Is Pantera's guitar tone actually BAD?? (Remixing Walk)

[@zach_k_md6520]

Mike woke up this morning with the audacity

[@keatonsparksvideoproductions]

Pretty much

[@davidgray4995]

I’m shook, that’s for sure. Dude seems nice but there’s something seriously amiss here haha

[@moffa1644]

Fuckkng audacity alright

[@craigusselman546]

That tone has 1990s all over it sludgy buzzing it was good but why not spice it up a bit.

[@sam8404]

@@craigusselman546 it doesn't need any spicing up. At most this is a lateral move.

[@K707OR30]

No, Dime’s tone isn’t bad. It just highlights how stupid tone chasing is and how homogenized everyone wants to be with their sound. I’ll be the first to say i fully have been down the tone chasing rabbit hole just like everyone else. But the point is: Dime’s tone, while maybe not conventional especially juxtaposed against the current metal tone landscape; is still killer and it is instantly recognizable. Yes it’s shrill and piercing and aggressive as hell. I don’t think anyone would really say it’s smooth. But that doesn’t make it “bad.” If anything, metal these days has way too much polish in general. It makes me appreciate Dime even more now and I welcome more bands to mix in an HM-2 or just generally throw a middle finger up at overproduction.

[@BecomeTheKnight]

I'll grant you a lot of guitar today sounds homogeneous. And Dime definitely stands out. But there are ways of getting a unique metal tone without killing the guitar's fundamentals.

[@somethingbl]

This mix just makes it sound like everything else. I love "improving" old mixes with modern technology (like the Beatles remixes or any of Steven Wilson's prog remixes), but this one just completely changes the sound a kills the in-your-face aspect of Pantera's sound. It sounds like Godsmack lol.

[@maximepignon9537]

@@BecomeTheKnight Yes, but metal, especially at that time, was about fun and agression (You know what I mine, fun like Anthrax or a shredders can be fun). Dime's tone is not heavy, but agressive as f.. his guitar scream when he put his hands off.. allowing him to very easely make weird noise. Just a very expressive tone build for his own personal playing.

[@K707OR30]

@@BecomeTheKnighthow are you defining “guitar fundamentals” exactly? To me that’s technique. As far as sound, why should there really be any rules? I’m not saying you have to like a particular sound but if someone digs a guitar tone that sound like beer shits splattering into a deep fryer then fuck it. Can’t say I would necessarily like it but I’m willing to give it a listen versus telling people “you can’t do that, it’s against the modern metal guitar tone and production quality bylaws”. I guess I think of something like Killing on Adrenaline by Dying Fetus. The bass frequencies are clipped to absolute hell and it’s kind of a mess but it defines the sound of that album and I wouldn’t really want to hear it any other way. It suits the brutality of their style perfectly. Same with the bass drum on Vader’s “Litany”. It’s jarring and ridiculous and offensive but in a way I love it.

[@LysergiaBandOfficial]

​​​@@K707OR30 he means the fundamental frequency. when you pluck a string it doesn't just make one tone, that'd sound boring, it makes a bunch of smaller tones called overtones. the main frequency, the one that you actually hear, is called the fundamental frequency. and i like dime's tone but it just shows that you don't know what you're talking about. dime scooped his mids, the fundamental frequencies of a guitar are in the mids. 🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@4seiken-594]

Your mix sounds like I'm listening to Walk from the other side of a concrete wall. Like it's my nextdoor neighbour listening to it and not me 😂

[@RafaelSequera]

yep, like putting a bed sheet on the speakers LOL

[@ben14326]

You are dead on 😂

[@tomasjonsson7141]

100% Fr

[@linda-brookethompson5345]

Fr! The original is def better

[@FilipeG96]

Its called low end (something lacling in the original), which would actually be amplified under those circumstances so you're right

[@ThePixelnator]

Imagine this kid that vapes in his mom’s basement telling Dime his guitar tone sucks.

