LaBrie to Start Vocals on Monday

[Dublagent66]

I hope he brings as much artistic freedom to this next DT album as does on his solo projects.   

Me too.Static impulse was WOW for me

Yeah, bigtime.  One of the best heavy metal records I own.

[Raziel666]

[...]and then I begin recording vocals with James LaBrie for the new Dream Theater CD. Can someone tell me WHO the new drummer is?? Sheesh!! …. c ya!
Be well,
R.

[robwebster]

Ooh! I had no idea Richard Chycki was involved.

He produced Elements of Persuasion, yeah? If he's in a production role, vocally, that could be stunning.

[Dream Team]

I hope he brings as much artistic freedom to this next DT album as does on his solo projects.   

Me too.Static impulse was WOW for me

Yeah, bigtime.  One of the best heavy metal records I own.

Seriously? How many do you own?

Ah forget it . . .

[ReaPsTA]

Ooh! I had no idea Richard Chycki was involved.

He produced Elements of Persuasion, yeah? If he's in a production role, vocally, that could be stunning.

Oh wow, that's a great thing to hear.  I love love LOVE the vocals on EoP, and Chycki potentially recreating the magic on the new DT record has me so excited.

[Ben_Jamin]

Will we get a CRUCIFYYYYYYY

[Aniland]

I want telephone vocals, as seen on "Slightly Out of Reach" in seven words.

[robwebster]

Ooh! I had no idea Richard Chycki was involved.

He produced Elements of Persuasion, yeah? If he's in a production role, vocally, that could be stunning.

Oh wow, that's a great thing to hear.  I love love LOVE the vocals on EoP, and Chycki potentially recreating the magic on the new DT record has me so excited.

Well, he could just be mixing or engineering, so don't get too excited, but he doesn't specify his role and it'd be a very cool combination.

[Chino]

I hope he sings similar to his vocal style on Smashed and Slightly Out of Reach off EOP.

[SPNKr]

That would be awesome. Hope for the number of songs to be in the double digits.

I'm betting TRIPLE. You're on, pal!

[Jamesman42]

That would be awesome. Hope for the number of songs to be in the double digits.

I'm betting TRIPLE. You're on, pal!

I'm not your pal, person I consider my lifelong friend!

[Aniland]

You're not your friend, guy!

[Jamesman42]

I'm not myself, me!

[tri.ad]

I want telephone vocals, as seen on "Slightly Out of Reach" in seven words.

Go listen to everything Steven Wilson has produced, then.

[bosk1]

1.  A song a day isn't really fast.  For bands with 3-5 minute songs, 2-3 a day is about normal.  1 DT song a day is probably about right.  

2.  Why do people think James won't be directed by the rest of the band?  Singers usually are when they are recording vocals.

[robwebster]

1.  A song a day isn't really fast.  For bands with 3-5 minute songs, 2-3 a day is about normal.  1 DT song a day is probably about right. 

2.  Why do people think James won't be directed by the rest of the band?  Singers usually are when they are recording vocals.

I was under the impression that the direction came generally from the producer - hence, Mike and John for the last six albums, Prater on ACoS, etc. I imagine the most likely scenario is that it's just John Petrucci producing the vocals this time around, but it seems a little odd that Rich Chycki would be asked in just to record the vocals, so they might be getting him to help produce it.

It is, absolutely, a big leap to make, and a leap that's based on very little (if any) evidence. But what's speculation if not a trifle ridiculous?

[bosk1]

I just chalk it up to the fact that most people don't really know much about the recording process.  Not a big deal, except that's annoying when people talk like they know what should or shouldn't happen when they obviously don't know what the typical practice is.

[Orbert]

Au contraire!  I know almost nothing about how it's actually done, but I still know how I think they should and shouldn't do things.

In other words, why should the producer be telling the singer how to sing the lines?  The composer, sure, as he had a certain thing in mind when he wrote the song, and in DT's case the writers and producers are the same anyway, but why the producer or recording engineer?

[robwebster]

Au contraire!  I know almost nothing about how it's actually done, but I still know how I think they should and shouldn't do things.

In other words, why should the producer be telling the singer how to sing the lines?  The composer, sure, as he had a certain thing in mind when he wrote the song, and in DT's case the writers and producers are the same anyway, but why the producer or recording engineer?

That's the producer's job. That's what a producer does - makes creative decisions in order to make the songs as good as possible. It's the musical equivalent of the director.

That or I'm very confused...

[Orbert]

The world gets stranger and stranger every day.

I guess I never really understood what the producer did.

[Dublagent66]

I hope he brings as much artistic freedom to this next DT album as does on his solo projects.   

Me too.Static impulse was WOW for me

Yeah, bigtime.  One of the best heavy metal records I own.

Seriously? How many do you own?

