BAND-MAID - Warning! (Official music video) - BRITISH SOUND ENGINEER REACTS

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

What do you think of the production of this song? Don't forget to give the video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it, and subscribe to the channel for more regular videos!

[@2abug]

The vocals are amazing on this track. “Warning!” is taken from their latest album “Unseen World” and it’s by far their best production in terms of audio mixing and mastering. BAND-MAID just dropped a new video of the song “about Us” from their last week livestream. This would be a good opportunity for production analysis

[@Slippy6582]

That intro in the beginning is known as "Maid´s Waltz", it´s ALSO written by Kanami herself, even those little details they are doing by themselves. It´s the first song on their new album and the Waltz is always at the start from their liveshows and they used it also for the start of this album, just as a little notice for you. Nice reaction, always glad to learn something new!

[@saldiven2009]

Slight correction. The "Maid's Waltz" is the intro music at concerts, and it's an actual waltz; as in, the music is has a 3/4 time signature. The orchestral intro to Warning is a different tune entirely, and it's has a 4/4 timing, so isn't a waltz. The video below from a show begins with the actual Maid Waltz: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4iweY2qidp_prc

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

interesting info, thanks to both of you! and thanks for watching :)

[@me262talon2]

Thanks Mix it! Studios!

[@GaryHolloway-810]

Thx Talon.👍

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thank *you*!

[@mr559]

Amongst the fans, we consider their live show from Studio Coast 2017 one of the best mix. Songs from that setlist that you can find on their YT channel is "Cross" and "Real Existence."

[@ullischuster1263]

True. "Shinkiba"2017, should be the blueprint for any live mix. But if I'm not mistaken, there is unfortunately no more video of this concert on the channel:-(

[@mr559]

@@ullischuster1263 I'm not sure too. Studio Coast and Zepp Tokyo gets confusing too if you just randomly watch them.

[@ullischuster1263]

@@mr559 I think, all live videos that are not from the last dvd are from the Zepp gig. The great live videos from Shinkiba (Puzzle, non fiction days,...) were taken off the channel a few months ago. I still don't understand this because they were a fantastic promotion for the band.

[@falagar4567]

@@mr559 The best way to tell them apart is that Studio Coast has 3 big screens in the background.

[@falagar4567]

@@mr559 The best way to tell them apart is that Studio Coast has 3 big screens in the background.

[@waynebenedict4609]

Thanks for your insight into the production of these songs.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks for watching!

[@elesiobuccat3951]

I thoroughly enjoy learning about sound engineering through your insight and bringing clarity to some of the jargon (compression) some reactors use.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Brilliant - glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching :)

[@weilima9316]

Oh thanks for doing another one! Thought you would have too many to do to be able to come back to band-maid so quickly. Not really about the technical aspects but I feel that band-maid has a large percentage of musician fans or fans of instrumentalists and instruments, so when it comes to audio mixing the band can never satisfy everyone because what people want to hear higher in the mix seems to depend on which instrument they like to hear more of. The little orchestrated intro sounds similar to their live concert intro music “maid waltz” which is sometimes described as “creepy circus music”. Kanami has written different intros for different touring seasons. But that’s how they usually start their concert. A little mysterious circus music and then BAM into hard and fast music. So this song kind of gives that effect, being the first song on their new album.

[@jasonnord785]

Very interesting to get your perspective. As a lay person, it’s very informative.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@billardon514]

I have to agree that that Ludwig Black Beauty snare sounded great!

[@satocalbee8857]

Nice reaction. Listening to you, I remember seeing a video of Akane sandwiching a guitar Kanami pick as a result of trial and error to make sure the snare hits.

[@xagorvangard]

Glad to see you checked out another Band-Maid song. Another great breakdown. Very informative. Learned something I didn't even thought about such as trying to optimize the sound in regards to different speaker medium. They just released a new song, "About Us'. It was from an online live concert and I would love to see you analyze the production on that since it's a more recent live performance and the fact that it' has definite post production done to it as it sounds slightly different from the original online live concert. Thanks again and see you on the next one!

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks so much! I will have to check that out, appreciate the recommendation!

