Dream Theater entered the studio in February v. No News is Good News

[sneakyblueberry]

Following on from the discussion about JPs guitar tone, I'm sure he has said in a a few interviews now that when it comes to recording (particularly rhythm tracks) that he plugs straight in to his amp.

And for the guy who said "remember when you could just plug a gibson or a strat into a marshall and get a great tone?" - yup I do. Marshall is one thing, but give me a Musicman over a strat or Gibson any day. Gibsons are horrendously over priced average guitars.

Poor Hetfield, he never realized he had such an awful rhythm tone back in the 80s . . . 

It was pretty terrible for all intents and purposes, especially on AJFA.  eww.

[Setlist Scotty]

Who knows what MP has in that vault of his!

Probably everything, and then some! I wouldn't be surprised if he has every single take of every instrument from all of the DT albums he was involved with, never mind all the jams and other things he recorded during the writing sessions that served as a basis for many songs and lots of parts that were left on the cutting room floor. I'd love to spend a year just going thru and cataloging everything in his vault.

Well, why don't you?  You're friends, right?  Give him a call and tell him you'll be over in a week.  If everyone on this forum chipped in a dollar, we could donate in upwards of 100 dollars to supply you with gas or food (take your pick, you don't get both) and you could give us a full report. 

Everybody in?

Oh trust me, I've tried! He knows how much I'd love to see his vault and the times I've been in his neck of the woods, I've made subtle hints at stopping by for a visit. But it's never come to fruition. Even just to back up his DAT collection (and all his other recordings on cassette) since some of those tapes are 20+ years old now, and who knows how long they'll last? But he's been resistant since he was always busy with other projects, and once he left DT, that stuff took even more of a back seat.

[TAC]

I wonder how bittersweet that collection ends up being to him. 

[rumborak]

It must be weird for him, yeah. Especially because it's an "unfinished" collection. Of any other band he would just go to the record store or eBay to conclude his collection to the level he desires, but now he sits on this pile of documents that meticulously chronicles one part of the band, but abruptly misses everything from there on. From a collector's point of view it's the worst scenario.

[Calvin6s]

Oh trust me, I've tried! He knows how much I'd love to see his vault and the times I've been in his neck of the woods, I've made subtle hints at stopping by for a visit. But it's never come to fruition. Even just to back up his DAT collection (and all his other recordings on cassette) since some of those tapes are 20+ years old now, and who knows how long they'll last? But he's been resistant since he was always busy with other projects, and once he left DT, that stuff took even more of a back seat.

You are missing the other possibilities.

1.  90% of the tapes are blank.  And this has become like the Fort Knox conspiracy.  The gold isn't in there.
2.  All those are actually his porn collection.  He knows the wife hates watching bootlegs, so she will never find it .. hiding in plain sight.

[Prog Snob]

He will be back.

[TAC]

It must be weird for him, yeah. Especially because it's an "unfinished" collection. Of any other band he would just go to the record store or eBay to conclude his collection to the level he desires, but now he sits on this pile of documents that meticulously chronicles one part of the band, but abruptly misses everything from there on. From a collector's point of view it's the worst scenario.

I don't think this incompleteness would be an issue. I'm sure he has NO interest in competing it now. But I'm sure it must take away from his experience if he ever listens to them.

[Kotowboy]

^ that is a little too generalising. While I agree with you somewhat (I don't like Gibson guitars a lot either), it's not that all their guitars are bad. The quality differences between the same models are way too high. There are Gibsons that work beautifully and the next guitar from the same model can be a total clunker. On a guitar-to-guitar basis, at least in my experience, Gibson's quality is not very consistent.

I  my Gibsons. I've a 2011 Les Paul and a 2014 SG. Both are awesome to play and sound / feel great.

However - some of the more lower priced models can be a bit ropey.

The upper priced guitars are just stunning though - like the Les Paul Supremes. SO beautiful. I very nearly bought one once.


Not only that but I used to own a £500 Epiphone Custom and after a pro set-up and The James Hetfield signature pickups in - that thing gave my Gibson a run for

it's money.

[bosk1]

Interesting to hear you say that.  I haven't played a Gibson in years, but I had actually heard the opposite:  That for the past 10 or 15 years or so, the higher-end Gibsons were really inconsistent.  You might get a great one; you might get a so-so one.  But the Epiphones and lower-end Gibsons were more consistent. 

[sneakyblueberry]

^ I've definitely heard that.  The folk over at TalkBass are always saying that.  I bought an Epiphone Thunderbird bass and A/B it against a Gibson in the shop and the only difference was about $2000.

[puppyonacid]

Yup pretty much where I was coming from as well.

Did Noel Gallagher play Epiphones? From what I remember they were streets ahead of guitars around the same price range. I read an article I got through an email from Reverb.com about the new range of high end gibbos coming out and the comments...well there seems to be a lot of folk prepared to walk away from Gibson.

To be honest though, I have no beef with what people like and don't like. Gibson, Strats, Marshall, Musicman....all can be top quality and great if that's what you're into. What I took exception to was the Grandadian "In my day we just took a  Gibson and plugged it straight  in" crap. That kind of comment is so full of patronising bs. So if its not a strat or gibbo plugged into a Marshall, its not legit? Sorry but that's horse crap.

[Dream Team]

Yup pretty much where I was coming from as well.

Did Noel Gallagher play Epiphones? From what I remember they were streets ahead of guitars around the same price range. I read an article I got through an email from Reverb.com about the new range of high end gibbos coming out and the comments...well there seems to be a lot of folk prepared to walk away from Gibson.

