Les Paul: How Multi-track Recording Started

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

It's crazy when you think of the impact this man has had on the world of music, and how much impact that music has had on the rest of the world.

[@plainolded5030]

When he said, "life has been good to us", my thought was, "no Les, you have been good to life". What a wonderful humble soul.

[@bigkingsha]

I dedicate all my multi-track recordings to your creative spirit Mr. Les Paul. We continue to sing your praises. Thanks for being so innovative!

[@riccampbell]

Wow - what a journey it's been. I was in my first pro studio back in...'72 I believe - Cleveland Recording - where I worked on an Ampex 8 track engineered by Ken Hammon. Over the years worked in 16 and 24 track formats, including slaved situations with multiple machines. Had cassette multitracks, 3340's, ADAT's - whatever I could afford in a home scenario. Now as I type this, I'm looking over at my DAW, with effectively unlimited tracks, automated mixing, ton's of processing choices - an embarrassment of audio riches. And it all began with this man. Thanks Les - you changed everything.

[@iinidine]

Thank god he invented sound on sound, I love my 1970's vintage Teac 3340S, 4-channel, simul-sync Tape Deck. I still record with it to this day, and I can pull out a tape from the 70's and play it and it sounds like I recorded it yesterday. One of the most solid workhorse recording decks ever manufactured. Thank you for sharing Les Paul's interview. And there are also his legendary Guitars :-)

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thank you too iinidine.... Joe

[@heentlasaa9974]

I Agree, digital can't push into the red like Analog tapes do, we get a hotter sound.

[@Lanternsinthesky-studios]

Les Paul is a national treasure. Thanks for this interview and for this channel.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks Zoester... joe

[@ifixyourmix]

Music is the deepest form of concentration. Les Paul was a renaissance man!

[@juliehudson6539]

Thank God for Les Paul

[@JohnnyHurbonConnections]

A mind focused on creating and sculpting new sounds through electricity. Thanks Les !!!

[@derekdauchan2741]

Thank you Mr. Chambers for the vault series. Informative, entertaining and very satisfying. Gives me a greater appreciate for the artist, producers and innovators that I love.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Hi Derrick.... I love hearing from people like you... I feel I have a world of new like minded friends here on Facebook I hope to meet someday... Thanks.., Joe

[@mvmmotovlogmusic2815]

Someone who is so important to the history of recorded music, and yet so unassuming.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

mVm ..... the more talented they are the more down to earth they usually are and that was Les Paul. He wasn’t just kind to me..... that’s just how he was to everyone. Thanks again for your supporting our channel and me... Joe

[@mvmmotovlogmusic2815]

Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum I completely agree and have first hand witnessed it. I now produce audio content for a private company, but when I worked in studios, I had the pleasure of recording very talented people. Hiram Bullock, Omar Hakim, Lenny Picket and other New York Based studio musicians. They were are respectful professionals in the studio. (This was in the early 90’s) Be well and thank you for replying to my comments. mVm

[@markematulis1051]

Such a great clip. That's music history right there, man !!

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thank you Mark.... joe

[@WakadooPlaypen]

He had a vision of the future, thank goodness for Les Paul. Another great episode!

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks Playpen... Joe

[@dbbubba1]

This is a very good interview fromLes Paul because he is honest about the work that he did and he specifically DOES NOT claim that he himself invented the 1" 8-track machine. What he is saying is accurate in that he created those songs he mentions doing what he calls "multiples" which is basically a form of sound on sound. The idea of the 1" 8-track was the invention of Ross Snyder at Ampex as was the invention on Sel-Sync. Ross knew that people were recording using the methods that Les Paul was using and came up with the idea of using one of the 1" instrumentation/data recorders that Ampex was building for the military and aerospace industry. 1" multitrack machines had already been in use for quite a few years as data recorders (Ampex's most profitable line of equipment.) Ross Snyder took that idea and had the lady who built the heads create an 8-track stack that would work with audio electronics. He also realized the need for sync, so he designed the Sel-Sync system. One of the machines was built and David Sarser who was Ampex's east coast rep presented idea to Les Paul. All of this history is well documented by and supported by published AES papers.

