...I know its a love or hate sound, but I've always wondered how Peter got that grind in the guitars, especially back in the mid to late 90s, before Abyss was completely whored-out. Any insight, gents? 
The Abyss studios guitar sound..
- Thread starter Eschatologist
- Start date
The Unavoidable
jättebög
Peter has for a long time used a SansAmp PSA 1, which is a huge part in his/the abyss tone. He probably doesn't use it by itself alot, he probably blends it in with other amps.
Skaldir
formerly known as Unicorn
It's just a guess here, but sometimes I think that he got that special sound because of two mics on the speaker that were NOT totally in phase.
Definitely, I've thought this for a long time, it definitely has the airy-washy sound to it, just in a desirable way...and I know for sure he's always quad tracked songs, pretty sure I read that in an interview way back for the self-titled disc.
Again, not TOTALLY sure, but I remember seeing Rectos somewhere in Abyss, as well as Hypocrisy live, so I wonder how much is those blended with the Sans Amp. Funny how those little units aren't more popular, I've rarely heard bad things about em.
What I wonder is how much of the "Abyss" sound is amp-dependent, and how much is production technique. For example, I know Dimmu used Marshalls live back in that early era, and from what I can tell they don't sound like Marshalls on discs like Enthroned or Spiritual, but I could be wrong. They still have "that" sound to them...especially on Spiritual Black Dimensions, which is REALLY layered...
The Unavoidable
jättebög
Well, I thinks it's pretty dependent on the mix. As you can hear sometimes the actual guitar-sound sounds kinda wierd at times but works great in a mix. (This is mostly true for the Pain stuff)
And yeah, SansAmp + Rectifier sounds like a definite possibility. I've also heard from a friend who toured with Pain that he used a 5150 in the mix of Dancing With The Dead (Pain). But when you listen to his records, he has alot of different tones and guitarsounds but the core always seems to be the SansAmp, somewhere in the mix.
I have on myself, and I can definently see how it can work in a mix. It sounds kinda harsch and sizzly by itself, but I think if you for example did two tracks of a 5150 panned hard L/R with not so much gain and a buzzing SansAmp track in the middle, it could work out great. And I'm guessing that Peter is doing something similar.
And yeah, SansAmp + Rectifier sounds like a definite possibility. I've also heard from a friend who toured with Pain that he used a 5150 in the mix of Dancing With The Dead (Pain). But when you listen to his records, he has alot of different tones and guitarsounds but the core always seems to be the SansAmp, somewhere in the mix.
I have on myself, and I can definently see how it can work in a mix. It sounds kinda harsch and sizzly by itself, but I think if you for example did two tracks of a 5150 panned hard L/R with not so much gain and a buzzing SansAmp track in the middle, it could work out great. And I'm guessing that Peter is doing something similar.
Norsk Metall
New Metal Member
As a big Abyss studio-fan, I gotta chime in here.
Yes, from my research its mainly sansamp and rectos.
He does also use Focusrite RED 4, McDSP MC2000, Waves L2, Danish Tube-Tech, UA 1176, and I believe it was AMEK Angela mixing console.
I do really admire how Peter just make things sound much harder and rawer... I guess he plays around with the phasing like this fuckin brilliant guitarsound on Dimmus Stormblåst 2005 version (They used ENGL for that album)
Click on the "youtube"-link for the high-quality mode.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBy8cPc9FRE&fmt=18[/ame]
To me a lot of other "top-metalproducers" just sound too "safe" and too "nice and radio-friendly" .
Yes, from my research its mainly sansamp and rectos.
He does also use Focusrite RED 4, McDSP MC2000, Waves L2, Danish Tube-Tech, UA 1176, and I believe it was AMEK Angela mixing console.
I do really admire how Peter just make things sound much harder and rawer... I guess he plays around with the phasing like this fuckin brilliant guitarsound on Dimmus Stormblåst 2005 version (They used ENGL for that album)
Click on the "youtube"-link for the high-quality mode.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBy8cPc9FRE&fmt=18[/ame]
To me a lot of other "top-metalproducers" just sound too "safe" and too "nice and radio-friendly" .
Youpimatin
Member
I think he was one of the first to use Krank amps, not really sure but I have discovered them with him.
EdwardPayne
Member
He sold the Krank amp cus it sounded really bad..
He uses a Johnson Millennium very often for many bands and when I was there he didn't want to use it again..
HeadCrusher
Member
The Unavoidable
jättebög
I don't think so, last I heard he closed the studio for outsiders and sold off alot of gear.
tgs
Elder
I've been up in Abyss once, recording with a band I played with, and of course I took the opportunity to study the place in detail, hehe. This was in studio B though with Tommy behind the desk, but as far as I know that used to be where Peter worked before he built the fancy studio A, and I think the equipment was pretty much the same.
