How He Made a Platinum Record with a Single Microphone

[@AudioHaze]

Hey guys, I messed up on the Sufjan Stevens bit, my bad! Both in pronunciation and timeline, appreciate the feedback and will double check things like this next time.

[@bannanafruitsalad]

Lol was about to say uhh, think you got a few things wrong there

[@Boohee1989]

That's okay man, thanks for taking the time to make this video. I always hated when people would correct me when pronouncing his name. Then, I heard Casimir Pulaski Day and decided to give him the respect of learning how to say it. I don't know if you've heard that one, but MY GOD that is one of the greatest songs of all time.

[@thirstypilgrim97]

It's pronounced "subaru" stevens haha.

[@Stlie1]

There is a resonator on Skinny Love, no? The resonator snows say you shouldn't strum a resonator, man are they wrong! Enjoyed and shared!

[@patrickhart1325]

Exactly what I came to the comments to say, Sufjan started releasing music in 1999 and hit widespread popularity in 2003 with “Michigan”, whereas Vernon as Bon Iver didn’t release “For Emma…” until 2008, and that’s still three years past the release of Sufjan’s most popular release in “Illinois”. As a songwriter that was a teenager in the year 2000 myself, still enjoyed the video, though.

[@mypal1990]

Goes to show how talent will always be the highlight of an artist. The equipment just amplifies talent.

[@AudioHaze]

Totally :)

[@FateGathersStudios]

absolutely, composition trumps everything that comes after.

[@SeanFrayne]

Exactly, a good song will shine through regardless. In the past, I've spent thousands of dollars on studio time, session players, producers and mixing engineers (and in fairness I learned a lot through the process), but it was a song I self-produced and mixed myself (badly!) at home that took off like none of the others ever have. People just felt something when they heard it I guess.

[@rickwilliams967]

Talent implies no work out into the skills these people have. A word of advice, the word "talent" is considered a huge insult by people who work their butts off to get good. I'd suggest to tell anyone who has worked on their skills, is to let them know you noticed how difficult it would be to get that good. You can use your own words, but for hardworking people, it's the opposite of your intentions. They'll probably tell you that they always have room for improvement as well. A true artist, craftsperson, musician, even skilled workers will always know that there's always room to get better. Your safest bet to compliment though, is to simply say you enjoy their work. They want their efforts recognized more than their results generally speaking.

[@Dessert_x_Tat]

💯

[@composercode]

No pro gear, no high-level instruments, no insane virtuosity... just heartbreak, pain, and life experience. That's what we hear, and that's all that matters. And you can't buy that with money.

[@catherineelliott3654]

That’s the best comment I’ve read for ages because it’s so true.. nothing is more important than the raw material and where it came from.. an amazing song can stop people in their tracks played on a cheap guitar in a busy street.

[@DoartYT]

So true. Feels like the whole perfection complex drifts us away from being human.

[@LafemmebearMusic]

Calm down

[@mostunicorn]

yeah, you get that for free

[@vincentvega8337]

It’s something that can only be done in isolation without any judgment

[@joeboonmusic4004]

Gotta challenge the Sufjan Stevens part... Bon Iver has far more to thank Sufjan for than the other way round. I'm sure there's something to be said for fans of Sufjan finding him through the insane success of For Emma... But musically speaking, Sufjan was doing this stuff way earlier. Many of his early records (like Seven Swans, Michigan and Illinois) are hallmarks of the indie/folk genre and were also put together almost entirely by the man himself... Super DIY, super inspiring stuff. Love this video though, soooo well put together!

[@AudioHaze]

Yeah you’re totally right, that was a hiccup on my part sorry about that one :/ glad you liked the rest of the video though!

[@joeboonmusic4004]

@@AudioHaze No need to apologise at all, I get how you meant it! I just can't help it, being a Sufjan obsessive haha! Definitely love to see more videos like this :)

[@ronnietherat7937]

@@AudioHaze I would also add that I firmly believe the tour Justin did with the old Bon Iver cast for the self titled album in 2011 (like his first austin city limits) was a spitting image of how Sufjan does his live shows. Its not to say noone besides Sufjan can have a live band with orchestration, but Sufjan made it a normalized thing in the early 2000s.

