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Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 11:46 am
Future Drummer
Joined: Mon July 08, 2013 5:47 pm Posts: 3062 Location: Louisville, KY
hlniv wrote:
Higgs wrote:
This album is seriously pissing me off. It's a good collection of songs, best since at least Avocado imo, but I could see that going back to Yield given some more time. So yeah, a surprisingly good/great album when I really wasn't expecting to get that. But I just can't get past the sound of the thing. It really is like it is coming through wet, soggy cardboard. My ears fatigue so much listening to it.
I was away for work this week and was able to visit with my 23 year old son who now lives back up in Broome, he threw my bluetooth speaker at me one night and told me to put some music on, so, as we are all seeing PJ together in November, I got him to listen to DM. I complained about the production/mixing/sound/whatever to him and his comment was "surely a long time professional act like Pearl Jam would make sure their albums sounded good, wouldn't they?" and I really had no answer for him as I agree with his proposition. I'm just so disappointed in what we actually ended up with.
Bring on the live versions I guess.
It’s like my heart wants to keep playing the album on repeat over and over, but my brain and ears feel so violated every time I finish the album. My immediate reflection on each listen thru is jumbled, like a fog wall across my listening memory. Nothing stands out in retrospect, because all the great songs are being extruded through mashed potatoes
I guess it’s a trade off. Watt got such great performances and songs out of the band, I can certainly look past the mixing failures, and encourage another album with him.
And as long as we can count on the community to use 21st century technology to fan re-mix the album, then we get the best of both worlds!
Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 12:08 pm
Future Drummer
Joined: Mon July 08, 2013 5:47 pm Posts: 3062 Location: Louisville, KY
WaitingForBluey wrote:
BTW, at no point have I thought that the production choices limit my enjoyment of this album... it makes me sad to consider that is happening for some
Really for me it’s just the mix. I think the individual sonic elements are great. They work together well on great songs. Production isn’t really the problem, just the mix. Just all thrown together with the volume knob set to max
Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 12:14 pm
Future Drummer
Joined: Thu March 21, 2013 1:08 am Posts: 2623 Location: Pennsyltucky
hlniv wrote:
WaitingForBluey wrote:
BTW, at no point have I thought that the production choices limit my enjoyment of this album... it makes me sad to consider that is happening for some
Really for me it’s just the mix. I think the individual sonic elements are great. They work together well on great songs. Production isn’t really the problem, just the mix. Just all thrown together with the volume knob set to max
Yeah, I can feel you on that. That's why no one should be listening to this with a default flat EQ mix... I added a custom EQ on Spotify which helps a lot with some of those issues
BTW, at no point have I thought that the production choices limit my enjoyment of this album... it makes me sad to consider that is happening for some
This is me too. The songs are so fabulous on Dark Matter I'm happy with it as a whole. Avocado, on the other hand, the production hurts my enjoyment of the album because the songs aren't good enough to elevate above the production issues.
Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 12:49 pm
The worst
Joined: Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm Posts: 40108
ive found w eq settings and a few other tricks i like how it sounds on spotify. its loud and full and very present. there are places it is not ideal (setting sun can be jarring in the way just breathe was) but its never been a problem for me
Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 1:06 pm
A Return To Form
Joined: Mon March 04, 2013 3:22 pm Posts: 135 Location: Lost in an unbalanced ledger
Aunt_Claire_Foy wrote:
Strat wrote:
Birds in Hell wrote:
Strat wrote:
Birds in Hell wrote:
Birds in Hell wrote:
Strat wrote:
lvc wrote:
Niche subset of this Howard Stern post, specifically the Yellow Ledbetter video:
Close-ups of Mike's pedal board. I can identify the MXR flanger, script logo Phase 90, and UniVibe, and Carbon Copy delay (a surprising amount of MXR -- for a guy who could get any hand-built boutique thing in the world, he has a pedal board you could put together at Guitar Center for like $800 plus that big switcher). I also see a Line 6 delay (hard to miss) and a Boss Vibrato. Can't make out what the golden pedal is or the one to the left of that (black with white writing). And obviously a wah though I don't recognize the logo.
I know there used to be a place to talk gear but it seems to have disappeared. Anyone else geek out to this stuff and have insight on the right half of Mike's board?
I was actually quite pleased to the see the carbon copy delay. i thought he had just been utilizing the digital line 6 for so long now. The carbon copy is one of the best/most affordable delay pedals and i absolutely love mine. It seems to be at the top of most players lists for best all around.
I cant pick out what overdrive he is using though.
To my eyes, the beginning of the chain looks like a Mission expression pedal, a barely visible gold pedal (overdrive?) followed by an EHX Stereo Electric Mistress - and then the MXR Flanger, Phase 90, etc.
