Remixing Depeche Mode Violator in 5.1 Surround with Engineer Kevin Paul | GeeK Talk

[@ultramet]

That Halo sound is probably the filthiest, thickest synth sound ever. Brilliant interview. Really humble gentleman who clearly is a genius at what he does. 5.1 mixing is quite challenging.

[@viktorrietveld]

And to see the amazement on his face when you pulled out the soundbanks, priceless

[@VaughnGeorge]

Hahaha yeah indeed !! VG :-)

[@Nephilim-81]

I gotta say this is my favorite Geek talk yet. It really hits my inner Geek. Lol.

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you!! VG :-)

[@abrokenframe72]

This man’s resume is something else! Excellent chat. Thank you both!

[@VaughnGeorge]

You’re welcome !! VG 🎹👍😎

[@BodyConflict]

"You hardly hear any Hi-Hat on a DM song." Christian Eigener: "Hold my drumsticks!"

[@Gopher86]

Currently recuperating from Covid-19. Last night I was doing exactly what I also used to do as a 12 year old: laying in bed, back then with my walkman, now on a tablet, listening to Violator front to back with the best headphones I've got. I'll turn 37 soon and I'm still as fascinated as I was 25 years ago. The album hasn't lost a single bit of its magic. It's astounding and absolutely beautiful - and even after decades there's still sounds that I discovered for the first time. This video has been extremely enjoyable for the inner geek in me. DM made me create my own music studio and one can only dream, but I still want to create at least one song in my life that gets close to the quality of any of the Violator tracks. Thanks Vaughn George!

[@workonesabs]

I bought Violator on tape as well, and listened it on the way to college, at home and wore the tape out. When funds allowed got a CD player and the CD album.

[@rivermintofficial]

Hope you are in better health now.

[@Gopher86]

@@rivermintofficial Yes, I am. Thank you!

[@Nephilim-81]

This is such a wonderful and generous treat for all of us, especially for those 5.1 surround mix aficionados. Honestly I think they should reprint the 2006 5.1 mixes. I am definitely privileged to have a few and I’m extremely grateful. Most people I know don’t have any.

[@VaughnGeorge]

You are welcome !! VG :-)

[@siwa9878]

I second your comment. The 5.1 releases should definitly be reissued and re-released. We had the last one in 2007 and I think, they would all deserve a Blu-Ray (meaning High-Res audio) release, as Delta Machine is the only one, that was (only) released on Blu-Ray...and Spirit is still waiting for a 5.1 treatment. p.S. Thank you Vaughn for this part of the review series.

[@AnalogX64]

The guests that do agree to do these, like Kevin are awesome to take time out of their busy schedules to do this for us Geeks :) Thanks for doing these Vaughn, very much appreciated.

[@VaughnGeorge]

You are very welcome !! VG :-)

[@platetec4636]

Fantastic episode, thank you Vaughn and Kevin. From start to finish, amazing, hearing the behind the scene untold stories and seeing Kevin’s face at hearing the original samples played on the original machine, priceless. I love the direction you’re going Vaughan, more power to you.

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you brother !! VG

[@ReginatorNet]

Absolutely fabulous interview! GeeK Talk is making better artists and engineers out of all of us.

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you Sir !! VG

[@minisake2091]

IF you’re on the pull tonight pull out your REVERB! Super interview, great insight.

[@MrThebald1]

Thank you both so much, can’t wait for the stop and chat next week.

[@cutalin]

amazing piece of history. So cool to have such passionate people talking about DM nowadays

[@antuandominguez1622]

This is such an enlightening interview. Great job, as usual.

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you !! I am glad you enjoyed it!! VG :-)

[@danielramirezv]

Thanks Vaughn, love your video;, and this one was great: got to meet Kevin and then got to learn a little bit about the remixing in 5.1 SACD for Violator, the best DM album ever... thank you, thank you!!!🤩

[@scottchristy]

great interview, Vaughn!

[@VaughnGeorge]

Cheers Scott!! VG :-)

[@mattavalon]

Brilliant chat V! Interesting and love how he was checking out the keyboard at start! Thank you

[@markusuerschels3916]

*Uhh... what a great topic, Vaughn! Have all 1st batches of 2005 remastering albums. Thanks to Kevin for experiencing DM music with multichannel eargasm!* 🎶🤗🎶

[@VaughnGeorge]

You're welcome Markus!! VG :)

[@unclehertz]

Another great Geek talk........reMixing Violator ''in the box''... ''in 5.1 surround'' in 2002...just WOW. What it took to run a Pro Tools session in those years!!. A Mac with only a single or double processors, expansion chassis with many pci card$ . Everythings was manage by the Digidesign DSP's card$ but even with that, it was a pain to finish a big mix ''in the box''. Bravo Kevin Paul!!

