Constructing Male Vintage Blues: How I Recreated the Grit and Soul of the Past
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Published on
November 2, 2024
A Quick History Lesson
Blues, a uniquely American musical style, was born in the late 19th century in the southern U.S. Drawing from Black musical traditions like work songs, spirituals, and field hollers, it’s all about that raw emotional expression. Classic blues tracks are known for that signature 12-bar chord progression and the call-and-response style, but at its core, it’s pure emotion.
Before 1925, blues recordings were captured through purely acoustic methods. Musicians performed into a large horn, funneling sound onto a diaphragm that etched the audio onto wax discs. The process was gritty, cutting a very limited frequency range that dropped the low bass and top-end treble. The result? A raw, midrange-heavy sound. The distortion and surface noise from this early method added to the charm of these recordings. If you want a taste, check Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues,” recorded in 1920–it’s got that lo-fi charm that’s unmistakably old-school.
Pictured: Mamie Smith
Enter the Electric Era
Once microphones hit the scene in 1925, everything changed. Ribbon mics like the RCA 44 gave blues singers this warm, rich sound, perfect for the genre’s vibe. Fast-forward to the 1940s and 50’s, with tape recording coming into play, and legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf were benefiting from way better sound quality. But even with these improvements, blues always kept its raw emotional core–often recorded live, minimal effects, no fuss, just soul.
Pictured: Howlin’ Wolf
Capturing the Spirit of Vintage Blues
Like my previous Vintage Jazz model, I started off by treating one of my studio monitors as a singer, but this time I opted to use an Auratone instead of my main monitors. The Auratone 5C Super Sound Cube became popular in the 1970s and is known for its ability to accurately replicate the sound of consumer electronics, such as home radios and televisions. Of course, modern consumer electronics have improved since that time, but these speakers are still incredibly useful for checking midrange due to their limited bandwidth. This character also means that they’re a great starting point for mimicking the fidelity of those early blues recordings.
Using an AEA 44 ribbon mic, I set it up about a foot and a half from the speaker to avoid too much proximity effect, which would emphasize the low-end.
With the ribbon mic being amplified by a Chandler TG2 preamp, the signal was sent to the Bereich03 Density. I love this 500-series unit for the saturation it adds as well as gentle high-end roll-off provided by engaging the “Vintage” switch.
Following the Density, the signal moved to a Retro Instruments 2A3 tube EQ, where you can see I made some pretty bold moves attenuating 100Hz and 5kHz, as well as cranking up some 1.5kHz to really emphasize that midrange characteristic that is part of the trademark from the era.
From my EQ, the signal traveled to my trusty Roland Space Echo RE-201. I love seeing the red light occasionally illuminate on the Peak Level, pushing the input slightly into overdrive for added harmonics.
Continuing its journey, the signal then saw a couple dB’s of compression via the DBX 165A. What I love about this compressor is the ability to use the “Stop Level” knob to add some additional dirt to the signal. (Pssst….I’m not the only one who loves this compressor, just ask Kevin Parker from Tame Impala)
Lastly, one final bit of tube color was added with the Manley Vari-Mu. Only using about 1dB of gain reduction for the final polish.
Check out the before and after below:
Watching the transformation from a modern, clean sound to something that feels like it came straight out of a time machine was a blast. Whether you’re crafting an authentic blues track or just want to sprinkle some vintage grit into your latest EDM production, the Male Vintage Blues model is ready to bring that raw, soulful edge. Add a little old-school magic to your sound with Kits.AI and see how it elevates your music to the next level.
-SK
Sam Kearney is a producer, composer, and sound designer based in Evergreen, Colorado.
