Song of the Moment: Got Some

[Monkey_Driven]

why a faux master as opposed to a faux mix

Remixing implies the use of individual tracks; I'd say there are anywhere from 24 to 50 tracks on Got Some. A faux master just uses stereo stems, which is far more creatively limiting, and in this case probably means 8-10 stereo tracks that have already been mixed and mastered.

[Tuolumne]

This song is a great frickin jam. Love Matt Cameron on this, a Backspacer gem.

[tragabigzanda]

why a faux master as opposed to a faux mix

Remixing implies the use of individual tracks; I'd say there are anywhere from 24 to 50 tracks on Got Some. A faux master just uses stereo stems, which is far more creatively limiting, and in this case probably means 8-10 stereo tracks that have already been mixed and mastered.

I'll explain further:

Once the recording industry shifted to a digital production and delivery model, the record labels began mixing albums by committee; that is, they'd hire someone to do a mix, then share the mix with the entire band, management team, and A&R department, because it was so easy to just email the mix out. With so many opinions to be considered, engineers took up the habit of printing stereo "stems," two-track mix-downs that would typically look like this for a song like Got Some:

Drums + Percussion
Bass
Rhythm Guitars
Lead guitars
Keys
Vocals

That way, if one of the A&R guys said "Could I hear it with the vox a little louder?", it didn't require a full remix; the engineer could simply bring the vocal stems up 1 or dBs, a process that would take all of five minutes to edit and deliver. Whereas remixing a song like Got Some would probably have a track layout that looks something like this:

kick drum (in)
kick drum (out)
rack tom 1 (top)
rack tom 1 (bottom)
rack tom 2 (top)
rack tom 2 (bottom)
floor tom 1 (top)
floor tom 1 (bottom)
floor tom 2 (top)
floor tom 2 (bottom)
snare (top)
snare (bottom)
overhead left
over head right
Room mic 1
Room mic 2
Room mic 3

And that's just the drum setup. You get the idea.

[bodysnatcher]

Mic McCready, amirite??

[stip]

why a faux master as opposed to a faux mix

Remixing implies the use of individual tracks; I'd say there are anywhere from 24 to 50 tracks on Got Some. A faux master just uses stereo stems, which is far more creatively limiting, and in this case probably means 8-10 stereo tracks that have already been mixed and mastered.

I'll explain further:

Once the recording industry shifted to a digital production and delivery model, the record labels began mixing albums by committee; that is, they'd hire someone to do a mix, then share the mix with the entire band, management team, and A&R department, because it was so easy to just email the mix out. With so many opinions to be considered, engineers took up the habit of printing stereo "stems," two-track mix-downs that would typically look like this for a song like Got Some:

Drums + Percussion
Bass
Rhythm Guitars
Lead guitars
Keys
Vocals

That way, if one of the A&R guys said "Could I hear it with the vox a little louder?", it didn't require a full remix; the engineer could simply bring the vocal stems up 1 or dBs, a process that would take all of five minutes to edit and deliver. Whereas remixing a song like Got Some would probably have a track layout that looks something like this:

kick drum (in)
kick drum (out)
rack tom 1 (top)
rack tom 1 (bottom)
rack tom 2 (top)
rack tom 2 (bottom)
floor tom 1 (top)
floor tom 1 (bottom)
floor tom 2 (top)
floor tom 2 (bottom)
snare (top)
snare (bottom)
overhead left
over head right
Room mic 1
Room mic 2
Room mic 3

And that's just the drum setup. You get the idea.

thanks

[swan]

Still love that ass-kicking debut version on Conan's first Tonight Show episode

[evenslow]

Fat Ed and Mike is WAY too high in the mix but it's fun.

[tragabigzanda]

Wow, thanks evenslow. Hadn't seen that for years. That version rips.

[Birds in Hell]

The one and only time they performed the song in its original key, if I’m not mistaken.

[mikejasond]

I feel like if you didn't ever listen to Pearl Jam and just watched this clip you'd think they were horrible. I feel like you guys are lowering your standards because you've watched everything they've ever done.

[Higgs]

That was pretty kewl.

[WtOB?]

someone got paid top dollar to do that awful mix.

[Monkey_Driven]

Ha, Ed looks better now that he did then.

I remember being really excited for Backspacer about that performance. Those were the days...

[Leatherhead]

I feel like if you didn't ever listen to Pearl Jam and just watched this clip you'd think they were horrible. I feel like you guys are lowering your standards because you've watched everything they've ever done.

No. Good song. Good performance.

[tragabigzanda]

I really like Stone' headbanging around the 2:00 mark, and then again at the end.

[Anders]

Yes, very cool version.

[EJ]

yeah, that's a lot more blistering than I remember. nice.

[mikejasond]

I dunno what you guys are hearing, Eddie is barely audible and he sounds awful even if he was heard.

The tolerance of a lead singer who can't sing his own songs is so weird.

[VinylGuy]

Yeah, the mix of that performance was bad.

Loved the energy though.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I love how EV goes to stand on the drum stage so he doesn't look so short next to Conan.