I should interview Micheal Romeo

[Plendakor]

So I'd get real fucking questions, not like those pussies out there not doing any research and asking the same stupid questions everytime.

I'd ask stuff about how he likes his guitar. I would even bring tools to measure it if he wanted to but he could probably tell me:

- each pick-ups height (treble/bass) on a 64th" scale
- neck relief, in thousands of a "
- what kind of frets ?
- strings height at fret 17
- why "dgcfad"
- has he tried scalloped necks ? how many guitars he has
Well, how about a full rig rundown ?

So all that would be covered under a minute so I could proceed to talk about production. Fuck those idiots asking "blehbleh where do you find your inspiration for orchestral stuff?"
I would talk about other stuff... Mac or PC, do you use many DAWs ? What are your favourite VSTs and VSTis (ok I know he uses Vienna) but like for EQs/Reverbs and a whole bunch of other things.
His tracking techniques (double/quadtrack?). Use of impulses ? Talk about his studio and his favourite pieces of gear.

Then some other stuff like is he a guitar teacher when not touring, is he a hunter/sportman whatever.. does he ride a moto. etc

i will never interview him but to the douches, stop with the stupid questions and ask some crispy ones.

 

[Marwen]

I hear you. I never read the interviews anymore because of that. But...

I'd ask stuff about how he likes his guitar. I would even bring tools to measure it if he wanted to but he could probably tell me:

- each pick-ups height (treble/bass) on a 64th" scale
- neck relief, in thousands of a "
- what kind of frets ?
- strings height at fret 17
- why "dgcfad"
- has he tried scalloped necks ? how many guitars he has
Well, how about a full rig rundown ?

Why? Do you like want to copy/paste his tone or something?

I might be interested in hearing his tone "philosophy" so to speak, but I couldn't care less what particular settings he uses to get his tone.

For example I was listening to Devin Townsend talking about his unique approach to delays/reverbs the other day, it was interesting. What wouldn't have been interesting is if he just cited his exact presets for people to replicate. I just think artists should be a source of inspiration not something to replicate. Replication in general is ruining metal. Just look at all the Dream Theater copies for instance.

I would talk about other stuff... Mac or PC, do you use many DAWs ? What are your favourite VSTs and VSTis (ok I know he uses Vienna) but like for EQs/Reverbs and a whole bunch of other things.
His tracking techniques (double/quadtrack?). Use of impulses ? Talk about his studio and his favourite pieces of gear.

Yeah I'd like to hear him go into more technical detail on how he approaches orchestration and production, instead of the usual "yeah I do a lot of orchestral stuff and I use vienna samples. It's cool man." I think he just thinks the majority of fans don't give a shit about that geeky stuff and just want to listen to the music and go to the shows and know when the next album is coming out, which is not a wrong assumption I'm afraid. But I'm sure he wouldn't mind if there was a more audio-inclined interviewer willing to arrange for a purely technical interview.

Then some other stuff like is he a guitar teacher when not touring, is he a hunter/sportman whatever.. does he ride a moto. etc

Aaaand back to who cares.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Yeah, those are totally "Hi, I'm 15 and idolize you" questions that don't really have much importance to the majority of this audience, nor to anyone interested in the inspiration for his music.

 

[UnholyCrusada]

Here's a better list of questions (in no particular order):

1. Considering that most recently you've taken to playing sets composed almost entirely of songs from your last 2 albums, do you still like your old albums anymore and will you be bringing back many more songs from them in the future?

2. V is one of my all-time favorite albums primarily due to the amazing orchestral segments, variety, and especially how it flows seamlessly from song to song giving the impression of a much bigger picture. Would you ever think of attempting another album in this style in the future?

3. The vast majority of songwriting from the previous two albums was done by yourself and Russel, whereas your earlier albums featured significant contribution from just about every member of the band. Is there any specific reason for having taken on the bulk of the composing yourself, and will that be the case for the next album as well?

4. You've mentioned in several interviews that you may attempt writing yet another 20+ minute epic for the following album. If this is the case, is there any pressure you may feel to top Divine Wings and the Odyssey, seeing as both songs (particularly the latter) are widely considered by fans to be the end-all-be-all of SX songs?

5. You also mentioned earlier this year that for your headlining spot on ProgPower XIII you would be performing a special setlist. Then in May you posted on your Facebook page "Hmm.. the Divine Wings cd is 15 years old this year.. how shall we commemorate this milestone.. *ponders*". Would these two comments happen to be connected in some way?

I'm sure I can think of a few more, but there's a start.

 

[donKyle]

I'd just be like, "Hey, what's up?"

If I was in a band, I'd probably get tired/annoyed of interviews pretty quickly.