[@mr559]

Back to Band-Maid. Awesome breakdown once again.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thank you! Thanks for watching :)

[@falkarios2944]

I didn't even notice how the cymbals sounded until you pointed it out. They do sound a bit off compared to everything else. There's a lot to learn from these videos, I'm glad I found your channel. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the newest video Band Maid put out. It's from a livestream concert they did recently, but they made it sound better in post. The song is a power ballad, so it's different from what you've heard so far. Here's a link. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5rGmIl3raiMjJo

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Glad you're finding the videos useful and interesting - makes making them for me worthwhile to hear stuff like this! That sounds like an interesting one, I'll try to check it out - it's on the list now!

[@stevekane4922]

We now know that they produce everything themselves with a single cherished engineer. Then the mastering is done by a specialist who has also been with them forever and was involved in their early development so has a very keen ear for fitting this into playlists of digital music etc. Their videos are shot and produced by the same people who do the live gigs too. Basically the record company gets a complete packaged product (including the graphic) and is happy. A very rare deal to get from an A list record company. The band's founder (rhythm guitar and support vocals) is also vice champion turbo poker champion of Japan. It is no accident they ooze intelligence. Also they compose old school on paper and publish a full score book for the album. Very serious musicians and human beings. Worth seeing their live acoustic gig from last Xmas. Very nicely mixed and filmed. I think at least one track is available on their fb page.

[@glenkelley6799]

Thanks for the analysis of the song from your perspective as an audio engineer. My late brother-in-law, Mark Pinske, was the sound engineer for Frank Zappa for about 10 years in the late 70's/early 80's and on occasion he would invite us in to watch him work on some of Frank's songs. Prior to this I had no idea the amount of work that went into creating the final mix (which was always overseen by Frank). I'll have to admit that my ears were not good enough for what he did and even though I listen to a lot of music there is a lot that I still miss and really appreciate your insights and pointing out things that I had no idea were occurring (I also think I've lost some of my hearing as it's hard to actually hear all the cymbals).

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

That's amazing, super cool! Thanks for sharing! :)

[@TomClark-Futoura]

One of the things that give Band-Maid their unique characteristic sound, aside from the other members and the recording and mixing, etc., is that Kanami, the lead guitarist and main composer, plays and writes all the guitars parts. This is good and bad, imo. Good in that Kanami is an exceptional guitarist and a prolific riff creator and composer. The bad is that there can be a sameness to the second and third guitar parts that sometimes blends too strongly with the lead guitar parts. In other words, if Miku was composing and playing her own unique parts and rhythms, etc. it would, I think, reduce the "wall of guitars" sound their songs sometimes have. And when compression is added during mastering, it blends them in even more. With that particular aspect, I would think the recording engineers could help - and probable do -- to add discretion, dynamics, effects, and tonal differentiation to the guitars. I have done recordings of me playing most of the instruments and I know how difficult it can be to write totally different second and third parts so as to make it feel like it's being played by a different person who's bringing in their own unigueness and experience. Kanami does a fantastic job, to say the least. What a load it must be for her. I know Miku (also the lyricist) will eventually be good enough, and she may be now, to begin to write and play her own second guitar in this incredible Band of Maids she started. Thanks, Mark, for your great coverage of recording techniques with Band-Maid.

[@GaryHolloway-810]

Thx Tom for the great comment.👍

[@GaryHolloway-810]

Hey Gary thx for thanking Tom 3yrs ago.👍

[@TomClark-Futoura]

@@GaryHolloway-810 Hey, I remembered to thank you for thanking me to thank you. That damn YT gatekeeper must have taken all my thank you's down again. 👺

[@GaryHolloway-810]

@@TomClark-Futoura Lol. It's ok Tom, i was just in the general area time travelling (As you do) so i thought i'd pop in :)

[@TomClark-Futoura]

@@GaryHolloway-810 Ok. Thanks, Gary!

[@kidover5095]

Very interesting reaction from an audio engineer! With this band, the snare sound is always great whether studio or live. In this particular song, the bass drum, as there are so many fast notes being played, I think a certain amount of resonance had to be sacrificed. As for the cymbals, yes I do think it is a bit washy. Also, the bass always sounds fantastic. The contour of the notes are very distinctive and does not get buried in the total mix. As for the vocals and compression, I'm sure side-chain was taken into consideration. I guess one of the greatest challenges for an audio engineer is to somehow create a mix that would fit all kinds of listening environments (one size fits all!). Again, thank you for sharing your professional insight. I'll be looking forward to your future reactions!