[@twmedia-film]

Casimir pulaski day and Re:stacks are 2 of my favorite songs ever

[@joeboonmusic4004]

@@twmedia-film Both borderline perfect songs! I think (as well) Carrie And Lowell, as a record, is the only record I consider untouchable... I'll never forget hearing that for the first time.

[@disorderindminor]

That's what made "the band" so sucessful, imperfect vocals. They had a strategy with their vocal harmonies of "just hit what ever you can" and its made some of the most timeless classic rock master pieces.

[@JeffSpurlock]

The Band is still my favorite 60s/70s rock band. Like, sure, was Led Zeppelin a super group of incredible talent? Did The Beatles write some of the catchiest pop-songs ever? All yes, and they deserve the credit they get... but there's no vibe like The Band

[@sassulusmagnus]

That same do-what-you-can approach resulted in a unique brass section sound on certain recordings, and it's also why Rag Mama Rag sounds the way it does. Richard Manuel plays drums on that one, Levon Helm plays mandolin, Rick Danko plays fiddle, and they used a tuba for the bass part because Danko was on fiddle. Magic.

[@TobiasRobertson]

This arrived at the right time - I really think that the rawness in indie/folk is what draws me to it so often. I remember asking a producer once about mixing and production and he said “there are no rules - just make it sound juicy. If it takes adding 10db of compression then do it, if it takes drowning something in reverb then do it” and it’s hard to undo the “rules” in my mind but when you do it just all feels more alive. No rules people, experiment and have fun and aim for feel!

[@riatod]

6:20, I think pink Floyd's wish you were here intro is the best example of this, the vinyl scraping and distance you here when the first guitar comes in conveys such emotion, then the 2nd one enters and it adds the punch, having that gritty imperfect recording conveys such emotion, which for emma seems to expand on amazingly

[@AudioHaze]

You're totally right! That's an awesome example thanks for sharing man

[@rickwilliams967]

It's such an interesting song for them too. They're my all time favorite band. That's because of their trippy weirdness. Yet, Wish You Were Here is my, and many other people's, favorite song they do. There's others that are right up there, but that's the one I will never get tired of. The weird part, is that it's borderline country/folky. Waaaayy out of their normal MO. Just shows how amazing that band was.

[@stefanpetrov9757]

Gilmour said in an interview that the idea behind this was that somebody is listening to a song on the radio (the strummed chords at the beginning), grabs his guitar and joins the song for a jam (the solo) and from then on it builds to what the actual song is, very clever idea, they were pioneers with effects and using the studio to their advantage.

[@LucyHolipok]

yr dead wrong, he's singing through a DIGITECH VOCALIST

[@skinnilegg5027]

This is my favourite album of all time, bangers from start to finish.Thanks for sharing the story and technical details behind this beautiful piece of artistry.

[@antoniomartelli2195]

I think I found this album 12-13 years ago and have always considered it one of the best front to back albums that I've ever heard. So cool to hear that it was just a dude and a mic tracking ideas cause that is literally what I and I'm sure tons of other people do. Your conclusion on the end was cheesy af but felt like it was something I needed to hear. 10/10 video.

[@Superdelphinus]

Re: stacks is one of the best songs of all time in my opinion. It’s almost uncomfortable how raw and pretty it is.

[@MatthewDouglas805]

Really fantastic and inspiring analysis. These are the kinds of stories that you hear ("Justin Vernon recorded with just one SM57!"), but you gave it context and drew more out of it than I ever would have. Great video!

[@AudioHaze]

That means the world thank you! This took so many hours so I’m glad you liked it :)

[@mikkojensen]

You did a really good job capturing the feel of that guitar recording, maybe not an exact match soundwise, obviously, but it has that same soul and imperfectness that sounds so honest and comforting

[@the1stime]

love everything about this. it’s easy to get caught up in technology and perfectionism. recording should be fun. adding vocal layers/harmonies and cheap gear fuels the creative process.

[@adde65]

Some of Sufjan's best work pre-dates this album by a few years, and IMO there's a lot more of it.

[@_lifethoughts]

This just popped up in my feed and I was struck with how well this was put together. Authenticity goes along way.

[@mikegleim5241]

"Authenticity goes a long way" ❤️

[@luisangelmedia4459]

Been working on my music for about a year now and I believe this year I will be ready to publish it. This video has really helped me understand that process and I’m very happy to have found it.

