HYDROGYN at WireWorld

[everybody's x]

Michael, did you pseudo-master this yourself or is this exactly how it went to mastering?
THe drums are insane man, I got it blasting through my PA, the kick is perfect.

now I have to read this whole damn thread

[beechstudio]

Got mine today too!! Sounds GREAT!!

Thanks again Michael!!

[tnelson494]

Just got mine in the mail today. It seems pretty loud for just a mix (then again I've never heard a great non-mastered record) and I agree those drums are heavy . I'm get'n down to the studio tomorrow so I'll check it out on some better speakers (and the real test.... the car ride listen on the way). Can't thank you enough for the pre-release and I still can't wait for the Mastered version. I don't know if you mentioned this earlier but who is doing the mastering?

[Ziggy!!]

I've been waiting anxiously... I hope it arrives soon

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by tnelson494

Just got mine in the mail today. It seems pretty loud for just a mix (then again I've never heard a great non-mastered record) and I agree those drums are heavy . I'm get'n down to the studio tomorrow so I'll check it out on some better speakers (and the real test.... the car ride listen on the way). Can't thank you enough for the pre-release and I still can't wait for the Mastered version. I don't know if you mentioned this earlier but who is doing the mastering?

This IS the mastered version, no compression or limiting used during mastering, just a little EQ.

Eric Conn of Independendent Mastering in Nashville did the mastering.

[everybody's x]

nice to pull up a wav file and actually see the snare hits. did I say thanks?

thanks

[GPl]

Can't wait to hear the release...wonder if I'll be able to find it up here, in igloo land

[beechstudio]

Man.......those guitars are HUGE! Are you using your Royer/TG2/Vipre set-up on these?

I gotta get to one of your workshops Michael. You are so THE MAN!

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by beechstudio

Man.......those guitars are HUGE! Are you using your Royer/TG2/Vipre set-up on these?

I gotta get to one of your workshops Michael. You are so THE MAN!

Randall pre > Randall power amp > Randall and ENGL 4 x 12 cabs (Vintage 30s) > 2 Royer 121s > Chandler TG-2 plus 2 direct outs of the Randall cabs > GreatRiver MP 2NV/ EQ 2 NV > SONY DMX converters > summed through CraneSong HEDD >R-1. On some tracks I also had an old Sennheiser 409 on the ENGL cab which got mixed in, mostly on gtr leads.

[Mike Caffrey]

Ahh, Vintage 30's to ribbon mic and a Chandler pre - same thing I use, although I'm usually using an M160 instead of the Royer.

I'm looking forward to a more thorough listen to the copy of the Hydrogen CD you gave me at AES.

Prepare for the disection!

[Ziggy!!]

Cd arrived today! Great stuff! I'm very much enjoying this CD!

No Big Star? something special planned for it?



Thank you very much!

[Peter Simonsen]

Hi Michael,

Just finiched the 5 pages ;-) I just want to say thanks for doing this Michael. This is really amazing that you have done this. You are going way beyond what anybody could expect! I tip my hat and salute you. You are amazing. Thanks!

all my very best & kind regards

Peter

[syra]

Why didn't I notice this thread sooner?...

Too late to grab one of those CD's...where and when can I buy one?...

I have a few Questions Michael:

1) I see you have lots of amp heads and cabs in your arsenal (rectifiers, Marshalls...). Would you say the Randal system with the "emulations" render them useless?...you don't seem to be using them much...

2) Guitars sound awesome. Did you get the heavy distorted sounds with the 121 aimed at the center of the cone?...how many inches away from it?

3) Did you sound replace the drums at all?

4) Could you talk a bit about the compression you used in the album including the stereo buss?

Sorry about the quantity of Q's...if you don't have much time try to answer #1...


Thanks so much...as usual you rule

[kevinc]

Originally Posted by syra

1) I see you have lots of amp heads and cabs in your arsenal (rectifiers, Marshalls...). Would you say the Randal system with the "emulations" render them useless?...you don't seem to be using them much...

I`m very interested in the Randalls as well.

I`ve been looking at some of the cool low watt amps around and now Randall has their 15 watter with all the modules you can use.

Is this thing too good to be true or does it really sound like a bunch of different amps in one ?

And is the basic tone of all these modules as good and complex as a good Fender or Marshall or Mesa ?

I figure if anybody knows guitar amps it`s Michael but I`m still going to have to try one of these things to believe it.

[tnelson494]

The guitars on Back in Black seemed less powerfull then on the rest of the tunes, was recorded earlier or was that by design? Also the outro solo had something wierd on the end like it was doubled but the right side cut out half a sec to soon again was this by design or something you HAD to use? (or maybe I had to much coffee......... I do that some times. Bad Tim ) It was a bummer that Big Star wasn't on after all the stuff we saw about it's creation. I love the over sound and the way the album evolves. You realy captured Julie's dynamics well, some times she just sounds huge but everythings still in perspective. Thanks again, I've listened to this enough to almost qualify it as a reference CD.

[mwagener]

BiB was recorded during one of the workshops in June, so the sound is slightly different. All we redid was the bass, because the band changed bass players right before pre-production. Also it is based on the original a little more, so the drums are a bit louder than on the original HYDROGYN songs.

What you are hearing on the solo is the delay on the solo which is panned to the left. The original solo track drops out and the delay (640ms, close to half a second ), hangs over a bit. The solo is not doubled, though.

