Poll

The Final Poll.

Systematic Chaos
6 (8.7%)
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
14 (20.3%)
A Dramatic Turn OF Events
10 (14.5%)
Dream Theater
5 (7.2%)
The Astonishing
34 (49.3%)

Total Members Voted: 69

Author Topic: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?  (Read 2239 times)

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Offline Kotowboy

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PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« on: March 21, 2017, 01:36:35 PM »
Discuss the production quality of the :soon: albums and pick your favourite.

*NOT* your favourite album. Your favourite production job / sonics.


Toss up between Black Clouds and The Astonishing for me.

Also discuss the worst sounding :soon: album. That has to be A Dramatic Turn of Events. SC is hot and dry but it doesn't sound like a demo.

Offline mikeyd23

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2017, 01:40:03 PM »
I voted for TA.

Black Clouds is a close second for me.

ADTOE needs some more punch and life to the drums. DT12 is a little guitar heavy, mix-wise and the snare drum detracted the mix for me. SC was a little too hot I think.

Offline Kotowboy

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2017, 01:46:12 PM »
For me it's :

1. Black Clouds & Silver Linings - has a nice airy mix. all the instruments sound great and doesn't have a muddy snare.

2. The Astonishing - a very close second. Almost as good as Black Clouds but is a little robotic sounding in parts and the drum sound - whilst a huge improvement - is still not as good as their best.

3. Dream Theater - A little hot and the snare is distracting but other than that - pretty good.

4. Systematic Chaos. It's mastered quite hot and needs some reverb here and there. The album sounds like it was recorded in a wooden box. Audible distortion.

5. A Dramatic Turn of Events. The songs are all great and it was a good return to form for the band albeit a bit safe. But boy does it sound cheap. Drums are lackluster and overall sounds

like the demo of the album you record before you go and make the real thing.

Offline JiM-Xtreme

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2017, 01:47:50 PM »
I love Black Clouds, but it has a horrible mix in my opinion. Way too much guitar and the bass is nigh-on inaudible in every song with the exception of ARoP.

Offline Art

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2017, 01:56:36 PM »
I voted BC&SL. TA would be second, but the drums are not quite there sound-wise. DT12 is 3rd, and SC and ADTOE would follow.

Offline cramx3

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2017, 02:04:39 PM »
TA

Offline SwedishGoose

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2017, 11:31:31 PM »
What Kotowboy said...

Offline erwinrafael

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2017, 12:15:11 AM »
The Astonishing. It just got the right balance to integrate the multiple layers of sounds, with the orchestra and choir. I could argue that Myung's bass could be louder, but if you listen to it as a whole, it mixes well with the string section. The same with the triggered-sounding snare and the typewriter drums. Taken in isolation, the drums could have sounded better, but looking at the bigger picture, the production choice allowed the snare and bass to cut through all those layers of music.

Offline TheCountOfNYC

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2017, 01:57:42 AM »
1: The Astonishing (the only one that sounds great tbh)
2: Black Clouds & Silver Linings
3: A Dramatic Turn of Events
4: Systematic Chaos
5: Dream Theater
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Offline Mladen

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2017, 04:08:16 AM »
It was either SC or TA. I went with SC, just because it's really in-your-face, and sometimes I'm in the mood for that.

Offline goo-goo

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2017, 07:57:51 AM »
The Astonishing. It just got the right balance to integrate the multiple layers of sounds, with the orchestra and choir. I could argue that Myung's bass could be louder, but if you listen to it as a whole, it mixes well with the string section. The same with the triggered-sounding snare and the typewriter drums. Taken in isolation, the drums could have sounded better, but looking at the bigger picture, the production choice allowed the snare and bass to cut through all those layers of music.

Couldn't have said it any better.

2nd place would be ADTOE - the HD version sounds way better in the drums department. The joy for me on this one  was Myung's bass, where you could actually hear it in the mix.

3rd place DT12 - love Myung's bass on this one. The snare sound kind of killed it for me.

4th place SC - it's mastered a bit hot but I still enjoy it.
 
5th place BC - Same as SC although it sounds hotter in my opinion. I do get some fatigue in my ears when I get to The Count of Tuscany.

Offline tofee35

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2017, 10:33:08 AM »
I know from a technical standpoint, ADTOE isn't considered superior. But, to my ears, it sounds the best.

