. At a width of 430mm and with capacity to support monitors weighing up to 45Kg, it’s a serious stand, with an increased number of vertical struts (6 in all) to indulge any larger size and weight.

These are my latest ISO stands, deployed alongside a large pair of near to mid-field monitors, with a more dramatic low end performance than my previous monitors. Even with this increased response, the ISO-stands ability to de-couple vibration to my monitor bridge is quite staggering, while the same sonic attributes remain. A solid and perfectly centred soundstage, with significantly improved lower frequency rigidity and performance.

The ISO-430 is sold as a single unit, meaning that two will required for conventional pairing. The same goes for the ISO-200Sub, unsurprisingly designed for modest sub units, so you’ll probably only need one anyway.

Perfect Alignment

Like many audio professionals, I took my time setting up my monitoring; if you’re going to be working most days within the same soundstage arena, it makes sense to get it right at source. I might even have reached for a tape measure, to ensure ultimate accuracy in completing the triangle, but my ISO Stands are embedded in my studio. They fulfil various inconspicuous tasks while adding comfort and assurance to the quality of my monitoring.

In choosing the right stand for your own monitors, the IsoAcoustics website offers a helpful selection tool, to ensure that you order the right stand for your monitors and environment.

I can’t quite imagine listening without ISO Stands now, and while more expensive than foam-rubber, could easily be one of the best upgrades you could ever make to your studio setup.

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ISO-Stand Pricing (street pricing)

ISO-130 – £75/$89.99(pair)
ISO-155 – £89/$109.99 (pair)
ISO-200 – £135/$159.99 (pair)
ISO-430 – £99/$99.99 (per stand)
ISO-200Sub – £66/$59.99 (per stand)

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The post IsoAcoustics – ISO Stands Review appeared first on Audio Media International.

Few companies can boast a founder who is regarded as the Grandfather of synthesis. The history of Moog synths proves that the company’s impact is the result of  inspired design choices.

If you’re old enough to be of an age that grew up watching bands on TV shows like ‘Top of the Pops’, you may well have played the weekly game of spot the name on the back of the synthesiser. While many acts merely borrowed synths from the TV hinterland or prop store, it didn’t stop children of a certain generation picking off brands, to indulge themselves in a sort of synthesiser train spotting.

While brands such as Roland were more fashionable in the 1980s, the occasional appearance of a synth with ‘Moog‘ branded on the back felt more enigmatic and mysterious. Some years after,  when referring to ‘a Moog’ without any sense of who or what it stood for, a professor of this writer’s declared, “It’s pronounced ‘Mogue’, as in ‘vogue’, after Dr Robert Moog”. It quickly became apparent that Robert (Bob) Moog was in fact the innovator of the synthesiser form that we now consider to be the most mainstream.

MOOG SYNTH HISTORY: CHAPTER 1

The story of Moog’s history begins with the birth of Bob Moog in New York, in 1934. The son of George Moog, an electrical engineer, Bob was taught basic electronics by his Father from the age of 10. So began a life-long interest in technology, through various hobby-based electronics which included radios and very basic organs. Throughout his early school years, Bob picked up countless academic awards, leading to his attendance at the Bronx High School of Science. It was here, aged just 15, that Bob built his very first theremin, an instrument and device which would stay with Bob for many years to come.

The accidental invention of Russian scientist Leon Theremin, this instrument had plenty of interesting value, not least for it being played without actually touching it! The theremin requires the performer to wave their hands above it, with the proximity of each hand controlling the volume and pitch of an electronically generated tone. The concept started life as an experiment into burglar alarm technology, with the amateur cellist Leon quickly realising its unique musical potential. Moog was enthralled.

Bob Moog graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1952, celebrating his departure by building multiple theremins and electronic organs, which he dubbed ‘Moogatrons’, for a demonstration as part of the school’s fair. Bob was accepted into a five year degree course program at Queens College and Columbia University, specialising in electrical engineering and physics, at degree level.

MAKING HISTORY

A year later, in something of a Father/Son enterprise, Bob and his Father George embarked upon their first commercial product; another Theremin, but with a model number of 201. Bob’s father was something of an amateur carpenter, so while Bob concentrated on the electronics, his father crafted the casing for the units. This was the first product to be produced under their own brand name of ‘Ramco’, later rebranded as R.A.Moog Co.

What followed over the next few years was a sustained success story, where Bob refined his theremin designs, and refined the product line. This period of research and development led to the production of the Melodia Theremin, which became his most successful Theremin to date. Although still being assembled in a slightly Heath-Robinson manner, allegedly on a kitchen table, the success of the Melodia provided Bob with much needed funds for further research and the opening of a R.A.Moog store, in Trumansburg.

