Hear Bang's Entire BLACKLINE DEBUT ALBUM

[Bang]

Its been about three years in the making, but I'm finally proud to shamelessly promote my own band Blackline's new debut CD which is available online now at www.blacklinerock.com and in many stores soon. I've posted clips from every song on the album for all to hear. So if you like it, buy it! And let me know if you have any questions or comments about the engineering stuff too. I should also point out that our single ARMAGEDDON SOUL was mixed via Folcrom/Trident S20/RMS 755 Super Stereo Comp, so kudos to Justin and RMS for that.... All the rest was the Neotek.. Ok, here they are.

1. Through It
2. Armageddon Soul
3. Run
4. Open
5. SuperOne
6. Repent
7. Battlecase
8. Wherever (acoustic)
9. The Sands
10. Knees
11. Why

So again, if you like what you hear, go to www.blacklinerock.com and hit the BUY IT button!

[Jason Poulin]

awesome man!

great style



Jason

[djui5]

Cool $hit Steve!!!

[Cojo]

Well done!

/Cojo

[rowdy322]

This really rocks.Vocalist not my favorite, but hey that is probably personal taste.Sounds like the vocals are being forced out and anunciation is not that great on some of the songs, but overall this is great material.

[Bang]

Thanks for the positive early reviews. Just for anyone who has checked it out, the shipping cost for the album has been greatly reduced, we changed it from UPS rates to a flat 2.00 shipping rate. Carry on.

[rainsinvelvet]

Sounds pretty freek'n good! Nice Job !

ERic

[norman_nomad]

Shweet. Sounds super good. What vocal mic did you use on the album?

[dim light]

Super Bang! thumbsup

[funka]

Cool!
Before the folcrom, was there an aurora16?
What was the final A/D after the rolls music comp?
Can you tell me why having taken this audio chain(folcrom+s20+rolls music comp) only for that single?
Cheers

[Stixxs]

Nice Steve.

"Three year's" with the move to boot.

[Bang]

As we all know, gearslutters aren't afraid to share their honest opinion so I'm thrilled that reviews are still going positive. I should also give props to Tom Baker for doing an awesome job mastering the single which is Armageddon Soul. And thanks to whoever has been purchasing the discs.

To answer some questions, the vocal mics I used on the album were the MXL V6, V57M, and other various MXL mics. No, I'm not kidding. I stopped using expensive mics a few years ago, they make me too nervous (ever seen a Blue Refurb 47 hit the ground? I have) and honestly MXL mics sound AMAZING. Most all vocals were compressed with the UAD LA-2s.

The Aurora is what hits the Folcrom. And the reason why I used it for the single was because of taste. The song needed a slicker sound. The Folcrom/Trident combo is ultra slick, and the bottom is thick. I couldn't get it to sound the way I wanted off the Neotek so I tried the Folcrom and it nailed it..

So now we're planning a little tour. Last time we tried that we all ended up in jail the first weekend. Second times a charm.

[funka]

thank you, nice details

[AdamJay]

Bang,

great work!

question: was the Aurora used for D/A to the Neotek on all the othertracks? or is there DA-16x sprinkled in throughout the album as well?

[wolffy]

Sounds great man. I've been digging your stuff since you posted "Run" a long while back. That's still my fav.

If you don't mind, I'm curious about the bass guitar recording. Mainly what kind of gtr was used, did you mic a cab & what amp, what di was used, what mix processing, and amp vs. di level in final mix.

Also, it sounds like the room mic(s) are more defined in this newer mix. How many room mics did you use and how are they panned? It sounds like one room mic panned not quite hard right??? Any reverb used on the drums?

Thanks!!!

[Kris]

Who Mastered the album?

[GPl]

Great Sound Steve! I'm loving the drum sound(and of course the drummer). Can you run us through how you approached the drum sound? Again, great job!

[jchadstopherhuez]

hey bang...

really nice work...

not really my favorite music...but man, i would listen to this...it sounds really great.

good job...and good luck with the project.

[Bang]

Adam, most of the tracks to the Neotek were a mixture of the Apogee DA 16X and the Aurora. I sold the Apogee and now subgroup 16 outs from the Aurora to the desk and like it even better. It sounds pretty much the same but is way easier to recall.

Wolffy, I don't think any of the bass tracks for these songs were recorded the same. There were four different bass players during the course of the album! For Run I remember micing an Ampeg SVT tube version and mic'd it with a 57 for the high end growl and an ATM 25 for the lows. I also had a DI which got processed with some sort of sansamp thing. I had a mix of those two for RUN.

Besides track [edit 2 Armageddon Soul] which was mastered by Tom Baker, I mastered the whole album using a combo of NSEQ-2 hardware/URS API Graphic software EQ, the RMS 755 Comp, and the Waves Desser. During mastering I tried to keep the master as close as possible to mix sound, and definitely worked on keeping the punch. Eq wise I never went over a db anywhere, the most compression used was about 2 db (most songs averaged 1 db). I didn't use any peak limiters at all. And of course the Proac Studio 100s and Perreaux amp was a big part of the deal. I love mastering and am happy to say that I'm launching a new mastering website affiliated with indie label Yellow Matter Records soon. So start contacting me about your mastering needs! Its fun stuff!

