Author Topic: Production of DT albums vs. the rest  (Read 3913 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Cool Chris

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 13558
  • Gender: Male
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #35 on: May 29, 2020, 01:02:22 PM »
I am not audiophile and don't get caught up in the production of an album hardly ever. But I was thinking about this the other day, and nearly started a new post about it.  It seems to my ears the bass is generally much more prominent in music from the 70s-80s than it has been in the 2000s-onward (rock/metal in this case). Is it me or is that the direction music (either writing or production) has gone?

My guess is that the loudness wars have smashed the sound of the bass guitar in a lot of newer albums.  With everything so compressed together, it is easier for the bass to get lost in the mix beneath the guitar and drums (on rock albums, specifically).  The production values of the 70's and 80's allowed the music to breathe more, and each instrument had its own space.  Plus, the dead drum sound was kind of a thing in the 70's (generally speaking, there were exceptions), so there was simply more room in those frequencies for the bass to be heard. 

That is the succinct reply I was hoping for, thank you for that.
"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Offline Lax

  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 339
  • Gender: Male
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #36 on: June 04, 2020, 12:01:46 AM »
What bothers me while listening their discography on random in the car, is that the recent drums could be so much more groovy with another sound and louder cymbals !
I would like to hear mangini playing on a spongy drumkit and more cymbals.
On the albums sometimes the drums are so dry and clicky sounding it could be use for a fear factory album (like toms notes differences are barely audible).
On D/T CD version cymbals are not loud enough to do their work putting accents and groove.
That bothers me as a musician and because I think that's why people say mangini can't do the portnoy :D

Sadly, as good as was the live show in february, seeing scenes from a memory played, the drumkit balance was 80% kick drum, so we didn't get to hear much...
EBMM JP12 Cherry Sugar + JP7 Pearl Redburst
Axe FX 2 XL+ & MFC101 MK3 & Roland EV5
Boss WL-50, Morpheus droptune, G-Lab Wowee Wah, 2x Yamaha HS7, Sennheiser HD25 SP2 & Jamhub Bedroom
https://www.facebook.com/Laxthestampede/

Offline IgnotusPerIgnotium

  • Posts: 138
  • Gender: Male
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #37 on: June 06, 2020, 08:06:32 AM »
The thing is that MM had the most controlled mix he ever had since he joined the band and not only sonic wise but also drum wise. To my ears DoT doesn't sound bad, guitar and drums are mostly in your face, but as I've mentioned before the drums are very loud, lacking dynamics and cymbals are kinda blurring the sound. Another thing that we should keep in mind that again JP is the producer..and from DTOE until now we have a very clear picture about what his records sound with the band.   

Offline the_silent_man

  • Posts: 201
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #38 on: June 06, 2020, 08:45:02 AM »
For me, as a typical listener (i.e. not a musician/audiophile) the only ones I have any issue with are WD&DU (weak and tinny, sounds cheap), ADTOE (lacks any 'punch', sound is 'muffled' like there's a sheet over the speakers) and DT12 (drums generally sound bad/overcompressed).

Everything else is at least good to me, in particular Six degrees and Awake, which are powerful yet clear.
I also thought D/T had great production - you can hear the bass clearly and the sound is rich and groovy. The vocal effects are a bit unnecessary at times, but that's an artistic decision not so much the production.

Offline LKap13

  • Posts: 556
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #39 on: June 06, 2020, 08:54:30 AM »
For me, as a typical listener (i.e. not a musician/audiophile) the only ones I have any issue with are WD&DU (weak and tinny, sounds cheap), ADTOE (lacks any 'punch', sound is 'muffled' like there's a sheet over the speakers) and DT12 (drums generally sound bad/overcompressed).

Everything else is at least good to me, in particular Six degrees and Awake, which are powerful yet clear.
I also thought D/T had great production - you can hear the bass clearly and the sound is rich and groovy. The vocal effects are a bit unnecessary at times, but that's an artistic decision not so much the production.

I think what you said is right. But that being said, my question is Whyyy should a band of this caliber and immense talent ever have an album with lacking production. It's like a master chef using expired ingredients or something

Offline Dream Team

  • Posts: 5627
  • Gender: Male
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #40 on: June 06, 2020, 09:50:55 AM »
They don’t want to pay for a quality producer.

Offline MoraWintersoul

  • Gloom Cookie
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 6737
  • Gender: Female
  • welcome to the wasteland
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #41 on: June 06, 2020, 11:54:16 AM »
Whyyy should a band of this caliber and immense talent ever have an album with lacking production. It's like a master chef using expired ingredients or something
They think that just because they can do it themselves, that means they should.

Quote
Don't try to BS her about Kevin Moore facts, she will obscure quote you in the face.

type : mora : and delete the spaces for a surprise

Offline the_silent_man

  • Posts: 201
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #42 on: June 06, 2020, 12:24:49 PM »
With regards to why, I don't know. The same could be said for many other big bands (Some of the more recent Metallica, iron maiden albums for example.)

Having an established producer also won't guarantee a good sounding album, though. This is evident by how much criticism so many modern metal albums get, irregardless of whether they're self produced or not.

Offline Kotowboy

  • Yes THAT Kotowboy.
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 28561
  • Gender: Male
Re: Production of DT albums vs. the rest
« Reply #43 on: June 06, 2020, 02:50:41 PM »
Except for the whole thing about drum sound for DT12, I have no problem with DT’s album sound. I don’t get low quality vibe at all.

This. Everything from Awake up until Octavarium sound fantastic imo. Systematic Chaos was a little hot and dry. A Dramatic Turn...lacked a bit of punch and DT12 was also a bit hot.

But The Astonishing was a huge step in the right direction. The first time I heard The Gift Of Music it sounded like it was an out-take from 6 Degrees.

And of course D/T sounds fantastic.

They don't really have a St Anger.