Anyway, the whole thing seemed to be going very much on routine, for example I can't recall him (Tommy that is) doing anything at all with mic placement. The cab was a Marshall 1960B miced with a single SM57. On axis, and it looked like it was pretty much on the cone. Might have been an inch or so off.
Two guitars recorded with a dual rectifier, two with a Johnson head with rectifier simulation. Bass straight into the console, vocals done with a TLM103. Can't remember what was on the kick but I think it was only triggered. Snare triggered (ddrum4 unit, stock sounds) and miced with a 57. Toms, some Sennheiser on top and 57's on the bottom (went on the same cable to the same preamps. VERY odd looking). Cymbals were all close miced with Line Audio miniature clipons (oh yeah, you heard me right). All recorded on ADATs. The console... Ah yes, Allen&Heath GS3000, pretty sure.
Ok, a long boring post I guess, hehe. But I guess I'd sum it up with that the dual rectifier had a lot to do with the old Abyss sound. I also think the sound got a bit flat when Peter started using the Sansamp but only on a few albums, and I can't even swear that he actually used it on them.
Well, whatever. I took a bunch of pictures while I was there, like 80% equipment and stuff and 20% the usual stupid bandmate pictures, hehe. I don't know if anyone would be interested in seeing it, but I could always try to dig them up. Might still be at my parents' place though, have to check.
Anyway, the whole thing seemed to be going very much on routine, for example I can't recall him (Tommy that is) doing anything at all with mic placement. The cab was a Marshall 1960B miced with a single SM57. On axis, and it looked like it was pretty much on the cone. Might have been an inch or so off.
Two guitars recorded with a dual rectifier, two with a Johnson head with rectifier simulation. Bass straight into the console, vocals done with a TLM103. Can't remember what was on the kick but I think it was only triggered. Snare triggered (ddrum4 unit, stock sounds) and miced with a 57. Toms, some Sennheiser on top and 57's on the bottom (went on the same cable to the same preamps. VERY odd looking). Cymbals were all close miced with Line Audio miniature clipons (oh yeah, you heard me right). All recorded on ADATs. The console... Ah yes, Allen&Heath GS3000, pretty sure.
Ok, a long boring post I guess, hehe. But I guess I'd sum it up with that the dual rectifier had a lot to do with the old Abyss sound. I also think the sound got a bit flat when Peter started using the Sansamp but only on a few albums, and I can't even swear that he actually used it on them.
Well, whatever. I took a bunch of pictures while I was there, like 80% equipment and stuff and 20% the usual stupid bandmate pictures, hehe. I don't know if anyone would be interested in seeing it, but I could always try to dig them up. Might still be at my parents' place though, have to check.
LSD-Studio
HCAF crusher
Youpimatin
Member
tgs
Elder
Compressors... Can't remember what was used on what, but I know he compressed the drums pretty heavily.
Yep, it was and HD24, not ADATs. I know they used ADATs before though (and he mixed stems to one if I'm not mistaken. Used the gates on the drums.
Only the top two were used IIRC. The Roland for the drums, Lexicon for some delay fills here and there. The rest was dry.
I liked this cheat note, hehe.
Part of the console
Event 20/20 and some CW model. The 20/20s were spaces REALLY far apart, looked a bit odd.
The 1960, pressed up against a concrete corner, hehe. One "office screen" in front and one on the side.
Can't really see any settings or anything, but anyway.
Forgot to take a picture when I had all the stuff up but I took this when we were packing up. It was a Pearl kit, don't remember the model, but it sounded very nice.
Another angle. If you look on the cymbal stands you see the miniature mics.
What you can't see in the pictures: Concrete walls, absolutely no acoustic treatment as far as I can remember, carpeted floor, very weird mixing position (completely asymmetrical)... Sounds like I'm bashing the place now but I'm not! I actually think it's pretty cool that he managed to do a good job with those circumstances.
Well played, sir! The equipment used just reaffirms how much of a role the producer/engineer really plays in the whole process.
Norsk Metall
New Metal Member
Looks like it has been a big change there, since your pictures was taken...
https://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=49&itemid=23858&langid=151
https://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=49&itemid=23858&langid=151
tgs
Elder
No, like I mentioned the pictures are from studio B and the ones on the digidesign page are from studio A.
HeadCrusher
Member
There's a bonus DVD for PAIN's "Dancing with the Dead" where he explains a lot of his production stuff from that album (he even solos individual tracks so you can exactly here what's going on).
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