Mike told me a while back that they'll be going this route. He bought a Firepod and AKG Perception 220 to attain higher quality tracks in his home studio. A little off subject, but do you have an Axe-FX or plan on getting one for the studio? Also when is Altemus releasing their next album?
@Zack Ohren new first blood CD
- Thread starter gabriel g.
- Start date
Mike told me a while back that they'll be going this route. He bought a Firepod and AKG Perception 220 to attain higher quality tracks in his home studio. A little off subject, but do you have an Axe-FX or plan on getting one for the studio? Also when is Altemus releasing their next album?
Well that WAS the plan but we may end up tracking Eddie afterall it's still a bit up in the air. There's no doubt i can provide a lot when it comes to tracking vocals for the band, but having unlimited free time to track is also quite a benifit and at the very least worth trying. They could end up calling those vocals "preproduction" or we could use all of them or we could just do some of the vocals in the studio. who knows, we'll see.
I do NOT plan on getting an Axe-FX or any sort of digital modelling garbage for the studio. why bother have a nice studio with great gear just to use emulations i would say. If i was just starting up and didn't have what it takes to get good guitar tones fairly quickly I would consider it but definitely not now. I've never once heard a album or sample of an Axe-FX that has made me feel it's some sort of giant leap forward in guitar technology. Still can easily identify that it's fake and not a mic'd up tube amp. That Periphery album for example made me want to puke it sounded so awful compared to the band live(though that's moreso the digidrums that bug me when that halpern guy is soooo good on a real kit). It's funny because i feel that album is very well mixed and produced but the sounds just kill it. The moment I feel like I hear something that sound like a living organic guitar tone out of one of these line6/axefx things is the moment i consider it viable for tracking on an album. I fear that day is still long away and for now we're still stuck with sterile 1s and 0s. I would however LOVE to have an Axe-fx for farting around with at home and doing super quick reamping stuff at home. There's no doubt they blow away guitar rig or line6 stuff, I just still hate hate hate digital guitar sounds on "Real" records, it's a huge cop out and disappointment unless you're doing techno.
Altemus did very seriously have like 3 band practices earlier this year and we had almost completely finished a new song "Lion's Den" which is fantastic and i hope to record but i really don't see it happening at this point. Not unless we get a reliable replacement for Ted Altemus himself, who is completely unwilling to resurrect the project and was not participating in our practices earlier this year. I am very much hoping to join a band in the near future. Preferable on guitar or bass. I have played live only once(filling in for heartsounds on drums) since sept 2008 and i'm starting to get the itch to perform again.
I figured that'd be your answer about the Axe-FX 
I agree that YOU definitely don't need one but I will say that it's without a doubt the best amp simulator out there. We have it at our studio and with a little bit of tweaking, it can definitely sound like the real thing (I know, I said it). Periphery is a bad example of the Axe-FX. The new Born of Osiris would be a better example or even Severed Savior's last album.
I agree that YOU definitely don't need one but I will say that it's without a doubt the best amp simulator out there. We have it at our studio and with a little bit of tweaking, it can definitely sound like the real thing (I know, I said it). Periphery is a bad example of the Axe-FX. The new Born of Osiris would be a better example or even Severed Savior's last album.I figured that'd be your answer about the Axe-FX
well two important notes. I recorded half and mixed/mastered that severed savior album. TO THIS DAY I rue the fact that I let Mike use that garbage. As bad as periphery sounded to me I feel even with my efforts on it this was much worse actually. I was dumbfounded that Mike wanted to use that over a decent mic'd up sound. Funny thing is he's using a real Engl rack tube preamp, and just using the cab/mic simulation of the Axe-fx(which i have to assume is a bit better than just the axe-fx but who knows). It was a nightmare to mix and i still was never happy with it at all. sterile, linear, and ruined the record for me. I realize it's not that bad to some other people's ears. If that recorded was recorded a LITTLE later i would have had the smarts to tell him to just make DI tracks along with the Axe-fx and then done nice re-amped guitars with his engl. Mike was probably the single best right hand guitarist i've worked with so getting fantastic tone from him was extremely easy. To me the "Scratch" tracks we took with the drums with just the Engl Powelball and a sm57 were worlds better.