[@alexanderkleist1127]

while i disagree that the song needs any rework production wise, i always enjoy watching you remix/remaster these songs to your liking, its also kind of a learning experience. Cheers!

[@Downhuman74]

Dime's tone was distinctive and instantly identifiable. WAY more important that any concept of "good" tone. Alternately, Queens of the Stone Age revealed after years of speculation that their sought-after unique tone was nothing more than a $100 Peavey Decade practice amp (for both bass and guitar).

[@audiowrench]

It has also been confirmed that Josh was more or less trolling in regards of using that amp - yes, they did use it. But using a Peavey Decade won't automatically make you sound like the Queens. They use a ton of other amps as well

[@Downhuman74]

@@audiowrench Oh, I never thought that it was the ONLY thing they used. But the revelation totally made sense considering their sound at the time that it was something in their arsenal.

[@audiowrench]

@Downhuman74 oh no I know, your initial comment just made it seem like the Peavey Decade is *the* definitive way to sound like the Queens Of The Stone Age.

[@jeffc1753]

Josh Homme is notorious for throwing people for a loop and being secretive about his guitar tone. I don’t doubt he’s used that amp and other cheap sh!t on records though.

[@in.der.welt.sein.]

@@jeffc1753 No he's not. He literally puts out videos where he goes into excruciating 2 hour detail about how his recording process and how he gets various tones.

[@23ograin53]

I like the subtle boost of the mids, and I liked the way the new mix sounded bit by bit, as you progressed, but in the end the original mix 24:58 sounds much more clear and crisp than the final product of the new mix. New mix ended up sounding muddy.

[@alejandroaaa]

right? like they just added reverb and reduced the definition on the high end

[@terriblecertainity]

everyone claiming Dime's tone is bad is either deaf or into sterile, soft modern metal tones. It has bite and aggression, and isn't too pretty to be metal.

[@terriblecertainity]

@@napo7866 it's dated, to me, because modern tones are much tamer. They lack those aggressive high frequencies. To me, only Decapitated and Soreption have good modern tones, the rest sounds way too soft to me. Too pleasant

[@Vivi_9]

It's trendy to hate on Pantera these days even though they're obviously the greatest metal band with the greatest metal guitar player of all time

[@dickmaster666]

@@Vivi_9 your smoking crack

[@tonyperez8066]

@@user-se1wb4qp7v”The Trend is DEAD”

[@davidgray4995]

@@tonyperez8066I see what ya did there!

[@miracleofsound]

The lack of proper heavy low end on 90s metal albums has always bothered me. Demanufacture and Burn My Eyes, two of my fave albums, both have the same issue. I like what you did overall here, especially with the guitar mids & kick - although I felt the bass & guitar lows got a tad too intense & headachey on the chugs for my tastes from about 100-250hz.

[@BecomeTheKnight]

Dude! Appreciate the feedback 🤘 like I was saying in some other comments I'm not sure if this translated well from my DAW to the upload (may be my screen cap). I'm hearing what some of y'all have been commenting on, but didn't catch it when A/B to Spotify. Seriously awesome seeing you here in the comments 🤘🔥 And the feedback is greatly appreciated.

[@miracleofsound]

@@BecomeTheKnight Long time watcher 🤘

[@adamsteinbacher2629]

Man I loved your Dyer's Eve remix because it still captures the sound of AJFA while bringing back that bass, but this one is way too muddy. I dig the extra low-end boost, but I think the mids just drown out all of the cut the original record has. I think even if you're not a fan of Dime's tone, VDOP is already basically mixed to perfection. The bite may be obnoxious to you subjectively but it's just the sound of this record. Doesn't sound awful to me at all.

[@awesometownmatt9349]

Couldn’t have said it better!

