Blackbird by The Beatles: studio, gear and credits

Blackbird by The Beatles: recorded at Abbey Road Studios, Studio 2, London, England, produced by George Martin, Chris Thomas, engineered by Geoff Emerick. See the credits and gear, then recreate the sound in your DAW.

Details

Song: Blackbird
Artist: The Beatles
Genre / Style: Acoustic Folk / Singer-Songwriter
Date(s) Recorded: June 11, 1968
Original Record Company & Catalog #: Apple Records / PMC 7067 (Mono), PCS 7067 (Stereo)
Release Date: November 22, 1968
YouTube Search: Listen on YouTube

Personnel and session credits

Producer(s): George Martin, Chris Thomas
Chief Recording Engineer(s): Geoff Emerick
Mixing Engineer(s): Geoff Emerick, George Martin
Mastering Engineer(s): Wally Traugott, John Lemay
Musicians & Session Performers:

Paul McCartney - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Foot Tapping

Studio and recording technology

Tracking Studio & Room: Abbey Road Studios, Studio 2, London, England

Reported gear and setup (not independently verified)

Mixing / Overdub Studio: Abbey Road Studios, Studio 2, London, England
Mixing Console / Desk: EMI REDD.51 Valve Console
Multitrack Tape Machine & Format: Studer J37 4-Track 1-inch (15 IPS)
Studio Monitors: Altec 605A (Lockwood Enclosures)
Key Outboard Processors & Hardware Units:

Fairchild 660 (Tube Limiter): Fast transparent peak suppression inserted across McCartney's lead vocal channel strip during tracking
EMI RS124 (Tube Compressor): Modified Altec valve compressor clamping dynamic transients on acoustic guitar and foot-tapping tracks
EMI RS144 (Inductor Equalizer): Passive presence equalizer applied on desk channels for focused midrange acoustic projection
EMT 140 (Plate Reverb): Controlled spatial enhancement added during final mixdown to glue acoustic elements with birdsong tape inserts

Synthesizers, Drum Machines & Electronic Instruments:

*No electronic instruments, synthesizers, or drum machines were utilized on this recording.*

Signal chains covered in the full track sheet

Instrument-by-instrument recording pathways, including: Paul McCartney - Lead Vocals, Paul McCartney - Acoustic Guitar, Paul McCartney - Foot Tapping, Sound Effects - Blackbird Singing.

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