1st impressions on new Breeders

[Tragabigzanda]

Just took my first listen.

GREAT songs, real quirky album.

That being said, the whole thing sounds like a cardboard box: warm and natural, but real round and without any definition. Anybody else get this? Next spin will be through different speakers...

[tonejunkee]

It sounded very haunting to me in a good way. Great recording/mixing on that one too. Kim is a real talent

[kenmarks2]

Hello.
I've only listened to a few tracks from this album.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean , Tragibizanda, when you state it sounds like a cardboard box, and then liken that to something warm and natural.

Could just be a different way of refering to a sound recording.
I generally liken a 'cardboard box' sound with something that's boxy...meaning stiffled, with lots of dead sounds, maybe even perhaps some comb filtering. I hear none of the above on this sound recording. It's actually quite balanced in my opinion.

Also, you say it's round with no definition.
Round is generally a good thing. I usually associate 'round' with a warm tonal, total spectrum representation. Definition generally happens in a warm recording.

I'm not sure if you're refering to dynamics or frequency range.

In my opinion , the little that I've heard of this album, I feel it's warm and classic in its engineering and mixing.
Truly this album sounds cohesive and warm over all in the sonic sense. The songs are strong, melodic and interesting.

[Tragabigzanda]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean , Tragibizanda, when you state it sounds like a cardboard box, and then liken that to something warm and natural.

I guess I think of it like this: if one were to bang on a cardboard box, there would be a warm & natural sound to it, on account of the actual material (corrugated paper, from a tree).

Could just be a different way of refering to a sound recording.
I generally liken a 'cardboard box' sound with something that's boxy...meaning stiffled, with lots of dead sounds, maybe even perhaps some comb filtering. I hear none of the above on this sound recording. It's actually quite balanced in my opinion.

I think that the volume/dynamic levels of the songs are balanced; quiet parts are left to be quiet, and the louder parts have some more volume to them. But the EQ sounds, to me, to be flat as all hell!

Also, you say it's round with no definition.
Round is generally a good thing. I usually associate 'round' with a warm tonal, total spectrum representation. Definition generally happens in a warm recording.

I disagree here. The bass guitar especially is real round, too full for it's own good; it creates this constant undercurrent of mud.

In my opinion , the little that I've heard of this album, I feel it's warm and classic in its engineering and mixing.

It was recorded "all wave," meaning no digital element introduced anywhere in the project (until the final transfer to CD).

Truly this album sounds cohesive and warm over all in the sonic sense. The songs are strong, melodic and interesting.

I agree on the songs being strong, melodic and interesting; I think they're GREAT! Also, the album is quite warm. I just think the EQ is horribly flat.

Again, just my response after a first lesson. I'll try to get back later this weekend after a second spin...

[kdarr]

Albini recordings tend to sound best at pretty high volumes, because he DOES record things fairly flat. He doesn't give you that pre-figured smiley face EQ that so many modern recordings have.

[<|>]

[Tragabigzanda]

So I've listened to it a bit more, both on my little Pioneer stereo, and in the Suburu. It definitely opens up a bit more with some volume, but all-in-all, I gotta say, I still think it's pretty flat. Strangely enough, I'm starting to LIKE this quality...

[MANNY NIETO]

well you all are pretty much right on the money!
I recorded and mixed most of the new record shared as well by Steve Albini and Erika Larson .
Kim and kelley have an amazing sense of how they want everything to sound.Eq was rarely used so it had to sound bad ass mic only to make the grade.I love the sound of this record and the fact they followed through with mastering @ Abbey Road made it a dream come true for me.
Kim and kelley used on almost every song a 58 on vocals.Never did we compress anything! Kim is pretty much a engineer herself so no fooling the boss.
Cheers and I love Tape op! before i ever recorded a note i read this magazine back to back and even today its timeless knowledge .
Manny

[vvv]

Aiight, aiight, it's on my "to buy" list.

[MANNY NIETO]

Last note! to all that record, It honestly comes down to a being a believer that it does not take thousands to make a great recording. The coolest sounds on this record are vocals and bass through a 4track,reamping vocals into a reverb wet combo! Fucking sounded better than any fancy gear around.Instead of eq grab another guitar,change a mic? list goes on......
Kim sounded great through a Neve,Trident,Tascam 4track ,straight into a 002 and both Neoteks used on Moutain Battles .Pre? Mic ? or kim?
this record is not for most but its a bad ass statement to taking back the old way of band,mic and hit record.
Try it sometime and I promise you will be shocked on how sincere and genuine it comes across through speakers.
It works for me.then again I am a recording fool lol
-Manny Nieto

[vvv]

Hmmmm.

I gotta say, the sounds are good, although the general level is rather low?

But the performance seem very rough.

I can't believe that they chose that song for the opener.

And I'm not digging the songs too much in general; only 2 or 3 ...

Aiight, I know I suck because I think that, as much as I enjoyed Title TK, and I did - I liked it less than the second and I didn't much dig Pod - "Cannonball" was their high-point.

I said I suck.

[MANNY NIETO]

well thats the beauty of music and opinions!
Kim made the decision to master a few DB lower then norm.Do you hear it low in Ipod?
the reason is most mastered records out there are so hot you can not listen to them on regular systems because digital clipping and there is this new thing they do to the audio which fools your ipod into playing it louder?! weird but Kim and Kelley wanted to have it lower not to ever clip like most records mastered these days out on well known labels. I was there when mastered and we pulled level to a safe ok level she liked.
As far as title TK its a sick record and there was never an attempt to recreate that chapter again.Mountain battles is a sonic snap shot of what the breeders wanted to share and proudly play live for there friends and family.True artist they all are fan or no fan of record.One thing forsure is thats songs like Night of joy and were gonna rise have a timeless feel that is worth gold in these days of pointless sounding records.
True to the soul the deal sisters rock!
Jose and mando kick ass too.
-M

[NU-TRA]

MANNY!

You know how much I love this album! I'm glad Kim and Kelley didn't join the loudness war. I am also going to master our album so it's peaking. I hate that sound!

Cheers!

[MANNY NIETO]

thanks Vahe!
there is so much room in music now you can make anything possible digital or analog ! bold and daring is a good thing.Being a sheep is fucking boring.
make your own path like Kim and kelly and your reward will be in timeless songs,Original sounds and credibility that is priceless and cant be baught
-Bad ass music 08

[MoreSpaceEcho]

I didn't much dig Pod

this...this cannot be possible.

[Nick Sevilla]

well you all are pretty much right on the money!
I recorded and mixed most of the new record shared as well by Steve Albini and Erika Larson .
Kim and kelley have an amazing sense of how they want everything to sound.Eq was rarely used so it had to sound bad ass mic only to make the grade.I love the sound of this record and the fact they followed through with mastering @ Abbey Road made it a dream come true for me.
Kim and kelley used on almost every song a 58 on vocals.Never did we compress anything! Kim is pretty much a engineer herself so no fooling the boss.
Cheers and I love Tape op! before i ever recorded a note i read this magazine back to back and even today its timeless knowledge .
Manny

+1

Micing correctly eliminates the need for corrective equalization.

Getting it right at the source is SO MUCH BETTER.

I'll go out and buy this, and see if I like what they did.

Cheers