[@dharmapunk777]

Bon Iver did not influence those artists. They all came up at the same time. It was the musical zeitgeist of the period. And Sufjan Stevens predates all of them.

[@nickrony7307]

yea lol he made a big statement here 😪

[@dahliafiend]

Yeah Fleet Foxes are at a whole nother level artistically and were working with sub pop early on. I’ve never understood Bon Iver’ s success.

[@dahliafiend]

And Sufjan is also brilliant.

[@dharmapunk777]

@@dahliafiend I dunno. I like the song Skinny Love. But I don't see Bon Iver as being this massively influential artist as much as maybe the other way around or part of a sort of musical melting pot of that era.

[@regard321]

Sounds more like he was saying that Vernon brought indie folk further into the mainstream, which created more space for those artists to reach a wider audience, not that he influenced them stylistically.

[@elvisvbr]

Intentionally or unintentionally, what I already love about this album I've never listened to is that, if I close my eyes, feels like I'm traveling to the very same place(location), and I have this dude, who's my bro, playing song to and with me. Perfect vacay vibes, and nothing less than what is most needed these days. Nothing in music can beat true human connection. Thanks for this video!!

[@tancredicogne7126]

Great video as always! What Lizzy has said about her latest record "Older" resonates so much with it. I love that idea of rawness and honesty that you can hear in both records

[@josiahroberts4025]

Hey man! I stumbled on this video in a pretty upset state because I’ve written a bunch of songs (7 not that many) that I’m really proud of that came from a dark place in my life. I home now on a medical leave of absence from some of the craziness in my life and wanted to make something out of them what I wrote… that being said, I started to try and record and produce the stuff in my room with one mic, my guitar, and my vocals, but I’ve been in a rut just trying to figure out how to do all of this stuff… now I haven’t put what you said into practice yet, but after watching this I feel a renewed sense of confidence. Thank you so much and I hopefully will get to share this stuff soon:) wish me luck

[@jako9833]

good luck, how did it go

[@tapeexperiments]

I'm sure it was mastered by a pro and it's a great sounding record. The legend focuses on the old guitar and the cabin alot and that is cool. AND also remember we can really do ANYTHING with Pro Tools. Great video and good tips. We can really hear his brokenness on the record and that is what (IMHO) makes it a work of art. He was super lucky the right person heard it at the right time. (Pitchfork as i recall?)

[@therainman7777]

Yeah, I think people often forget that these lo-fi recorded albums go to a professional mixer and mastering engineer before the public hears them.

[@Timmyyycx]

More of these, please. Really liked the way its edited.

[@AudioHaze]

You got it 💪🏻

[@Area51Resort]

Just came across this video thanks to the KZbin algorithm, so thank you KZbin! You bring up so many great points in this video, one of the most important being you just have to go ahead and make your music. Don't wait for the right equipment, don't wait for inspiration, don't wait for other people, just do it! If it's raw sounding then so be it. If there are so-called flaws in the recording, so what! Let the perfection be in the imperfection. You make the art that you make. Glen Fricker of the Spectre Sound Studios channel put it best; "If it sounds like it's about to come off the rails then it's good!" This video is so important in its messaging. Nicely done and please keep up the great work!

[@lazymountain]

brilliant video. refreshing to be reminded I don't need all this equipment and actually to forget the 'rules' and ignore the high fidelity expectation i've set up for myself. Thank you I will rewatch this every week until it really sinks in.

[@JacksonSchrenk]

Never listened to Bon Iver before but definitely going to check out the album. What an incredible story. Thanks for taking the time to make this video!

[@oisindyer-causton5621]

1:00 Just saying Sufjan had been doing what Bon Iver was doing way back in 2003, recording his album Michigan with a Roland digital multi-track recorder at 32khz and only using SM57's and an AKG C 1000

[@micahcottrell3488]

I love this video! Bon Iver, especially the album talked about is a childhood album for me and I love the songs. My family was HUGE into the indie music scene when I was a kid and I love all early 2000's indie music. It was very interesting for me to just now learn how the songs on one of my favorite childhood albums came to fruition. Thanks for this video! Keep up the work I love it!

[@Nick-Foster]

Had a feeling it was going to be this album before I clicked the video. The best way I can describe this album is genuine. Great analysis!!

