Key aspects you like about Mr Sneaps Production and Mixing

[Jak3y]

Hello there

My name is Jake and I am from New Zealand..

Now I am extremely fond of Mr Sneaps production and mixing especially his work with Nevermore.

I have a Producers seminar coming up and I was wondering if I could get all your opinions on what is your fav work of his and why and even how he does it!!!

Your help would be muchly appreciated...

I personally love his drum sounds and his layering of guitars

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Just fucken metal bro!! Andy doesn't have any particular tricks up his sleeve, he's just got the perfect balance of everything. The way he does it, the band can't cheat. Nothing's overprocessed, it all sounds real and clear, yet still somehow has the tightness of a, say, Fear Factory album. Lots of mids on the guitars. No cheating.

For instance, Daniel Bergstrand is the man, but the thing is his sound plays a huge role on the record. (Of course, Andy plays a big role, too, but in a different way). Bergstrand can make a shitty riff sound great by using all sorts of tricks and different sounds for the instruments (ie really fat snare sounds -- see In Flames R2R)....Andy on the other hand lets the band play for themselves. He just gets the best possible sounds out of the band's instruments while still maintaining that raw, metal, live sound that's not over processed. OK I better stop teabagging Mr. Sneap before I get kicked out of this forum.

*edit--I didn't mean to sound like IF R2R has shitty riffs on it. Let's just say that when IF plays a riff that's not totally incredible, D.B. makes it sound totally incredible.

 

[Mendel]

Hello there

My name is Jake and I am from New Zealand..

Now I am extremely fond of Mr Sneaps production and mixing especially his work with Nevermore.

I have a Producers seminar coming up and I was wondering if I could get all your opinions on what is your fav work of his and why and even how he does it!!!

Your help would be muchly appreciated...

I personally love his drum sounds and his layering of guitars

wow you live in new zealand. my uncle lives there, i saw some pic,s that's really really buetiful !!

 

[Jak3y]

Just fucken metal bro!! Andy doesn't have any particular tricks up his sleeve, he's just got the perfect balance of everything. The way he does it, the band can't cheat. Nothing's overprocessed, it all sounds real and clear, yet still somehow has the tightness of a, say, Fear Factory album. Lots of mids on the guitars. No cheating.

For instance, Daniel Bergstrand is the man, but the thing is his sound plays a huge role on the record. (Of course, Andy plays a big role, too, but in a different way). Bergstrand can make a shitty riff sound great by using all sorts of tricks and different sounds for the instruments (ie really fat snare sounds -- see In Flames R2R)....Andy on the other hand lets the band play for themselves. He just gets the best possible sounds out of the band's instruments while still maintaining that raw, metal, live sound that's not over processed. OK I better stop teabagging Mr. Sneap before I get kicked out of this forum.

*edit--I didn't mean to sound like IF R2R has shitty riffs on it. Let's just say that when IF plays a riff that's not totally incredible, D.B. makes it sound totally incredible.

Man I never really thought that the guitars on his recordings had alot of MIDs.. but everything is definitly sonic and superb.. When I do my mixes I love listening to a few of his works before hand.. keeps my mind fresh and in turn they sound pretty tight and clean

I still reckon he uses a alot of processing.. but maybe he uses it correctly so you don't notice I reckon his C4 preset tightens things up also.. I wouldn't mind an explanation as to why!!

 

[Jak3y]

wow you live in new zealand. my uncle lives there, i saw some pic,s that's really really buetiful !!

It's plain amazing dude.. I was born and raised here.. and I play guitar and own a classic Valvestate 2 marshall VS265 stereo chorus..But i'll prob end up gettin a Marshall TSL 100 because I love a clean channel for clean solos.. as wella s brutal distortion.

I wish people actually put NZ on the world map in TV programmes... always Aussie but never here! Fuckers.

 

[Jak3y]

Just fucken metal bro!! Andy doesn't have any particular tricks up his sleeve, he's just got the perfect balance of everything. The way he does it, the band can't cheat. Nothing's overprocessed, it all sounds real and clear, yet still somehow has the tightness of a, say, Fear Factory album. Lots of mids on the guitars. No cheating.

