Has Richard Chycki been a good asset for DT?

[mikeyd23]

I would love to hear a DT album mixed by whomever mixes Neal Morse's albums....if it's Neal or whoever. I think all his albums sound very good and don't highlight one particular instrument yet they don't overlook any either...none are lost to the listener and everything compliments each other.

Rich Mouser has great sounding mixes. Would love for The Mouse to mix some DT stuff.
Jens Borgren did the latest Symphony X (Iconoclast and Paradise Lost), he has mixed some Opeth, he did the last two JLB albums which sound amazing, and he also did Haken's The Mountain which sounds very good as well.

Would love either of those two to mix a DT album.

+1 for Jens. The new Symphony X in particular sounds great to my ears.

Underworld is, unfortunately, the most dynamically compressed album from Symphony X to date

That may be true (I'm actually not terribly familiar with their catalog) but it certainly passed the ear test to me, especially in comparison to some recent DT + Chycki work.

[Madman Shepherd]

Chycki actually recorded the vocals for ADTOE in the Toronto area.  James told JP that since they are trying things a new way, he didn't want to record his vocals in NY and he didn't want to be messed with.  JP gave the ok and Jame went ahead.  I think maybe 5 or 6 tracks were recorded without JP but then he wanted to be present for the remaining tracks so he flew up to Canada so it was just him, James, and Richard in the studio. 

That began the relationship with Chycki  and DT(other than James was in Winter Rose with him)

[TheGreatPretender]

They're happy, I'm happy.

[Onno]

No, until I hear DT13. BTFW was a step in the right direction though.

Basically this. The mix on LALP was very mediocre at best, but did he actually mix that? For some reason I thought some of the guys from Over The Edge also mixed the DVD. Whatever. The Holiday Release was pretty good, but DT12 was, in my opinion, a perfect example of the loudness war's worst victims; you can hear all the instruments, but that's basically it. Even the HDTracks sound very bad IMO. BTFW was pretty decent, so I'm hoping DT13 will be better.

[OsMosis2259]

I'm still a bit mixed based on what we've got so far. DT12 was one of DT's lesser sounding albums even on HDTracks, LALP was ok, but the Christmas release was solid, and BTFW sounded really good. And DT have said they were aware of the feedback from DT12 and wanted a different sound this time.
So I guess I'll let DT13 be the decider!

ADTOE was mixed by Andy Wallace. And I don't think Chycki mastered it either. What do you mean by lesser sounding albums as far as ADTOE? My gripe on this album are two things, mainly sonic issues:
-The drums sound very buried. Didn't MM record this on his home studio?
-JP's guitar sounds like there was a bedsheet over the amps...the songs kick ass live but the guitar in the studio versions sounds thin and whimpy

I didn't mention ADTOE since Chycki wasn't involved, but I'd consider that DT's worst sounding album sonically since WDADU, basically for the same reasons as you. The drums sound raw and have no punch, the guitars are overwhelming and muddy, and the whole mix is just generally off.

I'm still wondering what happened on that one. I hope this is DT's Vapor Trails and will get a retreatment sometime in the future (although I doubt it will happen since I haven't seen the backlash on the sound on this one outside the main DT forums). But reading Wallace's mixing credits, I still have to wonder, what happened? Why was this botched?

On DT12, I understand the snare experiment and DT has come forward and recognize they won't be doing again..But on ADTOE? I don't I recall reading or seeing anyone from DT coming out forward and addressing the sonic issues on ADTOE.

Is there a source online regarding DT commenting on the snare experiment? I'm really curious to see it.

[Stadler]

Chycki actually recorded the vocals for ADTOE in the Toronto area.  James told JP that since they are trying things a new way, he didn't want to record his vocals in NY and he didn't want to be messed with.  JP gave the ok and Jame went ahead.  I think maybe 5 or 6 tracks were recorded without JP but then he wanted to be present for the remaining tracks so he flew up to Canada so it was just him, James, and Richard in the studio. 

That began the relationship with Chycki  and DT(other than James was in Winter Rose with him)

I hadn't heard that story before, but that is very telling if you ask me.   While I can only go by the various interviews, it seemed that one of JLB's big beefs with MP was that he would tell JLB what/how to sing the various parts.    So this basically says that JP gave JLB the opportunity to do it his way, and it sounds like JP promptly took it back (and in my opinion, with good reason, though I can't really be too unequivocal about that without knowing what songs were in what bunch). 

[Madman Shepherd]

Yeah, as far as I know they never said what songs JP decided to take control of.  They might have mentioned one or to but I can't remember.  But if JLB and Chycki did over half the album by themselves without being change, I guess something went right.  Also, perhaps this gave JP a signal to back off while recording vocals and choose wisely where he should interject. 

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

No, until I hear DT13. BTFW was a step in the right direction though.

Basically this. The mix on LALP was very mediocre at best, but did he actually mix that? For some reason I thought some of the guys from Over The Edge also mixed the DVD. Whatever. The Holiday Release was pretty good, but DT12 was, in my opinion, a perfect example of the loudness war's worst victims; you can hear all the instruments, but that's basically it. Even the HDTracks sound very bad IMO. BTFW was pretty decent, so I'm hoping DT13 will be better.

Yeah, he mixed LALP. There are some songs that sound fine like Surrounded but the acoustic set is cringe-worthy. Such a shame considering the performance of those two songs was superb. JLB is compressed to infinity and such compression makes some weird microphone nuances come to the surface. Also, the string quartet couldn't have played and the recordings would have sounded the same. They're so low I even tend to forget they invited some guys to play strings during those songs.

