Ask Romeo! *answers coming soon!*

[Jax]

It's that time again, time to Ask Romeo; send in your questions & Mike will pick his favorites to answer.

Remember, he's been asked the same old questions about his gear and so on a gazillion times, so try to be creative and come up with something unique, & the chances of him answering you will increase. A link to the questions and answers will be posted once they're completed, or I may just post them all here; we'll see how long it all is once it's done.

So let's see those questions!

[Edit: Between the mailing lists, the forum, and the MySpace page, I've received twenty bazillion questions for Mike, so I'm going to close the Ask Romeo thread at midnight EST tomorrow (Wednesday night) or he's never going to have enough time to read them all, much less answer any of them. So if you wanted to ask a question and haven't yet, please do so ASAP, and thanks to everyone who already sent in their questions!]

Jax

 

[Anonymous]

What is your favorite Star Wars movie?

 

[Sakya]

Lovecraft or Poe?

 

[Kenneth R.]

What do you see as the future for progressive music? (Seeing as, in a sense, what defines "progressive music" now has become an established genre where bands are doing a lot of the same kind of tried-and-true techniques, such as using odd time signatures and writing lengthy conceptual epics.) The question really is, where, in your opinion, does the genre advance from here?

 

[Iced Dog]

What do you think of Matt Barlow joining Pyramaze?

OR...

What metal bands are you currently impressed with?

 

[Horus]

Since I blew off last year's questions with stupidity, I figure I'd try to make my questions a bit more serious this year.

1. Are there any new up and coming bands that strike your interests?

2. What exactly inspired you to do a concept about Atlantis, and what were the exact sources from which you got the smaller facts in the concept plot?

3. Do you plan on making another instructional video or solo album?

4. When you wrote The Odyssey, how exactly did you write the Overture? Did you write all the different parts first and then go back to the Overture after? Or did you write everything around the Overture?

5. How does Symphony X as a band write their songs? Is it that you come in with a cool riff and the other band members just do their own thing over it? Or do you come in to rehearsal one day with specific ideas as to what the other instruments could do?

6. Do you ever play any songs off the S/T album live?

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7. What would you do if someone ever called you Michael James Juliet?

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Jax, if OBP actually finishes our demo before you close the thread,, would I allowed to ask for MJR's opinion on one or 2 songs? I know it's a bit arrogant, but it would be an honor to hear what he has to say about us.

 

[Meedleyx10]

1-Aside from from prog/metal.....what kinds of music you enjoy playing and listening to? Any particular artists?

2-With so many other anticipated releases lined up for this year (Rush, Dream Theater, etc.)....are there any that you are especially looking forward to?

 

[Renato]

Music oriented ones:

1. How do you approach the study of music by composers such as Williams and Stravinsky? Do you study every aspect of them (such as harmony, texture, melody, instrumentation, rhythmic patterns) or do you select something in particular, like Williams' instrumentation and Stravinsky's rhythm?

2. When you and Pinnella (and the others, but the two of you specially) study classical music, in general, trying to incorporate it in SX compositions, do you take an initial study point? Is there a particular era you guys study more, as it seems to be with the baroque and modern eras?

3. How much inclined is the band to ideas such as developing an identity as a "darker" band? Is it something you think it's just a period or a "permanent" shift?

 

[progmetaldan]

1. Favourite Country he's performed in?

2. Country he'd most like to perform in the future?

3. Band he most enjoys for Symphony X to open for/tour with, or would like to tour with in the future?

4. Sorry if this has already been asked, but what made him decide to use Caparison guitars, or how did he discover them? Did they contact him or did he just randomly happen to play one etc.?

 

[bball_1523]

1. When you were starting out as a beginning guitarist, how much did you practice each session? How long did it take before you could start performing in a metal?

2. Do you ever use soft-synths such as Reason 3.0, or Native Instruments programs?

3. How long did it take for you to build up your home studio? Must've cost a lot of money I bet!

4. Do you prefer tube amp or solid state/digital modeling sound?

 

[Xiatar]

My question is one I asked here on the list some time ago and nobody had an answer for, so lets go straight to the source:

Long time ago I found an mp3 somewhere on the net which was labeled: "Symphony X - Beethoven Concerto". It sounded very much like Symphony X with your typical sound and phrasing. But I've never, ever heard anything about where it might come from. Later, I found out that it was actually a Bach piece. Harpsichord Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052, first part, Allegro non troppo ed energico, to be more precise.

Did you record this? Maybe for 'The Dark Chapter'? Will this ever be properly released? (It is a very low quality mp3).

(Link to the old post: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...phony-x-bach-bwv-1052-concerto-recording.html)

 

[dparker88]

1. What are some good Classical musicians/music you would reccommend? I want to take a look into Classical music, especially seeing how it influences your music.

2. Are you planning on doing multiple cities within Australia? (If so, do Perth!!! )

3. Dunno if this has been asked/covered, but what inspired A Winter's Dream? That's an awesome song.

Lol... I can't think of anything... typically I will be full of questions once this is over.

4. Why do you guys kick ass?

 

[Anonymous]

Do you sometimes lurk this forum? You obviously never post but I mean, it IS your forum after all.. You must sneak a peak here and there right?

 

[Eternal Dragon]

5. How does Symphony X as a band write their songs? Is it that you come in with a cool riff and the other band members just do their own thing over it? Or do you come in to rehearsal one day with specific ideas as to what the other instruments could do?

I'm interested in that question also. I've always got the impression that you come up with all the ideas and then you go from there.

In particular i'd like to know how effective it is making a song by yourself then jamming with the band, compared to taking a single riff and letting the band come up with the rest. Both in regards to how awesome the song is and how long it takes to finish the song.

 

[rockmanxpr]

1- What equipement are you using to record the guitars on the new Album? Also any particular settings that are different from previous recordings? Thanks and hope to see SX in the bay area again, and this you don't have to put on a free show Hell, I would have paid $60 that night, you guys were so dead on!

 

[Progbass]

When composing some part/song, do you ever think "this is too common, have to make it more original, or more prog"?

 

[Pharaoh]

Hi Mike. Looking forward to seeing you on tour again.

1) Your fan club CD was great. Will you have any more to offer us?

2) When the band is not touring or recording, do you have much contact, or do you all tend to your private lives and families?

Thanks and best wishes. Stu

 

[dparker88]

Hi Mike. Looking forward to seeing you on tour again.
1) Your fan club CD was great. Will you have any more to offer us?

I think it said on the church of the machine site that they wouldn't be doing anymore. That would be shame if so.

 

[Earth Breather]

1. Do you think learning how to play piano benefited your guitar playing as well as your concept of music in general? If so, would you recommend learning how to play piano?

2. How did you progress as far as technique, rhythm, and ear training goes. By playing exercises to a metronome, or by learning songs and solos by your favorite bands?

3. Would you recommend getting as much knowledge as possible on recording equipment and the like at an early stage such as high school student?

4. How are your practice sessions nowadays and what do you do to keep your chops in shape?

5. On your upcoming US tour with Sanctity, will you be playing PL in it's entirety? Or will you guys play a mix of PL as well as some excellent fan favorites?

 

[dparker88]

Oh yeah, remembered one question.

The short bass solo in "In The Dragon's Den" is awesome. Do you happen to know if it's tapped out? I have a guitar pro tab for the song, which has it fingered... just looks way too brutal that way. Haha.
I know your the guitarist lol, just wondering if you happened to know.