Obituary Cause of Death production

[codeman]

I clearly remember when this record came out that it sounded above and beyond anything else in metal.

All the kids in bands back then we were dreaming to have our albums produced by Scott Burns. He was the producer that made extreme metal sound polished. Such a shame that he left the scene so early on.

I know that he used drum replacement (no idea how) for the snare using his own samples. I remember that Exhorder were saying that he used the same snare sound on Slaughter in the Vatican, as in Beneath the Remains.

Anyway, any info on his methods would be awesome! Cheers.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Probably by putting a gate over the original snare track.
Then using the output of the gate into a sampler. The snare that is let through by the gate acts as a trigger for the sampler.
Then just blend the two tracks, the original and the sampler track.

P.s any answers on here should defer to murph, for obvious reasons.

 

[Felix Neumann]

My favourite Obituary record, especially because of James´s lead solo work. It wasn´t that common, hearing such quality lead solos on Death Metal tunes. And when we talk about these days, the same goes for "Spirital Healing" - still a great sounding record, clear mix and übertight performance!

 

[kaomao]

James murphy said that Scott converted audio to midi, basically he fed a sampler with the midi track.

 

[ratsapprentice]

James murphy said that Scott converted audio to midi, basically he fed a sampler with the midi track.

Yeah, like what i said but the gate output to midi, then to the sampler.

 

[GarethSE]

I have a raging hard-on for Scott Burns' work. Has to be said.

 

[FF666]

And someone knows what kind of sampler it was?

...And anyone knows what kind of sampler was used in Sunlight Studios?

 

[codeman]

Absolutely.

My favourite Obituary record, especially because of James´s lead solo work. It wasn´t that common, hearing such quality lead solos on Death Metal tunes. And when we talk about these days, the same goes for "Spirital Healing" - still a great sounding record, clear mix and übertight performance!

 

[codeman]

Just found this video with Scott Burns and Jim Morris. I didn't know Scott was so young back then, he seems to be in his ealry 20s, that might explain the change in his career that happened later on. He was tracking Individual Thought Patterns on the video:

 

[Terminus]

Here's a little gem I found after this thread spurred the old brain on...



Early 90's Florida DM for the fucking win.

 

[Felix Neumann]

Early 90's Florida DM for the fucking win

 

[ratsapprentice]

Early 90's DM for the fucking win.

Can't be forgetting the rest of the world.

 

[Omega_Void]

I clearly remember when this record came out that it sounded above and beyond anything else in metal.

I clearly remember it sounding disappointing. Awesome music, and one of my favourite albums, but the sound was a downside for me.
Props to Mr Murphy, the solos were fucking blissful!

Anyway, any info on his methods would be awesome! Cheers.

Turn the vocals up way too high, turn the rhythm guitars down way too low. He did that on "Leprosy" as well.

Don't forget to replace the kick drum with a pissy little clicky noise so it sounds weak as fuck.

 

[SickBoy]

My favourite Obituary record, especially because of James´s lead solo work. It wasn´t that common, hearing such quality lead solos on Death Metal tunes. And when we talk about these days, the same goes for "Spirital Healing" - still a great sounding record, clear mix and übertight performance!

+10000 on all counts!
When it comes to death metal, nothing beats the early days for me... Today it all seems a contest who will play faster and more complicated, I miss the ideas which were abundant back then... As well as distinctive signature productions, you could/can tell an album just by the sound!

 

[codeman]

Please tell me that you're trolling.

Unless you're too young and you're comparing Leprosy to whichever latest production. Check the metal mixes of that era and see how Scott Burns raised the bar for everyone. I was there mate.

I clearly remember it sounding disappointing. Awesome music, and one of my favourite albums, but the sound was a downside for me.
Props to Mr Murphy, the solos were fucking blissful!



Turn the vocals up way too high, turn the rhythm guitars down way too low. He did that on "Leprosy" as well.

Don't forget to replace the kick drum with a pissy little clicky noise so it sounds weak as fuck.

 

[P-E]

^
That mix isn't that bad but I wouldn't use Leprosy as an example.

That snare. :/

 

[ratsapprentice]

I love that snare.

 

[SickBoy]

That mix isn't that bad but I wouldn't use Leprosy as an example.

That snare. :/

I love that snare.

I'm somewhere in between...
What sounds a bit funny to me are the crash cymbals, some kind of "gwuooshhh" sound, not sure why...

 

[Omega_Void]

Please tell me that you're trolling.

Unless you're too young and you're comparing Leprosy to whichever latest production. Check the metal mixes of that era and see how Scott Burns raised the bar for everyone. I was there mate.

I was at college when Cause of Death came out, it did serious time on my walkman, and on my stereo at home. So yeah, I was there too.

CoD and Leprosy both stuck out in my mind as cassettes where the vocals made me want to turn it down, and the rhythm guitars made me want to turn it up. I wouldn't hold either up as an example of a well-balanced mix.

Different strokes for different folks, his sounds were... distinctive. If you liked it fine. But to say Scott Burns "raised the bar for everyone" is the reverse of my memory. I viewed his name on the credits as an off-putting factor, but bought those albums anyway because I just fucking loved the music.

How chuffed was I when RR gave "Arise" to be remixed before release? Even without knowing who this Andy Wallace guy was.

Those were my impressions at the time, they remain my impressions now.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

I love the music. The production, you might like it or hate it but it's certainly dated. But I don't really think you can fault it for that. Certainly all of the super polished metalcore stuff now will sound dated in 10 years.