katatonia - how do they get there sound

[another-desire]

hi

i was wondering if anyone new how kataonia gets there really deep sounds, they seem to be able to pull of a really heavy and deep distortion and then go to a very mellow clean sound which still keeps the same depth and clarity.
i know they use the boss gt8 and gt3 but i also have the gt8 and i have never been able to work out the secret!!!!

does anyone have any ideas on this?

 

[Vincent J.]

You can get far with mixing and mastering, so I wouldn't necesarily pay too much attention to the sound on the albums.
I'm not saying the good sound is product of that, but it might give just that little touch you're looking for

 

[MadTinus]

THEIR sound.

 

[Skaldir]

THEIR sound.

Argh... the spelling-nazi strikes back

@topic
For the rhythm guitars... on the studiorecording they used real amps with their distortion. So the gt-3 is more of an effect board for lead and clean.

 

[MadTinus]

I couldn't resist.. It was just too disturbing.

 

[i aint play this]

^yeah ffs

 

[EternityRites]

I imagine downtuning is some of it

 

[MadTinus]

^yeah ffs

Just like people writing 'they are' as 'their'...

 

[requiem]

Mastering is a magical tool, but it still takes decent gear, and I guess they have the luxury of several great endorsements to ensure that they are able to create such a sound in the first place.

My band Rainshadow has often been said to have a decent sound, but this has nothing to do with me really. We use good equipment (not mine!) and have been lucky enough to have a guy record it who knows what he's doing as well as a great masterer. It basically comes down to that I guess.

 

[myownsilence]

Downtuning and the Demonizer pedal no doubt about it..


plus some intense production on the album using sidechaining to pump the drums and bass.

 

[Vincent J.]

Downtuning and the Demonizer pedal no doubt about it..


plus some intense production on the album using sidechaining to pump the drums and bass.

What's sidechaining?

 

[Skaldir]

What's sidechaining?

You sidechain a signal with another.. for example, a radiosong and when somebody speaks, the radiosong will be very quiet, because the voice is kinda the trigger signal.

But I'd like to know what signals myownsilence thinks have been sidechained

 

[Skaldir]

Or you can use the bassdrum as the signal and when a hit appears it lowers the Bassguitar for a few milliseconds, so that the Bassdrum has more "space" in the low frequency range.

 

[Vincent J.]

Or you can use the bassdrum as the signal and when a hit appears it lowers the Bassguitar for a few milliseconds, so that the Bassdrum has more "space" in the low frequency range.

Doesn't that happen anyway?
Anyway in "amateur" recordings.
I recorded some stuff with two friends and we placed two H20 Samson overheads (for a set of two 120 euro) above my set, a Samson bassmic (50 euro) in front of the bassdrum and a Shure SM 57 on the snare.

What happened is when I played on my ride (more audible cause the sound waves on, unlike the short hits on the closed hihat) and hit the bassdrum the higher frequencies were kinda blocked out.

Btw, is it normal the bassdrum sounds way better when you put the mic 60 cm in front of it instead of close?
I experimented with that and the further away we put the mic the better it sounded... untill of course there were too much outside noises like the snare that it started picking up too much.
Ah well, I just have never seen the mic so far away in pictures etc.

 

[Phoenix5]

Edit: woops. bad post.

 

[myownsilence]

you are correct, the bass drum is sidechained with the bass guitar so it can push the bass below the drum and allow it to squeeze in and take over, thus producing a punch to the sound.

its been well produced by some experienced engineers and a lot of the additional cost I imagine that katatonia would have spent (as opposed to on Viva recorded in same place) will have gone on time for the engineer to experiment and get the sound of the latest album.

But guitar wise its a lot to do with that demonizer.. buy one!

 

[Daniel L.]

you´re wrong...all.

 

[paradoxile]

you´re wrong...all.

you tell them oh mighty lord of icebang!!!

 

[Vincent J.]

you´re wrong...all.

Please enlighten us of your almighty drumrecording techniques!