JENS BOGREN - my new hero

[Jens Bogren]

Hello guys!

Sorry for not posting here in quite a while, been very busy with everything. Moved to a new place last year, built it from scratch and focusing more on mixing. I'll still do a few cool productions every year though, but it's easier to have a life (and a wife!) doing mostly mixing. Some cool projects recently, Soilwork and Enslaved being 2 of them, and a new album with James Labrie (Dreamtheater). I've been thinking about launching a Facebook page for the studio, I think it'd be easier for me to answer questions there.

Regarding bass on TGCD, can't remember! I know I used 2 mics that worked in mono but sounded great in stereo (!) together with a distorted center signal, probably Sansamp. Worked out great for that album.

Yes, I'm usually using Steven Slate samples these days, but the last couple of albums are being less trigged. Frankly, I don't like triggering, but what do you do when the drums sound like arse.

On guitars, I never use exactly the same guitar setup twice (amp/cab/mics/pres), but I own the MF400 cab (not much love lately), a Rectifier cab with Vintage 30's (really good cab), and a Marshall V30. I also use what comes through the door if I can make it work.

Cheers for now! /Jens

 

[Melb_shredder]

Thanks for posting Jens, your presence here is much appreciated! Definitely see what you can do about a Facebook or something, it's cheap and easy really hehe! All the best, and thanks for clearing some things up! I'm sure the others have heaps of questions though haha

 

[Deadstar]

nice Jens! u're a legend. Looking forward to hear the new stuff from soilwork

 

[lolzgreg]

Jens, thanks a lot for dropping in to post. You're definitely one of my favorite engineers along side Sneap and Bendeth.

 

[MetalSound]

just one short question:

how did you handle those millions of snare ghost notes on katatonia´s tgcd?
are they triggered or did you just replace the actual hard hits and left the ghost notes "real"?

thanx for your time!

 

[DanLights]

just one short question:

how did you handle those millions of snare ghost notes on katatonia´s tgcd?
are they triggered or did you just replace the actual hard hits and left the ghost notes "real"?

thanx for your time!

He seems to pass by every two years or so, so don't wait with a project on standby for this one

 

[Jens Bogren]

just one short question:

how did you handle those millions of snare ghost notes on katatonia´s tgcd?
are they triggered or did you just replace the actual hard hits and left the ghost notes "real"?

thanx for your time!

Hi! I don't trig ghost notes unless I absolutely have to. I usually use a lot of real snare, especially if ghost notes are common. Heavy compression and x-tra compression of the snare side mic and a lot of automation is the key to make it work. That particular album has very little triggering going on.
IF I trig ghost notes, I do that on a separate track so I can EQ the ghost samples a little differently to sit better in the track.

 

[Morgan C]

Hi! I don't trig ghost notes unless I absolutely have to. I usually use a lot of real snare, especially if ghost notes are common. Heavy compression and x-tra compression of the snare side mic and a lot of automation is the key to make it work. That particular album has very little triggering going on.
IF I trig ghost notes, I do that on a separate track so I can EQ the ghost samples a little differently to sit better in the track.

Mind elaborating on this snare side-mic? Every time I've tried I've gotten a really weird sound, really middy.. very thin but with a muffled highend as well. Not really useable, and very phasey if I try blend it in with the top/bot mics.

 

[Behind]

Hello! Thankyou for taking the time. It's a pleasure to read you!

I have one question regarding last Paradise Lost album. Could you give some details on what's going on the rythm guitars. It would be great if you could give some details on the amps and cabs used.

 

[Raptor7]

Hello! Thankyou for taking the time. It's a pleasure to read you!

I have one question regarding last Paradise Lost album. Could you give some details on what's going on the rythm guitars. It would be great if you could give some details on the amps and cabs used.

..and drums pls. Is there something replaced after the tracking? I mean, apart of cymbals or course, the toms especially sound perfect.

 

[MetalSound]

He seems to pass by every two years or so, so don't wait with a project on standby for this one

Hi! I don't trig ghost notes unless I absolutely have to. I usually use a lot of real snare, especially if ghost notes are common. Heavy compression and x-tra compression of the snare side mic and a lot of automation is the key to make it work. That particular album has very little triggering going on.
IF I trig ghost notes, I do that on a separate track so I can EQ the ghost samples a little differently to sit better in the track.

thanx for your answer. must be a pleasure to record bands that actually can play their shit...