[@NeonEleven]

Thanks Vaughn and Kevin. Awesome!

[@robertgarscadden]

Fantastic interview!

[@awildermode]

Wow equal parts geeky and awesome! Thanks for doing this. Looking forward to more with Kevin Paul...and Vaughn, too.

[@VaughnGeorge]

More to come!! VG :-)

[@marleneperez1638]

Vaughn, I so enjoyed this Geek Talk! I'll be watching it again a few times more. I especially liked it when you showed Kevin the sound banks: both of you were like little boys with a new toy.

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you Marlene !! VG :-)

[@carlosmodegahan4455]

Great talk! I have a few DM 5.1 cd’s including Violator, it was nice to hear the story behind the making of them, I will go back and listen to them in more detail now. Thank you.

[@marionwohlrab1416]

Great Video. Nice guy with So much acknowledgment and expierences

[@Kozitaju]

You Did it Vaughn !!!!! Yeah !!!!!!!! Thank you soooo much :-D

[@VaughnGeorge]

You're welcome!! VG :-)

[@jedidm101]

Another great contribution, to know more details of Depeche Mode's work, thank you very much.

[@VaughnGeorge]

You are welcome !! VG :-)

[@RobinPM100]

Great, intelligent and funny man, I love how passionate about music he is and he clearly loves DM samples

[@Nephilim-81]

And thank you for the knowledge bomb. ;) “Mix bus with Kevin Paul” Absolutely subscribed to that action. Thank you!!! 😊

[@siedracul]

Loved this interview. I feel like you’re my boys! I feel so alone in my passion for them so often. I always tell people if you want to know me, listen to Depeche Mode, particularly Violator. Brilliant.

[@DMK-75]

Great video Vaughn. Plenty of Violator sounds on the Dave Bascombe sample sets. The bass for Personal Jesus is on there too

[@VaughnGeorge]

Cheers bro!! VG :-)

[@syracusemusic1539]

Awesome interview

[@depeche7289]

These 5.1 records are brilliant. So different sounding than the regular stereo records. I really miss 5.1 for "Spirit" which is the only record not released in 5.1. Yes I do like "Spirit" 😊

[@GeorgeDemin]

I’m with you, I really like Spirit

[@BitcoinWillFixEverything]

I find it interesting/pretty cool that Depeche mode fans can have such different ideas about their legacy. I'm 54 and I love speak and spell all the way up to Ultra. From Exciter on I can't think of more than two songs I liked by them. "When you're born to suffer' and 'precious' come to mind. All their earlier albums I have listened to countless times, bought all their 12in extended remixes, have seen them in concert, met them, and can play nearly every song on guitar or piano or both. And they are the reason I opened up recording studio and spent way too much money on gear. I was still buying their records all the way up to universe, I just couldn't get into them anymore. There is something very exciting about there earlier work, for example the way strangelove bounces out of the speaker at you. I can't put my finger on it, it's almost like there's no enthusiasm in their music.

[@MichaelMalediction]

Great video! I love all the 5.1 versions. It was like listening to the albums for the 1st time all over again. P.S. I also like every time Vaughn awkwardly looks at the camera. Haha

[@kristianborisov5928]

Very insightful! Thank you!

[@andrewsly3183]

Thanks to you both superb episode 👍

[@VaughnGeorge]

You're welcome Andrew!! VG :-)

[@MichaelStelling]

Thank you so much @vaugn & @kevin for that great session. I still love the 5.1 mixes so much. Would love to have a posibillity to hear them "on the road", but my Audi A6 doesn't have the possibility to play these mixes...

[@VaughnGeorge]

You are welcome Michael !! VG :-)

[@RajeSharm]

Yes , we want more ❤👊🏽🙏🏼

[@tristanthomsen5804]

Amazing video. It was really giving! I bought all the DELUXE back then at the release. Mindblowing mixing. World In My Eyes sounds just like it should in mine mind. All Black Celebraion becomes as strong as Violator in the DTS mix.

[@cristianmutascu4516]

Great video. One of the best next to that one with Gino. Now I'm sure that one day you will interview Alan. As you said its hard to approach him now but seeing how far you push this channel from the first videos its amazing. Thank you for all!

[@VaughnGeorge]

Glad you enjoyed it!! VG :-)

[@emttony6435]

Great interview and really interesting!

[@MarcinZwir]

Thank you! Great video!

[@VaughnGeorge]

You’re welcome.