 

[Plendakor]

Yeah, those are totally "Hi, I'm 15 and idolize you" questions that don't really have much importance to the majority of this audience, nor to anyone interested in the inspiration for his music.

Dude you're a fucking cunt

 

[Plendakor]

Why? Do you like want to copy/paste his tone or something?

Nope, I'm just very technical. I don't give a fuck about a tone and I don't need an interview to copy it when I can use an EQ analyser to match it with other gears/settings.

 

[Wander]

Your questions would be interesting for guitar players, but no-one else.

 

[RuRoRul]

I do find a lot of interviews ask pretty standard questions and don't really ask anything too interesting, but to be honest I'd find an interview with the questions posted even more boring. So I think it's a difference of opinion on what people are actually interested in reading rather than you being able to ask the questions that would make an amazing interview and everyone else just being pussies.

A lot of the time it's just up to the person being interviewed to make it interesting anyway. They can easily dodge or just give non-answers to probing questions, or they can decide to go in depth and talk about interesting things with just a general starting point.

 

[Wander]

Indeed.Usually, the quality of interviews have less to do with the interviewer than the interviewee. Devin Townsend is always interesting to listen no matter who he is talking to. Michael Romeo might not be naturally as talkative or something so that could be a part of it.

 

[Xiphos68]

I am very curious to know what he uses (programs) to compose the orchestrations he comes up with on Paradise Lost and Iconoclast.

 

[Marwen]

I am very curious to know what he uses (programs) to compose the orchestrations he comes up with on Paradise Lost and Iconoclast.

• In terms of DAW* he uses Nuendo. It's the "brother" of Cubase. They're the same except Nuendo is more expensive and has additional features suited for big studios (for example for recording a real orchestra) and working with picture (for example TV audio production). Cubase is more than enough for a regular music studio. I don't know why Mike chose Nuendo because he certainly won't need the extra features.
  
  Nuendo: http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/nuendo.html
  Cubase: http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/cubase/start.html
  
  (*a DAW is the main program that hosts all the instruments and effects, and where you can write, record and mix music. It's like a virtual studio.)

• For orchestra its mostly this (he said so):
  http://vsl.co.at/

• For choirs I think it's this (he didn't say it but I'm almost sure it's this):
  http://www.soundsonline.com/Symphonic-Choirs

 

[The Stormbringer]

- each pick-ups height (treble/bass) on a 64th" scale
- neck relief, in thousands of a "
- strings height at fret 17

I'd be surprised if Romeo even knew this as precisely as you'd want to. He doesn't seem like THAT much of a techhead.

 

[Postulate]

Mr. Romeo, were you aware that you look like Adam Sandler...

 

[donKyle]

I think he kind of looks like Chuck Billy.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Nope, I'm just very technical. I don't give a fuck about a tone and I don't need an interview to copy it when I can use an EQ analyser to match it with other gears/settings.

This declamation does not match your intended questions. Clearly, you want all the details to construct your own lightsaber.

 

[CantoX]

I would also like to know why DGCFAD.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

I would also like to know why DGCFAD.

I thought I heard MJR say once that "because it's darker and heavier," but I could be wrong.

 

[Isaac_de_Moorea]

I thought I heard MJR say once that "because it's darker and heavier," but I could be wrong.

I feel the guitar´s strings tuned in that way are, well, let´s say, "loose" (obviously). So, it requires less effort (I think, don´t know how to translate that feeling to english) to play most riffs, specially those ones with pull-offs or legatos. It may (I´m not sure, I haven´t played those Romeo´s tappings on E tuning) also could work well with tapping, specially if you are "jumping through strings" (I don´t recall the exact name for that technique, but let´s say, going from 1st to 3rd, 2nd to 5th, 3rd to 6th, etc. Most of you know it, don´t you???). Also, (obviously again), the lowest note is D, not E, so it will sound definitely more "darker and heavier" if you use it as your "pedal note". C tuning is too much for my taste, but dropped C works so well...

But, that´s just my opinion.

 

[Marwen]

I feel the guitar´s strings tuned in that way are, well, let´s say, "loose" (obviously). So, it requires less effort (I think, don´t know how to translate that feeling to english)

That's called strings "action".

I don't think that's the main factor since the 'looseness' is probably compensated for by using higher gauge (thicker) strings. When the strings are too loose you start to lose tone quality and you have to use thicker strings. I think it's more of a sound choice and has nothing to do with action and playability.

DGCFAD is actually not that low compared to most metal bands these days with the whole "the heavier the better" trend, all these even lower tunings and 7 and even 8 string guitars.

Personally I think DGCFAD is good to stick with for their style with a good balance between dark/heavy and not retarded.