How do you listen to........

If it's an album I'm really really anticipating I'll just do the standard lie in bed with headphones on, reading the inlay. If it's just a new album I've picked up out of curiosity or whatever I'll just import the CD into iTunes and listen to it on my iPod when I'm walking somewhere, or on the bus or something. For Watershed it will definitely be a go-to-my-room-switch-off-my-phone-tell-my-parents-not-to-bother-me-for-an-hour-or-so situation.
 
No downloads or listening to of singles for me, if its a major favorite band - opeth, arcturus, vintersorg, tyr etc.

It's strange how much prep work goes into getting a new album. I make sure I have nothing to worry about, like homework etc, i really set aside some time. I like to put it on my parent's awesome soundsystem, turn down the lights, light a couple of candles, and of course have 1 or 2 beers. Always by myself.

When Bondage Goat Zombie came out I sort of broke my own rule and just tore the package apart and threw that sucker on and hit play :lol: I guess it differs for extreme metal vs calmer shit like opeth.
 
rrjii2000 said:
I typically Import the entire CD into a pro-tools project, spark one up and listen. Once I have it in my DAW, I can EQ and pan sections as needed. Not that the song typically needs it, but sometimes it helps me hear more details. I also have a professionally calibrated EQ plug I run on my master fader that corrects for my listening space. This allows me to hear it as was in the studio, or pretty close to.

Turn off the lights
Light a few candles
Relax and enjoy!!!

Edit: Usually after 3 or 4 complete listens, I'll start listing in my car. I had a critical listening class at Berklee and they stressed that new material should be learned in the best "controlled environment" you have. This helps you hear what's actually there and not what your mind wants to hear. Have you ever mis-interpreted a part, then tried to learn the song days or even months later? It's a real pain in the ass once it gets stuck in there wrong. A good pair of head phones works great here too.
Click to expand...

This makes no sense at all to me personally. I'm a recording engineer, but there's no way I'd want to listen to an album for the first time on studio monitors- nor would I want to be able to EQ or pan anything. I don't think you should have to. And fine, if you're learning a song, you'd want to be able to clearly hear parts, but I certainly don't buy or listen to music so I can learn it myself... just seems a bit redundant.

I'm just curious as to why you find this way works best for you. I'm guessing you're a recording engineer... what monitors are you listening on? And what's this pro calibrated EQ plug... the IK multimedia one?


Anyway, for Watershed, I had a couple of waterfalls followed by a joint with my sister, and we listened to it on my home theater system. Then listened with some other mates in my car (new infinity setup, reasonably nice as far as listening in the car goes). On my third listen I used my Sennheiser HD650s.
 
Just a gram, dude? That's barely enough to roll a decent joint! Unless you live in California or Amsterdam, where the stuff grows oh so fantastic.

I guess not everybody shares my love of the fatty joints, though.

I'm basically the same way when it comes to picking up the new release of one of my favorite bands. I'll usually listen to some of it during the day, but the real experience is when it's time for me to go to sleep. I'll smoke a fat joint, get into bed, and start blasting the music.

It's always been the superior method of listening to new albums, for me. Or, heck, for any album, old or new.
 
I used to listen to every album all the way through. I stopped because I ran into alot of shitty albums that I had to stop mid way and because my cd collection grew so big that I just didnt have the time anymore.

Now, I just feel them out in the car stereo, and determine if they are good enough for a complete listen. Opeth of coarse, is exempt from this cycle. They get the full listen every time.
 
FuneralPortrait said:
This makes no sense at all to me personally. I'm a recording engineer, but there's no way I'd want to listen to an album for the first time on studio monitors- nor would I want to be able to EQ or pan anything. I don't think you should have to. And fine, if you're learning a song, you'd want to be able to clearly hear parts, but I certainly don't buy or listen to music so I can learn it myself... just seems a bit redundant.

I'm just curious as to why you find this way works best for you. I'm guessing you're a recording engineer... what monitors are you listening on? And what's this pro calibrated EQ plug... the IK multimedia one?


Anyway, for Watershed, I had a couple of waterfalls followed by a joint with my sister, and we listened to it on my home theater system. Then listened with some other mates in my car (new infinity setup, reasonably nice as far as listening in the car goes). On my third listen I used my Sennheiser HD650s.
Click to expand...

Waterfalls are insane man. :headbang:
 
I actually prefer distracting myself on first listen, that way I can subconsciously grow an affection towards the album. I'll browse the internet or play a video game or cook dinner. Then, on second listen, I wait until night, pop the CD on my surround sound stereo, smoke a BLUNT (the more weed, the merrier), and really observe the album.

I only smoke weed and listen to music if it's a band I really like, such as Opeth or Radiohead or King Crimson. Otherwise, it's just a waste of money. Although it does give a clarity and appreciation towards music which I can't muster up as well if I'm sober.
 
FuneralPortrait said:
This makes no sense at all to me personally. I'm a recording engineer, but there's no way I'd want to listen to an album for the first time on studio monitors- nor would I want to be able to EQ or pan anything. I don't think you should have to. And fine, if you're learning a song, you'd want to be able to clearly hear parts, but I certainly don't buy or listen to music so I can learn it myself... just seems a bit redundant.

I'm just curious as to why you find this way works best for you. I'm guessing you're a recording engineer... what monitors are you listening on? And what's this pro calibrated EQ plug... the IK multimedia one?


Anyway, for Watershed, I had a couple of waterfalls followed by a joint with my sister, and we listened to it on my home theater system. Then listened with some other mates in my car (new infinity setup, reasonably nice as far as listening in the car goes). On my third listen I used my Sennheiser HD650s.
Click to expand...


I'm not saying I always listen in the studio, but it's became sort of a tradition for me to take the first listen there. I use Genelec 1032's as my main monitors, and I use the ARC system on my master fader to eq the room.

After that I listen mostly in my car, or my Zune.
 
I lodge two moderately sized grapefruits in each of my armpits, line dance for 45 seconds, balance an orange bowl of fishball soup on my head then sit in front of a mirror and pull l33t metal poses :mad:
 
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