DT in the studio again!

[DebraKadabra]

Yes.

[Nest777]

First thought when he starts answering, "keyboard commercial".

Fun to hear that there will be some "waky" instrumentation.

Sorry for the typo, guys, I didn't write that question in my best conditions   

But anyway, Jordan answered my question, that's enough for me  I made better questions, though. Can't wait to see what the Seaboard can do.

[KevShmev]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MJGbLhX2TI

This one's interesting.

It's also very important, shedding light that basically every person in the band LOVES the album, and that it will have GREAT sound quality.

With all due respect, considering they haven't had an album that sounds great since the 90s, I am not sure I can trust their "this will sound great" comment since I am not sure they know what sounds great anymore (as far as dynamics, sonically and all that jazz go).  Even if this engineer is as great as they say, who knows if Roadrunner will come in and make sure the mixing is modernized, thus taking away what could have been a great mix.  So yeah, while I hope this is true, I remain skeptical in that regard.

[?]

Fun to hear that there will be some "waky" instrumentation.

But isn't there wanky instrumentation on every DT album?

[Perpetual Change]

I really don't get the Chycki decision. I mean, only DT would actively seek-out the dude responsible for the "Snakes & Arrows" and "Rush in Rio" sound

But, I guess I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, right? I just hope he got the job because he's the best guy available, and not just because 1.) he worked with Rush and 2.) he's JLB's old bandmate.

[Mladen]

Wasn't he also responsible for Static impulse sound? That album sounds pretty awesome.

[Perpetual Change]

Wasn't he also responsible for Static impulse sound? That album sounds pretty awesome.

No that was Jens Borgen, who has mixed a number of awesome sounding metal albums (in addition to SI, he did recent work with Opeth, Katatonia, and Devin Townsend).

But he never worked with Rush, so DT will probably never choose him  

[Mladen]

Oh, OK, sorry, I probably got confused.

[TAC]

I really don't get the Chycki decision. I mean, only DT would actively seek-out the dude responsible for the "Snakes & Arrows" and "Rush in Rio" sound

But, I guess I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, right? I just hope he got the job because he's the best guy available, and not just because 1.) he worked with Rush and 2.) he's JLB's old bandmate.

I actually thought the sound was the only good thing about S & A.

[rumborak]

Seaboard. I'm now watching this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKk3BtfTzG8

Looks like Continuum meets regular keyboard. I dig it and it's cool that we will get to hear it in the new record and hopefully live

It's certainly an interesting piece of engineering, but I have a hard time seeing how this Seaboard produces anything different than a keyboard plus pitch wheel. I mean, the sound themselves are still generated by the usual gear.

[wasteland]

I am shamefully ignorant of the capabilities of a keyboard+wheel, but I think I caught Jordan saying that you can bend the pitch of more than one note indipendently. Also the feel of the elastic feedback of the keys, and the ability to control/bend the notes in situ, with a direct response by the mechanical components of the instrument on the very finger that's playing the note.

Still have to figure out how much this is an improvement over the Haken Continuum, besides the more pronounced keyboard structure.

[rumborak]

Adding some kind of modulation to single note is called "polyphonic aftertouch" and has been around for a long time. I mean, this is a slightly different way of doing it (normal keyboards require you to vary the pressure on the key once it's pushed down) but I think it's totally marginal. I think this is more of a manufacturer endorsement thing than anything else.

[wasteland]

Well, I can't say anything but that I hope you're wrong and that we will find so in some great sounding section of the new album, hopefully with this device being used at his full potential.

[TheAtliator]

Yes I think both the seaboard and continuum let you pitch bend multiple notes independantly at the same time, and I don't believe I've ever seen a real keyboard do that (the only way would be to sample one of the notes). But the seaboard can also change the tone of the note depending on how hard you press it, even after the initial attack, which would be REAALLY cool- I don't think the continuum can do that, but I'm not sure.

Edit: also remember when you have a keyboard and pitchwheel, you set the wheel to bend the pitch by a certain set amount, and it is really hard to stop on a note in between the two. You would have to go to the next banked setting to have the wheel bend a different amount for another note. Aside from a pitch wheel though, there is also that "ribbon" thing Jordan used on his keyboard '99-'04. I don't know how that works. I'm assuming it's like using a fretless (if you will) continuum starting on the note you are playing on the keys.

[Lucien]

I can't wait.

I just feel giddy knowing I could come home from school and find a single from the new album released (unlikely, but possible)

[GasparXR]

I can't wait.

I just feel giddy knowing I could come home from school and find a single from the new album released (unlikely, but possible)

The day that OTBOA was to be released on YouTube, which was a weekend I think, I woke up at the time it was said to be posted just to listen to it.

[Ben_Jamin]

Adding some kind of modulation to single note is called "polyphonic aftertouch" and has been around for a long time. I mean, this is a slightly different way of doing it (normal keyboards require you to vary the pressure on the key once it's pushed down) but I think it's totally marginal. I think this is more of a manufacturer endorsement thing than anything else.

It frees up your left hand. Now Jordan can scratch his head. That is the selling point which is really usefull.

[wasteland]

I can't wait.

I just feel giddy knowing I could come home from school and find a single from the new album released (unlikely, but possible)

The day that OTBOA was to be released on YouTube, which was a weekend I think, I woke up at the time it was said to be posted just to listen to it.

