Nod to The Legend · Happy accidents · 1980
Gated Reverb
Hugh Padgham and Phil Collins
Tracking Peter Gabriel's "Intruder" at London's Townhouse Studios, Padgham heard Collins's drums through the SSL's talkback mic, crushed by its compressor, with a gate chopping the room off. They kept it, and "In the Air Tonight" (1981) made it famous.
Still heard: Gated snares are all over 80s pop and synth-wave, and back in style now.
Related legends
- The SSL 4000 Console: Solid State Logic, founded by Colin Sanders
- Joe Meek: Independent producer, Holloway Road
- Rupert Neve: Console and preamp designer
- Bill Putnam: Engineer, studio builder, father of the modern console
- The Fairchild 670: Variable-mu tube limiter, designed by Rein Narma
- Roger Linn: Drum machine and MPC designer