Ah forget it . . .

A lot!

[ReaPsTA]

Au contraire!  I know almost nothing about how it's actually done, but I still know how I think they should and shouldn't do things.

In other words, why should the producer be telling the singer how to sing the lines?  The composer, sure, as he had a certain thing in mind when he wrote the song, and in DT's case the writers and producers are the same anyway, but why the producer or recording engineer?

A producer in music is like a director in film.  Musicians write the parts and perform them, the producer channels what the musicians do into a coherent product.  Listen to the Awake demos.  The songs are 95% writing wise like they are on the album, but the way they're produced completely changes how they feel.

[Orbert]

So the footage of Mike in the studio telling James on how to sing isn't just Mike being the control freak many accuse him of being, it's really just him wearing his producer hat and doing his job as such, right?

[robwebster]

Yep! Basically.

[Orbert]

Whoa.

[Cool Chris]

So the footage of Mike in the studio telling James on how to sing isn't just Mike being the control freak many accuse him of being, it's really just him wearing his producer hat and doing his job as such, right?

Well, it is probably a bit of both 

[ariich]

So the footage of Mike in the studio telling James on how to sing isn't just Mike being the control freak many accuse him of being, it's really just him wearing his producer hat and doing his job as such, right?

Yep, exactly.

Obviously people who actually know and understand these things can still feel that they may not have liked Mike's approach to producing, but he was ultimately just doing his job.

[bosk1]

So the footage of Mike in the studio telling James on how to sing isn't just Mike being the control freak many accuse him of being, it's really just him wearing his producer hat and doing his job as such, right?

Well, it is probably a bit of both 

I would think so too, and I don't have a problem with that at all.  But aside from that, just as bandmembers, I think Mike, JP, or anyone else should have complete freedom to be able to tell James how they think a line should be delivered or to try it a different way.  That's just how it works.  I remember when I recorded my first demo, our bass player (who was the most vocal person in our band) had me do a few different lines different ways than how I had originally planned.  In a couple of those situations, I hadn't even thought about trying it the way he suggested.  We tried it, kept some of his suggestions, and overruled others.  That's just the way it goes when you're recording. 

[Cool Chris]

But aside from that, just as bandmembers, I think Mike, JP, or anyone else should have complete freedom to be able to tell James how they think a line should be delivered or to try it a different way.  

I agree. But I doubt anyone, except for maybe JP, had any freedom to tell Mike how they think a drum section should be.

[robwebster]

But aside from that, just as bandmembers, I think Mike, JP, or anyone else should have complete freedom to be able to tell James how they think a line should be delivered or to try it a different way.  

I agree. But I doubt anyone, except for maybe JP, had any freedom to tell Mike how they think a drum section should be.

Or, in other words, "I imagine the drums were produced exclusively by the producers." q:

[Orbert]

I'm sure it depends on the band.  In bands I've been in, we all tended to work out our own parts; I wouldn't tell the drummer, guitarist, or anyone else to do something differently unless it was clearly wrong.  But then, that's learning cover songs.  It's pretty obvious when what you're playing isn't what's on the record.

When you're working up your own material, there's probably more give and take, and people can suggest different ways of playing/singing something.  The only "right" way is what sounds best by consensus or vote, so it really is a matter of others merely suggesting things that might sound better.  I hadn't really thought of that before, but it still seems like there's more footage of Mike telling others what to do than anyone else.  Part of that is probably because he and JP were the producers and were doing that anyway, and the rest is probably because Mike also edited the footage, therefore we saw more of him than anything else.

I don't want to turn this into Mike-bashing, in fact I was kinda trying to steer it the other way.  I've never been in a band that did much original material, and sure as hell have never been in a recording studio.  Something tells me I'd be in for a hell of a shock the first time.

[bosk1]

I've mostly only done covers as well.  And I guess in that situation, a singer is more likely to get asked to try things differently than the other musicians since a singer isn't going to have the same vocal qualities necessarily as the singer you are covering.

And, yeah, there is more footage of Mike doing that than anyone else.  But because Mike is who he is, (1) he probably "directs" more than anyone else, and (2) since he usually has the final say in what gets released, notice that there's usually more footage of him in general than there is of anyone else. 

[Jamesman42]

Hey Everyone.
Finished 3 tracks last week and movin on to the next tomorrow.
Thanks for keeping it positive...for the most part ;-))))

So far we have 4 tracks (3 last week, and at least one tomorrow).

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

;-))))

[skydivingninja]

Hey Everyone.
Finished 3 tracks last week and movin on to the next tomorrow.
Thanks for keeping it positive...for the most part ;-))))

So far we have 4 tracks (3 last week, and at least one tomorrow).

That facebook status is gone now for whatever reason.

I blame you, Jamesman.