JP has no JLB vocals in his live mix apparently

[The Silent Cody]

Do You remember bonus Live At Budokan videos? There is a scene where JR and JP are rehearsing Goodnight Kiss, and JP is saying clearly that he is creating the tempo in that one. So They can't have click in a mix in that case. Maybe in some songs, but IMO not in everyone.   

Live? I don't think so. I remember MP saying that when he first played live with AX7 that was the first time he played to a click live.

I didn't know that... I knew that They are using click with MM, but it's kind of impressive for me that They haven't been using click eith MP at all. It makes Them even more great musicians in my eyes...

[romdrums]

Richard Chycki came to my work for a meeting recently, and he said that James has a very powerful voice.  So much so that he doesn't risk using some of his vintage mics for James' vocals, because James sings with enough force that he can damage the diaphragms on those mics.  Based on that, I can believe that JP can hear James live without having any of his vocal in his in-ears.

[mikeyd23]

Richard Chycki came to my work for a meeting recently, and he said that James has a very powerful voice.  So much so that he doesn't risk using some of his vintage mics for James' vocals, because James sings with enough force that he can damage the diaphragms on those mics.  Based on that, I can believe that JP can hear James live without having any of his vocal in his in-ears.

That's legit.

[Mosh]

If I was JP I wouldn't want James in my mix either. Nothing personal and nothing to do with his voice , by when I'm on stage the last thing I pay attention to is the singer.

[The Silent Cody]

If I was JP I wouldn't want James in my mix either. Nothing personal and nothing to do with his voice , by when I'm on stage the last thing I pay attention to is the singer.

This. I have the same thing. Vocals are minority in my mix, It's kind of, depends also of music style You are playing I think. For me - death metal and other instrumental project which is not playing live because it's only "spreading through internet" project. Anyway, in death, vocals are not needed for me in my mix, I have guitars and drums only and some midi samples when we use them.

[Evai]

This kinda thing feels a bit isolating. There isn't really any chemistry between James and Petrucci on stage anymore, they seem to be in their own little worlds, with their own completely different mix of what's happening on stage

[rumborak]

If I was JP I wouldn't want James in my mix either. Nothing personal and nothing to do with his voice , by when I'm on stage the last thing I pay attention to is the singer.

You must be playing in very different bands than the ones I played in...
The singer is the focal point of the band. He/she interacts with the audience, it's the primary impetus for the character of the performance. I could not imagine being a guitar player not being aware of this key part of the performance.

[Adami]

Okay, a few things here.

First, James having a powerful voice has nothing to do with this unless he's right near Petrucci. At no point will Petrucci actually hear LaBrie to any meaningful degree on stage unless he's right next to him singing loudly. No matter how powerful his voice is.

Second, yea, hearing the voice is pretty necessary for almost all bands. I know when I played in many bands, I always needed the vocals to at least some degree to know where in the song I was, it can get pretty odd without it. Obviously DT treat vocals as an afterthought to the music and the guys are probably just as familiar with the instrumental versions of their songs as they are with vocals, but it also really does cause a disconnect. You're not hearing what the audience is hearing. You're in a different world.

[Cable]

Second, yea, hearing the voice is pretty necessary for almost all bands. I know when I played in many bands, I always needed the vocals to at least some degree to know where in the song I was, it can get pretty odd without it. Obviously DT treat vocals as an afterthought to the music and the guys are probably just as familiar with the instrumental versions of their songs as they are with vocals, but it also really does cause a disconnect. You're not hearing what the audience is hearing. You're in a different world.

Totally with you here, I use vocals as reference points often to know whats coming up.

[Evai]

I think consistency is the reason. Instrumental-wise, the band play exactly the same thing every night, but James tends to change things, change melodies and rhythms depending on how his voice feels (when was the last time he sang 'every breath leaves me one less to my last' as one continuous phrase, without the pause?) It's like if you're playing rhythm guitar and your lead guitarist starts shredding completely out of time, it could mess you up

[Adami]

I think consistency is the reason. Instrumental-wise, the band play exactly the same thing every night, but James tends to change things, change melodies and rhythms depending on how his voice feels (when was the last time he sang 'every breath leaves me one less to my last' as one continuous phrase, without the pause?) It's like if you're playing rhythm guitar and your lead guitarist starts shredding completely out of time, it could mess you up

Yea, but making some changes and totally screwing it up are different things. Slightly different melodies or phrasing shouldn't throw JP off so much that he loses it.

[Ben_Jamin]

Maybe that's also why he doesn't have him in the mix. So JLB can do as he wishes with the melodies and JP won't get distracted and off time. I'm sure he can hear him through his in ears at times though.

[ToT-147]

Why the assumptions though, when we have the actual reasons that JP just gave?..

[Pragmaticcircus]

I wouldn't want JLB's voice blazing through my projector either every night, I'd want to focus. It's different being a fan in the audience of course

[Evai]

Why the assumptions though, when we have the actual reasons that JP just gave?..

I don't trust a word that guy says 

[MirrorMask]

I think consistency is the reason. Instrumental-wise, the band play exactly the same thing every night, but James tends to change things, change melodies and rhythms depending on how his voice feels (when was the last time he sang 'every breath leaves me one less to my last' as one continuous phrase, without the pause?) It's like if you're playing rhythm guitar and your lead guitarist starts shredding completely out of time, it could mess you up

I completely understand what you're saying, but I would assume that a professional musician who knows the song he's performing inside out, wouldn't be thrown off by a note held longer or a pause to let the audience sing.