Shortly after this, Bob attended a Music Convention in New York and met Herb Deustch. The two went on to collaborate on the concept of using voltages to control electronics to create sound, leading to the announcement of the first voltage controlled modules, at the AES convention in 1964. These devices attracted much interest, with boundary-pushing composers such as John Cage contacting Bob, with a view to harnessing this new technology in his compositions. In fact, Bob created electronic devices, not a million miles from Theremin technology, to sense the movement of dancers for the Cage work Variations V.

The trajectory of Bob’s technologies, as part of his collaborations with Herb Deutsch, led to the development of what is considered to be the very first standardised synthesiser systems in synth history. Three units were released in 1967, simply named Synthesizer I, Synthesizer II and Synthesizer III. In something of a groundbreaking moment, this marked the very first use of the term Synthesizer.

MOOG DEVOTEES

A tsunami of endorsements from musicians and composers followed. The Beach Boys had famously used one of Moog’s Theremins on their track Good Vibrations –  although they technically cheated, by playing the instrument with a ribbon controller, rather than waving hands in the air. Other early Moog adopters included The Doors and The Monkees, but it was the groundbreaking album Switched on Bach (1968) which marked a big moment in Moog synth history. Wendy Carlos had originally worked on a demonstration for Bob, creating an arrangement of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3. The resultant recording was played at the AES Convention in 1968, with Bob Moog recalling that “…poker-faced engineers had tears in their eyes”. upon hearing it for the first time. Moog’s synth prowess was proved.

The recording of Brandenburg No.3 become the highlight and final track of the first Switched on Bach record, but the album had its fair share of critics. Many classical musicians were uncomfortable with the notion of translating Bach to electronic instrumentation, from its original acoustic form. However, there were plenty of futurists and supporters; celebrated pianist and Bach specialist Glenn Gould defended the recording, citing it as “….one of the most startling achievements of the recording industry in this generation, and certainly one of the great feats in the history of ‘keyboard’ performance.”

By 1969, Moog had constructed a Modular Vocoder for the University of Buffalo, and completed a state-of-the-art Electronic Music Studio for composer Joel Chadabe. As if Moog’s instruments required any greater acceptance, Switched on Bach won two Grammy’s and the Beatles featured a Moog IIIP on their final album Abbey Road.

SCALING DOWN

There was a degree of complexity to Moog’s earlier instruments. All his systems were modular in design, requiring technical knowledge and prowess to utilise the instruments to their optimum level, and that’s before you even got to the price tag! These systems were far from cheap, and with popularisation of the concept, there was clearly an appetite for something more affordable.

With almost biblical proportions, it came to pass in 1970 that Moog would introduce the instrument which has gone on to become the most highly regarded synth of all time; the Minimoog. For the first time, you could buy a synthesiser which was not modular (didn’t require patch cables), was portable and relatively affordable. Now we have to examine those last two points; as the Minimoog only had a 44-note keyboard, it was half the length of a traditional piano keyboard. This didn’t really matter, as it was monophonic (playing one note at a time) but it was stacked full of discrete circuitry, and it still weighed in at around 13Kg.

When it first went on sale in 1970, a Minimoog would sell for around $1595. In today’s money, that’s around $11000, so while it might have been cheaper than a modular system, by quite some margin, but it was still an enormous investment, and out of reach of many ‘normal’ musicians.

The Minimoog has sealed a place in synth history, and for good reason. Firstly, it sounded amazing! This was in part due to two elements; the oscillators and the filter. The style of synthesis that Moog developed became known as subtractive synthesis. This means that you start with an oscillator which produces a tone, which in most cases will be relatively rich and bright, as a result of its rich harmonic makeup.

The Minimoog had three oscillators, all of which used voltage control to change the pitch from the keyboard. This means that it sounded terrifyingly enormous! Gary Numan often mentioned that the first time he heard a Minimoog. He walked into a studio, played a note, and the whole studio shook! Spurring Numan to switch his musical direction from punk to electronic, in a matter of moments.

The second element that shapes the tonal construct of the sound is called a filter; also placed under voltage control, the Minimoog filter eliminates harmonics from the top-down, referred to as a 24db Low-Pass Ladder Filter, and has become synonymous with the overall timbre of the instrument.

MOOG SYNTH HISTORY: AT A CROSSROADS

Moog Music were flying high during the seventies. Keith Emerson could be seen in a rock stadium near you, with a behemoth of a Moog modular. Smaller and more affordable instruments, such as the Micromoog became popular, but there was trouble brewing.

