Constructing Male Vintage Blues: How I Recreated the Grit and Soul of the Past

Walk through the inspiration and techniques behind the new Male Vintage Blues singing voice straight from the creator.

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Sam Kearney

Sam Kearney

Published on

2 नवंबर 2024

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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. 

Mamie Smith

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.

Howlin' Wolf

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. 

A ribbon mic and speaker setup

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.

Bereich03 Density saturator

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.

Retro Instruments 2A3 tube EQ

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. 

Roland Space Echo RE-201

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)

DBX 165A compressor

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. 

Manley Vari-Mu for tube color

Check out the before and after below:

Original Model (LISTEN)

Vintage Blues Model (LISTEN)

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. 

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मुफ्त शुरू करें। कोई क्रेडिट कार्ड आवश्यक नहीं है।

हमारी मुफ्त योजना आपको यह देखने देती है कि कैसे Kits आपकी वोकल और ऑडियो वर्कफ़्लो को सरल बनाने में मदद कर सकते हैं। जब आप अगले कदम पर जाने के लिए तैयार हों, तो सशुल्क योजनाएँ $14.99 / महीने से शुरू होती हैं।

मुफ्त शुरू करें। कोई क्रेडिट कार्ड आवश्यक नहीं है।

हमारी मुफ्त योजना आपको यह देखने देती है कि कैसे Kits आपकी वोकल और ऑडियो वर्कफ़्लो को सरल बनाने में मदद कर सकते हैं। जब आप अगले कदम पर जाने के लिए तैयार हों, तो सशुल्क योजनाएँ $14.99 / महीने से शुरू होती हैं।

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