[Evai]

Remember that video where Portnoy got annoyed because Labrie started singing a later part in the song, skipping a long instrumental section? Or when something went weird in Pull Me Under and they had to stop and start over? JP probably still has nightmares and this helps prevent it happening

[MirrorMask]

Remember that video where Portnoy got annoyed because Labrie started singing a later part in the song, skipping a long instrumental section?

Quite sure that was Metropolis - and he didn't skip over a "long instrumental section", he just went almost directly into "Before the leaves are fallen" rather than talking to the audience while the band was jamming over the music, like they were used to do.

Still a mistake, but he simply skipped over an extra moment meant to serve as a "thank you, you've been great tonight" kind of stuff, he didn't cut a solo section meant to be played as it was on the album.

[Architeuthis]

That would take a little getting used to for me. Vocals always serve as a good reference point to where you're at in the song while playing live. It takes away the counting work and makes it easier to focus on putting on a show.

[ReaperKK]

Just watched that video again and it was hilarious.

[gzarruk]

On most live videos of TGOM i've seen, James sings the "He'll be the one to save us all" line earlier than he should. There's a small silence and he often starts that line inmediately after the line before, instead of leaving that short silence there.
Not having James on the in ear mix prevents the musicians from getting lost in the song when things like these happen, specially since they're playing to a backing track, and it's pretty bad when you screw up time while playing with a backing track. It's happened to me...

Also, I play regularly on Church with an IEM system and can assure you that having vocals (specially backing vocals) on your mix is not the best idea 

[Adami]

So you guys are saying that despite JP saying that he has JLB out of his mix because of sound issues, it's actually became James can't be trusted to perform well and not screw up the entire band?

[Evai]

Sound issues is pretty unlikely, wouldn't all bands do it?

[mikeyd23]

So you guys are saying that despite JP saying that he has JLB out of his mix because of sound issues, it's actually became James can't be trusted to perform well and not screw up the entire band?

It seems they are saying that, clearly that JP guy can't be taken at his word.

Sound issues is pretty unlikely, wouldn't all bands do it?

Why is that unlikely? The reason he gave makes perfect sense. He could probably afford to have a little vocal in his mix without getting too much wash from the stage, but he clearly wants super clean, precise sounding mixes in his ears, and this is the way he gets that.

Also, keep in mind the band has been on in-ears since the SDOIT tour, so this probably isn't some new development.

[Evai]

I mean it's pretty difficult to be famous/a celebrity. If you are actually truthful and say what you mean, it'll get taken out of context and made into a headline. It's pretty much guaranteed that you'll only ever hear JP saying nice things. So we end up drawing our own conclusions about everything 

[mikeyd23]

I mean it's pretty difficult to be famous/a celebrity. If you are actually truthful and say what you mean, it'll get taken out of context and made into a headline. It's pretty much guaranteed that you'll only ever hear JP saying nice things. So we end up drawing our own conclusions about everything 

Or... the unthinkable alternative is that JP is being totally honest and is a really nice guy...

[CB]

So you guys are saying that despite JP saying that he has JLB out of his mix because of sound issues, it's actually became James can't be trusted to perform well and not screw up the entire band?

That wouldn't be flattering for JP  - JR has no problems with JLB's voice in his ears but JP would screw up ...

I think JP was just honest.

I wonder what JM and MM hear. Especially MM, click track and drums only?

[Dublagent66]

MM is the timekeeper.  Everyone else does their part based on his accuracy.  That's pretty much the bottom line.

[Evai]

If he wanted to he could have the vocals from the studio versions playing back in his in-ears..

[Grizz]

If I was playing The Atonishing live I'd have the vocals cut from my IEMs too

[sfam2112]

I wonder what JM and MM hear. Especially MM, click track and drums only?

At one of the ADToE shows I saw, James came in early on the second verse of "Bridges in The Sky" and Mangini followed/adjusted to him. So, at that point at least, MM could hear JLB.

[rumborak]

MM is the timekeeper.  Everyone else does their part based on his accuracy.  That's pretty much the bottom line.

Technically, the click track is the timekeeper. That is, if he wanted, JP could play with nothing but the click track and his guitar in the mix, and he'd still be fine.

[ToT-147]

I wonder what JM and MM hear. Especially MM, click track and drums only?

At one of the ADToE shows I saw, James came in early on the second verse of "Bridges in The Sky" and Mangini followed/adjusted to him. So, at that point at least, MM could hear JLB.

This, along with the -very few- mistakes of this kind that they have made since MM's in the band (like when they -or MM- screw up timing in TDoE) proves that they're not slaves of the click and that this can be and should be actually changed when is necessary.. Not sure if it proves that MM can, in his in-ears, hear James.. He's seeing him, singing/moving his lips, and anyways I'm sure he's able to hear him through the whole noise giving that some here have said that JLB's voice is that strong..

[Adami]

I wonder what JM and MM hear. Especially MM, click track and drums only?

At one of the ADToE shows I saw, James came in early on the second verse of "Bridges in The Sky" and Mangini followed/adjusted to him. So, at that point at least, MM could hear JLB.

I'd ask for proof of this. With a click, MM can't just adjust things. So either they turned it off, or you misheard what happened.

[LPMX]

A bit of a newb question here, but what does a click track sounds like?