Author Topic: Mike Mangini through the years  (Read 25696 times)

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Offline erwinrafael

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Mike Mangini plays TEI on a reduced kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDTYWwqchhQ

 :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal

I think he might be my favourite drummer. Theres just so much energy there.

Does not play with any dynamics? Just full of technique and not musical? Not good in composing cymbal parts? Has no groove in playing? Plays like a robot, very lifeless?

ALL DISPROVEN IN THE VIDEO.

You know what? I've been very critical of MM's "robotic" playing as of late, BUT seeing this clip might reconcile me with the guy, especially his cymbal and double bass work (which I've laways found excellent by the way albeit sometimes too "metal").

B.Lee

It's really the production. Listen to the past songs he played in that I detailed in this thread. He never sounded robotic or lacking any dynamics before joining DT. Best examples are Egg Zooming, his work with Vai, Mullmuzzler II, and Elements of Persuasion. Hearing him in BTFW also showed that he is very dynamic. Something just get lost in the studio.

I already find some problems in TGOM. The cymbals are still too low in the mix for me.

Offline Bertielee

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Mike Mangini plays TEI on a reduced kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDTYWwqchhQ

 :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal

I think he might be my favourite drummer. Theres just so much energy there.

Does not play with any dynamics? Just full of technique and not musical? Not good in composing cymbal parts? Has no groove in playing? Plays like a robot, very lifeless?

ALL DISPROVEN IN THE VIDEO.

You know what? I've been very critical of MM's "robotic" playing as of late, BUT seeing this clip might reconcile me with the guy, especially his cymbal and double bass work (which I've laways found excellent by the way albeit sometimes too "metal").

B.Lee

It's really the production. Listen to the past songs he played in that I detailed in this thread. He never sounded robotic or lacking any dynamics before joining DT. Best examples are Egg Zooming, his work with Vai, Mullmuzzler II, and Elements of Persuasion. Hearing him in BTFW also showed that he is very dynamic. Something just get lost in the studio.

I already find some problems in TGOM. The cymbals are still too low in the mix for me.

Oh, I hope I didn't sound as if I just had discovered MM, because it isn't the case. In fact, I've known him since Extreme's Waiting for the Punchline. I've listened to a lot of his work , EoP being probably my favorite of his. Yet, I felt that he had lost something recently, that something which had made me very happy to hear he had joined DT, my all-time favorite band. Yes, I'm beginning to think it might be a production issue after all.

B.Lee
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Offline erwinrafael

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Oh, I hope I didn't sound as if I just had discovered MM, because it isn't the case. In fact, I've known him since Extreme's Waiting for the Punchline. I've listened to a lot of his work , EoP being probably my favorite of his. Yet, I felt that he had lost something recently, that something which had made me very happy to hear he had joined DT, my all-time favorite band. Yes, I'm beginning to think it might be a production issue after all.

B.Lee

These videos are what convinced me that the DT studio albums are not capturing Mangini's sound right. The drumming in these vids are so full of life that nobody could claim that his playing is robotic if they heard these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaFBe0QMuk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaFBe0QMuk

Offline Vandalism

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Oh, I hope I didn't sound as if I just had discovered MM, because it isn't the case. In fact, I've known him since Extreme's Waiting for the Punchline. I've listened to a lot of his work , EoP being probably my favorite of his. Yet, I felt that he had lost something recently, that something which had made me very happy to hear he had joined DT, my all-time favorite band. Yes, I'm beginning to think it might be a production issue after all.

B.Lee

These videos are what convinced me that the DT studio albums are not capturing Mangini's sound right. The drumming in these vids are so full of life that nobody could claim that his playing is robotic if they heard these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaFBe0QMuk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaFBe0QMuk

I thought there were two of those! The first one left me wanting!
\\m// Death is the first Dancing Turtle \\m//

Offline erwinrafael

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Oh, I hope I didn't sound as if I just had discovered MM, because it isn't the case. In fact, I've known him since Extreme's Waiting for the Punchline. I've listened to a lot of his work , EoP being probably my favorite of his. Yet, I felt that he had lost something recently, that something which had made me very happy to hear he had joined DT, my all-time favorite band. Yes, I'm beginning to think it might be a production issue after all.