[@ayewhaddupdoe]

Yep. Like putting a blanket over my monitors lol

[@mrrocknroll84]

Exactly. I think the author of the video needs some new monitors. I work in hifi, and have listened to this album on many setups and the album translates very well on every setup. The original album was actually perfectly balanced and never gets shrilly unless your setup is pretty poor. You screwed this one up. What you don't understand is, you cannot use the same formula for everything. Also, back then recordings had dynamics where modern recordings are very compressed and squashed and sound like crap on big speakers. Cowboys from hell works on all speakers from small to big. BTW, the new guitar tone sounds like a cheap pedal. You also killed the guitar tone that is very unique

[@Helena-gk4ui]

​@@mrrocknroll84he didn't killed the guitar tone xd

[@Midna__]

I never been a huge fan of dimebags tone, but honestly I could never imagine panteras songs with a different guitar tone for some reason. It’s not my cup of tea when it comes to guitar tones, but it’s definitely iconic. Nice remix!

[@Isabella_31]

I’ve been really liking these remixing videos!

[@Kirk_Hammett_Bit_Me]

I like your mix, not bc something's wrong with the original. It just sounds good, imo.

[@lukewoodworth2101]

Dimebags tone was fine just could have been better

[@boxonothing4087]

It's often a matter of perspective. Some productions supposedly "'big and full" may come over as mechanical and lifeless. You gotta find the sweet spot, some measure of imperfection is fine as long as it's not distracting. Keeps your music human

[@k1ng_NL]

He definitely doesn’t have the best tone, but I love it so much. It’s the pantera sound and they just wouldn’t be the same without it.

[@obiwanjustpeekinginonya]

Mike, these mixing videos might be some of my favorites you’ve ever done

[@guitar_jero]

I really like what you did with the drums. You’re right about the excessive snare reverb on 90s mixes. It’s very noticeable in Grunge, Prog Rock and Metal.

[@guitar_jero]

HOLY SHIT guitar and vocals are reborn 🔥

[@tknzero8027]

its crazy how you were able to drain out every single bit of life out of the song. its just impressive at this point. it went from a perfect metal song that you could identify in less than a second to just another metal song. props to you 👏👏👏

[@yakeeb3742]

While I do prefer the original mix for its uniqueness, I think you’re exaggerating a tad😂 He did this based on preference; no need to take it personally lol

[@WillyWylde1919]

​​​@@yakeeb3742 He's talking out of his ass even if I too like the original better. 😂

[@FilipeG96]

If you genuinely think that then you're simply stating that the writing is totally subpar in your opinion (so much so that you can only enjoy it because of the mixing)

[@tknzero8027]

@@FilipeG96 it's almost as if mixing and mastering is very important to how good a song sounds 😲😲

[@FilipeG96]

@@tknzero8027 Of course it is, almost as if you necessarily then have to admit it is entirely subjective and thus so is your comment. In this case Pantera's particular kind of mixing is and has almost never been used for metal music because it deliberately cuts off a huge chunk of what metal goes for (low to low-mid frequencies) and unnaturally accentuates the high end. That said, someone mixing this as actual metal is usually mixed might ruin the song for you, and that's where your point ends (not much of a point)

[@kalebpost20]

Vulgar is a special album for me considering there’s not a song that I’d skip. No Good and Rise are some absolute face-melters, underrated majorly.

[@matias871HF]

hello! I really like your videos, but I would like to make some constructive criticism (no offense intended) 1) when using the Pro Q3, I recommend using a shelving EQ to cut both lows and highs (this completely removes those frequencies, not just a few dBs, which is useful when some frequencies are annoying) 2) at the same time, when boosting certain frequencies, it is better to use a wide Q, to make it sound more natural (I recommend trying channel strip plugins to achieve a similar result) 3) when working with these types of stems, the tracks are often already heavily compressed and overdriven, so I don't recommend applying a lot of these processes (maybe a small amount just to achieve certain compressor colors) for example, when you use the compressor on drums, it doesn't really sound bigger, just flatter also with vocals, they're already heavy compressed, be careful with limiting 4) when you boost lows or sublows, try using a pultec type plugin, they are especially good at this and the boost feels very natural 5) be careful with the lows in the voice, many times they do not add anything to the mix, they only fight with the kick and the bass also do not cut too much treble, it's important because it provides clarity I hope it works for you, greetings!

