Foo Fighters smash stuff...

Fat Cat · 18th June 2003

The new Foo Fighters album has some of the most obviously compressed and distorted tracks I've ever heard. As a whole, I like the way it sounds, but since I pointed out the compression to my intern he really wants to know exactly how they did it. I gave the usual Tape+1176/distressor/tube answer but does anyone know what they actually used?

Jules · 18th June 2003

A Monkey Wrench?

alphajerk · 18th June 2003

i dunno, but the drums were horribly sound replaced... that album sounds like utter shit. probably the worst thing dave and co has put out.

Gie-Sound · 18th June 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Fat Cat
...but does anyone know what they actually used?

All I know is that they used Phoenix DRS pre's on almost all channels during tracking. The rest was tracked with Neve pre's.
I don't know about mixing.

[I like the new songs a lot

. But I don't like the way it is mixed

. To obvious compressed, even for my taste

]

juniorhifikit · 18th June 2003

I thought Eric Valentine mixed that record - I could be mistaken though. It sounds like the same approach/drum samples/whatever as the Smashmouth cd with "Allstar" on it, and the Good Charlotte cd, and the new Queens cd. It's weird and punchy and un-natural sounding. I like it. I'm a big Eric Valentine fan. Anyone have any secrets to share?

heinz · 18th June 2003

Mixed by Jim Scott, mastered by Bob Ludwig.

Certainly is smashed bigtime. But, isn't that a ticket to a grammy?

Your Add Here! · 18th June 2003

I heard Bob Ludwig personally say that he received the record completely smashed. He implied that he thought it sounded like shit and that the client loved it. He also used a TC box to try and undo some compression from what I remember. He went on to say that dealing with over compression and brinkwall limiting has been the most unenjoyable aspect of his career.

Beezoboy · 18th June 2003

I agree with AlphaJerk. I think that the guitar sounds absolutely lifeless overall. The album sounds very undynamic. Also considering half of the songs are slower and more melodic, you would think they would have eased up on the compression to let a little bit of dynamic contrast creep in.

I really like the energy of All My Life though. That is one song that sounded perfect smashed.

Beez

alphajerk · 18th June 2003

my 3yo loves that song and knows all the lyrics... needless to say i have been tormented with that song endlessly. i think the album has some of the worst drums sounds ever with the most horrible implementation of sound replacing i have heard. i cant even imagine being the mix engineer thinking that its passable while mixing it.

my favorite song on it is the slow song without drums. i think that one sounds fine. its really the snare that is entirely too bothersome. i cant imagine the tracked drums were that bad that they needed to soundreplace them.

its no colour and the shape.

Gie-Sound · 19th June 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by alphajerk
its no colour and the shape.

Definitely not

BTW
The album was recorded by Nick Raskulinecz...
Last time I spoke with him, he mentioned that it was written & recorded in a few days... (after FF had been working for months on an album with a big producer. But they were not happy with the clinic sound).

alphajerk · 19th June 2003

i thought the first try at an album was done at Dave house in arlington VA... i didnt know the original songs were bagged and new ones written, i thought they just went in and played them quickly.

i would like to see FF get back to just dave doing everything. they were better when he did.

Etnier · 19th June 2003

Quote:

...it was written & recorded in a few days...

Maybe that's how it got so smashed: working intensely in "turn-it-up" mode with no time to get away from things for perspective...

crispy · 20th June 2003

I echo the Sound Replacer sentiments. There also appears to be some sloppy editing, can't remember which track but there is a flammed beat where the snare track isn't aligned with the overheads.

On a lot of songs the balance of instruments is poor, on some over-pumped mix compression applied and if it weren't for the relatively clean vox, you'd swear it wuz a polished desk mix from a show.

Shame, because I've just discovered the FF and I really like their songs more than most other bands out there at the moment.

I've also been listening to Feeder's 'Comfort In Sound' and the track 'Come Back Around' sounds more like what FF should've been.

Perhaps if it was tracked and mixed in an unusually short period, maybe it's indicative that most engineers (and producers) aren't used to working quickly anymore, unlike like our predecessors in the Sixties?

ziegenh5 · 20th June 2003

I heard the boys in Foo Fighters own and use the Pheonix Audio GTQ2 --- not the DRS. Anyway, whatever they used, the album sounds like total monkey piss.dfegad Good songs, but I would sooner stick my head in a toilet and flush it before I would listen to that album straight through.

alphajerk · 20th June 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by crispy
Shame, because I've just discovered the FF and I really like their songs more than most other bands out there at the moment.

go out and buy FF's the colour and the shape... now thats a brilliant album. in fact im going to get it to listen on the way into town today.

