Steve, how'd you get buried on Human?
- Thread starter MaskedJackal
- Start date
I think that the Burns mixes were typically pretty slim on the bass. Or rather the guitars were so scooped and compressed, the bass had a hard time shining through. I would imagine the conversation with chuck was a big reason why the bass was so prominent on Individual TP. Somebody must have told Scott where the upper mid knobs were on the board. As far as the gathering, I totally disagree. I think it is mixed very well. It isn't the SDG band, but rather the gathering of some of the greatest metal musicians ever. The bass is never hard to hear, and is boosted when there is a cool little busy bass lick. Testament has always had more of an in the pocket bass style, even though I think greg is an awesome bass player with great lines. Playing or mixing sadus style bass in testament is like lombardo playing slayer style drums in testament. Close, but distinctly different.
Allfader
Kvelding
Yup, I've got the 3 disc version. Together as one is just incredible now. I just listen the reissue, since the original had too much guitar for my taste.
If ITP will be reissued, I hope it comes with drum and bass tracks too, but I honestly think that the guitars should be a little higher, the drums fuller and the vocals a little lower in the mix to get something more balanced. TSOP is probably the best mixed Death album ever.
Steve's work in Testament's The Gathering was very good and pretty audible to my ears. The live basslines - I think it's Dynamo 2003 or something - were more killer IMO tho.
I really hope that the second Control Denied album will be released soon. I wonder if Steve already recorded his basslines and how finished the album is at this point.
If ITP will be reissued, I hope it comes with drum and bass tracks too, but I honestly think that the guitars should be a little higher, the drums fuller and the vocals a little lower in the mix to get something more balanced. TSOP is probably the best mixed Death album ever.
Steve's work in Testament's The Gathering was very good and pretty audible to my ears. The live basslines - I think it's Dynamo 2003 or something - were more killer IMO tho.
I really hope that the second Control Denied album will be released soon. I wonder if Steve already recorded his basslines and how finished the album is at this point.
AnTz0r
Crimson King
Hey guys, I just thought I'd mention that the Human 3-disk set is only available directly from relapse.com. Also they say they only made 2000 of them but I was able to order one a few minutes ago. :Spin:
Thanks for the tip on the 3-disc version of Human. I picked up the two-disc one, and I didn't realize there was another version. The reissue definitely sounds better, but the bass still isn't nearly as loud as it could be.
As for the original mix of Human, I guess I just always wrote that off as standard operating procedure for bass on a metal album in the late 80's/early 90's - i.e. you knew going in that you were never going to hear it
. Having Steve play on it always struck me as overkill for that reason. Sort of like getting Eddie Van Halen to play the guitar solo in We Bite by the Misfits (which, for those of you not familiar with the tune, is one note).
As for the original mix of Human, I guess I just always wrote that off as standard operating procedure for bass on a metal album in the late 80's/early 90's - i.e. you knew going in that you were never going to hear it
. Having Steve play on it always struck me as overkill for that reason. Sort of like getting Eddie Van Halen to play the guitar solo in We Bite by the Misfits (which, for those of you not familiar with the tune, is one note).Metallica, Megadeth, Death (first three albums), Atheist, Exhorder, Pantera, Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Sadus... these are all bands who released albums before Human where the bass was clearly audible. You may have written it off as standard during the time, but if you actually look at the majority of albums at the time, it's not the case. Steve was totally buried in Human, unfairly so.
Yeah, I realize there are (thankfully) tons of exceptions, but the bass did get squeezed out on a lot of harder/faster records bitd. Add cassettes into the mix (the format many of us were, of course, buying records on) and I think it's fair to say that the bass didn't pop on a lot of OG thrash/death metal records. I mean, the first time I heard this record, I definitely heard just enough of the bass to think "why isn't this louder in the mix?," but unfortunately, I didn't think it was that extreme of an example compared to other things released at the time. I agree it's insane that Steve wasn't louder though, in case I didn't make that clear.
I stumbled across this the other night and thought it was interesting. It's a (relatively) recent interview with Scott Burns (you all probably know, but in case any new dudes see this, he is the Florida recording engineer who worked at Morrisound studio and ended up recording a lot of famous late 80's - early/mid 90's death metal records, including Death "Human"). Right in the middle of the interview, when he was asked to recount stories, regrets, etc., he says "Steve Digorgio (sic) - if I could remix one album it would be Human so we could bring up your bass." I don't think he had anything to do with the reissue, but I wonder if he has heard it, and if so, what he thinks?
http://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/Specials/SCOTT-BURNS--7090.html
http://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/Specials/SCOTT-BURNS--7090.html
Even with burried bass tracks..... the audible bass licks changed my whole bass aproach. BTW if i could get ahold of the Sean + SDG cuts that would probably change my life again! That album sucked alot of bass player in. So dont discredit it too much.