[@Moss_and_Such]

A lot of guitar players hate the standard line 6 insane setting as their skill grows but let’s not forget where we came from gents.

[@Curdledmayonnaise]

i still think line 6 spiders have a BADASS tone, its heavy as shit

[@graymatters_]

i'm extremely impressed by your sense of music production like i can literally not even process the difference between their and your mix correctly

[@brutesaint]

Freaking love Pantera! Excited to see this!

[@unleashthebloodthirst69420]

Because of how well your last video did, me and my brother did another bet. It was “what type of video will he do next?” I dearly choose mixing and he chose writing related. All I have to say is thanks for the 20$

[@attetanskanen7001]

Dimebag scooped the amp and used 6 band eq for boosting the mids. Later on he used Zakk Wylde bls overdrive pedal. Great mix man 😎🤘

[@benhockey3288]

Zakks MXR overdrive is an awesome, versatile pedal I love mine.

[@ButBigger42]

You don't mess with perfection and Pantera is perfection.

[@sole__doubt]

Especially the Vulgar album.

[@Helena-gk4ui]

no. it's not perfect.

[@ButBigger42]

@@Helena-gk4ui wrong.

[@Helena-gk4ui]

@@ButBigger42 no

[@ButBigger42]

@@Helena-gk4ui You like anime and think you're a cat. I don't care about your wrong opinions.

[@nathan-cy9ob]

Absolutely love these, wish you’d upload the entire songs haha.

[@nezunskyfire292]

This sounds meaty, nice.

[@diegomazzaron9191]

Great work man, I love Dimebag so much because he was like the perfect fusion between Van Halen and Iommi as a guitarist.

[@BFG-hv2ml]

I really appreciate you making video on Pantera, was waiting for it for a long time. I am no musician or producer, but i still like original mix more sry. I cannot really express why, but I know that I just do.

[@anthonysoley7121]

Hello. Pantera is still one my my favorite metal band today and a big congratulations on your band and your show in Nashville, Tennessee on July 6 and have fun rocking on stage.

[@ToonamiAftermath]

I liked some stuff you did with the mix especially adding some lower end back into the drums, bass and bringing the vocals more forward. But the guitar tone is very intentional and it changes the feel of the song by messing with it so much, the original guitar tone makes it sound raw, live, like it would sound if you were really there in front of his amplifier.

[@VampireA1056]

I can already feel the ground shaking by Pantera fans when he said" It's obnoxious"

[@manimaman]

The key to a good metal tone is a unique tone. The reason nobody sounds like dimebag is because he had this pure strength to bend his strings. Some metal isnt meant to be pleasant.

[@mc12358]

That and the solid state Randalls.

[@matthewduncan9405]

Even if people disagree we need more people just being honest with their personal likes and dislikes. Everyone puts out content that is 100% positive and everything is great 100% of the time but no person is actually like that. You can be honest without putting out “disrespectful” content. Appreciate the viewpoints!!! Also love these tones! I’m getting into mixing my own stuff now so this is awesome stuff.

[@simsrecording]

Awesome vid! Keep in mind that for Guitar Hero 1 and 2, all songs, except "Jordan" and a few others, were covers. Not that they were worried about licensing, but instead, they wanted covers because you were playing with a "cover band". All of those were done by a session-musician company called "Wavegroup". When GH was acquired by Activision, Neversoft took over and used their Tony Hawk engine for the games. Starting with GH3, they started to get licensing for actual songs, with maybe one or two being done by Wavegroup moving forward. So, if you compare the original "Cowboys From Hell" to the GH1 cover, you'll notice that while the tone is close, there is quite a difference.

[@gabrielpacheco132]

I think this way of mixing Pantera's songs is precisely what makes them unique. If not, they would just be another metal band.