[Bang]

Originally Posted by GPl

Great Sound Steve! I'm loving the drum sound(and of course the drummer). Can you run us through how you approached the drum sound? Again, great job!

Drum sound was a Birch Pearl Masters kit, with mostly a Pearl Sensitone metal snare with a Remo Powerstroke 3 head. Toms had coated or clear Emperors. Kick had Aquarian Violator (i think thats what its called) one ply head.

Mics were a 57 taped to a MXL 012 on snare, Sennheiser 609s on toms, and a D-6 and FET 47 on kick I think. Overheads were MXL condensor mics, usually the V6s, although the earlier recordings like Run probably used something else since I hadn't gotten into the MXL thing yet. Room mics were all over the room and were basically every mic I had left over, be it a 57 (RUN) or some other condensors. Run had a mono room mic which was a 57 which I ran through a bunch of compression. A lot of times the only reverb I add is to the room mics, and sometimes I'll automate it to go in and out how I like, usually being triggered by the snare and toms. Sometimes I'll throw in some of the snare track to the reverb as well. The reverb I usually use is some kind of natural room sound via SIR impulse reverb.

I do use samples in my mixes, but for the Blackline album I was forced to use very little to no sample due to my drummer Jerry being very specific of his drum sound. He doesn't like samples and the natural drum sounds were really great on most of the tracks. What I did do was do the occasional mult on a snare and just whack it with eq to bring out the highs and lows and then I'd trigger it with the snare hits. Worked pretty good.

Room mics I whack with compression and I automate them to breathe within the track, sometimes they are way up, sometimes they are practically muted.

Feel free to hit that buy it now at www.blacklinerock.com and remember, Christmas is on the way so get an album or two for family and friends, and if you have any radio contacts in your area, PM me!

[Scratchy Pots]

Love the way the Mix pumps mate!!!!

Dont Sweeeeeesh the spunk out of it ,,,for God sake!!..

[Bang]

Originally Posted by Scratchy Pots

Love the way the Mix pumps mate!!!!

Dont Sweeeeeesh the spunk out of it ,,,for God sake!!..

RMS 755 attack at 10 release at .6 done and done..

[NeoVXR]

congrats you got it together!
the mastering work on "run" takes the song 1 level higher, still...

[Scratchy Pots]

Originally Posted by Bang

RMS 755 attack at 10 release at .6 done and done..

Sweeeeeeet!!!!

[Bang]

Originally Posted by NeoVXR

congrats you got it together!
the mastering work on "run" takes the song 1 level higher, still...

I don't get it.

[Jax]

I was told by a very well known (at least inside Gearslutz) ME that in terms of mix and production quality, Bang's stuff is basically dime-a-dozen....

Are you all with me in saying that this ME is FULL OF SHIT? I will not reveal who said this to me, and he can step forward if he wants but he better put on the flamesuit to cover his obnoxious, soft little marshmallows.fuuck

I found his comment insulting to what most AE's hope they can achieve - which would be anything of this quality.. and I'd really like to throw it back in his face. Kinda pissed me off!

Bang - killer shit as usual!

[davehall6162]

Bang, stellar man absolutely stellar!

Hey, i remember a post of yours a few months back saying that you were gonna order a portico 5042 tape emu box to try out, did anything ever come of this?
Im considering the thing for my ITB mixes before hitting the RMS755 comp on the 2buss for flavour, id love to hear what you made of it?

Cheers and congrats!
Dave

[lorenzo]

Hear Bang's Entire BLACKLINE DEBUT ALBUM

Bang Bang you shot me down

Bang Bang i hit the ground

[NeoVXR]

ok.. I have to reveal that I was a bit sarcastic and here is the nice version
since many many months Bang has been updating us with his tracks and everytime received overwhelmed comments "how can I get such a good sound, too.." and still he was trying to improve more and more. the quicktime files were particularly good, and the details most time were beyond what mp3 can translate.
so my congrats for finally releasing the work, are serious.
but OTOH Bang would not involve Tom Baker without a reason and I think I hear some difference and I like what Tom did. to me in terms of sound it seems to be the best track. there is some extra vibe.

so.. kudos to Bang for taking us with him on this journey!

[Ruphus]

Hey Bang,

As you might possibly remember from the first time when you posted, I´m of the opinion that you could develop more of your own style musically, - this is not to say that anything wasn´t good -, we both dig the models.

But aside from that, I admire all the kinds of skills involved.
And what I find especially simpatico is that you not only dare to invest all the energy that is needed to make an album before cheapo microphones, but that you manage to indeed wring them out to what I think to be an impressive sonical level.
Sort of Radio Shacks Robin Hood.
Me likes that.

Rock on!

Ruphus

PS: Having heard how they can sound, I months ago told someone to bring me a pair of those cheap mics with himself next time he crosses the pond. They are waiting in his closet already.