 

[Deadstar]

How d'u mostly process vocals and ambience in general Jens? comparing your work with TGCD with The new Castillo mix it seems he uses way more reverb/delay than u but still ur mix sounds deeper and fatter

 

[Jens Bogren]

Snare side:

I used to use a Milab VM41, but these days I use a Beta 57. Great complement to the SM57 (which I don't like at all on the snare side). I place it similar to the top mic, perhaps a bit closer to the middle and slightly further away from the head. And phase shift the signal, of course. Works for me! On some mixes I hardly use it though, depends on the snare. I often use really wide snare-springs (10 cm or more), or thinner of great quality (copper).

Guitars on the new PL album:

Damn, my memory is good, but short.. I think we used Mesa (Rectifier Roadking 2) together with Krank Krankenstein. Mesa through Marshall V30, and Krank through Mesa V30.

Drums:

Very little triggering on that album, and certainly not on toms. The dude playing was actually the drum tech on Katatonia's TGCD, so he knows his shit. Plays like a god, I LOVE the drums on that album. Funny thing though, I read comments to some review after the release were someone complained about the drums not being trigged enough.

Vocals on TGCD (or in general):

Though one, vocals is really hard. I wish there was a secret formula that works every time. Back then my gearlist was pretty limited. Careful selection of mic, preamp, and one or more compressors to begin with. Getting the EQ completely right for vocals can take hours, and will probably involve EQ automation and splitting between a few tracks (parallel processing of sorts, and/or different vocal tracks for different parts). It's so much about great performances as well, and the right amount of dubbing (if necessary) for each part. Fx wise i usually combine slap delay with a stereo delay and some reverb. Very little reverb in general though.

 

[SkybluestudiosBEN]

Hey Jens,

Ive only heard the new soilwork on myspace but the sound still blew me away! Did you do any reamping on that or was it all Peters guitar recording? If you did any reamping what amps/mics did you end up using?

Thanks again for supplying so much information already in this thread!

 

[Jens Bogren]

Hey Jens,

Ive only heard the new soilwork on myspace but the sound still blew me away! Did you do any reamping on that or was it all Peters guitar recording? If you did any reamping what amps/mics did you end up using?

Thanks again for supplying so much information already in this thread!

Thanks for that. The albums sounds pretty rockish, but I like it a lot! The guitars were not re-amped, I could work with the material Peter provided. 4x Engl SE, and he did a good job recording!

 

[lolzgreg]

Just a friendly bump. Hope to see you post again soon, Jens.

 

[Klosure]

I wanted to write in this thread, Jens has been a star in replying to myself and you lot too.

I think I felt relieved when I read this:

"Though one, vocals is really hard. I wish there was a secret formula that works every time. Back then my gearlist was pretty limited. Careful selection of mic, preamp, and one or more compressors to begin with. Getting the EQ completely right for vocals can take hours, and will probably involve EQ automation and splitting between a few tracks (parallel processing of sorts, and/or different vocal tracks for different parts). It's so much about great performances as well, and the right amount of dubbing (if necessary) for each part. Fx wise i usually combine slap delay with a stereo delay and some reverb. Very little reverb in general though."


I am pleased it takes you hours because that shows me that my time wondering how the hell you get stuff sounding so good is not me being a complete idiot.

If you do hapen to read up on this again ca I just ask a few questions that have been buggin me for years..

Could you tell us about your mastering and how your final mix compares. Do you do a lot at the mastering stage or do you tend to be finished by the end of the mix?

On guitars do you eq much? I know you use C4 on some stuff how do you approach your use with it.

Finally do you bother much with saturation plug ins or do you rely more on analog gear to provide that.

 

[hkollner]

How did I ever miss this thread?

 

[Keregioz]

Thanks for the bump, I totally missed this too. Jens is one of my favorite producers but I wasn't really aware of his work at the time this thread took place.

 

[ze kink]

Only recently noticed Jens mixed the single version of Dir en grey's 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇. No wonder it sounds so much better than the thin and abrasive album version that's got the beautiful sounding drums so lamely replaced with shotgun samples... A shame really, as it's a very good album but the mix isn't quite there. Wish Jens had mixed all of it...