[@ThrashRebel]

I’m a Gen X, old school thrasher, and I never really cared for Diamond/Dime Bag’s (and Vinnie La Bella’s) scooped tone. I’ve always liked some mids in guitars. So, it’s not just your “millennial” taste. 👍🏻

[@richardwhite4923]

Dime was a huge fan of solid state amps. He insisted on solid state. Right before he was killed, he switched from Randall to Krank amps that had valves in it, which was one of his first amps with valves.

[@EyeShotFirst]

Dime's tone was perfect for how those albums were mixed. It would've sounded like a muddy mess if his tracks were recorded to today's tastes.

[@karmaandkerosene_music]

Important to remember that in the late 1980s / early 1990s the audio equipment most regular people used was terrible at reproducing deep bass and low end - especially car stereos. If you put a lot of low end in the mix most speakers would just flub out.

[@MichaelBruceTaos]

So you introduced a massive amount of distortion in the first few seconds of the vocal clips... WHY?!

[@HalfDuck]

Lars approves

[@bradkneale7580]

I really enjoyed your metallica mixes, they were great , but sorry to say this mix sounds like third generation tape dub from the tape trading days lol, it may have gained some things but the original is so crisp and clear and your is not , i feel the drums lost out heaps on this , and when you say awful sounding drums remember we dont listen to the drums on their own, in the context of listening to the song as a whole they sound amazing ......

[@garyearth8265]

In 30 years time when I'm using the Ai-mix2050 I'll be saying "how weak did BecomeTheKnights remix sound" :) I personally happen to love the "brightness within the heaviness" of Pantera's tone when I first heard it released in the 90's...and still do today. Remember we are always comparing "now" to what recording technology existed before... In 1970 Black Sabbath sounded "better" that 1965 Who. In 1976 AC/DC sounded "better" than '70 Sabbath In 1984 Metallica sounded "better" than '70's AC/DC In 1990 Pantera's new tone just blew all the 80's "tinny" sound into the weeds. (Yet I still regularly listen and enjoy all of the above) Sound technology just keeps on improving and we get used to that new technology pretty darn quickly - its no point judging the old by these new standards.

[@burtosu86guitar]

I never tried to duplicate Dime's tone, I prefer to play his riffs with modern tones. It sounds better in my opinion, meaning o like better the mix you made 🤘🤘🤘

[@Kriegter]

My favourite Dimebag tone is the pre-cowboys sound specially Power Metal

[@hakkin_d]

I really enjoy these remixing vids! Keep ‘em coming!

[@zahariasalbatic3961]

Man, you're mixing things up. Tone is one thing, then the dynamics is a whole different thing. You could have said you don't like the dynamics, or how the instruments got caught in the mix, but man, not only Dimebag's tone was monumental, it was the perfect tone for their totally fresh new style. What tone would you use when blending pentatonic scale with blues and even country flavours? Would you have rather used Overkill type of guitar tone? It would not have been suitable for Dimebag's characteristic syncopated riffs or staccato shredding and all the plethora of techniques deployed in his music. And by monumental not only did I mean unique, but... monumental. Leave his tone alone, dude, his tone was just fantastic.

[@wiggy009]

Really enjoy this series. It’s educational and makes me think about musical details in ways you often don’t

[@smithfan22]

Mike might be poking the bear with this video title 😬 What a brave and beautiful man

[@brandonmurphy8047]

Your mix is definitely better. It's somehow smoother without eliminating any distortion, it's got more bass, and it has a bigger PUNCH.

[@DJV1]

You made one of the best guitar tones even better

[@jakubnowak649]

I think I prefer the original version of the backing vocals in the mix, but generally it sounds awesome! I love this series and I'm looking forward to the next instalments of this series and I hope there are going to be more of these

[@JulianEmdon]

It's true, when I first popped Pantera into my tape walkman on the way home from school it sounded so heavy. Listening to CDs of CBH and Vulgar caused a bit of 'ear fatigue' with that bite IMO.