[@AudioHaze]

Thanks man! Glad you liked it :)

[@mhyrrlove]

LOVE this story. As someone just starting out in going after a music career, someone who is coming from nothing, this gives me hope. Though I don't intend to be famous like Bon Iver or anything, if I can create an impact with my music online, even just to a niche amount of people, and make a living off of it, my dream will have come true.

[@willjennings369]

I’m so glad the algorithm featured you in my feed. I have always quested for a deep dive into how artists I love made the albums I love. Thank you for all your work on this! I’m a happy new subscriber!

[@ericbrintonmusic]

awesome video. I think you especially nailed it when talking about how the perfect mix doesnt exist, and also how imperfect vocals are what make something impactful

[@BradHaima]

Loved the technical bits, the story telling and the overall video. This just came up as a suggestion on KZbin so I jumped in. Glad I did. Great job on this. Subscribed!

[@StevePaulSounds]

This is literally one of the favorite videos I’ve ever watched ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ as someone who fell in love with this album the moment that came out. As I am about to make my debut album after working on so many singles and remixes for nearly 20 years. It was uncut magazine album of the month and I bought the cd the day it came out and had an MSN messenger listening party with my friend we were both obsessed and discussed the album for years

[@yorkmartin8569]

If anyone is interested, his NC band was Deyarmond Edison. Absolutely great listen.

[@franktavis]

Great video. This is the kind of quality I am in for. The kind of discussion more producers should hear and consider too. I have been implementing lofi techniques in my music and it has been life changing. Once you stop thinking what sounds "best" and start to focus on what serves the music instead, then it is a 180 degrees change. I am much happier now that my music sounds more unpolished than before, because now it sounds authentic and honest, more real.

[@sensitiverambo]

Sublime album, no question. Beautifully, creatively recorded, no question. That said, I can't completely buy into the legend: there's no way on earth it went to press without being pumped through thousands/tens of thousands of pounds worth of pres, mastering and summing gear. That is not to diminish what he achieved: it's a beautiful record. Just don't beat yourself up if you can't achieve the same depth and richness with your 57 and Focusrite Sapphire in your bedroom!

[@marksvideochannel3592]

Totally agree with you. No way a record company didn't invest in it and market it to the platinum stage without post-production. However, no doubt the bones were there in the first place.

[@humanmerelybeing1966]

Legend is the perfect word for this album. The idea that he produced something amazing with such a cheap guitar is cool in theory, but in reality the album doesn't succeed *despite* the guitar being cheap and bad but rather *because* its tone fits so perfectly with the album--thin, imperfect, rattly. I don't think this album demonstrates that cheap instruments can do just as much as expensive instruments, or that price tags are irrelevant, but rather it's just that instruments are things that make sound, and the right sound is right because it sounds right, not because it has a certain price somewhat-arbitrarily assigned to it. Similarly, I don't think it's particularly remarkable that he only used one mic to record an album that's mostly just guitars and vocals. As mentioned, the lo-fi quality works to the album's favor, and the multi-tracking on the vocals also compensates for the short-comings of the microphone. And more to your point, it's too easy to underestimate what good mixing and mastering can do. Especially when you're dealing with an album like this, where emptiness is central to the tone of the album and thus the use of space becomes an incredibly powerful tool. I think it would be interesting to hear the version that was pressed before Bon Iver signed with a label. For all we know, maybe they didn't change much. Or maybe they did. At the end of the day, the water-into-wine legend that surrounds this album detracts from the lesson it ought to teach those who want to become songwriters or musicians. As you said, there's a lot more to the post-production story, and it's detrimental for aspiring musicians to think they're not good enough just because they can't turn their cheap instruments into brilliance. It also detracts from the lesson the album ought to teach aspiring musicians, which is simply that the perfect sound doesn't have a price tag... ... until you need to reproduce it live.

[@sensitiverambo]

@@pianoatthirty 🙂

[@sensitiverambo]

@@humanmerelybeing1966 Yes. It would be wonderful to hear the stems as he recorded them. I love the KZbin videos where you get artists/producers playing back the naked tracks and dialling them up and down. There's a great Flaming Lips one.

