The mixing/mastering of CD

[jimmythegent]

IMO, the mixing and to a lesser extent the mastering of CD is one of the main reasons for the lengthy wait

In the NYT article, reference was made to a library's worth of archived recordings - there must be thousands upon thousands of tracks to wade through. The mixing process, or the piecing together of these tracks, must be a painstaking process - the volume, pitch, frequency and spacing of each track must be considered in relation to the tracks that it sits with...

I read an article with Bill Price recently and he talked about the mixing of November Rain and what an intricate, time consuming process that was. I think we're in broad agreement that there will be a lot of epics of this nature on CD, so that further adds to the monumental task at hand.

There are no doubt many other reasons for the amount of time (touch ups, legal probs, Axls perfectionism/obsessivness) but if the band has finished their respective parts, I'd say the mixing and mastering is going to take a long time.

What are peoples thoughts?

[dave-gnfnr2k]

IMO each person called into the studio to mix the album, mixed a certain set of songs. I dont think one person is going to mix/produce the whole album. Ie Beltremi (sp?) mixed a few songs, then that Buckmaster mixed a few songs, etc etc.

[jimmythegent]

IMO each person called into the studio to mix the album, mixed a certain set of songs. I dont think one person is going to mix/produce the whole album. Ie Beltremi (sp?) mixed a few songs, then that Buckmaster mixed a few songs, etc etc.

you could be right, although for the sake of consistency and coherance, I hope not

i think it's important that an album have a coherent "sound"

[jameslofton29]

Interesting topic, Jimmy. This is a topic that brings up a touchy subject:overproduction. If all this time is being spent doing what you've just described, CD is entering Def Leppard-Hysteria territory. More time was spent mixing and doing "finishing touches" than the band spent doing the music. The album really suffered for it too. It was way too polished and became dated very quickly, and Hysteria, although being one of the biggest selling albums of the 80's. is now basically irrelevant. Axl really needs to be careful with how much he tinkers with this album.

[August 18th]

i don't think chinese democracy will neither sound dated or over-produced, as axl has more of a "mature" sound now it seems, and i think that's the type of mistakes he's trying to avoid. he doesn't want to do the illusions all over again, although they were great albums. axl's a man to move on and create new, not re-do what he's already done.

[jameslofton29]

August, maybe you're right. But you cant just discount what I just said, because its a definite possibility. Look at Illusions, GNR only worked on that for a little less than 2 years, and it was overpolished.

[August 18th]

well the use your illusions weren't supposed to be appetite, which was more of a basic rock n' roll type record, although brilliant and unique. but the illusions were supposed to sound different, that's what axl wanted, according to himself, to "bury" appetite in order to not re-do what he's already done. and now he wants to move on from the illusions, just like with appetite back in the day. you won't see another use your illusion record in regards to music, so i think the production will be different as well. axl knows that he has to do it that way. he stays up on things, he isn't "dated" or stuck back in the 80's like alot of other rockstars seem to be.

[jimmythegent]

From what we've heard, it's going to be a melting pot of influences and extremes - probably closer to some of the more rangey Illusions material I'd guess.

I hope it's not overproduced, and I hope it's got a timeless quality - I was worried a few years ago that it was going to be too informed by the industrial genre - I think Axls moved away from this a bit now though

Even choosing which tracks, be it guitar/ vocal/strings/keys parts out of the reported thousands, is going to be a vast task and an extremly time-consuming process, regardless of whether it's overproduced or not

[nesquick]

 

I was worried a few years ago that it was going to be too informed by the industrial genre - I think Axls moved away from this a bit now though

I REALLY REALLY HOPE SO.
I wasn't worried about that...I was in pannic. Especially when I heard OMG and later Silkworms.

the blues, madagascar and IRS are much better quality songs though.

[Voodoochild]

IMO each person called into the studio to mix the album, mixed a certain set of songs. I dont think one person is going to mix/produce the whole album. Ie Beltremi (sp?) mixed a few songs, then that Buckmaster mixed a few songs, etc etc.

No, Beltrami and Buckmaster didn't mixed/produced the songs, but they orchestrated.

I really don't think Axl would be that stupid to just put an overproduced album. Hell, anyone would think that it could be overproduced. Don't you think Axl would be careful with that?

I was worried a few years ago that it was going to be too informed by the industrial genre - I think Axls moved away from this a bit now though

I REALLY REALLY HOPE SO.
I wasn't worried about that...I was in pannic. Especially when I heard OMG and later Silkworms.

Axl already saind back in 2001 that he will not make an industrial album. I dunno why some of you are still so worried about that...

[nesquick]

Axl already saind back in 2001 that he will not make an industrial album

really? I wasn't aware of that. Do you have the interview?

