Let's talk Bergstrand

[Erik Monsonis]

After listening to the last 2 Scar Symmetry albums, everything else sounds worst to me.

I don't like the sound of Stabbing the Drama at all, snare sounds like a trigger track and kick is too thin for my taste. However bass sounds huge!!

 

[Torniojaws]

You know, I'm not exactly from Finland, last I checked... and on top of that I see no 'Behemoth' or 'Satanica' on that page, so for all I know it could be one of the other forty-two fucktillion other people with an 'm' and an 'a' in their name, so I can't say I'd jump right to that one. But if you're sure that's him, well... one less mystery out there...

It's a joke Mostly for Finns/Germans, as the linked guy is quite a famous children's show musician and is popular in Germany too.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

In my search for for Bergstrand information I came across this

http://antipodaofficial.blogspot.com/

Pretty cool. Looks like KSM 105 on snare and 57s on toms. I think he mics the beater of the kick. I don't recognize the OHs. Guitar seems to be a single condenser. Bass cab seems to be miced with the same condenser and a 57.

Good stuff! I'm going to try a 105 on snare tonight.

Just noticed, I think he's referencing to "The Gathering" on guitar sounds.

 

[Ermz]

Just heard the Come Clarity multi-track. That was AMAZINGLY illuminating. It sort of lays to rest everything I thought. The individual sounds are absolute crap - he only mixes with respect to the entire picture. I don't think I'm capable of taking that approach, but I think I'm definitely going to take his guitar and bass processing on board, as those are two areas where I feel I struggle most. The guitars have NO lows - absolutely nothing. Just fuzzy shit. The bass does the fatness aspect of the tone. Even the drums sound thin as hell without the bass. Amazing.

 

[Metaltastic]

For me, honestly, I keep coming back to "The Apostasy" as the infinitely more organic and awesome sounding record - the only thing I'll say Demigod does better is the guitar tone, because while I like "The Apostasy's" tone better, it's just a bit too thick in the low-mids, whereas I think the Demigod one sits better. But I mean, the snare on "The Apostasy" is so unbelievably rich and natural sounding (if it's sampled, then it's subtle as all hell), and the kicks are incredible, whereas the snare on Demigod might as well be programmed, and the kick is too clicky for my tastes (only really noticeable when it's by itself, such as in the "I am the dull flame that burns" section at the end of "Conquer All"). Also, I prefer the vocals on "The Apostasy" because there's less of the ridiculous layering; it sounded cool, I can't deny, but I prefer hearing less takes so Nergal's roar really comes through.

And I've always really liked the crunch on Come Clarity's tone, though I haven't listened to it in ages (and am only on laptop speakers for the next week cuz I'm home from school ), so I can't comment on much else.

 

[Metaltastic]

After listening to the last 2 Scar Symmetry albums, everything else sounds worst to me.

Haven't heard more than a couple of songs off of Pitch Black Progress yet, but IMO Holographic Universe is nothing too spectacular, just a good solid metal production but nothing I'd cream my pants over (though probably because as a guitarist first and aspiring producer second I can't really praise an album's production if I don't like the guitar tone, and SS's has always been too thin for my tastes - must be that Fireball )

 

[Ermz]

Well to be fair you do seem to have a fairly unique taste in production.

IMO The Apostasy sounds godawful and worse than most demos I'm familiar with. You seem to hear the midrange and the natural character, whereas most would just hear the fuzz, the mud, the lack of polish etc.

 

[LSD-Studio]

Haven't heard more than a couple of songs off of Pitch Black Progress yet, but IMO Holographic Universe is nothing too spectacular, just a good solid metal production but nothing I'd cream my pants over

+1

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

IMO The Apostasy sounds godawful and worse than most demos I'm familiar with.

I couldn't disagree more here. The sound on the Apostasy is unique and kicks ass.

 

[The Unavoidable]

+ 1 for SS productions sounding obviously really good, but very bland and nothing special really.

 

[KeithTidd]

Well to be fair you do seem to have a fairly unique taste in production.

IMO The Apostasy sounds godawful and worse than most demos I'm familiar with. You seem to hear the midrange and the natural character, whereas most would just hear the fuzz, the mud, the lack of polish etc.

I think you should re-evaluate your view here. If you listen to demigod and apostasy side by side, you should hear the difference. When i listen, the apostasy is way bigger sounding, much cleaner and clearer - way more hifi. Demigod sounds small and muddy in comparison.

 

[Ermz]

Interesting, that is anything but the case with the versions I'm listening to... maybe by some fluke of nature I got a rough mix, or rough master?

 

[James Murphy]

the was a leak of the apostacy that sounded awful.... turned out it was a rough mix. so if you downloaded it rather than buying the official CD, then there's a good chance that's exactly the case.

 

[Ermz]

Well there you go, caught red-handed! I suppose it's no use justifying the whole try-before-buy thing at this point ? Anyway, gauging the quality of the production on Demigod, there is no way I was going to *not* buy it, and hopefully the same with Apostasy.

 

[JBroll]

Actually, the way shit's getting mastered now it's probably more like playing Russian Roulette with your eardrums - one in six chance they didn't squash the promo so hard, maybe...

Jeff

 

[TheDude]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.A._Numminen

I thought of him too! Hahaha!

Just heard the Come Clarity multi-track. That was AMAZINGLY illuminating. It sort of lays to rest everything I thought. The individual sounds are absolute crap - he only mixes with respect to the entire picture. I don't think I'm capable of taking that approach, but I think I'm definitely going to take his guitar and bass processing on board, as those are two areas where I feel I struggle most. The guitars have NO lows - absolutely nothing. Just fuzzy shit. The bass does the fatness aspect of the tone. Even the drums sound thin as hell without the bass. Amazing.

Start off with a nice playable sound. Then take away the unnecessary stuff when you mix it, to mold everything together. It's always very different to listen to a solo'd track instead of a mix. Stefan Glaumann (Rammstein, Clawfinger, Evergrey and 2 billion others) does the same. Solo = shit, Mix = awesome.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well there you go, caught red-handed! I suppose it's no use justifying the whole try-before-buy thing at this point ? Anyway, gauging the quality of the production on Demigod, there is no way I was going to *not* buy it, and hopefully the same with Apostasy.

Hahaha, whew, that's a bit of a relief - I don't consider myself a production n00b by any means, and in fact, I'm quite proud of my distinguishing abilities when it comes to good and bad mixes, but that said, I have a great deal of respect for your abilities Ermin, so if you thought the release version of "The Apostasy" sucked, I was afraid I'd have to throw all my conceptions out the window! And very diplomatically worded response above, kudos

 

[lordcthulhu]

I couldn't disagree more here. The sound on the Apostasy is unique and kicks ass.

Yup, indeed.

 

[Ermz]

Hahaha, whew, that's a bit of a relief - I don't consider myself a production n00b by any means, and in fact, I'm quite proud of my distinguishing abilities when it comes to good and bad mixes, but that said, I have a great deal of respect for your abilities Ermin, so if you thought the release version of "The Apostasy" sucked, I was afraid I'd have to throw all my conceptions out the window! And very diplomatically worded response above, kudos

Haha no man, kudos to you for not going apeshit on me.

I think on some level I knew something was fundamentally wrong here, so I'm really glad James illuminated that.

I think today will consist of a lot of studying the In Flames multi-tracks, perhaps making a Curve EQ of the bass and then seeing how to apply similar principles.

 

[Ermz]

Ok so I've definitely heard the retail version now. It was the same as the one I heard before. I stand by my prior statements. Demigod sounds infinitely better to my ears.

Just listen to that:

Those vocals make me shit my pants.