For instance, Daniel Bergstrand is the man, but the thing is his sound plays a huge role on the record. (Of course, Andy plays a big role, too, but in a different way). Bergstrand can make a shitty riff sound great by using all sorts of tricks and different sounds for the instruments (ie really fat snare sounds -- see In Flames R2R)....Andy on the other hand lets the band play for themselves. He just gets the best possible sounds out of the band's instruments while still maintaining that raw, metal, live sound that's not over processed. OK I better stop teabagging Mr. Sneap before I get kicked out of this forum.

*edit--I didn't mean to sound like IF R2R has shitty riffs on it. Let's just say that when IF plays a riff that's not totally incredible, D.B. makes it sound totally incredible.

It would be a dream of mine to visit the Bay Area.. hopefully I can!

 

[Ermz]

I like the seperation he gets on his records more than anything. That feel that everything is notched, and fits into its own little nook and cranny gives the recordings an 'open' feeling, because the frequency spectrum tends to get very balanced.

I think occasionally I find his drum sounds a little too sterile, but that's pretty much the only complaint that I have. I really like what he does with guitars and how they sit in the mix.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Man I never really thought that the guitars on his recordings had alot of MIDs.. but everything is definitly sonic and superb.. When I do my mixes I love listening to a few of his works before hand.. keeps my mind fresh and in turn they sound pretty tight and clean

I still reckon he uses a alot of processing.. but maybe he uses it correctly so you don't notice I reckon his C4 preset tightens things up also.. I wouldn't mind an explanation as to why!!

Compared to most of the metal I listen to I'd say he captures a lot more mids than most sound guys...And yes, he does process the guitars a bit, but they don't sound processed, you know? An exception I'd give is the Trivium album--the guitars to me sound a bit played with, but it fits them well....

The bay area is beautiful but damn the weather here is crazy. You go out by the ocean and it's 57 degrees fahrenheit, then you drive an hour inland and it's 50 degrees warmer. We played a show tonight in Brentwood (northern cal.) and the thermometer read 110 degrees. San Francisco is a great city IMO.

 

[Razorjack]

An exception I'd give is the Trivium album--the guitars to me sound a bit played with, but it fits them well....

The first thing I thought when I heard the Trivium album is that they weren't using EMG's (hence extra processing), and according to a comment Andy made a little while back my thoughts were correct.

The bay area is beautiful but damn the weather here is crazy. You go out by the ocean and it's 57 degrees fahrenheit, then you drive an hour inland and it's 50 degrees warmer. We played a show tonight in Brentwood (northern cal.) and the thermometer read 110 degrees. San Francisco is a great city IMO.

I got back from San Francisco on Monday, it was amazing, such a beautiful city (although it took a couple of days to get used to the hills). Definately weird weather when riding the Greyhound to/from Holywood though, at the rest stop it was 110/120 degrees, which when you are dressed for San Fran makes you feel like a cooked turkey (at one point I thought I could smell myself cooking, luckily it was just a trucker having a BBQ ).

 

[Fabbio]

I find that the Sneap Drums has the cymbals and hihat only in with the attack and with a very little decaying. Bassdrum and snare VERY high in the mix.
No noise of any sort.

Interesting use of echo and delay in some vocals.

Crushing guitars (but this depends half from the mic placement -very near to the cone of the amp- and half from the guitar players themselves).

 

[Static]

What part of NZ you from? I'm from Wellington...

What course are you doing? I was doing an audio production course here a while ago, but the fucking place bombed due to lack of money.

 

[Hopkins-WitchfinderGeneral]

Just fucken metal bro!! Andy doesn't have any particular tricks up his sleeve, he's just got the perfect balance of everything. The way he does it, the band can't cheat. Nothing's overprocessed, it all sounds real and clear, yet still somehow has the tightness of a, say, Fear Factory album. Lots of mids on the guitars. No cheating.