[@Wilmer778]

0:29 Reminds me off that famous Bruce Springsteen record, called Nebraska. Apparently, he recorded the whole album in a spare bedroom, using a Teac (Tascam) 4 track cassette portastudio, two Shure SM-57's and a Peavey reverb, then bounced it onto a cheap boombox as a "master" and there it was. :P Back then, he proved that incredible sonics are an incredible bonus, but the songs itself matter most!! I've heard a local band play live using shite equipment and oh DEAR were they ever good!! Then I went to see a "pro" band using pro equipment and oh my God..... that gig's horrible!! :O The latter should give their equipment to the awesome band to do everyone a favour

[@fpinto]

yep. really loved this album. and you captured the rawness of it well.

[@clarinetninja]

Love this. I have never gotten to know Bon Iver's music that well. I did work on a pretty significant project with one of the other artists you mention in the video. It was certainly, as you characterize in this video, a process that had a pretty clear intent but took twists and turns based on what was happening and how to take things that were challenges and turn them into something beautiful and personal. It was a live performance - but maybe we made a recording of it....I will have to look it up lol Anyway - good stuff as always. I love what you do

[@AudioHaze]

Thanks as always my friend! Which artist did you work with??

[@clarinetninja]

@@AudioHaze I did a project called "BQE" with Sufijan at the next wave festival - it could have been more then ten years ago at this point. It was a month long in preparation and a really amazing showcase of his atristry, musicianship, and creativity.

[@alexraia1377]

Really awesome man. Thank you for the words of encouragement, and for diving into the artist and album with us!

[@xoloitsquintli]

This is similar to how Cody Chestnutt recorded his album The Headphone Masterpiece. Just one dude, a microphone and a metric ton of talent & creativity

[@mowilliams6647]

I’ve been binging your videos for hours THANK YOU!! You saved me from spending $700+ on a mic and the set up! I bought the sm57 tonight plus the set up and only spent $160😭🤯

[@Hammerman48]

This goes back to the way I had to work when I started recording. I just had a reel to reel with sound on sound. It makes you work differently. Now I have Logic Pro and lots of gear. It’s lovely to have….but I use what I learned when I had less.

[@TC_Conner]

Bon Iver is perhaps my favorite artist! (Artist? Vocalist? Musician? Soloist? Falsettoist?) Great docuvid Ricky! 👍🏼

[@AudioHaze]

Hell yeah that's awesome! Glad I nailed your fav artist for the first music production highlight :)

[@annsophiefans1472]

Sublime album, no question. Beautifully, creatively recorded, no question. That said, I can't completely buy into the legend: there's no way on earth it went to press without being pumped through thousands/tens of thousands of pounds worth of pres, mastering and summing gear. That is not to diminish what he achieved: it's a beautiful record. Just don't beat yourself up if you can't achieve the same depth and richness with your 57 and Focus-rite Sapphire in your bedroom!

[@dzogchengrey]

I came here to say same thing. Justin admits he got help "post-production" and it indeed was mastered at a proper studio. And we all know more mixing as well cause it's not like they didn't dump his audio takes into more modern software there. Imo the takeaway should be to spend less on flashy recording gear and save that money to pay someone to properly mix and master. Like you said, no one will get this sound at home with cheap gear cause they will never be able to Master properly. Write great songs, arrange them well, and get as best audio takes you can. Then spend your money getting someone with killer gear to Master (and probably someone to mix as well) You are gonna get a lot more milage that way than the other way around.

[@bmoklsc]

I have a SM58, a guitar, a laptop, and Reaper. Now all I need is Justin Vernon songwriting ability. I’m almost there 😂

[@AudioHaze]

SO CLOSE!!

[@franktavis]

Quick tip, you can remove the metallic pop filter and it will be just the same as a 57. That's how I use for recording my guitar

[@warriorfreedomfilms]

This is great man! So we’ll done and I really enjoyed it. I loved how up you used actual Justin Vernon footage along with your home footage to explain this story. Very well done!

[@acedia4453]

This is a story of how originality and actually knowing your craft pays off.

[@CashGirardi]

you do a great job of giving very very useful information, telling a story, and inspiring. This particular episode spoke to me thank you!

[@lucyfuir6386]

I used to record my band's practice with 2 microphones and a tape deck. I walked around the room until I found the best sounding spot and I set up the 2 microphones where my ears would be, turned them out a little like your ears are. And that was it. You could hear everything perfectly and they were cheap $30 Audio-Technica Mics. They just both have to be the same model Mic.