To be honest though, I have no beef with what people like and don't like. Gibson, Strats, Marshall, Musicman....all can be top quality and great if that's what you're into. What I took exception to was the Grandadian "In my day we just took a  Gibson and plugged it straight  in" crap. That kind of comment is so full of patronising bs. So if its not a strat or gibbo plugged into a Marshall, its not legit? Sorry but that's horse crap.

I didn't say it wasn't legit, I said JP was mucking around too much. Way to totally miss my point. 

[bosk1]

Maybe he missed your point because it wasn't clear.

[sneakyblueberry]

Did Noel Gallagher play Epiphones?

Yep, because ALL 3 of the MUTHAFUCKIN BEATLES guitarists used them. 

[hefdaddy42]

Gallagher was an awesome comedian.  Watermelons everywhere.

Don't sit in the front row.

[Kotowboy]

Did Noel Gallagher play Epiphones?

Yep, because ALL 3 of the MUTHAFUCKIN BEATLES guitarists used them. 

He doesn't use Epiphones anymore. He probably did on the first three oasis albums since they're cheaper than Gibsons.

[sneakyblueberry]

Did Noel Gallagher play Epiphones?

Yep, because ALL 3 of the MUTHAFUCKIN BEATLES guitarists used them. 

He doesn't use Epiphones anymore. He probably did on the first three oasis albums since they're cheaper than Gibsons.

He used them on the Oasis albums because if they rode the Beatles' D any harder they'd be genital warts. 

There's a reason John, George and Paul all preferred the Epiphone Casino over any Gibson model guitars, and I doubt the reason is the financial aspect. 

[LastShoot]

From MM's Facebook:

The Coated REMO P77 snare head sounds like a gun shot when pitched medium tight and whacked ! Some new, thicker heads do this too. It depends on some drum and room attributes of course.

[Prog Snob]

Gallagher was an awesome comedian.  Watermelons everywhere.

Don't sit in the front row.

Apparently that went over everyone's head.  I think we need an older crowd here.  Between the batmobile joke and Gallagher, I think we're coming off as old fuckers.

[Zook]

Gallagher was an awesome comedian.  Watermelons everywhere.

Don't sit in the front row.

Apparently that went over everyone's head.  I think we need an older crowd here.  Between the batmobile joke and Gallagher, I think we're coming off as old fuckers.

I got it just fine. I didn't think I had to acknowledge it.

[Prog Snob]

Gallagher was an awesome comedian.  Watermelons everywhere.

Don't sit in the front row.

Apparently that went over everyone's head.  I think we need an older crowd here.  Between the batmobile joke and Gallagher, I think we're coming off as old fuckers.

I got it just fine. I didn't think I had to acknowledge it.

I stand corrected.   

[Zook]

DID EVERYONE SEE MY JOKE?!?!?!!?


Hef didn't do that. I don't think he cared if anyone got it or not.

[Prog Snob]

DID EVERYONE SEE MY JOKE?!?!?!!?


Hef didn't do that. I don't think he cared if anyone got it or not.

You're really making more of this than it is.  Settle down. 

[Zook]

Don't you know who I am? I've been starting pointless arguments with the members of this forum for 9 years now.

[bl5150]

Don't you know who I am? .

I hope you're feeling better now 

[Setlist Scotty]

Don't you know who I am?

Why yes, you're the one and only ZookDick!
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=22380.msg1763895#msg1763895

[Zook]

I'm the Zookernaut, bitch!

[Lucien]

From MM's Facebook:

The Coated REMO P77 snare head sounds like a gun shot when pitched medium tight and whacked ! Some new, thicker heads do this too. It depends on some drum and room attributes of course.

Well that's good to hear!

[Onno]

From MM's Facebook:

The Coated REMO P77 snare head sounds like a gun shot when pitched medium tight and whacked ! Some new, thicker heads do this too. It depends on some drum and room attributes of course.

Sounds great!

[rumborak]

From MM's Facebook:

The Coated REMO P77 snare head sounds like a gun shot when pitched medium tight and whacked ! Some new, thicker heads do this too. It depends on some drum and room attributes of course.

Well that's good to hear!

Is it? I don't want to be overly pessimistic, but his DT12 snare sound could be described as "gun shot".

[hefdaddy42]

Gallagher was an awesome comedian.  Watermelons everywhere.

Don't sit in the front row.

Apparently that went over everyone's head.  I think we need an older crowd here.  Between the batmobile joke and Gallagher, I think we're coming off as old fuckers.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

From MM's Facebook:

The Coated REMO P77 snare head sounds like a gun shot when pitched medium tight and whacked ! Some new, thicker heads do this too. It depends on some drum and room attributes of course.

Well that's good to hear!

Is it? I don't want to be overly pessimistic, but his DT12 snare sound could be described as "gun shot".

The term could apply to almost any snare tone, good or bad. Spinning it in any real direction is really unfair. All we know is MM likes it. Heck, he didn't even say this was what he was using on the album.

[Thoughtspart3]

I really hope there is a different snare sound on the new album.  The DT12 sound was really distracting.  I noticed it right away before being biased by anyone else here.  I was thankful that I wasn't the only one who didn't like it.  Was there ever any problems with the snare sound on previous albums to the same degree?

[gmillerdrake]

I'd be perfectly fine with the drums to get the same mix/sound as they did in Behind the 4th Wall DVD. I thought MM sounded incredible in that DVD.

[erwinrafael]

This video would tell you what MM thinks is a good snare sound.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lI4BXrLJW1c