Remove Ads

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Pledge Music : New Album !
******WARNING TECHIE GEEKY BLAH BLAH AHEAD******

This isn't from a low quality stream/download. Low quality mp3 streams create modulation artifacts in midrage that sound like high frequency "warble". The stereo spread is not compromised from compression. The mentioned Tell tale warble would be noticeable in any low volume fade out/reverb (the out of boxer would sound like listening inside a fishbowl). As well compare the early Devil release with this mix, and things are very similar.

What you are hearing, in all likelihood, are production choices - for better or worse.

It's a pretty mid rangey mix, with some heavy saturation happening (especially in the drums), as well as a pretty center focused image. Feels like a mix of older analog gear (lots of spring verbs) and ...strangely 16-bit dynamic range aesthetic. It's got a "right there in the room with the band" production. (all speculation of course)

Scoop it with some EQ and it sits in with the other records, which are hyped a bit more.

There are things I absolutely love about this record, and things I just don't agree with at all. But, being that I've been an audio engineer for 22 years, my ears listen more critically than some folk.
Reply
silke Wrote:I don't think there will be a second version of the album to download.
My best friend is musician and and producer and as much a perfectionist as Jimmy is and I'm sure he would NEVER upload a first version that doesn't meet his standards. And I don't think Jimmy would.
Let's just wait for the physical CDs.

Geoff Tate's version of queensryche just released two mixes of the same record withing a week of release... though... it's been a bit of a trainwreck. Anyway, it's not unheard of in the professional market. Though rare.
Reply
bxdash Wrote:What you are hearing, in all likelihood, are production choices - for better or worse.

Yep. What we're hearing is an Ours album whose focus is not solely on Jimmy's voice.

Now that I've realized that, I'm enjoying this album a whole lot more.
Reply
people may not be familiar with the progressive metal band Pain of Salvation, but for those who may, the production and mixing approach to this record almost reminds me of Pain of Salvation's "Road Salt 1" (or maybe "Road Salt 2" as well).

Intentionally stripped-down and organic.

Not that the analogy could and will be the same, but for the most part, the fans of Pain of Salvation hated Road Salt 1 and RS 2 as well. I'm not sure if that dramatic of a production/mixing approach to an album will be received too well.

But I sort of see this possibly like dredg's Chuckles record, I like it, it still sounds enough like them to not wonder, but it also is different enough to at least credit them for trying to do something different.

However, I also don't find it to be as good or addictive as any of their others. But I also don't question that the band will make more music that I love down the road.
Reply
This album will be on vinyl, correct? That was one of the awards on the pledge, right?
Reply
I just think they should have used their experimentation card on something that wasn't fan funded, anyway...

When do you think we will start getting the pledge stuff? I really want to incorporate the hand written lyrics into my next tattoo.
Reply
Also, I can't imagine the production was funding-limited. It doesn't cost that much to make a great sounding recording these days. Jimmy wanted it to sound this way, IMO.
Reply
jade Wrote:This album will be on vinyl, correct? That was one of the awards on the pledge, right?

I do believe it will be.

I hope it'll be available at shows to buy on vinyl too because I REALLY want it.
Reply
jade Wrote:
bxdash Wrote:What you are hearing, in all likelihood, are production choices - for better or worse.

Yep. What we're hearing is an Ours album whose focus is not solely on Jimmy's voice.

Now that I've realized that, I'm enjoying this album a whole lot more.

Definitely hit the nail on the head right there. I'm at Sing right now and I love the sound/style of the album (methodic rock) but it doesn't come across as what I would consider as an Ours record. I couldn't work out what it was until you said that the mixing doesn't focus on the vocals. You can really hear that in Sing. I've seen it live a few times and it's pushed much more vocally live than on record.

Also what bxdash has said, the mix does sound a bit plain and levelled out, sort of a more straightforward approach to how things sound, but it does mean things don't sound crisp or punchy.

I'm undecided if I love it or not as an album, the songs as definitely catchy, also WHERE IS AUTUMN?! Then again I think that kind of track wouldn't fit in with this kind of album. I think it needs a few listens and I need to be in a mindset that this is progression, this won't sound like any other Ours album before it.
Reply
Yes, this album is completely democratic. Nothing is highlighted over anything else. Jimmy's crystal-clear voice takes precedence nowhere on this album except with "Devil." I'm not necessarily sure that's a bad thing, but it sure is startling on first listen. Dude's fucking with us. :-)

"Autumn" is a Jimmy Gnecco solo album type of song, I imagine.

"Fall into My Hands" is my favorite so far.
Reply
So far "Boxer" is my favorite from the album. Just wished the recording, mixing and mastering was better. It puts a damper on the whole feeling and listening experience of the album. Everything is just a muddy mess. I always loved Ours records because the production was so beautiful. Not on this one. I'm not holding out much hope for the cd or vinyl version. 320 kbps is as good as it gets for a mp3. I don't expect the lossless version to sound much better. I hope someone can ask Jimmy what happened with this record. Surely they raised enough money from the pledge campaign to book a decent studio for recording the album. Right now I'm just really sad and was hoping for something better. It's been a long five year wait since Mercy.
Reply
I tried listening to it in my car today and I have an awesome Bose 5 speaker system and it sounds like shit!
The sound levels are all over the place. The first track you can turn up to a normal volume then you have to really turn it down on a few other songs because it pretty much is peaking out in the red
Drums and high hats are way to loud and drown everything out including Jimmy's voice.
I'm done trying to bond with it, it's a mess.
Reply
jlatham Wrote:Just wished the recording, mixing and mastering was better. It puts a damper on the whole feeling and listening experience of the album. Everything is just a muddy mess.

