Listening to the album recently I noticed the amount of echo and delay. It's something I hadn't noticed so prevalent in early works but it's an effect used on most songs on PR.

Let's Go Crazy - delay on vocals and slight delay on drums.

Compute Blue - delay on vocals

When Doves Cry - Vocals and drums.

I would Die 4 U - Vocals and drums - heavy echo effect.

Baby I'm A Star - vocals.

Purple Rain - vocals and guitar.

Obviously it's not something so annoying that you want to scream "lay off the delay effect already" - as is evidence that it's only something I really noticed 27 years later, lol.

But for the life of me I can't think of an album he has produced that has so much delay on it.

[Edited 5/9/11 20:15pm]

He doesn't use it much now, and doesn't use a lot of "deepening mix" type effects, and I think that has led to much of the fan perception that his production is not as good.

OMG, it does!

What I mostly notice is how too-bright everything sounds.

The problem is I'm dying to hear remastered versions of his albums, but even though I have a 'remastered version of PR" it still sounds too bright.

I wonder what a proper remaster would sound like. Either way, it's one of my favorite Prince albums.

Swa said:

Listening to the album recently I noticed the amount of echo and delay. It's something I hadn't noticed so prevalent in early works but it's an effect used on most songs on PR.

Let's Go Crazy - delay on vocals and slight delay on drums.

Compute Blue - delay on vocals

When Doves Cry - Vocals and drums.

I would Die 4 U - Vocals and drums - heavy echo effect.

Baby I'm A Star - vocals.

Purple Rain - vocals and guitar.

Obviously it's not something so annoying that you want to scream "lay of the delay effect already" - as is evidence that it's only something I really noticed 27 years later, lol.

But for the life of me I can't think of an album he has produced that has so much delay on it.

im thinking maybe ATWIAD...maybe not on every song, but it comes in close 2nd

The echo is the main thing people forget to do in modern 80's sounding songs. Even Prince!

Once again somebody brings this up & I made a whole thread on this a couple of weeks back that no one barely responed to. I've been thinking that People miss the way Prince used to use reverb, echoing, EQ'ing, & mixing. If he still mixed & added reverb to his newer stuff, people wouldn't have the same problems with his latest music. "20Ten" could have been even better if he would have used more reverb, echo, flang, etc, in those tracks. But now that I think about it, [most of the time] only REAL music geeks & makers of music [such as myself] even notice this stuff on tracks. I'm happy you bring this up!!!!!!

There's no delay in the 1999 & Controversy albums, but the echo factor in them was so used so effectively.

The song "Crucial" has too much reverb!

I can only agree with you guys that music created today to sound like/inspired by the 80s (inc some of 20Ten) is missing that touch of all the effects, echo, reverb etc, etc.

gunner82 said:

Once again somebody brings this up & I made a whole thread on this a couple of weeks back that no one barely responed to. I've been thinking that People miss the way Prince used to use reverb, echoing, EQ'ing, & mixing. If he still mixed & added reverb to his newer stuff, people wouldn't have the same problems with his latest music. "20Ten" could have been even better if he would have used more reverb, echo, flang, etc, in those tracks. But now that I think about it, [most of the time] only REAL music geeks & makers of music [such as myself] even notice this stuff on tracks. I'm happy you bring this up!!!!!!

Right, I think a lot of Prince fans here said it be4, there is something about the sound/production we miss these day!! I like 20TEN but it sounds like a demo!!! Even PR or D&P sound fresher/newer.

Only 3121 comes close 2 what some of us wanna hear....if U talk about sound.

I think Prince thinks that reverb style is old and tired for him, and he's trying to push his agenda of loud and clear demo quality (first pushed with Dirty Mind) into the future.

I can see how using that type of reverb can sound very dated (like much of Diamonds and Pearls sounds in terms of reverb style) just like a certain style of guitar distortion can sound dated.

But when he does carefully work effects with a more contemporary style like on "Boom" or the song "3121", I think it sounds great, and not dated.