About "Big Star", I'll talk to the band and maybe they let me post an MP-3, so you guys can hear the final version.

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by syra

Why didn't I notice this thread sooner?...

Too late to grab one of those CD's...where and when can I buy one?...

The band was talking about having a small run done for a special low price for the gearslutz community. We are doing the photoshoot for the cover on Tuesday/Wednesday, so it might be a while until we can get that together. I'll keep you guys posted.

Originally Posted by syra

I have a few Questions Michael:

1) I see you have lots of amp heads and cabs in your arsenal (rectifiers, Marshalls...). Would you say the Randall system with the "emulations" render them useless?...you don't seem to be using them much...

The Randalls are getting used the most but I don't see the other amps as useless (well, maybe the rectumfryer ). In some cases other amps are mixed in with the Randalls and on "Vesper's Song" is all the ENGL, except for the intro, which is the Supra and the Randall RM20, all other songs are Randalls in different combinations. I don't really hear them as "emulations", rather than new originals, but the names give you a good starting point when you are looking for certain tones.

Originally Posted by syra

2) Guitars sound awesome.

Thanx

Originally Posted by syra

Did you get the heavy distorted sounds with the 121 aimed at the center of the cone?...how many inches away from it?

About 1.5 to 2" away from the center of the cone.

Originally Posted by syra

3) Did you sound replace the drums at all?

I hope you're kidding I don't have ProTools, no soundreplacing possible on the R-1. The drums you hear are all real drums played and recorded during tracking. The only modification is a SPL Transient designer on the snare to bring out the stick a bit more. The toms didn't even have any EQ on them, recording or mix, just some good 'ol SM58s and Sennheiser 504s on the bottom I also decided that I'm finally tired of the dry-drum-aera and it's time to put some reverb back on drums, the more I hear it the more I like it.

Originally Posted by syra

4) Could you talk a bit about the compression you used in the album including the stereo buss?

The only tracks that were compressed are the Lead Vocal (about 18 dB - Distressor), the mono room mic on the drums (RidgeFarm Boiler Plate compressor) and the Bass mics, Beyer 88 and E47 through an old Altec mic pre and the GLORY comp.

The STC-8 was on the stereo buss and did about 2-3 dB. I switch it on fairly early in the mix, righ after getting a basic static mix up, so I can work with it during the mix automation. Absolutely NO compression or limiting during mastering

Originally Posted by syra

Sorry about the quantity of Q's...if you don't have much time try to answer #1...


Thanks so much...as usual you rule

anytime

[syra]

Thanks so much Michael!

Great stuff...I really have to try those Randall modules now

[beechstudio]

Wow........the Toms weren't EQ'd? Those things were massive! Did you have to flip the phase on the bottom mics or did you use the Little labs phase tool?

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by beechstudio

Wow........the Toms weren't EQ'd? Those things were massive! Did you have to flip the phase on the bottom mics or did you use the Little labs phase tool?

The bottom mics are polarity reversed, cancels out some of the bleed of the rest of the kit.

[mwagener]

OK, green lights from the band about posting "Big Star".

Here is an unmastered version, fresh from the console - then mangeled into an MP3 :

[Jay Kahrs]

Yes folks, digital can sound smooth & big in the right hands!

What's doing the chuggy chuggy 8th notes in the verse? Is that a baritone?

Sounds great.

[Higgs]

I received the CD in the mail today. Great stuff!!

Thanks for showing me how far I still have to go with my own skills Michael. Showoff.

Top shelf stuff, from the engineering and production to the band. I will be buying the released version of this for sure.

I agree with the earlier post, the guitars are indeed HUGE, yet clear. I'm still floored that those sounds are coming from anything with the name Randall on it.

Damn talented band with cool tunes. That a Kiss shirt she is wearing?

Man, the insert and CD printing looked really good for one-offs. What did you use for printing them?

Once again, thanks Michael. I truly appreciate it, and am enjoying the CD very much. YOU ROCK!!!!

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by Jay Kahrs

Yes folks, digital can sound smooth & big in the right hands!

What's doing the chuggy chuggy 8th notes in the verse? Is that a baritone?

Sounds great.

If I remember it right we used the Steinberger guitar for the chuggs, I'll look it up...

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by Higgs

I received the CD in the mail today. Great stuff!!

Thanks for showing me how far I still have to go with my own skills Michael. Showoff.

Top shelf stuff, from the engineering and production to the band. I will be buying the released version of this for sure.

I agree with the earlier post, the guitars are indeed HUGE, yet clear. I'm still floored that those sounds are coming from anything with the name Randall on it.

Damn talented band with cool tunes. That a Kiss shirt she is wearing?

Man, the insert and CD printing looked really good for one-offs. What did you use for printing them?

Once again, thanks Michael. I truly appreciate it, and am enjoying the CD very much. YOU ROCK!!!!

Yes on the KISS shirt.

I printed everything on my $99 Epson R200 printer.

We are doing the photoshoot for the cover on Tuesday/Wednesday.

[syra]

Hey Michael,

in some Hydrogun pics I noticed your positioned your S3As horizontally again. Do you find yourself switching back and forth or horizontally is how you finally like them?

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by syra

Hey Michael,

in some Hydrogun pics I noticed your positioned your S3As horizontally again. Do you find yourself switching back and forth or horizontally is how you finally like them?

After some experimenting I find that the horizontal position is better in my room, it places me a bit more "inside" the mix.