For instance, Daniel Bergstrand is the man, but the thing is his sound plays a huge role on the record. (Of course, Andy plays a big role, too, but in a different way). Bergstrand can make a shitty riff sound great by using all sorts of tricks and different sounds for the instruments (ie really fat snare sounds -- see In Flames R2R)....Andy on the other hand lets the band play for themselves. He just gets the best possible sounds out of the band's instruments while still maintaining that raw, metal, live sound that's not over processed. OK I better stop teabagging Mr. Sneap before I get kicked out of this forum.

*edit--I didn't mean to sound like IF R2R has shitty riffs on it. Let's just say that when IF plays a riff that's not totally incredible, D.B. makes it sound totally incredible.

It's ok, we don't hate you for telling the truth.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

It's ok, we don't hate you for telling the truth.

haha...Yeah but the way this forum is going lately, you kinda have to watch your words, know what I mean? Don't want to start world war III...

"The coldest winter you'll ever spend is a summer in San Francisco"

 

[Nebulous]

The thing that i think seperates Andy from other Producers/ Engineers, especialy in the metal scene, is not only his crystal clear recording, but his (generally) transparent processing. i mean, with the exception of triggered drums, most of his sounds are quite natural, he just works to bring them into balance and tame them up a bit. I guess this is noticed most on the Kreator and Arch Enemy albums where the music is brutal but still retains clarity and controll.

I realy like when you can hear Andy getting a bit excited and having fun with effects (delay/verb/echo). I also appreciate the way he uses EQ to get some of the low end out of vocals to make them fit "further back" without as much verb.

well, we could go on all day about andy, i'll stop now

Daniel\m/

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

The thing that i think seperates Andy from other Producers/ Engineers, especialy in the metal scene, is not only his crystal clear recording, but his (generally) transparent processing. i mean, with the exception of triggered drums, most of his sounds are quite natural, he just works to bring them into balance and tame them up a bit. I guess this is noticed most on the Kreator and Arch Enemy albums where the music is brutal but still retains clarity and controll.

I realy like when you can hear Andy getting a bit excited and having fun with effects (delay/verb/echo). I also appreciate the way he uses EQ to get some of the low end out of vocals to make them fit "further back" without as much verb.

well, we could go on all day about andy, i'll stop now

Daniel\m/

Don't stop--you're totally on to something!!! That's a great point. Kind of like "less is more". When he does use noticeable effects, they stand out the way effects are supposed to. He doesn't overuse them.

 

[jamesboyd]

woo hoo finally more nz'rs on here

As everyone has already stated, the clarity whilst still remaining natural.

Top points would have to go to the guitars for the distinctive midrange, and the snares for the superb sonic 'placement' and perfect use of compression

 

[DIOBOLIC5150]

One thing I didn't really see mentioned was how he mixes vocal tracks. To me, this has always been the hardest part of any production I've attempted. His ability to make the vocals demand your attention in the spectrum, while still maintaining the other instruments integrity throughout the entire album is truly amazing. It seems hard to me to get vocals where they don't just sound like you layed vocals over some random song. He makes it sound as if the entire band just jammed it out raw on the spot.
The guitar clarity he gets is the standard for everyone in my opinion. That guy knows how to lay down the guitar for sure. Drums... I like everything but Trivium's Ascendancy.. I think they sound way too fake (kick mainly). But otherwise, I have no complaints.

 

[Matt Smith]

Like everyone else said, just the sheer power in the way everything fits together. Huge wall of sound.
As for specifics, that's easy: snare. Mostly because that's the hardest thing for me to get right.

Matt

 

[Jak3y]

What part of NZ you from? I'm from Wellington...

What course are you doing? I was doing an audio production course here a while ago, but the fucking place bombed due to lack of money.

I come from CHCH and I'm finishing off my Diploma in Audio Engineering and Music Production at MAINZ

 

[Awake_In_Animosity]

Bloody Kiwi's there is more your kind here in Sydney than there is in the whole of New Zealand....but thats understandable!

"River Dragon" is a highlight for me, not just for the song itself but the way the production just flows the right way for it.