String muting in the studio

[chamelious]

Fair enough. Personally there is nothing i hate more than classic rock.

 

[miroslav]

Well, back in the day it wasn't "classic Rock"...it was just Rock.

But yeah, these days I'm not still into classic Rock like some of the old-fart diehards!
Sure, I grew up with that stuff and enjoy hearing my favorite albums occasionally, but I don't have a classic Rock shrine in my rec-room or anything like that, and my CD collection is anything BUT classic Rock.

There's all kinds of great music out there...

 

[DrewPeterson7]

I suppose you'll find it validating, then, when I tell you that the bulk of the guitar on that album was cut with a stock American Strat, S-S-S.

From the liner notes:

Incidently (and I got into Devin WAY after I bought it), that's the exact same Strat I own, though I've swapped the stock singlecoils for Gold Lace Sensors.

...I just find it rather amusing that Metal has reduced itself to a very calculated *process*, which you refer to as "mandatory perfection".
Guys punching in single notes for their leads, drummers tracking fills one at a time and using triggers of "perfect" samples instead of their drums...etc...etc...etc.

To be fair, a lot of us find that process repugnant too. I never even cared for Lars' drumming on the older Metallica albums based on stylistic reasons, but at least he could play the parts without punching in. Now, he's just sloppy - I haven't bothered to catch them on tour but I hear the last couple he can't perform most of the double kick stuff from the older records any more.

Still, there are guys out there playing fast, technical music without the need to punch in every note - Gene Hoglan's drumming on the last Strapping Young Lad album was all live, and while I can't claim to have spoken with anyone who tracked him or anything, Jeff Loomis really IS that good, and I suspect very little punching in is done on Nevermore albums. So there's hope, even if a lot of people are relying on modern technology to cover up their sloppiness.

 

[Farview]

Still, there are guys out there playing fast, technical music without the need to punch in every note - Gene Hoglan's drumming on the last Strapping Young Lad album was all live, and while I can't claim to have spoken with anyone who tracked him or anything, Jeff Loomis really IS that good, and I suspect very little punching in is done on Nevermore albums. So there's hope, even if a lot of people are relying on modern technology to cover up their sloppiness.

I've recorded Jason Bittner and there was no punching in.

As far as recording in sections goes, a lot of times it's not because of sloppyness. It's because the producer keeps coming up with different ideas for parts, so they punch them in instead of throwing out the rest of the performance that was perfectly fine.

It's a much different world when you are working with a producer that has the power to change your parts on a whim. A lot of times he will come up with an idea, you punch it in, and he then decides his idea wasn't working and wants the original idea back.

It's not about practicing the part that you wrote to the point where you can play it, it's about performing what you are told to, when you are told to.

 

[rayc]

"relatively perfect"
That brings up a whole bundle of issues!
The only modern "metal" band I can get into is TOOL (not very eh!), & it's because of the generic nature of the guitars in combination with the bass drum overkill/tin foil tone and solo shredding.
I like hard n heavy, doom, minor key, guitar strangulation music but the reliance on the above leaves me cold.
Oh, I palm mute but also use a bit of foam when I've planned in advance.