[@Niiiiiiiila]

I remember the first time I heard this album was in 2012 on a roadtrip to Omaha and I became obsesses. Saw him in 2013 in Chicago, it was amazing.

[@KarlGutowski]

I have access to a respectable collection of Neumann mics, but all my best recordings were done with a Rode NTG4+ shotgun mic I bought for my mirrorless camera, and a Shure Beta 57A which made me feel informal about performing and caught some genuine sparks.

[@ExplicableCashew]

I don't even listen to Bon Iver but I can't imagine what the late 00s, early 2010s would have been without him having released the album. It feels like it permeated the, for lack of a better word, hipster culture. You know the type I'm talking about, just close your eyes and picture an early 2010s Tumblr dashboard scrolling by. Even as someone who's never actively listened to it, hearing the music in this video made me feel like I've just been going through my closet and found my old favorite, familiar and cozy, sweater

[@NateHancePiano]

Wonderful analysis. I’ve been going away from all my fancy production tools in favor of a more bare bones, authentic sound. A good reminder that we resonate with this vulnerable and authentic sound.

[@gabynavarro7694]

This is such a great and inspiring video. Providing context for music production in certain albums is so important. thank you :)

[@AudioHaze]

Glad you liked it!!

[@Anhidema]

I have more confidence in my SM58 than any other microphone ... It's a relationship that has to be built personally with only 1 microphone that has to make you a legend and SM58 made many legends in history.

[@paulwilliams1050]

Great vid. Just like to echo the Sufjan Steven comments and the fact that he preceded Justin's work and would also give a shout out to Iron and Wine, particular the Creek Drank the Cradle which has a very similar vibe. But all in all I absolute adore the album and have seen Bon Iver live twice and was blown away on both occasions.

[@Podcastage]

Great video. It always comes back to that law: a good song recorded with affordable gear is still a good song.

[@AudioHaze]

Thanks dude!!!

[@dylanjastle]

Some of the records that have influenced me the most have been pretty ‘low-fi’ or at least dated. They just get the important things right. Hot water music ‘fuel for the gate game’, jawbreaker ‘24 hour revenge therapy’, Joyce manor’s first full length, early alkaline trio.. all so good despite not being the highest fidelity. If the drums and guitars hit hard, the vocals are in the pocket, and the performances are good, that’s all it needs.

[@AudioHaze]

Yeah exactly, shitty is pretty as I said in the vid :)

[@seetclear8947]

​@@AudioHaze I'd counter that if it's pretty, it ain't shitty 🤓

[@mattbozeday5636]

REALLY loved watching this. I so appreciate you putting this video together!!

[@ted.the.human1]

Very inspirational video, appreciate the upload !

[@AudioHaze]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed

[@CoffeeConversationMusicGear]

@AudioHaze -…”WTF was dat!” True New Yorker you are when that car horn interrupted your recording. I’m a New Yorker so I get it! Love it! But more love your videos. These specific videos always grabs my attention and I like how you break stuff down regarding the artists you do the video pic on. Great stuff! Always look forward to your points of view and knowledge. Thank you for sharing. Definitely appreciated. 🙏🏾🤘🏾🎸

[@bllodwolf2431]

I honestly love listening to you talk about stuff like this, it's really nice to listen to you, specially now that I'm sick and can only stay in bed, feels like I'm having a conversation with someone explaining history :D

[@AudioHaze]

Dude that's so nice!! Glad I could help out a little

[@adamtier3263]

Tom Waits's closing time record is another perfect example of bare bones recording. His acoustic guitar sound on that record is awfully brilliant!

[@anthonywallace3830]

Fantastic album and great example to bring up!

[@rickwilliams967]

Not exactly in the same category, but have you ever listened to The Heart Of Saturday Night album? Totally not what you expect from him in retrospect, but it's so damn good, yet simple too.

[@adamtier3263]

@@rickwilliams967 who's categorising? I'm merely alluding to the the lo-fi acoustic similarities between two albums.I haven't listened to the album you're referring to, but will be sure to do so.

[@rickwilliams967]

@@adamtier3263 well, technically you were, because you were referring to the same topic of the video, thereby listing multiple things in said category of Lo-fi. You're specifically referring to the genre (that's a loose definition for lo-fi, but it works here). Genre is basically a fancy word for musical category. But yes, listen to it. Simple jazz type stuff, but incredibly well executed.