Mission make (or used to make) a wah but it's purple, so I'm leaning towards it being an expression controller instead, which means Mike could be relying on a digital wah from the switcher/multi-effect.
The switch is placed too close to the bottom of the enclosure and, unlike the MXR, there's no text in that spot.
When stone goes over there and hits that, what looks like a mission expression pedal, it certainly sounded like a wah to me......so im confused!
I think that switcher also has effects, so I'm presuming he has it set-up to act like a wah.
His board now stresses me out. Time for a rig rundown!
I was going to say the gold one is the Wampler Tumnus but can't make out the detail design (if any).
My thoughts first went to the Tumnus on the gold one, but from another angle it looks like it has maybe brown knobs so I'm not convinced. He has to have some kind of mid-boosting drive because I can hear it. Maybe it's just an empty box controlling something in the switcher (kind of like the theory of that expression pedal acting like a wah).
My only other thought is that he is rocking an absolute brigade of modulation. If that is an electric mistress, he's got a flange/chorus, flange, phaser, univibe, vibrato all stacked. That's a lot of wibbly wobbliness.
This mini-thread inside the thread has just made my morning. I love solving mysteries and I love guitar pedals so this was a treat.
Niche subset of this Howard Stern post, specifically the Yellow Ledbetter video:
Close-ups of Mike's pedal board. I can identify the MXR flanger, script logo Phase 90, and UniVibe, and Carbon Copy delay (a surprising amount of MXR -- for a guy who could get any hand-built boutique thing in the world, he has a pedal board you could put together at Guitar Center for like $800 plus that big switcher). I also see a Line 6 delay (hard to miss) and a Boss Vibrato. Can't make out what the golden pedal is or the one to the left of that (black with white writing). And obviously a wah though I don't recognize the logo.
I know there used to be a place to talk gear but it seems to have disappeared. Anyone else geek out to this stuff and have insight on the right half of Mike's board?
I was actually quite pleased to the see the carbon copy delay. i thought he had just been utilizing the digital line 6 for so long now. The carbon copy is one of the best/most affordable delay pedals and i absolutely love mine. It seems to be at the top of most players lists for best all around.
I cant pick out what overdrive he is using though.
To my eyes, the beginning of the chain looks like a Mission expression pedal, a barely visible gold pedal (overdrive?) followed by an EHX Stereo Electric Mistress - and then the MXR Flanger, Phase 90, etc.
Mission make (or used to make) a wah but it's purple, so I'm leaning towards it being an expression controller instead, which means Mike could be relying on a digital wah from the switcher/multi-effect.
The switch is placed too close to the bottom of the enclosure and, unlike the MXR, there's no text in that spot.
When stone goes over there and hits that, what looks like a mission expression pedal, it certainly sounded like a wah to me......so im confused!
I think that switcher also has effects, so I'm presuming he has it set-up to act like a wah.
His board now stresses me out. Time for a rig rundown!
I was going to say the gold one is the Wampler Tumnus but can't make out the detail design (if any).
My thoughts first went to the Tumnus on the gold one, but from another angle it looks like it has maybe brown knobs so I'm not convinced. He has to have some kind of mid-boosting drive because I can hear it. Maybe it's just an empty box controlling something in the switcher (kind of like the theory of that expression pedal acting like a wah).
My only other thought is that he is rocking an absolute brigade of modulation. If that is an electric mistress, he's got a flange/chorus, flange, phaser, univibe, vibrato all stacked. That's a lot of wibbly wobbliness.
This mini-thread inside the thread has just made my morning. I love solving mysteries and I love guitar pedals so this was a treat.
Could also be a J Rocket Archer or one of those Klon clone pedals too I'd love to know what that overdrive pedal is That overdrive sound he gets on Scared of Fear (Howards Version) sounds great Would've thought he'd have a fuzz on the board somewhere too given his love for Jimi & SRV & getting that cocked Wah and Fuzz sound
_________________ “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” ― Charles Bukowski
Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 1:38 pm
A Return To Form
Joined: Mon March 04, 2013 3:22 pm Posts: 135 Location: Lost in an unbalanced ledger
stip wrote:
ive found w eq settings and a few other tricks i like how it sounds on spotify. its loud and full and very present. there are places it is not ideal (setting sun can be jarring in the way just breathe was) but its never been a problem for me
higgs, how are you listening?
it is annoying thats a question that needs asking
I had this same thought while listening to the Jeff and Stone interview on Broken Record. I would love to ask Jeff Ament (who seems to get credit as the chief audiophile in the band) about the glut of different mixes now. How he thinks that affects life as a music appreciator. I personally think that I'd hate it as an artist to have my art so vulnerable to shitty streaming services and/or mixing for ear buds.
ive found w eq settings and a few other tricks i like how it sounds on spotify. its loud and full and very present. there are places it is not ideal (setting sun can be jarring in the way just breathe was) but its never been a problem for me
higgs, how are you listening?
it is annoying thats a question that needs asking
I had this same thought while listening to the Jeff and Stone interview on Broken Record. I would love to ask Jeff Ament (who seems to get credit as the chief audiophile in the band) about the glut of different mixes now. How he thinks that affects life as a music appreciator. I personally think that I'd hate it as an artist to have my art so vulnerable to shitty streaming services and/or mixing for ear buds.