Also in regards to axe-fx/line6/ampsims my big complaint is quite simple. I feel like they sound quite real from like 20hz-8000hz, but it's the horrible sterile unmistakable presence that the mic simulation does on ALL of these things. The only record i've used digital on in the last few years was actually All Shall Perish's "awaken the dreamers" and only because he fought me to the death about using his Rocktron Prophecy II(using settings rusty cooley gave him haha) over the Engl or Peavey. That said that was just a preamp, and using the real power amp(VHT) and more importantly real micing, That's more the thing that bothers me is the fake cab/mics just don't sound real. at all. prove me wrong.
So I guess my point is you say you have one and can make it sound real? prove it to me and show me a GOOD example. Just so i'm clear, which Born of Osiris album you talking about? I'm still bummed that band booked but then cancelled time with me twice(once for record, then once for mixing after they ran out of time at the studio they ended up recording at instead haha). I would love to work with them.
-zack
Interesting...I thought Colin Davis mixed and mastered it, thanks for that info. An Axe-FX will never be better than the real thing and personally I think it's well worth the money even if you're just using it for live show use. My band is recording our demo with the Axe-FX Ultra, so I'll shoot you a copy when it's all done. Check out some videos from 'FearedSE' on YouTube (he posts on here too) and listen to his Axe-FX samples. I will admit, most of the stuff I hear recorded from people with an AF can sound pretty bad. It's all about knowing what it can and can't do. Tweaking must be done and having an understanding of the machinery is key.
As far as Mike Gilbert's Engl Pre-Amp, you're not talking about the e530, right? We replaced both a Fireball and e530 in favor of the Axe-FX Ultra. I'm referring to BoO's new album that isn't even released yet. BoO is a poor example for now (since it's not even released, or possibly mastered), but listening to samples done by guitarists like Greg Howe and John Petrucci really sold me on the sound. I'm not hot on the Power Amp/Cabinet Simulation for the Axe-FX...we'll be using a Mesa Strategy 500 to do that work. As far as Chris Storey goes, he has a total hard on for that Pre-Amp, I don't really like it that much but you guys really did make it sound good on the album.
As far as Mike Gilbert's Engl Pre-Amp, you're not talking about the e530, right? We replaced both a Fireball and e530 in favor of the Axe-FX Ultra. I'm referring to BoO's new album that isn't even released yet. BoO is a poor example for now (since it's not even released, or possibly mastered), but listening to samples done by guitarists like Greg Howe and John Petrucci really sold me on the sound. I'm not hot on the Power Amp/Cabinet Simulation for the Axe-FX...we'll be using a Mesa Strategy 500 to do that work. As far as Chris Storey goes, he has a total hard on for that Pre-Amp, I don't really like it that much but you guys really did make it sound good on the album.
Ola (feared guitarist, username:goddamnguitar) make everything sound great.
He is just an awsome guitar player.....he would make an line6 spider sound awsome...
He is just an awsome guitar player.....he would make an line6 spider sound awsome...
Totally agreed...solidity is everything. I just saw Psycroptic a few days ago and their guitarist was one of the sharpest I've heard. I'm a broken record with my students about accuracy when playing. A tight guitar player can mask the shortcomings of a poor guitar, amp, or environment.
The album is Servile Insurrection and yes I definitely 100% mixed and mastered it. I believe it was an E530 though it may have been an e570.
Also like i was saying in my previous post i have WAAAY less of a problem with people using axe-fx or line6 or s something as a preamp. it's the poweramp/cab/mic simulation that is still nowhere near real/good sounding to me. I think the crunch and clairity on the axefx stuff that i've heard is great.
Djabthrash
Member
Zack you might wanna look into that :
http://www.two-notes.com/en/Produits-Two-Notes/Torpedo-VB101.html
http://www.two-notes.com/en/Two-Notes-Products/Le-Torpedo-VM-202.html
Anyway, the info you gave in this thread was awesome. Very honest about everything you said which is cool.