Geoff_T · 26th July 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by ziegenh5
I heard the boys in Foo Fighters own and use the Pheonix Audio GTQ2 --- not the DRS. Anyway, whatever they used, the album sounds like total monkey piss.dfegad Good songs, but I would sooner stick my head in a toilet and flush it before I would listen to that album straight through.

Hi

They did and they do...

Can't say anything about the music though because I'm still stuck in the 1960's... listening to my mono Beatle albums through a 1960 vintage Heathkit tube stereo amplifier.

I s'pose it's an "age" thing!

18th June 2003	#1
Fat Cat Gear Head Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: California Posts: 69 Thread Starter	Foo Fighters smash stuff... The new Foo Fighters album has some of the most obviously compressed and distorted tracks I've ever heard. As a whole, I like the way it sounds, but since I pointed out the compression to my intern he really wants to know exactly how they did it. I gave the usual Tape+1176/distressor/tube answer but does anyone know what they actually used?

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18th June 2003	#2
Jules Gearslutz.com admin Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: A Yank in London, UK Posts: 17,356 1 Review written	A Monkey Wrench?

18th June 2003	#3
alphajerk There is only one Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: asheville NC Posts: 5,260	i dunno, but the drums were horribly sound replaced... that album sounds like utter shit. probably the worst thing dave and co has put out.

18th June 2003	#5
juniorhifikit Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Paris/SanFrancisco Posts: 1,241	I thought Eric Valentine mixed that record - I could be mistaken though. It sounds like the same approach/drum samples/whatever as the Smashmouth cd with "Allstar" on it, and the Good Charlotte cd, and the new Queens cd. It's weird and punchy and un-natural sounding. I like it. I'm a big Eric Valentine fan. Anyone have any secrets to share?

18th June 2003	#6
heinz Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: chicago Posts: 1,025	Mixed by Jim Scott, mastered by Bob Ludwig. Certainly is smashed bigtime. But, isn't that a ticket to a grammy?

18th June 2003	#7
Your Add Here! Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 171	I heard Bob Ludwig personally say that he received the record completely smashed. He implied that he thought it sounded like shit and that the client loved it. He also used a TC box to try and undo some compression from what I remember. He went on to say that dealing with over compression and brinkwall limiting has been the most unenjoyable aspect of his career.

18th June 2003	#8
Beezoboy Gear addict Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 495	I agree with AlphaJerk. I think that the guitar sounds absolutely lifeless overall. The album sounds very undynamic. Also considering half of the songs are slower and more melodic, you would think they would have eased up on the compression to let a little bit of dynamic contrast creep in. I really like the energy of All My Life though. That is one song that sounded perfect smashed. Beez

19th June 2003	#11
alphajerk There is only one Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: asheville NC Posts: 5,260	i thought the first try at an album was done at Dave house in arlington VA... i didnt know the original songs were bagged and new ones written, i thought they just went in and played them quickly. i would like to see FF get back to just dave doing everything. they were better when he did.

20th June 2003	#13
crispy Gear nut Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Devon, England Posts: 117	I echo the Sound Replacer sentiments. There also appears to be some sloppy editing, can't remember which track but there is a flammed beat where the snare track isn't aligned with the overheads. On a lot of songs the balance of instruments is poor, on some over-pumped mix compression applied and if it weren't for the relatively clean vox, you'd swear it wuz a polished desk mix from a show. Shame, because I've just discovered the FF and I really like their songs more than most other bands out there at the moment. I've also been listening to Feeder's 'Comfort In Sound' and the track 'Come Back Around' sounds more like what FF should've been. Perhaps if it was tracked and mixed in an unusually short period, maybe it's indicative that most engineers (and producers) aren't used to working quickly anymore, unlike like our predecessors in the Sixties?

20th June 2003	#14
ziegenh5 Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 826	I heard the boys in Foo Fighters own and use the Pheonix Audio GTQ2 --- not the DRS. Anyway, whatever they used, the album sounds like total monkey piss.dfegad Good songs, but I would sooner stick my head in a toilet and flush it before I would listen to that album straight through.