Actually "The One U Wanna C" is drenched in reverb, but still sounds cool to my ears.

Mustn't forget Pop Life! That one gets the trophy for crazy delay, with that pan built-in. Although, funny enough, that one was recorded in the midst of the Purple Rain sessions (at least, before When Doves Cry, if I remember correctly).

all that echo was a trend in the 80's.

I love the echo and reverb esp in Pop Life and Another Lonely Christmas, wish he'd use those effects now sometimes.

ufoclub said:

all that echo was a trend in the 80's.

Dude, none of that is old. It is still used a lot today in music, TRUST ME! It's just updated. Prince could use the upgraded stuff & please fans very much so. I make beats, & I used every last bit of echo, reverb, flang, etc. If Prince used it now.....you know what? Listen to some "Flying Lotus" & see what I mean....If Prince could learn some tricks from newer producers, we would witness some stunning stuff.....

gunner82 said:

ufoclub said:

all that echo was a trend in the 80's.

Dude, none of that is old. It is still used a lot today in music, TRUST ME! It's just updated. Prince could use the upgraded stuff & please fans very much so. I make beats, & I used every last bit of echo, reverb, flang, etc. If Prince used it now.....you know what? Listen to some "Flying Lotus" & see what I mean....If Prince could learn some tricks from newer producers, we would witness some stunning stuff.....

I absolutely hate the ocean of cold reverb on some music today. I can't stand that typical electro "club" sound from Kanye West, Lady Gaga or Rihanna (although, here and there they throw out something cool), and I feel it will be stereotyped as shit music of this era sometime in the near future.

To my ears something like "Crucial" sounds dated in it's use of reverb. The exact same song with the same tracks could be re-mixed with less reverb and sound much better.

A track like "Cream" is drenched in reverb too, but it sounds a bit more timeless (maybe because it retains warmth). But the track "Diamonds and Pearls" has a typically early 90's tone to it.

I'm listening to a digital R&B classics station right now, and they are switching from stuff like Al Green "Love and Happiness" to Earth Wind and Fire songs to "Purple Rain", and the sound and tone of the effects seem to identify the eras. Of course there are exceptions

But there really are certain styles of reverb and effects that are really indicative of the 80's. Just like certain guitar tones and distortions are very 80's.

Of course there are updated versions of all effects, and I'd say Prince is using them in a very unique an innovative way on stuff like 3121 or Boom where effects are triggered or limited in interesting and very creative ways.

I think he made 20ten sound dry on purpose. I'm pretty sure he thinks that's cool to his ears, so he puts it out that way. He's always tried to make his shit sound a bit different then whatever is going on by adjusting little details.

The stuff I'm hearing right now on this station makes it seem like a lot of 70's stuff had no cold reverb on it. And more presence (like it's all closer to the mic). 80's stuff seems to want to sound a bit colder and more distant, more processed.

Take away all the effect and you might hear the core formula, the real unembellished content. I think that's what Prince liked about the way 20ten sounded. Bare bones and open faced.

"I Feel for You" the Chaka Khan version just came on, and she sounds like she's some distance from the mic. The synth bass, on the other hand, is up close and warm.

gunner82 said:

Once again somebody brings this up & I made a whole thread on this a couple of weeks back that no one barely responed to. I've been thinking that People miss the way Prince used to use reverb, echoing, EQ'ing, & mixing. If he still mixed & added reverb to his newer stuff, people wouldn't have the same problems with his latest music. "20Ten" could have been even better if he would have used more reverb, echo, flang, etc, in those tracks. But now that I think about it, [most of the time] only REAL music geeks & makers of music [such as myself] even notice this stuff on tracks. I'm happy you bring this up!!!!!!

Sorry I missed your post of a few weeks back. Always happy (and prefer) to discuss the music and creative process. Hook me up with a link to your thread as I'd love to read it.

eyewishuheaven said:

Mustn't forget Pop Life! That one gets the trophy for crazy delay, with that pan built-in. Although, funny enough, that one was recorded in the midst of the Purple Rain sessions (at least, before When Doves Cry, if I remember correctly).

