I've come to the conclusion that a studio sound is only found in ... a studio

DrewPeterson7 said:
It took me a LONG time to either admit that I liked the White Stripes, or realize that I liked them (I'm not sure which), but I totally respect that guy. He writes with this crazy energy, and I'm convinced he's actually a really legitimately good blues guitarist, who tries his damndest to hide it because that's just not what he wants to do.
Click to expand...

My friend introduced me to them in about 2001, long before Seven Nation Army, and I thought it sounded quite cool and raw, but I didn't exactly head out and buy the CD's. Shortly thereafter, the same friend dragged me to a show in Detroit and I left that show a fan. If you ask me, Jack White is one of the last remaining rock stars in the classic sense... his on-stage presence is one-in-a-million; his energy and enthusiasm are extremely contagious. It's that elusive "rock star DNA" I guess.

I had the pleasure of bumping into the man personally at his old stomping grounds, a bar called the Magic Stick in Detroit. Interesting dude.

This doesn't surprise me given your love for Nirvana.
Click to expand...

I can infer what this is supposed to mean--the man's music is basic, sloppy, blah blah blah. And you're right--at least in reference to his work with the White Stripes. But in spite of all that, he's managed to hit millions of rock fans really hard somehow. Credit where it's due.

I swear on my life this is true, my 62 year-old mother personally owns every single Stripes album and can sing along with just about every song they've ever done.
 
mattdee1 said:
I can infer what this is supposed to mean--the man's music is basic, sloppy, blah blah blah. And you're right--at least in reference to his work with the White Stripes. But in spite of all that, he's managed to hit millions of rock fans really hard somehow. Credit where it's due.
Click to expand...

Oh absolutely. I give him credit for the success he's worked for and don't fault for him for that at all. My comment was merely a shot at Drew. I suppose I should be more careful when I’m the new guy on the block so I don’t have things taken out of context. :)
 
Yeah, Pete's a buddy of mine from a metal guitar board (www.metalguitarist.org, shameless plug), where Nirvana is widely derrided as the band that killed 80's metal. I, meanwhile, first picked up a guitar because of Kurt, so there's a fair amount of ball busting that goes on over there. ;)

Miroslav - that's kind of my point. I think you or I, working on pro-sumer gear in a space that wasn't designed for recording but has been acoustically treated to work pretty well, theoretically are capable of recording a great sounding, dare I say even pro sounding, album. We just need to log a LOT of hours to get to the point where we're good enough to do so, and your average home studio guy probably hasn't.
 
DrewPeterson7 said:
We just need to log a LOT of hours to get to the point where we're good enough to do so, and your average home studio guy probably hasn't.
Click to expand...

Without trying to sound snooty...for me, it really isn't about spending a lot of hours becoming "good enough". I mean, yeah, when you first start out with your own studio, there is a learning curve, and we all continue to learn even as we get good.
But at some point you do get past that. You don't need to relearn HOW to record, every time you record.

For me, the huge time spent on recording these days has more to do with the fact that except for drums, (and some female bvox on the album I’m wrapping up)...I do everything else by myself...guitars, keys, vocals, mixing, editing, mastering...etc.
And THAT is time consuming.
If I was tracking a decent band doing the same tunes I just did, I'm sure I would have been able to bang out the album in no time.
Even though I know what I want to record, it's not as simple to rehearse all the parts by myself, without the interaction of the other parts/band members. So each instrument/part requires time to work out, to "test" and see how it's actually fitting against other instruments.
Sometimes you think a particular bass line will really work well...only to find out it's not gellin' with some other instrument once you have them both tracked.
Then the editing...then the mixing...then the mastering...

And all that I do mostly on weekends/holidays, since during the week there's just not enough time to get into a "groove" in the short evening hours. During the week sometimes I may just do more robotic crap like editing. And really, the editing/pre-mixing is where I spend most of my time, not because the tracks are badly recorded...but because I find that editing with a DAW you CAN "lift" your recordings the extra 10%-15%, and squeezing out those last 20% percent of any recording is always the hardest.
A room full of session musicians in a top studio with a top engineer and producer can probably can get you that 10%-15% percent during tracking...
...but like I said, I'm recording by myself, as I’m sure many of the guy here are.

How's that saying go...the first 80% is inspiration and the last 20% is perspiration! :D
 
miroslav said:
Yeah...but today's metal is WORSE than 80's metal IMO.
At least 80's metal still had some strong Rock roots...most of the metal you hear today is just a lot of loud noise/mush.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you're listening to, exactly, but I think there's some pretty spectacularly excellent metal being recorded today. Again, I don't know what you normally go for, but if at least SOMETHING on Opeth's "Ghost Reveries," Nevermore's "Enemies of Reality," or Soilwork's "Stabbing the Drama" doesn't inspire you, well...
 
I'll take some early Judas Priest over that stuff any day! :cool:

I just can't take the gutteral vocals and/or music that has:
NODYNAMICSANDITJUSTCOMESATYOUFULLTILTWITHOUTEVERPAUSINGFORABREATHOFAIR

Every song is like a train wreck..........................................that goes on for several minutes. :D
 
Pete2112 said:
For killing 80's metal? ;)
Click to expand...

I dont think they killed 80s metal as much as Hair bands had run thier course...especially since the "Damn Yankees" hit arround then...everything adapts or goes out of fashion eventually.
Besides those 80s hair bands are still selling out the arenas...even Poison sold out here this summer.
 
miroslav said:
Every song is like a train wreck..........................................that goes on for several minutes. :D
Click to expand...

Then you should listen to The Locust. It's a trainwreck that goes on for less than a minute :D

Although... hmmm, come to think of it, their stuff DOES have dynamics... Meh.
 
Last edited:
mattdee1 said:
I swear on my life this is true, my 62 year-old mother personally owns every single Stripes album and can sing along with just about every song they've ever done.
Click to expand...
Matt, I know she's your mom, so you think of her as ancient, that's natural. But when you consider that she's *younger* than Carly Simon, John Mellencamp, Roger Glover, Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Grace Slick, Richie Blackmore, Peter Criss, every one of the Rolling Stones, and a bazillion other rockers, why wouldn't she like rock? ;)

G.
 
noisewreck said:
Oh gosh, who ARE all these people you guys are talking about? About 90% of those names are unfamiliar to me :D
Click to expand...
Who can blame you? You're 100 years old; you're lucky to remember your own name when you get up in the morning.

Hell, at 100 years old, you're lucky to get up in the morning, or any other time of day, at all! ;) :D

G.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
Matt, I know she's your mom, so you think of her as ancient, that's natural. But when you consider that she's *younger* than Carly Simon, John Mellencamp, Roger Glover, Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Grace Slick, Richie Blackmore, Peter Criss, every one of the Rolling Stones, and a bazillion other rockers, why wouldn't she like rock? ;)

G.
Click to expand...

Great list right there. I love those bolded guys (and girl)!
 
miroslav said:
I'll take some early Judas Priest over that stuff any day! :cool:

I just can't take the gutteral vocals and/or music that has:
NODYNAMICSANDITJUSTCOMESATYOUFULLTILTWITHOUTEVERPAUSINGFORABREATHOFAIR

Every song is like a train wreck..........................................that goes on for several minutes. :D
Click to expand...

Maybe the second two I'll grant you, but Opeth are pretty damned dynamic.

For kicks, do me this one favor - go out and buy Opeth's "Damnation." If you're even passingly familar with their sound, it'll blow your mind - it's the best album Pink Floyd never released, with nary a growl or distorted guitar to be heard. Seriously - if you don't like it, mail it to me and I'll pay for the purchase + postage and just give it to someone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top