Apogee
Creating unique sounds with contact mics and speakers as mics
Shawn Everett explores the idea of exclusively using contact mics and speakers for the recording of the song "Blurred View" from Big Thief, bypassing traditional microphones to craft a distinctive sonic palette. This approach allows him to capture unique, organic sounds that emphasize emotion and creativity. During the recording sessions, Shawn mixes live, ensuring that the rough mix at the end of each day is album-ready. This workflow requires him to adapt his mixing techniques on the fly, maintaining a focus on emotion and immediacy. Shawn employs unconventional methods, such as using a rewired speaker as a contact mic on a kick drum, to achieve unusual textures. He also creatively repurposes old Apple headphones as contact mics for guitar amps, demonstrating his innovative approach to sound capture. For vocals, Shawn tapes headphones to the singer's throat, resulting in a lo-fi vocal sound that adds a unique character to the track.