The new sound (1 Viewer)

[egg_]

A new "current" sound seems to be emerging - sounds to me like the engineers recording Bloc Party, The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and all them fellas were using one set of plugins ... and now Babyshambles and Arctic Monkeys sound different, kinda drier and more open and less processed(-sounding). Did some new piece of software just get released?

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Hah! No, on the former bands you're just hearing the current arsenal of heavy-production tools making it onto 'indie' records - loadsa compression, sample replacement, heavy editing etc. The drums on the Bloc party stuff are just NASTY. 'Course, it's hard to tell how this stuff sounds before it's put through the mastering grind. I bet the 1st three bands you reference there have Vlado-tastic levels on disc. I know Bloc Arsey do.
The Babyshambles record sounds like it was tracked totally live - vocals 'n all. Haven't heard any Arctic Monkeys studio stuffs.

 

[kings lead hat]

i engineered rakes and maximo park w/same producer as bloc p. done to clic where as babysh is free and done by mick jones from the clash. youre right loads o' compression. i prefer the more organic not so nasty sound though..... dont think its a new sound its just different producerds that want stuff to sound a different wa. ive an album coming out in jan that i recorded really warm and wikid sounding.my mate who engineered the bloc stuff mixed and did it in that real compressed style. im still making my mind up. its in your face which is great for lsome tunes but notothers. ie a slow intimate song now sounds like a bit of an earache. anyway its all learning.peolpe mix compressed sound here cos theve got radio play on there minds, like it or not....

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

........

 

[Pantone247]

ooopss... me signed in as Andy there... oooopppsss

whatever about the bloc party album as a record (it's poop!) I always felt there was an attempt there do something really hard hitting with drums and bass in a way that 'dance' records sound in night clubs... big and rrreeeallly full on... maybe to try and break it as an indie/dance crossover thing (the really poor, but very hip remix album sorta backs this up) someting very electronic disco-ish about it... which was kinda interesting...

it just sounds awful on a wet tuesday afternoon when some sticks it on in the office stereo...

not impressed by The Artic Monkeys or Babyshambles at all... the sound on the BS record is sort of dire IMHO, like a glossed up rehersal tape...

Pete Dee's great moment, to these shell likes, was the Bernard Butler producded Don't Look Back Into The Sun... pure pop genius that track is... leaps off the stereo at you

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

i engineered rakes and maximo park w/same producer as bloc p. done to clic where as babysh is free and done by mick jones from the clash. youre right loads o' compression. i prefer the more organic not so nasty sound though..... dont think its a new sound its just different producerds that want stuff to sound a different wa. ive an album coming out in jan that i recorded really warm and wikid sounding.my mate who engineered the bloc stuff mixed and did it in that real compressed style. im still making my mind up. its in your face which is great for lsome tunes but notothers. ie a slow intimate song now sounds like a bit of an earache. anyway its all learning.peolpe mix compressed sound here cos theve got radio play on there minds, like it or not....

Hey, first off I totally respect your colleagues and mates who are doing it for real, and obviously there's A&R and Mtv to think about, but a big IMHO here..
I had to turn the Bloc Party record off after about 7/8 songs. It really, really sounds painful. Aside from the compression, which is probably as synonymous with 2000's music as big gated snares was with the 80's, the high end on that album is sickening - I was listening on my monitors, and granted hi-fi/tv speakers roll off more up there, but still. Ouch!
Do you reckon your mate was mixing that with BIG compression on the 2-bus?

The big caveat here being that you've got a super-fucking-sweet studio in London, and I'm just little 'ol me..

 

[Charlie Bucket]

i engineered rakes and maximo park w/same producer as bloc p. done to clic where as babysh is free and done by mick jones from the clash. youre right loads o' compression. i prefer the more organic not so nasty sound though..... dont think its a new sound its just different producerds that want stuff to sound a different wa. ive an album coming out in jan that i recorded really warm and wikid sounding.my mate who engineered the bloc stuff mixed and did it in that real compressed style. im still making my mind up. its in your face which is great for lsome tunes but notothers. ie a slow intimate song now sounds like a bit of an earache. anyway its all learning.peolpe mix compressed sound here cos theve got radio play on there minds, like it or not....

that paul epworth guy? flava of the month produca.
all that stuff makes me hungry and agitated......dont like the sound of it

p.s. did vashti bunyan record at yr studio?

 

[egg_]

not impressed by The Artic Monkeys or Babyshambles at all...

I hated BS at first, then "Fuck Forever" on the radio when I was a little bit baked won me over. Don't have the album though, and haven't heard the song since ... might get someone to get me the album for Christmas

 

[kings lead hat]

yeh man i agree with allyous
imnot so into the cccsshsshhhsshshshshh compreseed high end i'd totally agree. I dont listen to it to be honest i record it etc. i love the sound of no mids loads of bass and top 70s style but try playing that in a car stereo ??

AAARRGHGHHH its so annoying theres no right of wrong

but still though im not into that sound

im tryn doing my own and see if i can swing the trend

....

yep we did vashti

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Hey, I listen to 70's records in cars all the time, and they sound good to me!
Set yr EQ flat!

 

[ratmonkey]

Records? You've got one of them there in-car turntable thingies? Damn it, I want one.

 

[kings lead hat]

Hey, I listen to 70's records in cars all the time, and they sound good to me!
Set yr EQ flat!

and your job is........?

exactly,
your not joe schmo

you know the deal

joe schmo doesnt

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Hehe. I know. I just wish it weren't.

Hey, wanna tell me about the vocal chain on that Maximo stuff?

 

[kings lead hat]

as far as i remember we had an 87 through a summit tube preamp and and a LA-2A or some times a custom made valve compresser. occasionally we had a Pultec on em to boot. Rich Costy mixed it the really big singles in NYC and believe it or not Epworth mixed a load of it on a laptop w/ logic and an 828!! fair fucks to him
sounds wkd

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Epworth mixed a load of it on a laptop w/ logic and an 828!! fair fucks to him
sounds wkd

Hehe.
I'm guessing it's the LA2A / other compressor I'm liking on that vocal.
Hey - have you heard those Oktava MKL-5000's? Beats a U87 on a lotta voices I try it on..