[@adamtier3263]

@@rickwilliams967 Thanks for explaining to me what I'm thinking 👍

[@jonlieberman997]

The story of humanity is the story of how brokenness triumphs over traditional success. When I get back home I want to dig out an ancient Harmony f hole guitar that I picked up broken in a pile of garbage 30 years ago. The guitar was even old then. This broken guitar spoke to me because it was like the one that I could afford in the 1960s. I felt I had to rescue the guitar and bring honor to it. Thanks for the manner in which you told this story. Very creative.

[@sbarncar]

I've been preaching this methodology of acoustic instrument mic placement for 50 years. It can work for pianos too. Upright bass. And classical harps. I try to get a stereo image with 2 mics and two positions. Thanks for spreading the word.

[@Garysmith2045]

Needed to see this and saw it at a very synchronous timing. Great video. Thanks.

[@CFury04]

This was an amazing story and the story I needed to hear and watch at this very moment and current state in time. Thank you for making this video.

[@RitusG]

A mic setup I liked when I tried it on acoustic was using two mics to record one track and hard pan the mics left and right and then record an overdub track with a single mic dead center.

[@AudioHaze]

Yeah I think that same sort of technique shows up a few times on this record

[@Itsdelaraw]

You could do it even do a vocal on that dead center mic, that’s usually my set up for a singer/acoustic guitar, and it always works great

[@RhettShull]

I like this video, and I really like your channel. Keep it up man!

[@AudioHaze]

Dude I’m a huge fan!! Thanks man it really means a ton

[@Greencheez-y]

Justin Vernon's song "A Song for a Lover of Long Ago" is one of my all time favorite songs. Might even be the top. Such a beautifully heart-wrenching song.

[@kthomas621]

I'm from Northcentral WI, and love Bon Iver. I think the legend is a little overblown, though. One of Justin's high school classmates told me that the "cabin" was a pretty nice lake house, and, given the timeline, I'd be surprised if Justin harvested two deer himself. That's not to take away from the greatness of this album and its genesis--he probably did live off hunted venison and whatever he needed at the local grocery store. No shade towards Justin, super happy he's directing a lot of success to investing in his hometown. I hope I get the chance to do something like that someday!

[@hultenius_]

Love the way you break down the production, great video bro

[@VOByRobbins]

Well done!!!! Thank you for this!! Very enjoyable analysis!

[@AudioHaze]

Thanks dude!!

[@victorroman8082]

what an inspiration, love your channel brother.

[@ziccuj]

I really like the way you point out things. Thanks for an inspirational video!

[@mitchyyy18]

This is a great channel for everyone, but if you make music you'll really get something out of it. Love it

[@DeonMitton]

so good - thanks for sharing this message, and also highlighting the importance of creativity, which is unique to every human. Very well done, and this message needs to be seen by everyone!

[@LemonLimeSqueeze]

Wow! More videos like this please, haven't felt this inspired in ages

[@matthewsommerville88]

This is inspiring. Early Guided by Voices is inspiring in this way too

[@hkmrsrg1367]

Just 2 minutes in so far and your words reminds me of the movie Once. I suggested it to friends and they laughed so early in the story at the cinematography and how amateurish it looked but it actually made the movie better (or easier to relate to). Now, I haven't listen to the album but I will.

[@GlennErikMathisen]

While I tend to prefer as much clarity and separation as possible in my music, there is definitely something to be said for that raw honest approach. I can love everything from Steely Dans Gaucho to this album, and everything in between just as much. Shure, there is a threshold for what it takes to make a good recording, but is not as out of reach as one might think. This album proves that. Music is a form of communication. If you can give me new information that makes me hear things differently and truly speaks to me, I'm interested!

[@akimyoung8507]

“Cheesy af” but greatly appreciated dude. I discovered Bon Iver a couple months ago and felt his story resonated with me. I gave “For Emma Forever ago” a listen and I was totally amazed. This video was also awesome. New subscriber✊🏾

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

I think The Creek Drank the Cradle was more important - but then again, if we're going to get into it, Nebraska is probably the one. That latter LP was '82. It set a precedent for a bare-bones approach that made it to the mainstream.

