What's the worst professional mainstream mix you've heard

[something cool]

Thought of another one. Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, while being a flippin' amazing album, is one of the DARKEST mixes I've ever heard. Not sure if it was intended to be that way but it sure sticks out (or rather, *doesn't* stick out) when I listen to it next to other CDs.

 

[Reggie]

Yeah, we got that one on the last page.

 

[Farview]

Anything Dr Dre produces is pure sonic quality at it's best.
He's rap's most talented producer.

So FUCK what your talkin about, the fuck you know anyways, you've got hearing loss, and only record bullshit indie bands with names like Zipper Fly and Random **** Hair.

Fuck you.

It's all right. These are opinions, did you work on his albums? If not, you should try decaf.

 

[Kasey]

overproduced crap

To me, something under-produced is more enjoyable than something over-produced. I'm a big fan of groups like The Microphones, Mirah, Xiu Xiu, Iron & Wine... etc. etc... All groups that make really awesome stuff using equipment that is on par with my own home studio. Theyre not all worried about using the latest and greatest, isolating every microphone, trying to get everything "balanced"... balanced... why should art have to be symmetrical? Sam Beam of Iron & Wine records on an analog four track, and his sound is just perfect, tape hiss and everything. it all adds in, and works perfectly for his voice and his music. I'll agree that bands that try to get an overproduced sound and fail end up with an absolutely terrible sound 99% of the time.

what was the question again?

 

[adclark]

The worst mixed and mastered CD is Vapor Trails by Rush. They should re-release this and call is "How NOT to Use Compression"

 

[Mo-Kay]

Dr Dre makes great mixes, has great engineers, too.The latest Eminem albums might have sound a little plastic....but stuff like The Marshall Mathers LP sounds excellent IMO.



Ok back on topic:

Common - Be

not fot mixing, but for mastering...classic album, but the sonic quality is way below par.

 

[something cool]

Yeah, we got that one on the last page.

Damn! Guess I should read the whole thread.
But really, it's so dark I think it needs to be mentioned twice.
And really, it's not just "Jellybelly," it's the whole (double) CD.

 

[timboZ]

Anyone else think Neil Youngs Road Rock Vol. 1 sounds like mud and noise.

I just listened to it in a car with an ok system and it sounded so bad.

 

[Reggie]

Damn! Guess I should read the whole thread.
But really, it's so dark I think it needs to be mentioned twice.
And really, it's not just "Jellybelly," it's the whole (double) CD.

Yeah, I kind of alluded to that; but it weirds me out that I thought it was the greatest sound ever when it came out. I wasn't into recording on any serious level then, so my ears are alot more keen than they were back then. But it goes to show, good songs can make recording quality a lot less important.

 

[something cool]

Yeah, I kind of alluded to that; but it weirds me out that I thought it was the greatest sound ever when it came out. I wasn't into recording on any serious level then, so my ears are alot more keen than they were back then. But it goes to show, good songs can make recording quality a lot less important.

Amen

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[MichaelM]

I'd pick on more punk music, but anything worth listening to has iffy production because it was made prior to 1990. The modern day "punk" sonically can sound good... but what's the point of that??? Plus, vapid pop-punk is for the pre-teen crowd and where's the fun in listening to that?

Punk's about the attitude and emotion, not the crusty sound. The reason, say Bad Religion's 'how could hell be any worse' doesn't sound that well produced isn't because the genre demanded it sound that way, but the budget and musicianship of the band at that time. 8 years later and Suffer is much better sounding, and is possibly one of the most influential punk albums. The main thing I don't like about today's punk music is how damn loud the last three Pennywise albums have been mastered. I love the sound of Strung Out's exile in oblivion though.

I agree with you on pop punk though dude!

 

[travelin travis]

Ryan Adams -Rock n Roll.
The guitar sound makes me want to cover my ears.

amen brother! i love "heart breaker" though, everything about it. the guitars on "rock n roll" just sound so damn lifeless and shallow to me, same with the production in general. digital?

.........metallica "and justice for all", pantera "vulgar display of power", korn "korn", were some of the best 90's metal albums made, even if they don't make sense production wise. they just have the magic.

........clapton, i like his music but hate the sound of all his albums up until the unplugged thing.

chili peppers, as much as i love em, really love em, "blood sugar sex majic" and "mother's milk" are the only fine sounding productions to my ears. it made me sick hearing "pretty little ditty" in a commercial rap song.

any opinions on the flaming lips, production wise?

edit: my bad, "and justice for all" was 1988.

 

[travelin travis]

Anything Dr Dre produces is pure sonic quality at it's best.
He's rap's most talented producer.

So FUCK what your talkin about, the fuck you know anyways, you've got hearing loss, and only record bullshit indie bands with names like Zipper Fly and Random **** Hair.

Fuck you.

some of the best music ever recorded came from indie bands. what are ya? a sheep? mahhhhhhhhhh

 

[travelin travis]

The bass lines aren't muted lol.
Sure they are VERY QUIET...but they are there.

I love "And Justice For All" but from what I can tell, there is no bass guitar in there. Name a song in which you can hear a single bass note! Maybe the ghost of Cliff Burton had something to do with it. Never thought of that one did ya?

 

[travelin travis]

I'm no big Metallica fan, but "St. Anger" really sucked. Did the drummer produce this? The drums are way-"pingy" and out front, at the expense of all the other instruments,... and that's just not right! Especially for a Metallica album. As I've read over the months, St. Anger is an almost universally hated album, and I'm not even the first person on this thread to pan it.

Ok,... there's another one,... Iggy Pop's "Open Up and Bleed", which pretty much describes what it does to your ears. I believe it's a live album, recorded at a club, but it sounds like one of the trashiest bootlegs you'd ever care to hear.

/DA

St. Anger is one of the biggest turds ever shat.

 

[travelin travis]

I definately agree that the lackluster sound of this album made it more interesting, I've always preferred it to their more polished stuff. A lot of people think I'm crazy when I say that, but some bands to me just sound better recorded raw, which would explain why I still listen to the Misfits.

I completely agree. "Pinkerton" is raw and beautiful. I hate hearing over produced music. Some of my favorite albums are probably considered to be crap, production wise. Am I the only one that thinks "Maladroit" is the shittiest Weezer album ever? Sounds pretty good, production wise though.

........seems to be a pattern here.........why the hell am I even worrying about recording quality anyway?

 

[travelin travis]

I know, I should shut the f*&k up. I'm just full of opinions tonight. All apologies.

 

[travelin travis]

....one more. what the hell happened with Eminem's "Encore"?

 

[F_cksia]

Dream Theater's drumsound on Images and Words!

 

[TheDewd]

Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff's self titled album. Great songs, many mixers, many engineers, but CRAPOLA sound. I guess it's Stephen Marcussen that made the crappy in the end. I never like him as a ME, I much prefer the guys at Sterling Sound.