sj_2150 thanks for you input. Funnily enough I have also studied music and technical production for a number of years. I also earn a living in the field.

Look, you have no idea who you're talking to little boy.

Whatever. All I know is that if you listen to this stuff on a *REAL* system (I'm using professional speakers that many albums are actually *MIXED* on) you will hear that the guitars don't drop when the massive sub bass booms hit. It all holds together beautifully.

oh no probs i wasnt offended at all! just wanted to get into a discussion on dynamics because i think a lot of musicians these days are almost completely ignorant of them. i agree that some music benefits from compression though, but in the case of classical or even jazz, it kills it.

KEEP IT TOGETHER!!!!!!

Yeah Beef_Balonga, I guess I really don't. I don't know what kind of industry professional would barge in casting dispertions about everybody's program material and hardware, make bitchy and unfounded assertions with a superior attitude, and present oxymoronical arguments without backing them up with simple, objective, non-bitchy and non offensive technical discussion.

I simply put forward a professional point-of-view, which granted may be wrong, and I am simply interested in technical discussion in understandable, objective terms. I'm not interested a war of the egos, I feel no need to start pulling out qualifications and job synopsies, I just want to discuss the phenomenon that everyone has been experiencing.

I noticed that on the last page there were scant references to the album to which this thread purports to discuss.

On topic, or locked.

Flaming can always be conducted via PM.

no i think both of you think youre superior to the other. pfft! elitists...

*lol* No! I really don't!

I just get tired of the condescending crap in the middle of what was otherwise an interesting discussion. :shrug:

Hey what album were we talking about again? I forgot.

Bass booms on Strapping Young Lad's Alien and the Devin Townsend Band's Synchestra.

Who's Strapping Young Lad?

Who's Strapping Young Lad?

yes i want to know aswell

You guys are hilarious.

You guys are hilarious.

Yes of course we are. Anyway... if you consider yourself a "music and technical production" person maybe you should buy yourself some real speakers so you can hear properly?
I use these and highly recommend them:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHB2031A

Yeah, now you are being a comedian.

i agree the album could be more dynamic
same goes for AE really
the song writing allows for it, theres plenty of space there, just not in the performance or the production.. but hey, lets just lets those loud guitars ring out and the compressors do their job, i tell ya its a pleasant sound

still, this is on par with the best productions in the devy discography... Alien is probably my favorite, but I didn't start thinking about the recording for a long time.. although I did notice the bass booms effect on the mix (on the cd of course, I havent even heard it or Synchestra through an mp3!)
But the arrangement stuff from Alien, like the tuned percussion sounds and infinity style backing choir lines, is all done just as well on this one.
There IS depth on this.. but hey, I only heard the thing for the first time two days ago, and I dont really wanna suck all the goodness out of it quite yet.

One qualm, in Pixellate, that great low muted guitar melody that comes in at the one minute point is just a little too quiet.. BUUUUUT I wouldn't say thats bad mixing, cuz its still new to me, and I only want it louder cuz i LIKE it. But it kinda seems like the rhythm parts are prioritized.. even though that melody is supported with all this other stuff thats just under the surface (Hey, theres some dynamic for ya!)... actually, fuck it, I really like that