[@nickodonnell6448]

The funniest part of all of this is that Justin proved your point really well, and you explained it really well… But most engineers watching this will think I better go and buy an SM 57 so I can have a hit record 😂 cause it’s all about the gear right? Not the immense talent, 10 years of graft and heart break, VULNERABILITY, 10 years of writing not very good songs, melody chops, vocal chops, sense of melody writing and harmony….oh and did I mention TALENT. Engineers will always ask “what mic pre did you use?” Or “whats your vocal mix chain?”….idiots.

[@steveeschweiler8603]

For Emma Forever was created on a $20 Sears guitar…amazing. One of the most beautiful albums ever written IMO. Also, does anyone know the story about how/why Justin Vernon got kicked out of the band. I am having a hard time imagining a band deciding to get rid of this genius.

[@stephankrain]

Good question! I'd love to learn this, too. :) Maybe with the knowledge from this video he was just too "through" at that time? His gambling problem alone might have affected his artistic work... (just wildguessing)

[@dermotmcelduff2997]

What a cool story, this makes me love Bon Iver's work even more!

[@userisnull]

idk about the Sufjan thing, he had been doing stuff since the nineties and Illinois was already adored by the time Skinny Love came out

[@JohnnysaidWhat]

Thought the exact same thing. Listen to Casimir Pulaski Day and you’ll be like Bon who?

[@AudioHaze]

Thanks for the correction, my bad here!

[@mrfake2632]

found this video at just the right moment. Thank you. Exactly what I needed

[@hagengilbert8102]

this is such a cool channel for home recording artists. thank you!

[@micheleplacidi]

Thanks for this content. Many times we forget what the really important things are. I like your videos. Keep it up!

[@hjvarfjell]

I remember back to the emergence of punk back in the 70s. As a protest to the gospel that you needed to sound polished and needed multi million studios and being sponsored by a big record company to be able to make and record music. Instead it was: "If you have something to say. Say it. If nobody wants to sponsor you recording your music. Record it anyway, on whatever equipment you've got. If no label wants to publish it, create your own label with your buddies." This video rhymes well with that, very healthy, attitude. It seems to me that now that we've gotten access to home recording equipment that in many ways surpasses what was available in professional studios back then we've ended back up with the "truth" or gospel that you should always make it sound polished. Just because you can. Or else everyone will think you are an amateur, you suck, and nobody will ever want to hear your music. So unless you have access to high end, expensive microphones you can just forget about recording. While the truth is just what you showed here. You don't need that if you make good music. While the opposite is equally true. If you suck at making music you will still suck while recording through high end gear. Thanks for making this video. Keep it up. 😊👍

[@Lmachine1]

Well if this isn’t timely and encouraging… I’m literally just started recording my album yesterday and I’m using one mic… an sm57. 😊

[@AudioHaze]

Hell yeah perfect timing :) good luck!

[@SomebodyPickaName]

It just so happens that the SM57 is actually the mic of choice in many acoustic guitar applications, even when you have a ton of mics to choose from.

[@MrMatthewKerr]

Great vid. Thanks for all the digging yo did mate. The gear also is a bit more than the basics you mentioned. At 3:04 looks like an LA2A comp or something (super nice gear,) not to mention the tape machine. He had the right gear in my opinion. Good choices on the stuff that makes 1 mic sparkle.

[@harrisonsturm857]

Fleet Foxes released their debut around the same time that Vernon's hit the big time. So, I'd say both of them pioneered the way for the indie folk genre at the same time

[@robwebb9413]

This kind of information and observation is so liberating and encouraging. Words matter and you chose the right ones, thank you!

[@AudioHaze]

That’s incredibly nice thank you so much 😭

[@alee7275]

Amazing stuff my man! You nailed that guitar sound. Great content!

[@imthomasflowers]

love this album. good video my friend!

[@chrismcdermott7766]

context is everything. the songs were right for that particular treatment. Also the harmonizer which he ran his voice through -the timing was right for that sound, in the same way Cher introduced auto tune as an effect in her "Do you believe" song

[@AudioHaze]

Totally true :)

[@danielamara129]

I can’t believe the author skipped over the harmonizer effect whilst discussing vocals. Also the tuning on the guitar. Anyone know the vocal effect used? The EHX voice box gets close. Cheers everybody! Loved this album when it came out!

[@IsmaelMulti]

I really would like to watch a movie about this moment of his life. It's amazing how he created music through all this