[younggunner]

I really dont think CD will have an overproduced sound. Its sounds like Axl has "educated" himself with various types of musical technoligies over the years and Im sure he knows what sound he wants for the album. and he will achieve that sound

[michaelvincent]

I really don't think Axl would be that stupid to just put an overproduced album.

You never intentionally set out to make an overproduced album. Overproduction takes place when you do things like sit in a studio for 10 years working on the same album.

[DoubleTalkingJive]

I really dont think CD will have an overproduced sound. Its sounds like Axl has "educated" himself with various types of musical technoligies over the years and Im sure he knows what sound he wants for the album. and he will achieve that sound

definately, i agree with you on that one.

yeah but Axl has this vision in his mind of what he wants the sound to be and can't acheive it in a reasonable amount of time, the odds of overproduction is likely.

[dave-gnfnr2k]

Over produced is an overrated term. The UYIs sounded fine. All over produced means is the songs sound polished and perfect and not raw and have mistakes.

[Falcon]

you won't see another use your illusion record in regards to music, so i think the production will be different as well. axl knows that he has to do it that way. he stays up on things, he isn't "dated" or stuck back in the 80's like alot of other rockstars seem to be.

That's my biggest issue with the originals we've heard from the new band.  Maddy and The Blues just reak of UYI era schlock to me.  I find them both virtually unlistenable.  I realize some are just so hungry for new stuff they've really latched onto these 2, some even hailing them as "instant classics".  That's cool, objectivity can be thrown out the window when dealing with a rabid, material starved fanbase.

My hopes are with IRS and a path in that direction, lot's of potential there.

Just my opinion..

[dave-gnfnr2k]

you won't see another use your illusion record in regards to music, so i think the production will be different as well. axl knows that he has to do it that way. he stays up on things, he isn't "dated" or stuck back in the 80's like alot of other rockstars seem to be.

That's my biggest issue with the originals we've heard from the new band.? Maddy and The Blues just reak of UYI era schlock to me.? I find them both virtually unlistenable.? I realize some are just so hungry for new stuff they've really latched onto these 2, some even hailing them as "instant classics".? That's cool, objectivity can be thrown out the window when dealing with a rabid, material starved fanbase.

My hopes are with IRS and a path in that direction, lot's of potential there.

Just my opinion..

You are in the miniority that don't like those songs. People like you crack me up. You wish the old band would get back together yet when the new band makes songs like found on an old album you bash them.? You really need to get a life and stop bashing peoples taste in music that is not the same as yours. Get over yourself already. You have been doing this for years, its getting very old.

Just my opinion.

[killingvector]

you won't see another use your illusion record in regards to music, so i think the production will be different as well. axl knows that he has to do it that way. he stays up on things, he isn't "dated" or stuck back in the 80's like alot of other rockstars seem to be.

That's my biggest issue with the originals we've heard from the new band.  Maddy and The Blues just reak of UYI era schlock to me.  I find them both virtually unlistenable.  I realize some are just so hungry for new stuff they've really latched onto these 2, some even hailing them as "instant classics".  That's cool, objectivity can be thrown out the window when dealing with a rabid, material starved fanbase.

My hopes are with IRS and a path in that direction, lot's of potential there.

Just my opinion..

I'm afraid you maybe disappointed with CD then.  I don't think this will be a modern AFD.

[DoubleTalkingJive]

I agree this is going to sound nothing like AFD and if that's what certain people are hoping for, it aint gonna happen.  Just from what we have heard so far to me nothing sounds like AFD or UYI's.  Even The Blues, I like the song but I don't hear the finesse like the Illusions ballads had but that could be cause it's live boot and not a studio version.

[Voodoochild]

Axl already saind back in 2001 that he will not make an industrial album

really? I wasn't aware of that. Do you have the interview?

R&P: Is your new material more industrial? We hear that it is not very similar to that of your old band.

Axl: It is not industrial, the closest thing to that was perhaps Oh My God, but there are some songs that won't be on the album that were this way. There will be all kinds of styles, many influences as blues, mixed in the songs. But not so much inspiration of Aerosmith or AC/DC that was used on Appetite. Buckethead, his first influence and the reason why he grabbed a guitar for the first time was Angus Young of AC/DC. Several of the boys love to play AC/DC. It is only we will play other styles. When we tried writing songs in the old style of Guns N' Roses, they sounded too old, they didn't sound so alive. We could not make that. And I think that that also passed with the old Guns N' Roses. The songs composed by the boys for another album many years ago, everything sounded old. Then we tried to explore to maintain the band alive.


Source: http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/articles/showarticle.php?articleid=38