When Sinead O’Connor’s cover of Prince’s Nothing Compares 2U hit the airwaves in early 1990, it quickly became a worldwide hit. Two things stood out in the recording: the extraordinary vocal performance by Sinead, and the liberal use of reverb on her voice. The SSL console at Westside Studios in London was used to capture Sinead’s vocal performance.
Interestingly, the lead vocal for Nothing Compares 2U was double-tracked not through electronic means, but by singing it twice. Sinead delivered an incredibly emotional performance in two perfect takes. The result was a raw and powerful sound that resonated with audiences all over the world.
But it was the use of reverb that really made Sinead’s vocals stand out. Despite the success of the song, it was surprising to learn that the reverb used on the recording was not an AMS RMX 16 or a Lexicon 480L, two of the most popular reverb units at the time. Instead, Sinead sang through a Lexicon PCM 70, which she claimed inspired her during her performances.
The decision to leave the PCM 70 on the final mix of Nothing Compares 2U proved to be a wise one, as the reverb added a sense of depth and space to Sinead’s vocals that perfectly complemented the song’s emotional content. It’s a testament to the power of a great vocal performance and how the right equipment can make all the difference in the final product.