Pop Life is THE example. The way the delay is placed in the track, and panned heralds back to the mono type of production that The Beatles et al use to employ out of necessity. Just listening to the left or right channel can reveal so much in the song and almost add to the musical trip.

It does feel like his use of reverb, flange, delay, etc was a prime factor in his PR/ATWIAD and to lesser extend Parade era work. Maybe he felt that continuing to do it was a look back and not forward, thus a move in other production styles and techniques.

It just appeared to me that it seemed to hit all of a sudden for him, as if he said "hey what does this button do" and the way it become so prevalent on PR recordings almost makes it feel like a new sonic toy he discovered and loved using.

ufoclub said:

I think Prince thinks that reverb style is old and tired for him, and he's trying to push his agenda of loud and clear demo quality (first pushed with Dirty Mind) into the future.

I can see how using that type of reverb can sound very dated (like much of Diamonds and Pearls sounds in terms of reverb style) just like a certain style of guitar distortion can sound dated.

But when he does carefully work effects with a more contemporary style like on "Boom" or the song "3121", I think it sounds great, and not dated.

Actually "The One U Wanna C" is drenched in reverb, but still sounds cool to my ears.

The one U wanna C is one of the few songs I really like from PE!!!!

And 3121 is one of my fav from the last period......and I love Cream and....damn, I'm a fan of the whole reverb thing

[Edited 5/11/11 0:11am]

Just wanna say this about the 80's sound; I think a lot of bands had a great sound during that period and when they changed that, they lost some of their appeal.

Simple Minds is a good example, from New Gold dream untill Don't you they we're great

but in the early 90's suddenly Jim's voice sounded dry and the sound wasn't that good.

Same for Duran,Duran, Simply Red and others....

Paisley4u said:

Just wanna say this about the 80's sound; I think a lot of bands had a great sound during that period and when they changed that, they lost some of their appeal.

Simple Minds is a good example, from New Gold dream untill Don't you they we're great

but in the early 90's suddenly Jim's voice sounded dry and the sound wasn't that good.

Same for Duran,Duran, Simply Red and others....

You didn't like Duran Duran's comeback album in 1993? You know with "Come Undone?"

ufoclub said:

The song "Crucial" has too much reverb!

I agree. The excessive reverb and the butchered guitar solo were really disappointing. I don't mind the extra "la, la, la...", though.

Other examples of excessive reverb in the 80's: "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" and "Nothing Like the Sun" by Sting. They should be remastered without it, IMHO.

SagsWay2low said:

OMG, it does!

What I mostly notice is how too-bright everything sounds.

The problem is I'm dying to hear remastered versions of his albums, but even though I have a 'remastered version of PR" it still sounds too bright.

I wonder what a proper remaster would sound like. Either way, it's one of my favorite Prince albums.

was it an official release and if so were did u get it?

SagsWay2low said:

OMG, it does!

What I mostly notice is how too-bright everything sounds.

The problem is I'm dying to hear remastered versions of his albums, but even though I have a 'remastered version of PR" it still sounds too bright.

I wonder what a proper remaster would sound like. Either way, it's one of my favorite Prince albums.

Listen to it on vinyl - and you won't need a remaster. It was mastered just fine to begin with.

ufoclub said:

Paisley4u said:

Just wanna say this about the 80's sound; I think a lot of bands had a great sound during that period and when they changed that, they lost some of their appeal.

Simple Minds is a good example, from New Gold dream untill Don't you they we're great

but in the early 90's suddenly Jim's voice sounded dry and the sound wasn't that good.

Same for Duran,Duran, Simply Red and others....

You didn't like Duran Duran's comeback album in 1993? You know with "Come Undone?"

I don't know the album but I like Come undone and I looooove Ordinary world!!!!!

There still was some 'echo' on these songs, they don't sound 'dry'