Andy: On reference CDs

[Nostalgiaplatz]

Do you still use any today, if so, which?

All those that aren't Andy are also invited to speak about this subject that I am particularly curious about

 

[moose209]

killswitch - obvious
deftones - deftones - the drums are huge
fear factory - obsolete
machine head - burn my eyes

yes i am a nu metal kid...

 

[Matt Smith]

I have a 5-disc changer in the studio for references. The black album never leaves slot #1. There are always a couple of Andy's works in there (Exodus-Tempo, Kreator, etc.), and then something closer to our style (Edguy, Masterplan, etc...probably a Mikko Karmilla mix).

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Testament - The Gathering
Nevermore - Dead Heart in a Dead World
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavour
Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine

Do you think I have an obsession really ???

 

[Coraje]

Excuse my ignorance on the subject but....What do you guys look for in reference cds? do you use them for mixing(levels, eq) or also to get some similar sounds in the recording stage?

 

[Hammer Bart]

^^^ Nah man, mainly for stealing riffs and solos

Seriously though, I think both sounds and levels, as I fit in with the noobs.

I like Brett's list and would add:
Soilwork - Natural Born Chaos
Opeth - Ghost Reveries

 

[Matt Crooks]

Testament - the Gathering & Low (for tones and levels)
Iced Earth - Alive in Athens (for guitar tones)
Dream Theater - Awake (for drum tones)
Nevermore - Dead Heart (for tones and levels)

 

[cobhc]

Testament - the Gathering & Low (for tones and levels)
Iced Earth - Alive in Athens (for guitar tones)
Dream Theater - Awake (for drum tones)
Nevermore - Dead Heart (for tones and levels)

someone else who loves the drums on awake, i love the whole production on that album!

 

[MKS]

Chimaira (Self-Titled)
Dream Theater "Train of Thought" - Drums & Guitar are perfect on this CD
KSE "The End of Heartache"
Trivium "Ascendancy"
O.S.I. (Self Titled)

Not that I will ever be able to emulate the quality of any of the CD's listed. It's always nice to pretend.

 

[Kenny Lee]

Testament- The Gathering
Pantera- The Great Southern Trendkill
Dimmu- Puritanical (How did they get that C.D. so LOUD!!!!!)
Dying Fetus- Destroy The Opposition- drum sound is clear,can hear everything Kev hits!!!

 

[cobhc]

omg gorilla, that dimmu album is awesome, yeah your right, soooooooo loud and the drums are awesome imo

 

[xmidihcx]

fuggedaboudit! dream theater's drums always sound just right! I use it as a reference and then I tweak it so it sounds more deathy (if thats even possible)

oh oh, also listen to TOOL as a reference. they have some siiick drum and bass tones on lateralus and undertow imho. good luck getting adam jones' sound though lol dont kill urself or waste too much studio time, been there.

if ur into very punchy drums, check out lamb of god's cds, especially ashes of the wake. i beleive that was a natural kit, prob sampled and triggered though.

311 always delivers a nice punchy, tight snare. u might wanna ref that.

true story: i once met a producer who references all his songs to mandy moore - candy. he claims it sounded 3x louder than any other mastered track. i dont remember what it sounded like but i can't tolerate that bullshit. maybe u might wanna skip that suggestion for now and save it for mastering.

more importantly:

reference to the shit that you LOVE! F the world, go with the sounds that YOU and the band LOVES. when ur eq'ing and u start to see drooling and hear "ooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh w/ ::constipated face::::" you know that you are getting closer and closer to that ultimate SOUND!

 

[Black neon bob]

For overall mix, i would say:
- Testament - "the gathering" as well... thanks to Killdivision, he tipped me in on that one!

- Dimmu borgir - "puritanical".. like Kenny said.. that thing sounds LOUD and huge.. plus the guitars on that beauty are simply amazing!

- Spiritual beggars - "ad astra".. really a solid record.. drums sound BIG on it, the guitars are low and evil, i love the whole mix on it.

 

[JV]

I gave up using Andy's CD's for a reference......It's to depressing.!!!

 

[carl@laruso.com]

It changes for me depending on what i'm working on for example i've just finished mastering a Metalica cover for a british band who landed a spot on a tribute cd.... the mix was in the style of 36 crazyfist's second record

So I had a good listen to that and got my ears all used to it.... then i did some work a/b'ing all the time then... then, cos the record is gonna be in the mainstreem I started to a/b to things like lost prophetts "start something" for level... noticed it was louder than the crazy fist record... so made a compromise on level between the two.

when i reconed it was finished i dithered it and put it down to 44/16.

after i'd done that i made a playlist in media player with loads of random stuff on it... today was tracks from, head automatica, motly crew, crazyfists, kill switch, crystal meth and alter bridge (yeah random i know)

and swaped my track around listening to the end of the last one and the begining of mine...the end of mine and the begining of the next one.... loud and quiet.... full range, just ns10's and pc speakers (to emulate a crappy kitchen stereo) (my mackie big knob is AWESOME for this)

and then made a couple of amendments. so yeah anyways thats what i use to reference.... not cd's, but wave files in playlists (NOTE not mp3's...Wave files)

Hope that helps mate,

C

 

[guitarguru777]

A mainstay for me has always been The Black Album

Recently:
Nevermores TGE for guitars
Awake for Bass and Drums

and just about 99.9% of the rest of andys catalog

 

[STINNETT]

Nevermore - TGE is a good reference for just about everything!

Decapitated - Nihility and The Negation - for drums and guitar tone. I love that tone!

Carcass - Heartwork - Do I even have to say?

Evergrey - The Inner Circle - This has a very distinct guitar sound that I don't necessarily shoot for, but for some reason I always like to compare it to my sounds.

Lamb Of God - Ashes of The Wake - So I can remember how much is too much sometimes. Seriously, everything is loud as hell on this album.

There are also several others. I actually have several tracks off of these albums ripped to my computer and I often import them into a project so I can listen to them side by side with my tracks. That can change your whole direction sometimes.

 

[ArtisanBass]

This may be pessimistic. I haven't been delving into recording more than a few years. My philosophy is that every time I try to use an album that was built on better gear, and better people as s reference... I get nowhere near. When I find an album that I think sounds fairly good but maybe but wasn't built on a longer time budget or with a lot of gear, I can get closer.

Then again. Swallow The Sun 'The Morning Never Came' is a great sounding disc and that was recorded at a project studio.

 

[cobrahead1030]

metallica- the black album
kse- end of heartache
chimaira- (glad to see i'm not the only one!!)
arch enemy- wages of sin
lamb of god- as the palaces burn (to remind me how sloppy of a player i am...and something about the production i really like)

 

[chadsxe]

Then again. Swallow The Sun 'The Morning Never Came' is a great sounding disc and that was recorded at a project studio.

That just goes to show how much the MUSIC actually matters.....