[@SashaGarcia]

It’s not that dime’s tone is shrill or anything. People are just too used to metal becoming one big Periphery template to appreciate the authenticity of it.

[@blacksaona]

Whenever you did in the whole mix, it just sounds with bass boosted, no need to overprocess what is already processed. It sounds almost the same just with different eq balance. However it would be amazing to hear a whole production cover, with a modern mixing aproach.

[@DruMarshallDrums]

Somehow I stumbled on this on July 7th, a year later and my band is playing The East Room tonight hahaha. What are the chances?!

[@michaelthompson3286]

Your ...Justice remix recently was brilliant; it added so much character, but i feel like this did the opposite. I've never blasted Vulgar... in the car and thought there was anything "wrong" with the mix, but always cool to hear a modern take on things even to show how it doesn't fit every band 👍🏼

[@matforsbon]

5:33 And we Love it, and there's nothing you can mix it otherwise. Got That!

[@JasonBuffin]

I prefer the original mix. The snare is lost in the remix and the kick cuts much better in the original. There is a lot of mud in the low/low mids in the remix. Every thing has great clarity in the original mix that translates much better. Good effort and it's fun to see but props to the original master on this. (I'm listening in a treated mix/master room on a 3-way monitoring setup)

[@BecomeTheKnight]

Listening back on the YT video I'm closer to agreeing with you. Something between capturing it for video and uploading it did not translate well lol. Like, if I sent you the mp3 of what I did and A/B'd that against Spotify I think you'd come closer to my pov (I could be wrong) If you shoot me an email I'd be happy to send to send you a reference copy. Email is in the video where I captured the DAW

[@JasonBuffin]

@@BecomeTheKnight I think there are things in your mix that are better than the original. I think the original snare did need some taming but maybe it was overboard and is getting a little lost now. And I think overall your guitar mix is fuller in the mid-range. I also like what you did with the gang vocals.

[@BecomeTheKnight]

I appreciate that man 🙏 I'm trying to get a lot better at this lol.

[@JasonBuffin]

@@BecomeTheKnight This is a really cool format and I've enjoyed watching it. I'll shoot you an email

[@GabiBrooks]

Really enjoying this type of content from you, Mike! ❤️

[@CyberChud2077]

Please don't make Dime sound like a Djeneric nu-Djent band

[@ddduv]

Man i need the actual finished thing uploaded separately. That's a fucking brutal mix! This really sounds a lot better, even tho i do love Dime's tone, this is kind of just objectively better

[@MetalRob81]

I prefer the original mix, but i love your drum mix more, especially the snare.

[@Andrlz_]

I never really liked the mixing on vdop, so I might be a bit biased to say but I believe that you hit the nail on the head on this one, good job.

[@ButBigger42]

Dimebag has the best tone for Pantera. Period.

[@goldenarch3239]

i do like what you did with the bass and the drums i will say. but as a huge fan of this band who has listened to every thing published from this band probably thousands of time at this point, it just dont hit the same. but im very acustome to their actual sound. so I will say you did a great job mixing it as a whole, it just changes the entire feel of the band

[@kuhboom22]

Just found your channel. Love it man!

[@shaneb203]

I'd be interested if you compared the mixing between reinventing the steel Vinny vs the Terry Date reissue

[@padmakshkhandelwal1832]

I just see a Ride The Lightning or Kill Em All remix by Mike coming very soon.

[@johanericsson7309]

Ride The Lightning might have my favorite guitar tone of all time, so I wouldn't want to see that.

[@padmakshkhandelwal1832]

@@johanericsson7309 it's my favorite metal album and it definitely has my favorite production before Black album: guitars, drums, bass, reverb, everything. I don't know what he could change in that.

[@Roger-fs5yo]

Anybody that claims there's anything bad about Pantera is a diehard SHAGGS fan🤣

[@AmericanWrathchild]

On todays episode of fixing shit that was never broken to begin with...