I agree. I actually really like the songs on this album. I like the different direction they took with songs like Pretty Pain and Been Down, and I LOVE Jimmy's vocal performances. He sings more and more like he does live with every record, but the impact is definitely lessened by the poor sound. Like someone said before, it sounds like demo quality.

For all the speculation as to why the record sounds this way--that it's accidental, that the download quality is poor, that the band wanted a grittier sound or wanted to experiment or bring the vocals down in the mix--I think the truth is that the person sitting at the board was just incompetent.

I would contribute to another Pledge campaign and wait another 2 years just for them to remix/remaster the album!

Until then I guess I will just listen to it through shitty iPhone earbuds and suck it up.
Reply
jade Wrote:Also, I really can't wait to hear these songs live.

me too! i noticed that "sing" is much shorter than the version that they were playing last summer. can't wait to see what version they play on tour. hell, can't wait for some info on these shows, caught a snip of "fallen souls" last night on twitter, jimmy sounds GOOD.
Reply
This album is a big disappointment. Some songs are pretty cheesy. Autumn is like their best song in forever and isn't even on the album. Devil is a great track. I just miss the darker vibe they had when Ours first came out. Maybe it'll grow on me. Oh well, there's always the live shows.
Reply
I REFUSE to believe, Jimmy intended the album to sound this way!

SOMETHING is wrong with these MP3s from PLEDGE, there is NO WAY the band CHOSE for it to sound this way.
Reply
Okay, I've been listening to the whole thing incessantly since I got it, and I've held off comment til I was sure how I felt about it.

It's definitely a different kind of sound for Ours. I hate to be the one to point it out, but Ours/Jimmy have been around for a long time (~20 years since the first album?) and they're still not really that popular in the US. Maybe by not highlighting as much on Jimmy's voice, it was an intentional attempt to reach a broader audience?

There's a definite 'muddy' sound/feel to the tracks, but it seems intentional. It sounds like the grungy/grainy effect on a photo of a rusted out industrial building, to me. (Sorry, I'm more of a visual person. That's the best way I can think of to explain it.)

I'm torn between liking Boxer and Been Down best. The latter makes me wonder - does Jimmy have a brother? (There's so much I don't know...)

Very much looking forward to the show here in June. Those of you who are going to the release - keep us posted!! I want to know if there's hard copies of the CD available, if they sound any different, how the songs sound live, and if there's any buzz on whether "Ballet the Boxer 1" is referring to the first mix, the first version, or part one of a multi-part concept.
Reply
feverdown's comment about his "shitty earbuds" reminded me that I've been listening to this album on my shitty computer speakers. I'm now listening to this on my awesome Sennheiser headphones and wow. So much better. So much better. I kind of wish I'd not made my ignorant comments a few pages back. But, seriously, I thought the band had been fucked over by whoever worked production on the album. Honestly, on a great headset, this sounds excellent.

Yes, this sounds different from their past albums. But how many bands, 3-4 albums in, are still making albums that sound the same as their previous ones? Jimmy's trying a new way of singing. A new approach. I actually love it.

Xxtayce, yep, he has at least one brother that I know of.
Reply
Jade: On your Sennheiser's how does MERCY sound compared to Ballet?

I have some pretty good headphones, a really good sound card on my MAC, a really good system in my car...Ballet sounds terrible compared to MERCY and The Heart. Patiently Waiting sounds like I'm sitting in the studio while they were recording it.
Reply
Yeah, what I meant by the shitty iPhone headphones was that it makes it harder to notice the poor sound. Kind of like watching standard def TV channels on a tube TV. You don't notice the low quality until you watch on an HD TV.

Even on my phone you can hear the difference between this and Mercy/The Heart that Hmontesjr is pointing out.
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Zoe released an album blasko66 0 287 11-16-2020, 01:45 PM
Last Post: blasko66
  Singles, Album, Tour SoundscapeMN 5 994 10-23-2019, 08:52 PM
Last Post: SoundscapeMN
  New Album Name and Release Date! eveofabyss 124 13,259 12-31-2018, 08:08 PM
Last Post: jlatham
Bug New album - dumb question delight 2 985 01-29-2016, 05:41 PM
Last Post: delight
  Listening Party (for the new album) in early 2016 SoundscapeMN 4 1,155 06-14-2015, 07:56 AM
Last Post: northstar80
  New solo album in the works jade 35 3,400 08-10-2014, 11:17 PM
Last Post: HOURS
  'Devil' Music Video eveofabyss 8 973 08-25-2013, 12:07 PM
Last Post: inn
  album release party - may 14 jmwood42 1 794 05-15-2013, 07:42 AM
Last Post: SoundscapeMN
  Thought about the upcoming album luciddream71 6 959 02-08-2013, 08:37 AM
Last Post: Xxtayce
  Who should produce Ours' next album? northstar80 15 1,654 09-27-2012, 02:42 PM
Last Post: northstar80

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)