[Onno]

Absolutely. I bought the CD/DVD set back then but I sold it about a year ago. The CDs just sound horribly and the DVDs aren't much better. I agree with you that some songs sound ok, but overall I didn't like it at all.

[Stadler]

Yeah, as far as I know they never said what songs JP decided to take control of.  They might have mentioned one or to but I can't remember.  But if JLB and Chycki did over half the album by themselves without being change, I guess something went right.  Also, perhaps this gave JP a signal to back off while recording vocals and choose wisely where he should interject.

Do we know that JP didn't go back and suggest changes to the ones before he got involved?   Personally, I've long said (since before MP left, even) that some people may not like the "oversight" but it makes them better.   I feel JLB is like that.

[Madman Shepherd]

Yeah, as far as I know they never said what songs JP decided to take control of.  They might have mentioned one or to but I can't remember.  But if JLB and Chycki did over half the album by themselves without being change, I guess something went right.  Also, perhaps this gave JP a signal to back off while recording vocals and choose wisely where he should interject.

Do we know that JP didn't go back and suggest changes to the ones before he got involved?   Personally, I've long said (since before MP left, even) that some people may not like the "oversight" but it makes them better.   I feel JLB is like that.

I believe they kept in touch and sent files back and forth and made suggestions from afar.  This was only about a week long process that he recorded vocals I think and then when JP heard some things he wanted more direction on he decided to fly up there.  The interview I read was short and didn't go into that much detail but that is what I gathered from it. 

Edit: Found a couple interviews


This is a very interesting interview from the time ADTOE came out.  He discusses the band dynamics and other intriguing stuff.  I remember this being talked about a lot on the forum when it was first published.  In this interview, James says JP only came up to Canada to oversee Build Me Up, Break Me Down.  I may have gotten that wrong about the 3 or 4 songs or whatever but I thought JP mentioned in an interview somewhere that he went up for more than just one. 

https://www.prog-sphere.com/interviews/resurfacing-an-interview-with-james-labrie/

Edit again:  This one JP says they did the first two tracks in NY and then James suggested going to Canada and then John flew up there for a few tracks.  Slightly different information but nothing too contradictory other than simple memory lapses

https://www.musicplayers.com/features/guitars/2011/1011_JohnPetrucci.php

[Cyclopssss]

Absolutely. I bought the CD/DVD set back then but I sold it about a year ago. The CDs just sound horribly and the DVDs aren't much better. I agree with you that some songs sound ok, but overall I didn't like it at all.

Absolutely. Went all out and bought the 'Deluxe' version. Boy, what a dissapointment. For the life of me, can't imagine what all the delay of release was about. It sounds like crap to me.

[Grizz]

BTFW has the unfortunate distinction of having the WORST compression I've ever heard. Like, some drum hits make the music drop out. It's distracting. I also wish we could hear the orchestra but am aware of probable issues with the orchestral recording. Also, the canned audience noise drives me up a wall.
But if it was a studio album the latter two wouldn't exist and I think that aside from the compression it sounds good.

[Lucien]

BTFW has the unfortunate distinction of having the WORST compression I've ever heard. Like, some drum hits make the music drop out. It's distracting. I also wish we could hear the orchestra but am aware of probable issues with the orchestral recording. Also, the canned audience noise drives me up a wall.
But if it was a studio album the latter two wouldn't exist and I think that aside from the compression it sounds good.

I assume you mean LALP instead

[Rickharris1011]

I'm still a bit mixed based on what we've got so far. DT12 was one of DT's lesser sounding albums even on HDTracks, LALP was ok, but the Christmas release was solid, and BTFW sounded really good. And DT have said they were aware of the feedback from DT12 and wanted a different sound this time.
So I guess I'll let DT13 be the decider!

ADTOE was mixed by Andy Wallace. And I don't think Chycki mastered it either. What do you mean by lesser sounding albums as far as ADTOE? My gripe on this album are two things, mainly sonic issues:
-The drums sound very buried. Didn't MM record this on his home studio?
-JP's guitar sounds like there was a bedsheet over the amps...the songs kick ass live but the guitar in the studio versions sounds thin and whimpy

I didn't mention ADTOE since Chycki wasn't involved, but I'd consider that DT's worst sounding album sonically since WDADU, basically for the same reasons as you. The drums sound raw and have no punch, the guitars are overwhelming and muddy, and the whole mix is just generally off.

I'm still wondering what happened on that one. I hope this is DT's Vapor Trails and will get a retreatment sometime in the future (although I doubt it will happen since I haven't seen the backlash on the sound on this one outside the main DT forums). But reading Wallace's mixing credits, I still have to wonder, what happened? Why was this botched?

On DT12, I understand the snare experiment and DT has come forward and recognize they won't be doing again..But on ADTOE? I don't I recall reading or seeing anyone from DT coming out forward and addressing the sonic issues on ADTOE.

There was an interview with MM where he talked about the ADTOE drum sound.  It was primarily a tracking issue (not a mixing issue) - they had big issues with mic bleed so it made it very difficult to get in the mix without loosing oomph
somewhere.

 

[Grizz]

BTFW has the unfortunate distinction of having the WORST compression I've ever heard. Like, some drum hits make the music drop out. It's distracting. I also wish we could hear the orchestra but am aware of probable issues with the orchestral recording. Also, the canned audience noise drives me up a wall.
But if it was a studio album the latter two wouldn't exist and I think that aside from the compression it sounds good.

I assume you mean LALP instead

No, I don't even listen to LALP for my own sanity