During the latter phase of the 70s, Moog were not the only cool-company in town producing synthesisers. Companies such as ARP and Sequential Circuits were also producing very desirable synthesisers, using techniques which would allow for more affordable manufacturing. There was also a desire for Polyphonic machines, and as the eighties dawned, so did the age of digital. Companies such as Roland introduced mass-produced synths, at ever cheaper price points, with the market forcing Moog Music into bankruptcy in 1986. While it took a further seven years for all stock to be liquidated, there is one thing that Moog had on their side; they had the legacy of  the name Moog, it was only a matter of time before the tide turned back in their favour.

The 80s delivered a seismic shift in the sounds that musicians and producers wanted to use. Analogue fell seriously out of favour, and the digital stylings of the Yamaha DX range was in. Exacting, clinical and sharp were the sounds at this time, consigning the analogue old-guard to the second hand ad’s. And this is where they stayed, until a handful of musicians realised that those Minimoog’s were suddenly affordable and plentiful in supply. As the 90s techno scene in Detroit flourished, so did the reemergence of the sound of Moog, along with drum machine relics, such as the Roland TR-808 and TR-909.

As retro-flavoured fashions led demand, Moog synths rose from the ashes. There was a small matter of legal wrangling, requiring the buy-back of the company name. This was complicated further by the brand being exploited in different territories. A company in Wales purchased the brand in the UK, and was continuing to produce what has become known as the ‘Welsh Minimoog’. Eventually Bob regained his moniker and branding, started up a factory, and started producing new units for the first time in years.

One of the first of the new models was The Voyager; billed as the Minimoog for the new century, it gained considerable advantages over the original Mini, but appeared to lack the now familiar sonic grunt. Almost by way of response, Moog started producing affordable, high quality synthesisers, with improvements across the board. Elements such as a built-in overdrive circuit (to bring back the grunt!), 4-stage envelopes, dedicated LFO and patch memories. All facets that appeared on the Sub/Phatty range, bringing the sound of Moog to a new generation of electronic musicians.

But Bob always liked to return to his roots, and Moog continued to make them theremins too. Apart from the basic model, referred to in theremin circles as the ‘Standard’ model, the Etherwave Pro emerged in 2004. Its zen styling and capable feature set made it a hit for any serious thereminist, somewhat completing the circle for Bob, before he sadly passed away in 2005.

MOTHER OF ALL

Recent years have seen Moog adapt to market and commercial music trends, with an embrace of their vintage roots, coupled with current studio connectivity.

The Eurorack form-factor had been around since the 90s, bringing affordable modular systems to a smaller and more bijoux design. This format really blossomed in the twenty-teens, and Moog were there, with the introduction of the Mother 32 semi-modular synthesiser. For a mere few hundred pounds, you could place a Moog filter and oscillator right at the heart of your Eurorack system, or connect it to your DAW through MIDI. Further units followed, allowing drum sounds and abstract poly-rhythmic creations, employing units such as the DFAM and Subharmonicon.

The production of the semi-modular Grandmother and Matriarch synthesisers, uniquely turned to the 24db Filter 904A design originally found in their early modulars, while providing a standalone synthesiser with modular-style patch points.

Two more recent products look back on Moog’s synth history and also cast their eyes future-ward; The Claravox Centennial Theremin is a brand new instrument, oozing retro and vintage charm. Being a Theremin, the technology is largely unchanged, other than certain improvements to enhance the performance experience, but as an instrument and period piece, it’s sublime. It’s very Moog, with a hint of Art Deco, placed upon a wooden tripod.

Meanwhile, Moog’s musical nemesis, the polyphonic synthesiser, has finally received the Ashville treatment, with the release of the Moog One synthesiser. Available in both 8-note and 16-note polyphonic formats, it’s a synth with huge capabilities and sound. Loaded with three oscillators per voice, filters, envelopes and modulation routings which are comparable with any modular synth, its name says it all. It is ‘The One’, armed with plenty of modern credentials, shored up by that classic sounds from Moog synth history. It’s not cheap, but then it’s less than the comparable price of a Minimoog from the early 70s, arguably with greater musical capacity.

MOOG SYNTH HISTORY: CONCLUSION

If there’s one overriding point, it’s that Moog has the most distinguished history in the history of synth design, and that legacy continues today, with a product range of highly prized synths and theremins, including a homage and reissue of the original Minimoog. One only has to look at the recent success of their Minmoog Model D app to recognise their god-like reputation. Moog’s history of synths features on music from jazz to rap, and from indie to pure pop. It’s classic, laden with high-grade sounds and components and quality assured. Hand assembled in Ashville, USA, Moog are the company that invented, mutated, made it through the dark times and rose again, almost like a sine wave repeating its cycle.

