SST Records recorded with an MX5050 8-track... Discuss

[Family Hoof]

Or at least that's the impression I was wonder. For example, check out any of the Black Flag stuff before Damaged. I read (forget where) that it was all recorded by the guy who founded SST in a DIY, thrown-together studio. I could be completely wrong though. I think it all sounds pretty shitty from an engineering standpoint (but punk rock rarely does and we love it anyway!). Anyone care to discuss?

[permanent hearing damage]

i thought Spot recorded all of that stuff? it sounded like he recorded in a "real" studio - 24 track or something. though i think most of his recordings from that time period were pretty awful (man, how much more mind-blowing would "My War" be if it wasn't recorded so horribly).

i saw pictures of the studio they recorded damaged at (looked pretty serious - nice wood floors and stuff), but i guess that isn't what you're looking to talk about.

[Family Hoof]

You're right. All Music Guide lists Spot, David Tarling, and Geza X as engineers/producers. I should've done my homework before posting this. It's the stuff on "The First Four Years" and "Everything Went Black" that I'm talking about - before Rollins. Don't listen to them very much these days but I recall barely liking anything they did after damaged.

[Chris_Avakian]

was all the old descendents stuff done the same way? or how was that done? they usually had better sounding records than black flag.

[bobbydj]

You're right. All Music Guide lists Spot, David Tarling, and Geza X as engineers/producers.

Geza's work on early DK's 7"s is ace.

[Everybody's X]

you're probably thinking of sub-pop
or at least nirvana's bleach which was recorded on an mx5050

[joeysimms]

No, Family Hoof's correct. That's what I've heard anyway. I'm sure liquid-ccpp-sissyman-hank'eric will know about this stuff..

[bigtoe]

'Don't listen to them very much these days but I recall barely liking anything they did after damaged.'

Man...i pulled out 'who's got the 10 1/2' when sifting theu some old cassettes...that drummer (anthony, i think) at the time - thundar the barbarian. great live rec...

'total access' yeah? redondo beach? it's been while...

there was a time late 90's when Geza X hit the recording trade mags when he recorded that "Bitch" song for that gal....i agree, the DK's stuff always sounded great to me....next to black flag recs in patricular...but i still think black flag is one of the tops...

Later-
Mike

[joeysimms]

Did Geza X do Nervous Breakdown? I'm partial to the Ron Reyes BF model.
DK's sound is partly great because East Bay Ray's echoplex sound was completely unique for a punk rock record, it's awesome.

[awolski]

I liked the echoplex sound, and thought it was innovative, but I always thought the guitars were too thin and wiry sounding for my tastes on pretty much all DK records.

I prefer that phat, thick Greg Ginn sound from the same era. Not as stinging.

Anyway, that's all IMHO and a lot comes down to the differences in styles.

But I agree, that Descendents stuff sounded excellent.

[kdarr]

Did Geza X do Nervous Breakdown? I'm partial to the Ron Reyes BF model.
DK's sound is partly great because East Bay Ray's echoplex sound was completely unique for a punk rock record, it's awesome.

Yeah, Ray totally had that punk/surf thing going on with his playing. Echoplex and treble up the yin yang.

I always liked Klaus Flouride's tone too... one of my all time favorite picked bass sounds.

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[aurelialuz]

re: DKs, i absolutely worship "fresh fruit" and surrounding 7"s, but the sound on the later albums, basically everything after "plastic surgery.." is waaaaay too treble-y. just wholey abrasive. i think that's what they were going for, but it's too much for me.

the "nazi punks/moral majority" 7"...now THAT'S what punk should sound like.

alex

[elberto]

there's recording notes by Spot in the Everything Went Black LP, and comments about damaged by rollins in Get in the Van--I'll dig these up when I get home from work today.

I'm under the impression that a lot of the flag stuff was recorded at an "actual" studio that Spot worked at. It's much cleaner, fidelity wise, than say, husker du's early output .

[permanent hearing damage]

yeah, that's where i'd seen the pics - get in the van. it was from the damaged session. the label that paid for it got bought by atlantic, i think. and they didn't wanna do the record, so they had to put stickers over all the labels on the lps.

i thought all the stuff on everything went black was just demo material?

[Family Hoof]

everything went black is mainly what i was referring to and I lost the liner notes long ago. I think what everyone has said here sounds pretty accurate so thanks for doing the research for me guys. i don't listen to enough BF anymore.