Offline krands85

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2017, 11:48:21 AM »
I know from a technical standpoint, ADTOE isn't considered superior. But, to my ears, it sounds the best.

I don't mind ADTOE either. I wouldn't say it was great sonically, but I do like the fact that it seems a bit more keyboard heavy. The drums don't bother me as much as others as well.

I voted for TA in the poll though, it seems to have a decent balance and sounds nicer overall.

DT12 on the other hand is my least favourite I think. Way too loud and the guitar just overpowers everything. HDtracks version seemed like an improvement, but maybe I'm just imagining it  :lol
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2017, 11:54:39 AM »
The Astonishing is the best sounding one for me.
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Offline home

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2017, 12:41:39 PM »
The Astonishing for me as well, I love how organic it sounds, especially the piano and strings. The self titled is by far my least favourite, I can never get trough it without feeling tired at the end, which I think is mainly because of the undynamic production.
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Offline Adami

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #15 on: March 22, 2017, 12:49:09 PM »
I'm probably in the minority in that I don't like the way the strings sound on TA.......with exception.

They sound like a keyboard.
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Offline home

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #16 on: March 22, 2017, 12:58:37 PM »
I'm probably in the minority in that I don't like the way the strings sound on TA.......with exception.

They sound like a keyboard.
They are real strings tho
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Offline Adami

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #17 on: March 22, 2017, 01:13:44 PM »
I'm probably in the minority in that I don't like the way the strings sound on TA.......with exception.

They sound like a keyboard.
They are real strings tho

Exactly.
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Offline Nachtmerrie

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #18 on: March 22, 2017, 01:36:59 PM »
Voted BC&SL.
Not the best album but it is the best sounding for me in terms of balance between the instruments.

ADTOE has the best songs. BAI is one my alltime favorites but I always listen to one of the live recordings because it has so much power compared to the album.

Offline jakepriest

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #19 on: March 22, 2017, 02:18:17 PM »
SC is way too hot.
BC&SL has Portnoy's worst snare sound ever.
ADTOE is really nice, one of my favourite DT productions.
DT12 is their worst except for WDADU.
TA has meh drums and guitar tones.

Offline Kotowboy

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2017, 02:47:12 PM »
Black Clouds snare sound > DT12 snare sound.

Offline jakepriest

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2017, 02:52:27 PM »
I think that doesn't even need saying. Nothing is as bad as the DT12 snare.  :lol

Offline KevShmev

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2017, 07:38:19 PM »
How in the world does ADTOE have 7 votes?  I mean, I like the album, but it is muddy as hell. 

Even though the songwriting isn't their best, I think SC has a nice sound overall.  Not as good as TA, which is what I voted for, but still nice.

I still don't see the beef with DT12, although, to be fair, I do always listen to the HD version.

Offline Kotowboy

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2017, 07:52:24 AM »
Wasn't it discovered recently that the HD mix was the same master just turned down or something ?

Offline Madman Shepherd

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2017, 08:13:12 PM »
How in the world does ADTOE have 7 votes?  I mean, I like the album, but it is muddy as hell. 



Guilty as charged.  Admittedly, I'm no audiophile but this album got shit on so much for its sound (especially the drums)  including from me.  I listened to it every day for a long time.  After giving it a break and hearing and participating in all the bashing, I finally put it back on and I was shocked that it sounded pretty good.  I still don't think the drum sound is great but its perfectly adequate.  In fact, I think it has a great mix.  You can hear all of the instruments pretty good and the vocals sound great. 

Offline goo-goo

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Re: PART IV - Which is the best sounding RoadRunner album ?
« Reply #25 on: March 24, 2017, 09:01:11 AM »
How in the world does ADTOE have 7 votes?  I mean, I like the album, but it is muddy as hell. 



Guilty as charged.  Admittedly, I'm no audiophile but this album got shit on so much for its sound (especially the drums)  including from me.  I listened to it every day for a long time.  After giving it a break and hearing and participating in all the bashing, I finally put it back on and I was shocked that it sounded pretty good.  I still don't think the drum sound is great but its perfectly adequate.  In fact, I think it has a great mix.  You can hear all of the instruments pretty good and the vocals sound great.

Pretty much this happened to me. I revisited the album after many months of not listening to it. I was surprised on how much better it sounded.