[@ivannovotny4552]

Always nice to see Les Paul and your choice Joe. Thanks.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thank you Ivan.... best Joe

[@WillyPDX94]

When Les Paul talks it's always amazing. He is the Thomas Edison of modern guitar and recording.

[@ronanzann4851]

Please !......don't associate The incomparable Les Paul with that scum Edison !

[@glenkepic3208]

I'm so grateful to see this. Reel To Reels were hot in the late '60s. Dad bought a Webcor. Great for the time. Family bought a Sony (?) which had 'sos'. Too bad no one could use it.. btw, not to get too out, Les said someone said he was like two people. I share my BD with T-Bone Walker, Gladys Knight and John Fogerty.. Gems, like LP.

[@josephtabar492]

I use multi tracking all the time when using my Boss BR-8 recording studio. It lets me to fully create a song by my self and take it to my band later. It's a valuable tool.

[@lukpac]

Paul doesn't really talk about the genesis of 8-track in the video, but since the title refers to "Multi-track Recording" it's worth noting. Contrary to popular belief (and Paul's own stories), Paul didn't come up with the idea. Ross Snyder of Ampex came up with the idea of what would eventually be called Sel-Sync, and together with Ampex engineers they developed the 8-track concept, which was offered to various parties, including Paul, who bought the first one. Paul was no doubt a recording pioneer, who did indeed come up with the idea of "sound on sound" (adding an additional playback head ahead of the erase head on a mono machine, so overdubs could be made on a single machine), and who was a pioneer of overdubbing (first via "sound on sound", then dubbing from one mono machine to another, and then via Sel-Sync on 8-track), but credit goes to Ross Snyder for inventing the first 8-track.

[@steveg219]

This is amazing!!

[@OldProVidios]

I created Pre-Read editing. All thanks to Les Paul. On Sony D2 digital video recorders, there was a function called Pre-Read which shifted playback forward to the record head. Interesting thing was, it also did this to the video. Using that, I could record video on video to create effects like Les Paul did to audio. That you Les Paul. Also, financially it was similar. Pre-Read was the cool thing until Computers got good enough to be better like 8 track for sound.

[@indikaudayakumaraabesingha908]

god bless you sir...

[@jimhoffmann]

GREAT TOPIC, Joe! 🎸🎼🎫

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Hi Jim ... Thanks......... Joe

[@RockHardRiffs]

....from the archives of greatness 🎸

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks Riffs... Joe

[@RobertVeasquez]

Thank you, Joe. You can never hear too much from geniuses, can you?

[@RavenMadd9]

Thank you Sir

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks Madd9..... Joe

[@billbradley1531]

Les Paul is from Waukesha, Wisconsin.

[@blueticecho5690]

Joe I have heard the story about Les Paul some how breaking his arm and then had it reset with a angle so that he could still play his guitar.. Just wondering. Thanks sir.

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Hi Blue... that’s true... when I would shake hands with Les he would shake with left hand upside down . Hi he was in a bad car wreck.. I think Mary was driving.. it almost took his arm off!!!! The Doctor working on him recognized him before they removed his arm. He told the other Doctors hey he’s a famous guitar player... we need to ask him before we operate.. they told him they could set it in one position for ever if he wanted to keep it so he had ... them set it like he was strumming/picking his guitar so he looks normal holding the guitar. Luckily his chording arm was fine. Thanks again...Joe

[@JimFreeman-h6g]

A mentor to EVH.

[@RobertVeasquez]

2 dislikes?? A man who changed music history in huge profound ways? Who changed YOUR way of music being listened to. That’s not likable??

[@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum]

Thanks for watching 707.....Joe

[@ronanzann4851]

It's important to remember that "Sound On Sound" is not the same as "Multi-Track". The person conducting the interview didn't understand the distinction.

[@ramboweed5169]

Robert Johnson phonograph blues

[@babayaga1767]

Ot even EVH has a guitar named for him

[@demef758]

"The piano was digital, and the phonograph was analog." With all due deference to The Master, I think he meant that the PLAYER piano was digital with those holes in the rolls. Certainly the piano's vibrating strings are analog, just as the guitar's strings are. Regardless, this was a very interesting interpretation of things for such a young age.