[@psychoslingers8732]

You took some of the brightness out and added some low end, which created mud. Props…

[@Deinosoar]

you have to make this an ongoing series, this shit is the bomb

[@guitar_jero]

Would love to hear Mike’s take on DT mixes

[@boomstik88]

I understand what you were trying to do, but by messing and I emphasize, messing with the drums' sound you take away the signature sound of the room where they were recorded and also the sound of Vinnie. Don't know, there are things you don't redo.

[@olegfoight7895]

Would be nice to have the option to get a recording / stream of your band's live show for a small fee - for those of us who are way too far from Nashville.

[@loombaron]

Im 43 and back in the day, I think it was in 1993, I was 13 and I saw some guys with vulgar display of power tshirts. Since in most situations they were a bit far away from me and they were walking fast, taking a bus, you know various urban situations, I couldnt read the name of the band in the shirt but the image caught my attention. Once I could read the name pantera property I went to a record store and asked for a CD from Pantera and the guy from the store showed me cowboys from hell. He let me listen to the album and I remember being amazed by the tone of the distortion. Back in the day I knew most metal bands by seeing guys wearing band tshirts or metal magazine covers. I miss those days.

[@sj9365]

I like your mix substantially more too. A mix like this would allow me to enjoy the song without some piercing ear fatigue, possibly because of "offensive frequencies" as they call it in the recording industry. I don't know anything about recording, but I know what i'm hearing.

[@anastav6915]

Good mix, i wonder if Dime would let you drive the song to that direction

[@BecomeTheKnight]

Almost certainly not. He may be tickled by someone re-imagining the sound but it seems like he was very adamant about what sound he wanted.

[@necroticpoison]

Your guitars have amazing growl to them in the mix. I think 5k in a mix has been hated on too much though. To have a mix with present 5k that sounds good takes some unconventional work, but it's worth it. 5k is kinda the highest shared by all instruments, so it's hard to get right. Also most people underestimate the amount of mids in commonly mentioned scooped tones. They're far from 15 y/o bedroom scooped. The current mid-present approach is better, but deviating tones and mixes (as long as they translate) can be appreciated for what they are. Hard when you think you could do much better though. End of the day, audio eng. is about making all freqs full and satisfying-most people would be surprised by the amount of hype that goes into a good sounding and 'life-like' final production.

[@ayewhaddupdoe]

I love this channel because no, I don't learn any new techniques or anything, but helps me realize mistakes I tend to make in my own mixes that I would have overlooked. Then I A/B and the light bulb moment happens.

[@kleiber1729]

Your mix sounds way better, but you've done a, like, 'emotional' mistake with the backings ("RE - SPECT"). They sound like sung by a groups of other dudes, in the back of the room, not by the lead singer. This change has a dramatic change in perception, and not in a good way. Original idea, to back it up subtly, while keeping the lead vocalist as 'lead' was more appropriate.

[@whitneyryan-ng1cq]

This is some serious Dunning-Kruger energy. How many engineering credits do you have? Do you have any actual professional studio or gigging experience beyond bar gigs or your personal computer?

[@MetaITurtle]

I think it went well with Dimes playing. He has that AJFA type tone going on. Dime would hang around James alot so it makes sense he told him some secrets

[@ryanjacobson2508]

AJFA is an acquired taste but the thing is, it definitely influenced how early 90's metal was produced. VDOP was clearly influenced by AJFA.

[@garyhead1561]

Yours is beefier and deeper but it's a lot muddier and looser. The original is weaker compared to yours but it's a lot tighter than yours. Yours seems to have Dime carrying on too long and crowding things. There's not as much separation. You've got Vinnie drowning and the snare doesn't pop like it should and emphasise the space that should be there that you've got Dime coming in to. You've got Phil and Rex moved more to the front and brighter which is nice and I do like how you have Rex in the mix and Phil punching through more. The chorus is fuller but it sounds too echo-y and like there are about 5 people screaming it just a cunt hair out of time from each other. Not that yours is bad, it's definitely deeper and louder, but overall it's too crowded and somehow muffled even though you've crisped and brightened some things up, which is weird. It could just be me and having heard it 83 million times over the last 30 years and this is just my opinion. It would be nice to hear the full thing to see how it all actually came together. That may change things but I doubt it does very much.