I agree. One factor that's definitely at play is we are talking about 50-60 year old dudes who have spent much of their adult lives on a loud stage. We'd be naive to think hearing loss isn't affecting how the band themselves perceives their own mixes.
Niche subset of this Howard Stern post, specifically the Yellow Ledbetter video:
Close-ups of Mike's pedal board. I can identify the MXR flanger, script logo Phase 90, and UniVibe, and Carbon Copy delay (a surprising amount of MXR -- for a guy who could get any hand-built boutique thing in the world, he has a pedal board you could put together at Guitar Center for like $800 plus that big switcher). I also see a Line 6 delay (hard to miss) and a Boss Vibrato. Can't make out what the golden pedal is or the one to the left of that (black with white writing). And obviously a wah though I don't recognize the logo.
I know there used to be a place to talk gear but it seems to have disappeared. Anyone else geek out to this stuff and have insight on the right half of Mike's board?
I was actually quite pleased to the see the carbon copy delay. i thought he had just been utilizing the digital line 6 for so long now. The carbon copy is one of the best/most affordable delay pedals and i absolutely love mine. It seems to be at the top of most players lists for best all around.
I cant pick out what overdrive he is using though.
To my eyes, the beginning of the chain looks like a Mission expression pedal, a barely visible gold pedal (overdrive?) followed by an EHX Stereo Electric Mistress - and then the MXR Flanger, Phase 90, etc.
Mission make (or used to make) a wah but it's purple, so I'm leaning towards it being an expression controller instead, which means Mike could be relying on a digital wah from the switcher/multi-effect.
The switch is placed too close to the bottom of the enclosure and, unlike the MXR, there's no text in that spot.
When stone goes over there and hits that, what looks like a mission expression pedal, it certainly sounded like a wah to me......so im confused!
I think that switcher also has effects, so I'm presuming he has it set-up to act like a wah.
His board now stresses me out. Time for a rig rundown!
I was going to say the gold one is the Wampler Tumnus but can't make out the detail design (if any).
My thoughts first went to the Tumnus on the gold one, but from another angle it looks like it has maybe brown knobs so I'm not convinced. He has to have some kind of mid-boosting drive because I can hear it. Maybe it's just an empty box controlling something in the switcher (kind of like the theory of that expression pedal acting like a wah).
My only other thought is that he is rocking an absolute brigade of modulation. If that is an electric mistress, he's got a flange/chorus, flange, phaser, univibe, vibrato all stacked. That's a lot of wibbly wobbliness.
This mini-thread inside the thread has just made my morning. I love solving mysteries and I love guitar pedals so this was a treat.
Could also be a J Rocket Archer or one of those Klon clone pedals too I'd love to know what that overdrive pedal is That overdrive sound he gets on Scared of Fear (Howards Version) sounds great Would've thought he'd have a fuzz on the board somewhere too given his love for Jimi & SRV & getting that cocked Wah and Fuzz sound
Could also just be a custom pedal made by some dude he knows!
Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 2:01 pm
A Return To Form
Joined: Sat July 13, 2013 2:16 am Posts: 110
For me, the Apple Atmos mix through AirPods has been the best listening experience. Listening in my car or through speakers at home is a lot louder and more distorted.
Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 2:11 pm
Future Drummer
Joined: Mon July 08, 2013 5:47 pm Posts: 3062 Location: Louisville, KY
BoltofLightning wrote:
For me, the Apple Atmos mix through AirPods has been the best listening experience. Listening in my car or through speakers at home is a lot louder and more distorted.
I've also tried this. But when R/R starts, the volume drop compared to Scared of Fear frustrates my ears. Seems like if Scared of Fear doesn't come through the same way as the rest of the album to me. Do you also experience this with the atmos/airpod combo? Or am i just not atmos-ing correctly?
Post subject: Re: Dark Matter: Official Album Thread
Posted: Fri April 26, 2024 2:13 pm
Future Drummer
Joined: Mon July 08, 2013 5:47 pm Posts: 2310
Higgs wrote:
washing machine wrote:
"we had our own thing" is my favorite line on this album. This will get bottom paged, but before it does I want to thank you all for coming to my TED talk.
I enjoy the "Baby Baby" he let's go in React/Respond and also "Arrested the press, no one knows what happened next!" from Dark Matter.
The "yeah, baby baby" is definitely a sneaky highlight.
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