ADTOE with headphones

[GasparXR]

Something I'm doing right now which tp my surprise I've never done yet, is listen to ADTOE with headphones. I've already noticed things I haven't before in BMUBMD. I noticed during the pre-solo section, Jordan is playing the chord progression that he plays at the end of the song. I had only noticed the ballsy riffing by John during that part, but the keyboard part, now that I've noticed it, adds a lot of atmosphere to the song.

What things have you noticed in A Dramatic Turn of Events that you never heard on your previous spins?

[lumpy33]

i like figuring out the meter shifts of the more difficult instrumental passages.  it takes me a few listens, which i like.  also great is finally realizing that they're playing with different meters in a song that at first seems simple.  like when james starts singing in breaking all illusions.  the music is so smooth that i didn't realize they were going from 7 to 6 to 5 and back to 7 over the course of the four bar phrase.  just sick stuff.  i probably listened to that song 10 or so times before i caught that.

[jcmistat]

Unless I could turn it up to a ridiculous level which I cant headphones all the way. There's just so many sounds I miss if its not played straight to my ears and I got some cheap RadioShack ones which I swear sound really good.

[PixelDream]

ADTOE's music is more lively feeling than DT's previous records. But the production. I mean, come on. It sounds dead. Cymbals sound horrible. Almost every single JLB is doubled. It's tiring and it shows because it is SO damn refreshing to hear a natural JLB at the beginning of Outcry.

It is the one and only DT record that doesn't have a sound. It lacks every bit of depth it should have. But even when there's only JP and JR: How ridiculously mono and flat does the begin of BAI sound?

To answer your question, I can't handle listening to this record on headphones. Older DT records have interesting stuff in the stereo mix to the left, right etc. This is just one wall of noise to my ears.

This is ONLY regarding mix and production. I've seen a lot of praise for it, but this is definately my least favorite mixing job ever on a DT record. And it's by Andy Wallace, who mixed some of my favorite records. What the hell went wrong here?

[darkshade]

when james starts singing in breaking all illusions.  the music is so smooth that i didn't realize they were going from 7 to 6 to 5 and back to 7 over the course of the four bar phrase.  just sick stuff.  i probably listened to that song 10 or so times before i caught that.

The way the bass line goes, it's more like 7 to 6 to 5 to 4 to 3 

[Millais]

meh, for me the best mastering for a while. still not as good as it could be though - when it's around ghost reveries - opeth i'll be happy! definitely sounds better, obviously, through some hi-fi speakers.

[lumpy33]

when james starts singing in breaking all illusions.  the music is so smooth that i didn't realize they were going from 7 to 6 to 5 and back to 7 over the course of the four bar phrase.  just sick stuff.  i probably listened to that song 10 or so times before i caught that.

The way the bass line goes, it's more like 7 to 6 to 5 to 4 to 3 

sweeeet.

[Tumdace]

ADTOE's music is more lively feeling than DT's previous records. But the production. I mean, come on. It sounds dead. Cymbals sound horrible. Almost every single JLB is doubled. It's tiring and it shows because it is SO damn refreshing to hear a natural JLB at the beginning of Outcry.

It is the one and only DT record that doesn't have a sound. It lacks every bit of depth it should have. But even when there's only JP and JR: How ridiculously mono and flat does the begin of BAI sound?

To answer your question, I can't handle listening to this record on headphones. Older DT records have interesting stuff in the stereo mix to the left, right etc. This is just one wall of noise to my ears.

This is ONLY regarding mix and production. I've seen a lot of praise for it, but this is definately my least favorite mixing job ever on a DT record. And it's by Andy Wallace, who mixed some of my favorite records. What the hell went wrong here?

Lol.

All I can say is: After SC being as dark as it was, and BC&SL being mostly dark with a bit of a light side thrown in, having most of ADTOE have a livelier sound and a brighter sound is welcome from me.

I love the beginning of BAI, I dont think it sounds flat at all, and I think it was pretty well mixed.

You kinda have to listen for the depth, but its there. Some songs do seem like some parts were victim of the "loudness war", but overall I enjoyed it. I myself prefer the production of I&W and Awake to anything else. I loved that the drums had a really front and centre sound in I&W, and it would be awesome to return to that sound for the next album. But thats just me.

[red barchetta]

I'm gonna have to do that too.  I remember doing it a lot with old records of Genesis and hearing things I had not noticed even after many years.  And many times, what you hear are fantastic portions of the music.

[ehra]

The vast majority of my music listening anymore is done with headphones, enough so that I invested in a decent pair. I started so I wouldn't disturb anyone else, but now I use it because I prefer the sound.

[bardic_tortoise]

I myself prefer the production of I&W and Awake to anything else. I loved that the drums had a really front and centre sound in I&W, and it would be awesome to return to that sound for the next album. But thats just me.

They're definitely more forward, but I think the drums themselves sound pretty flat and lifeless--almost digital, especially on I&W. Awake gets better (can't really complain about the intro to 6:00).

I hadn't really noticed this very much about I&W until MP discussed the drum sound himself around the time they released the remastered singles on Greatest Hit.

[vulcandj]

when james starts singing in breaking all illusions.  the music is so smooth that i didn't realize they were going from 7 to 6 to 5 and back to 7 over the course of the four bar phrase.  just sick stuff.  i probably listened to that song 10 or so times before i caught that.

The way the bass line goes, it's more like 7 to 6 to 5 to 4 to 3 

I just noticed that last week. I thought it was really trippy that they did that.