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks so much! Yes, part of the challenge of a mix engineer is getting every instrument and parts of a recording to sit nicely within a stereo mix, and translates well across speaker systems (which the mastering engineer will also deal with)

[@DavidMISAMISAMISACook]

MISA MISA MISA! most illuminating thank you

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks!

[@JuanSan66]

Their last disc, Unseen World, really has a good mix, way better than previous jobs. They moved to a big label this year (Pony Canyon) and the result is evident.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

I'll have to check it out!

[@falagar4567]

This was very interesting. I like to be able to look at these songs from a different perspective.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Always great to hear, really pleased you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@falconsooner]

Very interesting. I would like your analysis on The Dragon Cries. It is a good song IMO (echoes Hendrox) but many Band Maid fans think the mastering process has flatten the sounds too much. This song is generally considered to be the worse mastered BM song among fans so would like your analysis

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Another commenter said a similar thing, I'm intrigued! I've added it to the list of songs to check out!

[@yuizaift8940]

Yeah 9:30 This is the thing that i still have mixed feeling about

[@ElfInflicted]

So, I've been playing music a long time but I know very little about recording. I thought it was interesting what you said about compression being used to bring a louder track, or spikey part of a track, back down to be more level with the rest of the mix. For me, who records a lot of acoustic guitar via a microphone, I've always used compression to make a track louder without just turning up the gain on the track itself. In my (in)experience that often causes distortion that I don't want. So yeah, something for me to think about. Thanks!

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Compression can be used to do a lot of things. In essence it just reduces dynamic range as it lowers the louder peaks in an audio waveform to make the level more consistent. However, attack and release times, ratio and other elements of a compressor effect how this volume reduction behaves. Compressors can also impart tonal changes and 'character', as well as harmonic distortion (which can be a good and bad thing depending) with analog or analog modelled compressors. I wouldn't use a compressor just to get something louder, I would boost the volume, but a compressor can help you tame the peaks when turning an audio track up so that it doesn't peak or clip when you turn up the track. In that sense it gives you more headroom. Hope that helps!

[@pjlu2]

Good Stuff.....

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks!

[@TheRagingSound]

Great informative vid!👍

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks! Appreciate you taking the time to check it out!

[@roubador]

I wonder something. Miku (rhythm guitar/vocals) usually sings large portions of the song in tandem with Saiki (vocals). Their voices complement each other nearly perfectly. Is it possible that some of the vocal layering you detected was Miku's performance? I'm not an expert and I haven't listened to this through headphones but it seemed that way to me. Anyway, I enjoyed your video. Thanks.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

no what I was hearing was definitely the lead vocal. Lots of great layering on the backing vocals too though. Just a really great vocal mix overall.

[@michaelbailey6980]

Great Band Maid video's include: "Blooming", "Dice", "Daydreaming" and "Endless Story".

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks for the recommendations! :)

[@Hitmans30a]

You need to get a hold of the cd . It's very well mixed .

[@_DriveTime]

Interesting stuff. I like technology and music, but I don't know much about music technology. I skimmed through your list of videos and you have quite a few that I'll be interested to watch. EDIT: I would be interested in you taking a look at Real Existence (Live not the MV) from Band-Maid's official channel. It is from a different show than the first live you watched, and I think it sounds much better (esp. guitars) than the other one. I'd be interested to know if you also think so, and if so, why do you think it sounds better.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks! Really pleased you're finding the videos interesting :) I'll look into that live video, would be interesting to see the difference between two live concert recordings

[@craigfenson]

the handling of the layered vocals reminds me of the treatment of frida and agnetha's recording.

[@ranger_a6953]

Everything louder than everything else lol. (I typed that during the compression discussion)

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

quite often it's label execs and people in those kind of positions that push for records to be as loud as humanly possible.

[@ranger_a6953]

@@TheBunkhouseStudios Yes, it's true. I think some of them would compress it to a thin line to boost the volume. Maybe one day, we will rediscover dynamic recordings. But I'm not holding my breath lol. (edit) I mean in popular music of course. Jazz will always be all about that.

[@johnnyrokkit]

You nailed it. I felt like the cymbals lacked any definition and were just a high-pitched wash over the top of everything.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks! Appreciate you checking out the video :)

[@gregs_music_corner]

I really appreciate your dissection of the recording. Very interesting. And yeah, Japanese labels still think the loudness war is a thing. Unfortunately,

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

everyone does to be honest! Major commercial releases especially only continue to get louder!

