Tone Profile

The synth sound in "Good Vibrations" has a theremin-like quality, with a bright, slightly buzzy, and somewhat nasal tone. It's a monophonic lead sound that is both ethereal and grounded.

Production Credits

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• The Beach Boys used a custom-built ribbon controller developed by Paul Tanner, effectively an electronic theremin. It was played by Paul Tanner himself on the recording.
• The Tannerin signal was fed into a Fender Tweed Champ amplifier, adding warmth and saturation.
• The Fender Tweed Champ was recorded with an RCA 77DX microphone.

Recreation Tips

• To recreate this sound, start with a synthesizer capable of smooth pitch bends and portamento.
• Use a sawtooth or square wave as the base oscillator, adding a touch of pulse width modulation (PWM) for slight movement.
• Apply a bandpass filter to focus the sound in the mid frequencies, mimicking the nasal quality of the Tannerin.
• Introduce a subtle overdrive or saturation effect to emulate the Tweed Champ's warmth.
• Add a touch of plate reverb to add dimension.
• Practice smooth, controlled pitch bends and slides to capture the theremin-like expression.

Recommended Gear

• Tanner Electronic Theremin(synth)
• Fender Tweed Champ(amp)
• RCA 77DX(mic)