John McBride is a self-professed “microphone freak,” and Blackbird Studio holds one of the world’s best collections of quality vintage and new models, including an AKG C-24, Serial No. 1, a Telefunken 270 stereo 251, Serial No. 001 and more ribbons and large-format condensers than you could fit in a truck. All are given context, a history and put through the paces on Inside Blackbird.
There are also videos explaining how compressors work, then showing how they are applied. There are deep dives into preamps, delays, equalizers and everything one might expect. One of McBride’s favorites involves the differences in recording to the various analog tape formats.
“I love this video where we recorded eight tracks of a live band—bass, drums, B3 and electric guitar—playing a five-minute jam while simultaneously going to eight tracks of Pro Tools at 192/24, and at the same time to a 2-inch 24-track, 2-inch 16-track, and 2-inch 8-track machine,” he explains. “We made absolutely sure that each recording device got the exact same signal, and we did it with different mult outs by switching up the order of the machines. It was coming straight out of the [Neve 8078] console and nothing was played through any other device—straight into Pro Tools, and into these three tape machines. I gotta say, honestly, what we heard was kind of life-changing for me. I won’t give it away, but I will say that I never, ever want to record again live without an 8- or 16-track 2-inch!”
At the end of the day, McBride realizes he is creating a historical document. “People like Al Schmitt and Michael Rhodes, who have passed, can still influence new people with their knowledge and experience. What is better than that?”