[@stevehall5128]

Nice to get a reaction from a different perspective! Question: The perennial fan complaint about Band-Maid's studio releases is that like so much stuff these days, they're overcompressed. But...since the band self produces, but unlike a professional producer spends relatively few days each year in the studio, is it possible that their final mixes are good in themselves but present problems for the mastering engineer because the band just isn't far enough along the production learning curve?

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks! It's possible yes, although producing doesn't actually involve mixing a recording. It's more just directing studio engineers as to how things will be recorded and overseeing the general production. But that can definitely have a big impact on the final result.

[@batweed]

Hey man, great to have you around, i double dare you to try out some Melvins, start with Revolve (my favorite kick sound ever.) If you do have the guts, react to Let it all be (studio version!!!) It features a break which is pure production bit with pedals compressors and what not.. very different from anything you probably heard

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks! I know of Melvins but never listened to them, they sound interesting! I'll try to check them out!

[@alaintardy5456]

Hi ! Do you know the band The Warning ? You should react to them too ! 3 sisters from Mexico who play great rock ! And with a great drummer who is lead singer on some tracks. 3 sisters aged 21, 19 and 16 ! Daniela, guitare and lead sing, Paulina, drums and lead sing, Alejandra, bass and chorus. Powerful trio ! The band has 2 studio albums "XXI Century Blood" and "Queen of The Murder Scene" ! Right now they have just finished recording and mixing their third studio album in New Jersey ! They are so talented and charismatic ! Here are 6 suggestions : Dust to Dust Paulina the drummer sings. Lunario 2018 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipask3puo9CCn7c Whisky 2019 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/qX_bo5aAp5mfqNk Whisky 2020 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJmlZoKpqL91b7c P.S.Y.C.H.O.T.I.C. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIeWXpiJrZWAoa8 Dull Knives (Cut Better) De(Tour) show 15.08.2020 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4e4dK2ned6Cmqs Survive Lunario 2018 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/hF7anWerhrl0bdk Narcisista Paulina sings First time live : kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIPMnodrmN2Jb5Y Whisky 2020 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIPMnodrmN2Jb5Y And a great cover : Atlas Rise - Metallica Whisky 2019 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJnLeGh7nqucr6M These young girls are amazing ! 🇨🇵🤘😎🤘🇨🇵

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

I'm not familiar with them, no - I'll try and check them out! Appreciate the recommendation!

[@GregPourciau]

@@TheBunkhouseStudios Yes you should there strength is there song writing and also try Liliac another young family band .

[@SLKRR]

They’ve mixed this album better than the last two, IMO, but in the mastering they’ve compressed it with a “brick wall”, which clips all the transients. That’s what’s destroying the cymbals, I think.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Yep it definitely seems like an effect of the mastering to me. It's not uncommon for this genre of music to be honest!

[@stealthcabbie1336]

Would like your opinion on Band-Maid's "The Dragon Cries" from their album Conqueror. It's a cool, groove based track, however it is rather controversial because of it's recording/mixing/production. Apparently it is overly compressed. Here's the link... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZyonKOlnNige5I

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

I'll look in to it, thanks! Sounds like it could be an interesting one to take a look at

[@bishopsteiner7134]

Interesting. Good added insight. Wasn't sure what was off but after listening to your breakdown, the cymbal splash was a bit offputting.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

Thanks! Glad you found it interesting!

[@charlesarizona]

Sorry if I am skeptical but you have a little board, maybe in your home, and you offer "cheap online mixing" services, but you are an expert criticizing professional studio production? And you are assessing the music on in-ear phones? Thanks anyway!

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

it's not the size of the board that counts, it's how you use it!

[@phkFceUnstoppable]

This isn't 1985, consoles don't have to be huge anymore.

[@kouzaikaza9435]

Two minutes after the song started. 10 minutes to explain your recording theory. Go to the recording school.

[@TheBunkhouseStudios]

I think this video is not for you, and that's cool, but no need to be rude!

[@mak8836]

I always have a problem with the cymbal sounds on nearly all their albums. The highs are not that pleasant sounding. Also all the tracks are compressed like hell, which is a shame.