[@barefootandindependent]

why did you do the 2014 YT thumbnail face? to time travel closer to the release date of Vulgar Display?

[@markgodden4727]

There’s a sense of space that is lost by making everything feel more present. I like the metal productions from early 90s because they feel like there’s scale and space which is lost on modern productions. Having less bass and low mids in certain areas makes the instruments feel further from the speakers which gives that sense of scale

[@bosephdfrog8761]

I really do like your mix a bit better! Nothing beats the original bit of course. Love these kind of videos tooo!

[@DanielSea-xc7fo]

I’d probably add a little bit of treble to your mix, you can really hear it when you compare the two

[@RiffMajestic]

In the early 90's when Vulgar first came out, his tone blew me away and almost everyone I knew that liked metal thought his tone was awesome. Everyone was wondering what pickups he used, etc.

[@thetribalist6923]

I guess I’m one of those guys that likes awful 😂 love the tone of Vulgar as is, but I definitely enjoyed your mix. To your point about recording eras (old boomboxes that inherently sound warmer than digital) I think the difference there can’t be understated. Digital is going to sound sharper and cleaner usually. The frequencies that cut through a muffled speaker and sound great, might sound too harsh for modern speakers. It’s something I’ve often wondered that you touched on here. Honestly your mix sounds more like how I remember this record sounding when I first heard it 20 years ago and had less refined sound equipment to listen to it. Even cd players sound warmer and more full than a lot of what I hear now and your changes just made it sound how I remember in some ways.

[@CornSw]

Love these remixes you do! As much as I love Dimebag, I've got to agree with you on the tone of the older records. I'm a bigger fan of the later albums production, like Reinventing the Steele, for sure. Bigger sound, heavier sound, more low end, etc.

[@milesdorst7120]

Came into this video not wanting to like it, but I'll be damned if that new mix isn't pretty badass

[@frayedsanity]

Do the whole album! I love the new mix!

[@marbzirc376]

Wow.. so brave! 😂 I agree though. I wouldn't want to replicate that sound/tone UNLESS I'm going to play Pantera (well, not that I could). For other music? No. Just no. Only Dime could ever work with that tone and make it sound appropriate for the material.

[@zahariasalbatic3961]

Oh, and dude, got a question here, you shave your arms and hands? You got that nice full beard, I couldn't miss the contrast. Just askin'.

[@nfal445]

No matter how much people/"experts" tell me scooped guitar tones are bad, I only prefer those tones. I actually cannot stand new mixes.

[@_Chops_]

Same, it just sounds boring and stale with not much too it

[@BecomeTheKnight]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmPJlKqPnqp7jsU Skip to 2:50 and tell me that's boring and stale.

[@nfal445]

@BecomeTheKnight I guess the way I perceive the scooped sound brings a wideness to the mix, where as mids kind of muddy the tone and brings it to a mono sound rather than a stereo sound.

[@_Chops_]

@@BecomeTheKnight oh yeah the riffs cool asf, but my argument still stands with the tone

[@victorthemusicman7243]

I don't understand everything that goes on in these videos but I love trying to learn from them and pick up what I can!

[@jeffwood2956]

How did I not see this til now.. Mike chose violence on this day

[@acidstorm001]

Yep, that 5K on the high end of the guitar I heard cut out instantly. It actually didn't sound that way on tape. I had a copy of it on tape and CD. CD had the spiky sound, while the tape was warmer sounding. I'd like to get my hands on those tracks to do a remix as well. Not because I think I can do better, but just to play with it. I'm a live sound engineer and I love to mix at home in Reaper. But getting GOOD quality tracks is difficult.