One devotee of the Minimoog, Rick Wakeman, was contacted by an actor friend, who had purchased a Minimoog for home use back in the 70s, and was concerned that it wasn’t working properly. Rick loaned it from him, only to struggle to locate any problem. Upon calling the actor to ask what the issue was, the actor replied, “it only plays one note!” (As monophonic synthesisers do…) With a Minimoog, you only need one note to make the floor shake! Just ask Gary Numan.

The post Gear Pioneers: Moog’s Synth History appeared first on Audio Media International.

Beneath his somewhat enigmatic appearance, Charlie Watts provided the solid rhythmic backbone for The Rolling Stones, for nearly 60 years. His identifiable sound, like a pulsing engine room, will forever be associated with one of Worlds finest, and longest lasting rock and roll bands. He was one of only three members of the band to appear on every single Stones album, along with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Start me up

Watts was born and raised in London, living in a pre-fabricated house, designed for families who had the misfortune to find their houses destroyed during the second World war. While this scenario offered a degree of tribulation, it did allow an introduction to his then neighbour and eventually lifelong friend, the jazz bassist Dave Green. Charlie became consumed by jazz, interested by all aspects of the musical genre, but with a particular obsession for be-bop and cool jazz, admiring artists such as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Art Blakey.

His jazz interest quickly developed, driven by the the popularity of the 78 gramophone record, allowing Charlie to endlessly listen to jazz recordings, within the confines of his school-boy bedroom. His parents bought him a drum kit, at the age of 13, which allowed him to practice his art of drumming. Apart from the rudiments, Charlie would play along to his jazz records, driven by the dream of playing with the jazz greats. At the age of 14, he bought himself a Banjo, but rather than obsess about the harmonic aspect of the instrument, he decided to turn it into a snare drum. 

Surely no surprise then, that Watts’ first band was a jazz combo. The Jo Jones All Stars featured Charlie alongside Dave Green, playing plenty of standards, in a predictable bop-inspired format. Given that other band alumni included Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge, it’s clear that his credentials and talent at such a young age, allowed him to mingle with the great and good from the hipster World of London jazz.

Art, jazz and rock

While at school, Charlie also developed an interest in art and design. While ultimately his love of jazz and drumming would win the battle for attention, he was a talented artist, who continued his studies at Harrow Art School. By way of subsidising his real passion, Charlie secured a position at the Charlie Daniels Studios, in 1960. One of London’s numerous advertising agencies, his daytime work ultimately gave way to his nighttime passion. London was undergoing a ‘Blues Boom’ in the early 60s, during which time Watts was lured away from jazz by Alexis Korner. His band, Blues Incorporated, became one of the most influential groups of the era, becoming a vital component in the development of British rock. It was during this period that fellow Blues Incorporated member Brian Jones, introduced Watts to the young and emerging Rolling Stones. Their original drummer, Tony Chapman, had quit the band, leaving a vacancy for Watts, that would change his career forever.

Musical Stones

While the ill-advised might be tempted to overlook the complexity of drums in rock, it’s important to consider how The Rolling Stones would have sounded without Charlie Watts. His ability to propel the groove and feel, with his driving foot on the bass drum and up-front hi-hat pattern, balanced effortlessly by the snare backbeat that would nestle right on the back of the time. His playing often adopted a sense of urgency that sounded laid back. A contradiction of sorts, but a musical feel that was effortless, doubtless harking back to his jazz leanings and analysis of the greats from the US. 

Couple this with the locked-in bass playing of Bill Wyman, and the duo formed the perfect backbone for the guitar flourishes of Keith Richards, and exuberant flamboyance of Mick Jagger. As Watts once said, it was the beginning of a forty-year career staring at Mick Jagger’s Bum!

While Watts might have been a member of the biggest rock and roll band on the planet, you would never have known this from the size of his drum kit. As drum technology forged ahead throughout the decades, Charlie Watts stayed loyal to his jazz roots. There were no racks of toms, huge bass drums or gongs, just a classic jazz kit, from the likes of Ludwig or Gretsch. It proves the point that a good musician has no need for extremes, when the basics will suffice, and nothing states this more than the minimalism of Watts’ playing and kit. As Miles Davis once said, “It ain’t what you play, it’s what you don’t play” which sums up the Watts credo perfectly. You only have to listen to the opening few bars of ‘Honky Tonk Woman’ to hear this in action. It’s strait-laced, but effective, in just the right amount, with an impetuous groove which feels laid back and effortless. 