But it was 11AM EST

[Implode]

Hey. Some of us like to sleep in

[Nihil-Morari]

I really like the seaboard, I'd love to check one out myself in the future. I think it can add to DT's live sound in that Jordan could indeed play patches or chords with his left hand during a little solo or fill. And instead of choosing either to phrase the solo with the pitch- and modwheel, or playing a left hand, you could now do both.

[MoraWintersoul]

I think it can add to DT's live sound in that Jordan could indeed play patches or chords with his left hand during a little solo or fill. And instead of choosing either to phrase the solo with the pitch- and modwheel, or playing a left hand, you could now do both.

I'm sure the people who think Jordan overplays everything will be delighted

I know I will be delighted, it's such a Jordan-ey keyboard.

[Nihil-Morari]

Haha, yeah, that's the tricky part. Although it could mean that he gets more fun, and more control over just playing patches. As a keyboard player myself, I know how boring 'just playing chords' can be, but if you can phrase every single note of that chord, it gets way more fun.

[ZirconBlue]

Wasn't he also responsible for Static impulse sound? That album sounds pretty awesome.

No, but he did Engineer and Mix Elements of Persuasion.

[TheGreatPretender]

No, but he did Engineer and Mix Elements of Persuasion.

Wait, he did?? Elements of Persuasion is one of the best sounding albums I've ever heard. Dammit, hurry up and release a single or something already! I can't wait to hear this.

[nikatapi]

Wasn't he also responsible for Static impulse sound? That album sounds pretty awesome.

No, but he did Engineer and Mix Elements of Persuasion.

Yeah and Elements Of Persuasion sounds very good for what it is. Very powerful drum sound, and good mix i think. Let's see what sound are DT aiming for with this album.

[Perpetual Change]

No, but he did Engineer and Mix Elements of Persuasion.

Wait, he did?? Elements of Persuasion is one of the best sounding albums I've ever heard. Dammit, hurry up and release a single or something already! I can't wait to hear this.

I don't think it sounds very good at all, but it definitely sounds better than most DT albums since Shirley stopped doing them.

[GasparXR]

I can't wait.

I just feel giddy knowing I could come home from school and find a single from the new album released (unlikely, but possible)

The day that OTBOA was to be released on YouTube, which was a weekend I think, I woke up at the time it was said to be posted just to listen to it.

But it was 11AM EST

Hey. Some of us like to sleep in

Exactly.

[wasteland]

And was it in one of those pleasant occasion that your profile pic was taken? 

[TheGreatPretender]

I don't think it sounds very good at all, but it definitely sounds better than most DT albums since Shirley stopped doing them.

I think it sounds better than any DT album ever. The guitars are so much more crisp, and the sound is so polished and powerful.

[GasparXR]

And was it in one of those pleasant occasion that your profile pic was taken? 

Haha, nope.

[wasteland]

Haha, nope.

Ah, now I get it

[BlobVanDam]

I don't think it sounds very good at all, but it definitely sounds better than most DT albums since Shirley stopped doing them.

I think it sounds better than any DT album ever. The guitars are so much more crisp, and the sound is so polished and powerful.

Not even close. It works well enough for what it is, but it's generic metal production, and it's got that typical triggered sounding metal drum sound that has zero dynamics, and wouldn't work well applied to DT's prog style. It could have been any old metal drummer behind the kit on that album for all it mattered, because it has no nuance, and sounds very quantized and compressed. I wouldn't want MM's playing to lose its subtlety and dynamics on the next DT album, especially after being so poorly mixed on the last one.

And the guitars and bass mush together into a muddy sameness, worse than any of the recent DT albums where people complain about not being able to hear JM's bass. It sounds nice and heavy for a straight-forward headbanging album like that, but it's no good for DT's music. The guitar has a lot of sub-woof that overpowers the bass. There's a lot of bass in there, just not a lot of clarity and tooooone.
And the whole thing is over-compressed too.

As I said, it works for what it is, and I love the album, and the production fits that music quite well, but that same production would not translate well at all to DT's music. It does sound better than DT's last two albums overall, but it's flat metal production with no dynamics or clarity, and would sound horrid on a DT album. Apples to oranges.

I don't know why they ever stopped using Kevin Shirley, because none of their albums since have sounded anywhere near as good.

[emtee]

^Agreed. I like the album. I like the songs but the drum sounds are very drum machine'ish sounding and lacking dynamics and
seperation.

[nikatapi]

I don't know why they ever stopped using Kevin Shirley, because none of their albums since have sounded anywhere near as good.

Really makes me wonder as well. Maybe MP wanted a more metal sound for the band and thought that Kevin Shirley was not the person for that?

Honestly all the Kevin Shirley mixed albums are probably the best sounding ones.

[BlobVanDam]

I don't know why they ever stopped using Kevin Shirley, because none of their albums since have sounded anywhere near as good.

Really makes me wonder as well. Maybe MP wanted a more metal sound for the band and thought that Kevin Shirley was not the person for that?

Honestly all the Kevin Shirley mixed albums are probably the best sounding ones.

I can't see that being the reason, as SDOIT and especially ToT were pretty ballsy sounding. And the first album they did after their last one with Shirley was Octavarium, which is a pretty tame mix. Maybe it's a matter of scheduling?