Task 1 – WAV Mixes
Task 2 – Production Log Book
Track 1 (Genre Specific Emulation)
My role was to organise the musicians and book the rooms.
When recording drums our research showed us that the original back to black recordings were recording with a very simple setup with one overhead, kick in, kick out (above the kick in line with the drummer’s stool). We removed all the toms to prevent unwanted resonances.
For bass, I organised to meet the bassist and booked the room. The session plan was pretty simple as the bass part was largely unchanging, so we only needed a few takes to get the final version. After some research I found the Ampeg B15i was the amp they used, we didn’t have access to this so instead we used a Fender P bass and sent it through the sans amp bass DI and this allowed us to get as close to the vintage warm sound of the original as possible and it was very successful.
The guitar session followed a similar plan and only took a few takes. To save the session players time we reamped the DI in a different session giving us lots of time to achieve the desired tone. We chose the Sire Larry Carlton T7TM as this was the closest we could get tonally to the Danelectro used on the original.ii We then used the Fender Twin Reverb with a SM57. This simple setup replicated the approach often used in the 1950s and 1960s which was the sonic goal of Amy Winehouse. These decisions lead to a successful emulation of tone.
For piano, I decided to use a spaced pair of SE Electronics XR1s placed either side of the pianist as this could capture a vintage warm, wide sound. We recorded in 113 due to its natural reverb which we developed in post-production, again, successfully replicating the sound. We recorded the Boston grand piano as it was the closest sound we had to the mini grand Yamaha which Keith Nelson Jr said was used on the original recording.iii
The biggest challenge was getting the timing of the drums correct because when we initially recorded drums, we couldn’t get a good metronome due to the timing of the track constantly changing. This meant the drummer had to play to the backing track without a click. We managed to fix the timing by manually moving everything in time, but this was time consuming so in future we should have created a demo track to a click and had the drummer follow that.
For strings we used a similar approach to the original with close micing and room mics. iv I replaced the Coles 4038s with a XAudia Beeb as the room mic and this was great at replicating the smooth vintage sounds whilst the Neuman KM184s were great at capturing the detail when close micing. This blend of modern and vintage technique created the perfect emulation of the track. In future we could record a 24piece orchestra but due to time and resources I was only able to coordinate a quartet. After adding reverb and chorus we managed to get close to the original despite having less musicians.
Finally, the original vocals were recorded on an RCA 77D which we didn’t have so I substituted this with an XAudia GRX and this successfully replicated the smooth vintage tone of the RCA.v I had the vocalist experiment with techniques and differing energies to get close to Amy’s tone.
Track 2 (Live In the Studio Stereo Recording)
I oversaw the organisation of the musician and booking rooms. Before recording, we discussed potential tracks and decided on Sparks by Coldplay as this included an intimate guitar and vocal which the performers were confident playing thus leading to them giving their best performance. In rehearsals, we discussed dynamics enabling them to give their best, emotive performance.
For the session I planned: 30 minutes of the session setting up, 10 minutes gain staging and setting levels and to have finished the first take within the first hour of the session. Then the musicians would listen to the take, make minor adjustments to their performance whilst myself and the other producers moved mics around to get a better stereo recording. We should then repeat this for about 3 takes. This ensured that the recording remained authentic as the performers wouldn’t get bored thus capturing the most intimate recording. This plan was extremely successful, and we stuck to it. We chose the final take as this one had the best mic setup following our adjustments.
We decided to have the musicians sitting opposite each other and use mid-side technique to capture both instruments. This setup enabled them to give their best performance as they could interact with ease. It also gave us control as we moved each instrument around until we achieved the desired levels and using mid-side also ensured retention of clarity with a wide stereo field.
During the recording and mixing stages, we constantly checked for phase issues, and we prevented this. Unfortunately, there was an issue with a low frequency buzzing ptentially caused by the room we were able to fix at source so in post we applied a low cut at 63hz and this resolved the issue.
Finally, I balanced the levels so that the vocals were made to be the focus. I also panned the cardioid mic on vocals a tiny bit right, so they felt more central and then panned the guitar cardioid to the left to provide some space for the vocal so that they weren’t competing. This also made the overall recording sound wider and richer.
Track 3 Remix track
For the drums I used found sounds. For the kick I recorded a kitchen roll banging on the floor. First, I altered the pitch then added some pad reverb from the drum machine to create a natural kick reverb, then added more reverb to a bus with a small high and low cut to control the reverb. I cut out some high end off the actual sound. All these decisions were an attempt to emulate a natural kick sound
I took a similar approach when designing the snare, I used the sound of my notepad closing and then pitched it down and messed with the EQ until it sounded how I wanted.
For the high hats I also used the notepad closing but pitched it up and then used a pitched-up body spray sound to emulate an open hat.
Finally, to add some more texture to the final chorus I create a sound like a floor tom using the kitchen roll again pitched down but instead boosted the low mids to create a new sound which fit the sonic space but didn’tstand out too much. I then added chromaverb to add to the grandeur of the sound making it reference a timpani sound.
I kept the arrangement like the original but shortened it for modern audiences. I introduced a bridge to ensure retention before circling back to an alternate chorus.
For vocal recording I used the JZ Vintage 67 as this suited my voice and recorded a warm rich tone which fit the track. This created a similarity with the piano but a contrast with the synths and guitar.
When recording piano, I wanted an authentic but detailed sound, so I used XY micing technique using the Neuman KM184s. This gave me a focused sound and some stereo imaging which fit this track. I moved the mics around above the hammers to find the sound I wanted with a good balance between the low and high registers.
When mixing, first I balanced levels, then planned which instruments would fit in each sonic space, for example the bass synth and guitar would cover the low end, vocals and piano on mids, other synths on mids and highs. I spent some time messing with EQ and listening to each instrument in context to find the perfect pocket.
I knew that the original vocals were nasally, so I reduced the mids/highs on these and then increase them on my vocal as my vocals are less nasally. This brought my vocals forward and allowed them to blend seamlesslywith the originals preventing each vocal from competing for space.
I then expanded the stereo field with panning. I hard panned the left and right piano mics so the piano would cover the largest space and then panned various instruments and somewhat paired them together. For example, the bass synth and low guitar I panned somewhat similar to opposite sides of the stereo field as this would help create a feeling of balance as all harmonics are represented in both left and right. I did the same with synths and slightly panned the drums.
With effects I added reverb on the vocals and piano to give them a sense of location. The reverb on the vocals and piano made it feel personal and authentic to an old-fashioned jazz bar which added to the dark romantic vibe of the track. This reverb also helped increase the size of the stereo field and made the mix feel bigger which was the goal.
I also added pedals to the guitar such as monster fuzz, fuzz machine and some compression. This added some grit to the song and gave it a more complex texture, introducing some modern technical sound to a minimalist acoustic piano.
Bibliography
Amy Winehouse Legacy, 20th October 2019, Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson record Back To Black, [Video], Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6KNM_RV7Q4 [Accessed 6/05/2026]
Equipboard.com. (2026). Danelectro 56 U2 – What To Know & Where To Buy. [online] Available at: https://equipboard.com/items/danelectro-56-u2 [Accessed 9 May 2026].
Morley, D. (2024a). Production Expert. [online] Production Expert. Available at: https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/how-i-got-the-string-sound-recording-amy-winehouse-back-to-black [Accessed 14 May 2026]
Nelson Jr, K. (2021). The Making of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Frank’ and ‘Back to Black’ | Finer Notes. [online] reverb.com. Available at: https://reverb.com/news/the-making-of-amy-winehouses-frank-and-back-to-black-finer-notes [Accessed 9 May 2026].
