Andy's Mixes

[daemon097]

Okay - well, we will all agree that Andy's mixes sound very good....I mean, as a metal listener, when you hear that an album is being mixed or recorded/mixed by Andy, you know it's going to sound pretty damn good and you'll look forward to a good release..

Now the question is: do you think his mixes all sound somewhat the same?

It's almost like a catch 22 sorta thing....

You know - listening to the stuff Rick Rubin does, I would have to say that....just about everything that guy does sound like utter crap....I really don't like how anything sounds when he's affiliated with it...but, I will have to say that...everything he does sounds really different.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Mmmm, good question. I think that Andy's jobs are quite different from each other when he's allowed (time and budgetwise) to play around, experiment (yes, I'm sure he's learning things everyday as well, even maybe from this forum)... But of course, when you ask a guy to mix 3 albums at the same time in a week or two (this is an example, we all know he is very very busy), just don't expect the sound to be incredibly different each time, there's just not enough time to search for that, he must go straight to the point, to what he knows will work...
Moreover, or anyway, most of the sound comes from the band, not from Andy (unless some very particular cases). Different and interesting bands sound different (Testament, Nevermore, Arch Enemy, Opeth to name a few...). Copies sound like copies...

Just my opinion

Brett

 

[axeman720]

Most mix engineers have a pretty distinct sound, thats what people are paying for. The Sneap sound, the nordstrom sound, the elliot scheiner, steve albini, bruce swedien sound etc.. We as engineers provide an artistic yet slightly predictable service due to the EXPECTED end product. Things will sound similar yes, but its up to the band and its listener to decide if its boring to them or exactly what they are looking for in the vision of their work.

I know a record mixed by andy within the first minute of hearing it, i think thats something that should make andy and his clients happy. He is consistently providing the product that they ask for.

Or i could simply say if it aint broke dont fix it!

 

[unsilpauly]

Okay - well, we will all agree that Andy's mixes sound very good....I mean, as a metal listener, when you hear that an album is being mixed or recorded/mixed by Andy, you know it's going to sound pretty damn good and you'll look forward to a good release..

Now the question is: do you think his mixes all sound somewhat the same?

It's almost like a catch 22 sorta thing....

You know - listening to the stuff Rick Rubin does, I would have to say that....just about everything that guy does sound like utter crap....I really don't like how anything sounds when he's affiliated with it...but, I will have to say that...everything he does sounds really different.

rubin is a great producer. he excels in all genres he works with. i dont know of too many other producers who can go from the beasties to slayer to chili peppers to soad to johnny cash. i mean give the guy some credit. and the fact that he did all of those bands best albums.

 

[Exsanguis]

I don't know if Andy has a "sound," but I do think that the cleanness of his mixes is a very recognizable feature of his work. As far as other mix engineers are concerned, some are more recognizable than others. For example, I always have a hard time naming Nordstrom mixes. Now, while I do think he has a characteristic style, I also think that so many people have taken their cues from his work that "his sound" has been more or less established as a standard for good metal production. Personally, my favorite metal mixer/producer is Daniel Bergstrand, as I love how he sounds so different from everyone else, but not at all bad(to me at least).

 

[daemon097]

well, the way I would look at things is...when you pay for a particular mixer, you pay for somebody who's qualified, and can make a band sound the best they can...for what they sound like.

I suppose I just wanna hear a bigger difference between bands. different snare tone...a different kick tone. hey - how about a release that DOESN'T have a dual rectifier anywhere in there....or that similar sort of fizzy recifier tone.

The only reason I mentioned Rick Rubin...is you look at Slayer's albums...regardless of what you think of their albums (I personally think they don't sound great. they ARE the mighty slayer, but production-wise...eh.....), they all seem to sound different. The same with this new Slipknot...totally different sorta sound than their previous albums, and anything really out there for that matter...(guitars, snare, kick, etc...) And then there's the new System of a Down. I have to say - Rick's got quite a knack for making them sound like utter shit, but atleast the guy is making an effort to try and make things sound different.

Okay - their new album doesn't sound that bad...it's definitely a step in the right direction.

..maybe you're right Brett...maybe time is an issue....

 

[James Murphy]

well, the way I would look at things is...when you pay for a particular mixer, you pay for somebody who's qualified, and can make a band sound the best they can...for what they sound like.

I suppose I just wanna hear a bigger difference between bands. different snare tone...a different kick tone. hey - how about a release that DOESN'T have a dual rectifier anywhere in there....or that similar sort of fizzy recifier tone.

The only reason I mentioned Rick Rubin...is you look at Slayer's albums...regardless of what you think of their albums (I personally think they don't sound great. they ARE the mighty slayer, but production-wise...eh.....), they all seem to sound different. The same with this new Slipknot...totally different sorta sound than their previous albums, and anything really out there for that matter...(guitars, snare, kick, etc...) And then there's the new System of a Down. I have to say - Rick's got quite a knack for making them sound like utter shit, but atleast the guy is making an effort to try and make things sound different.

Okay - their new album doesn't sound that bad...it's definitely a step in the right direction.

..maybe you're right Brett...maybe time is an issue....

give me quality "same-ness" over shitty variety any day... that is a no-brainer. that said, i do not agree that Andy's mixes all sound the same.... WOS, AOR, DHIADW, EOG, TG, EOR remixes, and even what i recall from weeks of being exosed to TGE in progress to completion recently... the unifying quality is.... well, quality. you know, things like balance punchiness, clarity, etc... Andy owns about 8 guitar amp heads with more on the way.. how much more variety could you ask for??

if you are suggesting that Andy, or any producer for that matter, should deliberately turn in "less than" work in order to have more "variety"... man, your head's all wrong imho.

 

[adrianvillan]

as long as nobody starts to imitate the new St Anger Metallica album, I can live with some "shittyness" I was pleasantly surprised to hear Andy's productions. Coming from the old school metal. Death and thrash sounded horrible. Napalm, carcass,and the first Death albums were mush...Being a guitar player I hated trying to figure out what was actually being played back then. i tink now the quality of metal in general is better.

 

[daemon097]

Actually, I'm not suggesting less quality for the sake of more variety. I'm looking high quality and variety at the same time..

Rick Rubin is probably not as good an example...because I don't care for his productions, but I do admire the fact that everything he does always sound different.
In a way, I could say the same thing about metallica as a band...and except for their first and last album, the production on their albums has been pretty good, and different on each album.

For example - maybe this isn't a big deal for any of you guys...but do any of you remember when you heard anything off of '...And Justice for All?" What did you think of the drums? The snare tone...the kick..then the guitar tone....(let's just skip the bass because they apparently did as well...) You will definitely remember those tones. Same with ATG 'Slaughter of the Souls' guitar tone...or....Carcass ' Heartwork guitars.

...I guess that's what I'm looking for...that album that's sick...not just because the music is sick, but it sounds amazing (which Andy ALWAYS does) and just really stands out.