Futurology production and mixing question

[AK47]

Has anyone else felt, compared to the last few albums, that futurology doesn't sound as loud as other albums? Lets Go To War for instance sounds diluted and cheaply done.

[Suicide Aldi]

Yeah its definatly a less polished record. The production almost reminds me of the holy bible in its claustraphobicness on certain tracls.

[everlasting]

I don't think it is as loud, I was playing the CD on my CD player and had to put the volume up a bit, then when I put another album on I had to turn it out instantly as it was way too loud.

[allisvanity]

Futurology is definitley a quieter CD. I have the volume up to about 14 sometimes in the car, but whenever I put anything else in I have to turn it down.

[Marat Sar]

It isn't compressed to hell and back and is better off for it. Makes the rest of the music on my ipod sound cheap, inflated and painful for the ears. (And I have some very well mixed and mastered music on that thing.) I wouldn't say it's not polished - vice versa, I think this is the best they've ever been, soundwise it's brilliant, with immense detail, colour and contour. It's way crisper and less compressed than Lifeblood, and has a sharper high end than TIMTTMY, their previous highlight for me, soundwise. Futurology is beautifully mixed too, great for testing the channel separation on your headphones. (All the sounds originate from interesting points in the left-right speaker space.)

Truth be told, I don't know if I'm so enamoured with Futurology because it's great music or because it's a tecnical wonder. I heard somewhere it's mixed by the guy who's done work with Arcad Fire? I wonder if it's the same guy who mixed Reflektor, because this is VASTLY superior to Reflektor.

The only track I find a bit flat is Futurology, the title track. Or maybe it's the instrumentation, but it's a bit thin on the low end.

[Geranium Terrorists]

It being quieter is generally a good thing. It means it's probably less compressed and has better dynamics. Good to see that the band are avoiding the loudness war on this one.

I always find that despite it being recorded on analogue tape, the CD of JFPL always sounds like it has very little dynamic range and is too loud- possibly too much compression put on at the mastering stage?

[Marat Sar]

Originally Posted by Geranium Terrorists

I always find that despite it being recorded on analogue tape, the CD of JFPL always sounds like it has very little dynamic range and is too loud- possibly too much compression put on at the mastering stage?

Isn't the whole analog tape thing just a way for Noel Gallagher types to waste time and money in the studio? JFPL has a decent enough sound, but I'm not super in love with it. I liked it when it came out though.

[darkanddivine]

Originally Posted by Marat Sar

Isn't the whole analog tape thing is just a way for Noel Gallagher types to waste time and money in the studio? JFPL has a decent enough sound, but I'm not super in love with it. I liked it when it came out though.

Whatever the recording format, if you put it on a CD it is automatically compressed by half anyway.

I suspect JFPL was recorded in the way Albini does (expecting no additional mixing) but the compression was added later either via the second mix, or master.

[Marat Sar]

Just something I wanted to throw in the mix, if maybe someone knows more or shares the feeling - how on god's earth does the beginning of Misguided Missile sound as good as it does? It's like it teleports that bass instrument straight to my head.

What's the instrument? Is it bass? Because it doesn't sound like bass guitar to me, much colder and sharper, although I can hear the picking of the strings. Is it some kind of electronic bass with strings? Some kind of analog electronic bass... thingie?

I read somewhere that Sean recorded the ambience of a german movie theater, before the film began, and it runs in the backround. This creates a sort of space for the bass line to exist in. And also, the sound of picking (I call it *griffs*) - the little shwooshes and all - adds to how near the instrument appears to be.

A wonderful piece of audio engineering, finished off with how the drums are much lower in the mix, lacking in bass. Almost a flourish to the bass really, never drowning it.

[Son of Stopped]

Originally Posted by Marat Sar

Just something I wanted to throw in the mix, if maybe someone knows more or shares the feeling - how on god's earth does the beginning of Misguided Missile sound as good as it does? It's like it teleports that bass isntrument straight to my head.

What's the instrument? Is it bass? Because it doesn't sound like bass guitar to me, much colder and sharper, although I can hear the picking of the strings. Is it some kind of electronic bass with strings? Some kind of analog electronic bass... thingie?

I read somewhere that Sean recorded the ambience of a german movie theater, before the film began, and it runs in the backround. This creates a sort of space for the bass line to exist in. And also, the sound of picking (I call it *griffs*) - the little shwooshes and all - adds to how near the instrument appears to be.

A wonderful piece of audio engineering, finished off with how the drums are much lower in the mix, lacking in bass. Almost a flourish to the bass really, never drowning it.

It could have been James playing the bass and then Nicky overdubbed the same bass line. Listen carefully, there's at least two bass guitars being used in the song. After the opening riff another bass comes in. So I'm saying it's the work of at least two bass runs. And two bass guitars plugged through a number of FX pedals too.

[darkanddivine]

Originally Posted by Marat Sar

What's the instrument? Is it bass? Because it doesn't sound like bass guitar to me, much colder and sharper, although I can hear the picking of the strings.

Almost certain it's a bass.

Generally 2 signals are recorded to make most bass sounds on a recording. One is the direct signal (which is often mostly the middle frequencies.) This combined with an amp mic achieves the fatness of the bass and the natural sounds of string plucks etc. To get a full bass sound, this channel usually dominates, and the direct signal is subtly blended in. In the case of this song, I think it might be the opposite.

If MSP took the direct signal from the bass, made that the loudest of the 2 channels and then really tightly mixed it with the amp mic with all the bass rolled off and some fast reverb, a sound like this would be possible.

Obviously this could be wrong, but to me that is what it sounds like.

[Geranium Terrorists]

Played with roundwound strings rather than flatround, picked, with eq leaning towards the treble. Probably some FX pedals for 'brightening' the sound. Also it sounds like it was probably DI rather than a mic (though I could be completely wrong- maybe the splitter Nicky uses live?) which will give it a colder, cleaner sound.

[cherrybomb]

It's a funny thing, I posted in another thread the the production/mix was terrible, it all sounded so muddy. What I hadn't realised is that my earphones were on the way out, they died completely after having the album about three days, listening through new and superior phones it sounds phenomenal!

[Marat Sar]

Originally Posted by cherrybomb

It's a funny thing, I posted in another thread the the production/mix was terrible, it all sounded so muddy. What I hadn't realised is that my earphones were on the way out, they died completely after having the album about three days, listening through new and superior phones it sounds phenomenal!

Congratulations. I got myself a new pair of speakers AND some new headphones, especially for Futurology. (First thing in the morning, after I'd heard the album at night.)

Kinda feels like "the Stones on CD". But, you know, in a good way.

Now all I need is a decent escort agency - where the girls won't watch me die while they drink wine - and I'm set for a real rock and roll middle age.

[Dac X Lee]

Futurology is definitely on the quiet side, but Generation Terrorists is somehow quieter.