B.Lee

These videos are what convinced me that the DT studio albums are not capturing Mangini's sound right. The drumming in these vids are so full of life that nobody could claim that his playing is robotic if they heard these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaFBe0QMuk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaFBe0QMuk

I thought there were two of those! The first one left me wanting!

Yep, the drumming in LNF actually had a lot of danceable beats which got highlighted in the vid. :D

Offline Mladen

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Great video of The Enemy inside.

I checked out his FaceBook page and was stunned to see him inviting people to comment on his videos as they wish. That shows some confidence right there.

Offline rumborak

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Like many others, I'm struggling to be drawn in by MM's drumming.  I've been trying to pin it down on something (other than the recordings), and I think I have an idea now of at least one aspect: his use of the snare.
Disregarding fills and transitions, the snare almost serves the purpose of a metronome for him, against which he then does fancy stuff on the hihat, ride, whatever. I now listened to TEI and LNF specifically for this so far, and there's precious few instances where the snare doesn't just hit the 1 and the 3 (with the exception of an occasional double time where he hits all four).
My theory is, because the snare is essentially the most prominent drum, I perceive his drumming as simple (beat-wise) with a lot of frills on the side. Combine that with his use of the bass drum (which almost exclusively mirrors JP and JM), I think that might do the trick.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2016, 05:05:28 PM by rumborak »
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Offline erwinrafael

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Re: Mike Mangini through the years
« Reply #182 on: April 07, 2016, 02:59:52 AM »
Just revived this thread because Mike posted an interesting post on Facebook regarding a scientific explanation on why he sometimes seemed robotic.  :lol

"This is a "Foot Practice and interesting bits and goals" post that won't work on Twitter, but will on Facebook wink emoticon ...
Today I practiced with two differently set kick pedals near each other. One with springs cranked to work the hamstring area and one with a light touch to increase my stamina and speed approach. Using a felt beater side with DT, I need to crank into the kick drums to get a "snap." We don't use "fast" kick patterns (relative to the truly fast speed metal players,) so I need to suffer in off time to try to make gains in that area. I don't have the live adrenaline, so I'm trying to simulate the need to lay into the strokes.

I do NOT look like I hit as hard as I do live with hands or feet, especially on video- I look like I'm not whacking the drums. I watch me and feel very strange because what I see is NOT what I feel like, nor sound like. People in the first rows can hear my live drums even with the PA, but I look like Neil from Rush often- precise; focussed on almost a robotics approach on strong hits etc. Meaning, I think about my trunk turns, upstrokes and accuracy like my life depends on it trying to repeat similar parts nightly. I'm not a loosy goosy rubbery looking drummer. I don't think he is either, but he hits really, really hard; harder than I thought until I saw him years ago and the toms were moving! Not that I'm the same....not my point; he just an example of the truth of hitting versus the look of a drummer that raises their arms very high. Those hits are not as hard as they appear more often than not science can show.

There's a scientific explanation for this. My hand hitting was measured in Japan by their version of MIT against 600 other drummers. Having multiple electrodes hooked up with sensors on pads, my hits at 18 beats per second registered as harder hit than all the others they measured, even at as little as 4 hits per second. High arm lifting does not require the lat area, which really adds velocity. My measured hitting is due to my using my lat muscle usage in conjunction with the entire upper body right down to my thumb pressure and... 40 years of practicing the upstroke. At 20 & 21 per second, my velocity dropped of course. My feet are not that 'good.' I'm hoping to gain a bit of strength and speed as separate techniques and have some goals during what looks to be a very, very long Astonishing touring cycle. It amazing how two weeks of laziness ruin months of practice isn't it?"

So he really hits harder without much visible physical exertion. I remember that he also explained scientifically why he became an open-handed drummer (his body physique made cross-handed drumming difficult for him).