Technically speaking, he played with a traditional open grip (holding the drum sticks) which is a technique favoured by almost all jazz players. This involves the creation of a fulcrum point, allowing the stick in the left hand (if played conventionally) to pivot and bounce on the drum head with a minimum of effort. Perfect for quiet playing, but once unleashed, those powerful back-beat thwacks sound musical, as well as loud.

As any jazz drummer will cite, playing with an open group allows far more tonal variation and subtle nuance. Listen to a chorus of ‘She’s a Rainbow’ and the 16th-note swagger and subtlety oozes from every drop stick, at the end of every bar. You could call this a delicate nuance that is easily missed, but it’s those finer details that make the music groove. ‘She’s a Rainbow’ is not really a shuffle or swung, yet the spirit is there by inflection.

Back to jazz

While the 80s would see Charlie have something of mid-life crisis, as he momentarily turned to drugs and alcohol, it also saw a low point in his time with the Stones. In a now legendary exchange, Mick Jagger once called Watts ‘my drummer’, before Watts pinned him against a wall and told him, ‘you’re my singer’. It was a thankfully brief but all too accurate portrayal of what it’s like to be in a passionate rock band. All those hours of sitting around before sound checking and going on stage, followed by the elation of the huge gig. Watts often kept on playing, while female groupies draped themselves around his neck. No mean feet for anyone playing a physical instrument such as the drums, but underlies the ups and downs of a rock band, from the very highs to the über lows. 

By way of distraction, Watts returned to his first love, during the latter years of the 80s and early years of the 90s, with two distinctly different jazz projects. 

The Charlie Watts Big Band, also known as Jazz Orchestra, was a self funded project which resulted in a super-sized big band. Any thoughts of Ellington or Miller-esque proportions were lost, as Watts hired a plethora of all-stars from the British Jazz roster which included Peter King, Stan Tracey, Evan Parker, Courtney Pine and Harry Beckett. Taking the traditional big band concept, but almost doubling its number of horns, Watts inflated the rhythm section to three drummers and two bassists, as well as two percussionists. They mainly performed standards and big band classics, from Count Basie to Benny Goodman, as part of a Worldwide tour. It was unsurprisingly loud and musically chaotic, but swung with enormous vigour, even if at times there were moments of rhythmic hiatus, from the vast number of players within the ensemble.

His next early 90s Jazz project was a beautiful homage to Charlie Parker, from the Charlie Watts Quintet. ‘From One Charlie’ called upon a biography and book of drawings by Watts, which he had developed while at art college. In the more controlled setting of a quintet, the group featured Peter King on alto sax, alongside the then rising star, Gerard Presencer, on Trumpet. Of course, it also featured long-time friend Dave Green on Bass, by way of closing the friendship circle.

The Legendary Stones

The last twenty years or so saw the Stones propelled to a status where few bands reside. They would come out of hibernation, announce a huge concert, sell it out in minutes, and never let the public down in performance. It also gave time for us to reflect on Charlie’s enormous contribution to music. While this is most notable in the rock arena, he contributed to the artistic direction of the band, designing covers and stage sets. He had a passion for vintage and classic cars; he would sit in them by way of enjoyment, because he was unable to drive. 

But it’s the legacy of a smart dressed man, influenced by the vintage era of jazz, that informed him musically and stylistically. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, along with his fellow Stones, before being inducted into the Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame in 2006. Enigmatic and intensely private, he remained ever faithful to his wife Shirley, who he married in 1964.

Drum legends don’t come much bigger than Charlie Watts, even with the smallest of jazz drum kits.

The post Charlie Watts Obituary – By Dave Gale appeared first on Audio Media International.

Audio Media International is seeking a Social Media Manager to join its growing team

As Social Media Manager, you will be passionate about all thing music and audio, and will be responsible for implementing our social media strategy, growing our presence across all platforms and driving traffic to our website.

You will work closely with the editorial department in UK and US on a daily basis to review and develop our strategy moving forward. In addition, you will also use social media channels to drive and create affiliate marketing campaigns for our clients and upload and monitor campaigns.

We’re based at Tileyard Studios, Kings Cross, London opposite a gym, bar and live venue and you will recieve VIP membership access to all of them!

The successful candidate will have a minimum of two year experience as a social media manager and possess excellent knowledge of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

For more information and to apply, please click here.

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