The bit about the First Blood production was amazing (the drums and vocals tracking esp.). Not a huge fan of the very compressed/sample-heavy drums and crazy reverb on gang vocals on the cd but hell it works for the style and gives it a more "extreme" artistic edge
Killafornia sounded a bit better and less extreme to me, but i guess it's hard to get the exact same production you got once.
Anyway, the new FB still sounds real nice, and the guitar tone is crushing.
And i'm really impatient to hear the new All Shall Perish, and the way you described they're gonna work it out makes perfect sense to me.
Zack you might wanna look into that :
http://www.two-notes.com/en/Produits-Two-Notes/Torpedo-VB101.html
http://www.two-notes.com/en/Two-Notes-Products/Le-Torpedo-VM-202.html
Anyway, the info you gave in this thread was awesome. Very honest about everything you said which is cool.
The bit about the First Blood production was amazing (the drums and vocals tracking esp.). Not a huge fan of the very compressed/sample-heavy drums and crazy reverb on gang vocals on the cd but hell it works for the style and gives it a more "extreme" artistic edge
Killafornia sounded a bit better and less extreme to me, but i guess it's hard to get the exact same production you got once.
Anyway, the new FB still sounds real nice, and the guitar tone is crushing.
And i'm really impatient to hear the new All Shall Perish, and the way you described they're gonna work it out makes perfect sense to me.
Thanks. To be honest I still like Killafornia better too but only because i think the guitar tone i got was truely magical and i did like the vocals we did slightly better. It also had real snare which is nice.
You weren't suggesting that the "Two Notes" thing sounded good were you? Just IMO I guess but i thought the heavier guitar samples sounded like pure dogshit. Worse than a Line6. I am a big fan of the idea of plugging amp directly into a cab sim but that thing sounds like a total failure to me.
I'm excited do the ASP album too. I'm officially doing real drums for it, that's no longer in question so that's good news for sure. Anybody got amp suggestions? As of now leaning towards powerball with my keeley SD1 mod in front of it for rhythm and JCM800 for lead.
-zack
I was at Eddie's yesterday and heard 4 of the new songs they have done. It's a perfect combination of everything you've heard from them off their past 3 albums but with a fresher feel and more tasteful leads. I heard some interesting melodic elements too, so the hooks will be plentiful.
Djabthrash
Member
Th overall production was better on Killafornia IMO. The new one sounds a bit like trying to sound like Killafornia again but with less time/budget, which is pretty much what you described. The guitar tone still slays in Silence is Betrayal, it's just the übercompressed sounding drums, crazy reverb on vocals, and repetitiveness thatbugs me on that one. It's still a great production though, just not as perfect as Killafornia.
The Two Notes thing sounds great IMO, i have the VB-101 myself, but for now there are not so many metal-oriented demos out there, mostly guitar hero/blues kind of stuff for now. And i know the people on this forum say they've yet to hear a good metal-oriented demo from this unit.
Maybe check out those samples i did :
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...itar-medley-engl-se-6l6-torpedo-vb-101-a.html
http://www.netmusicians.org/index.php?section=id&value=8632
http://www.netmusicians.org/index.php?section=id&value=5998
I'm gonna post some new ones soon (some new songs snippets of mine, and some covers as well : Pantera, Downset, severe torture, rag men, merauder, madball, misery index, dying fetus, born from pain...) also.
My stuff is definitely metal, but tonewise i know not so many people dig it around here... maybe you will i don't know
I know some users liked some tones Brett - Kalisia came up with, and he's gonna do free reamps every months for forumites here, using the Torpedo with his amps i guess.
Cool ! I've always heard amazing guitar tones from you, so no matter the amp you use, i'm pretty sure it's gonna sound killer, and i dig the Engl tone anyway
The first production i've heard from you was the first All Shall Perish, and the guitar tone is just amazing on that record (on the 2d album too by the way). It was Marshall and/or Powerball, right ?
Djabthrash
Member
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