[@MarcinZwir]

@@VaughnGeorge One more thing (actually two). 1. I just can't wait for anything related to SOFAD. Any mention about that album gives me goosebumps. In my opinion one of the greatest albums ever made. 2. I love the enthusiasm on Kevin's face when you went on to the original sound banks. You can see the genuine love for the music.

[@fabiorioplatense]

Excelente entrevista.

[@djdustie]

Great stuff. FYI, the first 5.1 mix for Goldfrapp that was released was on their 3rd album, "Supernature" (2005), not "Black Cherry" (2003). He states that the first 2 albums were also mixed into 5.1 too, which sounds like an amazing thing, but they've never seen the light of day sadly.

[@kirillurvancev2116]

Thank you

[@zaptronic]

I love every second of this

[@daverr423]

I love how you totally make Kevin light up with the sound banks! Like, oh by the way mate, and he almost loses it😎

[@nigelcarren]

Brilliant, and his reaction to the sounds reminded me of that time I nonchalantly selected 'Digital Native Dance!' From that moment, my DX-27 would look more like a traction-engine. The future was now calling. 🙈🎹🇬🇧

[@kennethbropson8019]

I was hoping he'd touch on what is the strategy (once all the multitracks are found and sorted etc) of mixing it into 5.1? For example, do you send vocals to the center, or where do the drums in the surround space. But I still loved the interview and he was like an excited kid in a candy shop when you started playing the samples!

[@santibanks]

speaking from my own limited 5.1 mix experience: it's the same as with stereo. You make functional and creative decisions as you go based on what it is that you want to accomplish. There are no rules, just go-to's for certain goals. To give some examples from my experience: I had a song with two drummers playing different parts. There is no real way to mix that apart from preference. You can keep it all in the front and overlap the two (=messy), you can pan them left and right (makes for good separation), you can then do left/right panning but involving the surround speakers too. That can give you the idea that they are on opposite sides with you as listener in the middle. In this case I moved the busy guy to the front as a stereo mix of a regular kit and the less busy guy to the rear speakers in normal stereo mix. Vocals: panning vocals to the center speaker or to the center image (=in the middle of L and R, like in a stereo mix) is partly a matter of requirement from the label (some labels require that the vocals are not in the center speaker so that they cannot be lifted/isolated from the mix easily) but also just a plain difference in translation. If you are in the optimal listening position, the phantom center between L and R should align with the center speaker, thus they are the same. However: if you slightly shift your position, these become un-aligned. A center speaker is a dedicated source between the L and R and will always be recognised as such, regardless of listening position. Depending on what you want to achieve, this might be very desirable. But vocals can also be panned around to the back if the song calls for it. Generally you want the voice to be center in most popular genres as most music with lyrics evolves around the voice. But I can see myself panning voices for My Bloody Valentine (or similar shoegaze acts) not to the center speaker and perhaps to the rears (as an example). Rear speakers: it seems like an obvious thing to pan background vocals and keyboards to the rear speakers because what else should be there apart from reverbs? Depending on the arrangement of the song and the role of the background vocals, I might pan then to the fronts to give them "center stage". Same with keyboards, it is really not obvious for me that keyboards should just go to the back. It all depends on their role within the song. Even pads might end up in the front if that helps to support the song. Though usually if that is the case, I will add them to both front and back. Percussion elements which are not particular important for the groove can be in the back to make them a bit more noticable by the listener. Moving around things is nice to draw attention. Depending on the arrangement you can create call-response events between the front and rear (you can hear that in World in my eyes). It is nice to sometimes just make the mix stereo and don't use the rears at all so that you get a shift in your field of immersion (and this is also nice if a song ends with a solo vocal, if you stick it in the center it will become a very narrow immersion field). Lots of things you can do and lots of creative opportunities. It just depends on what the arrangement allows for and what suits the music. The job of the mix engineer is to translate the music to the audience in a way that suits. And i'm a big believer that not all music lends itself that good for the surround treatment (or Atmos as now is the hype). If you have a 5.1 set, I can also recommend Peter Gabriel's UP, Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral/With Teeth, any of Steven Wilson's solo albums, Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet, Pink Floyd's Dark side of the moon (all in this order).

[@kennethbropson8019]

@@santibanks I can't thank you enough for such a detailed and fascinating response! I'll need to reread this several times to really absorb it. I do have the Pink Floyd one you mentioned and I'll recommend one to you - Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. It's my favorite so far of all the 5.1 I own.

[@santibanks]

@@kennethbropson8019 you're welcome :) And yes good recommendation! that one was highly regarded too, never got to the point to listen to it but let me take a listen.

[@santibanks]

@@kennethbropson8019 and maybe also a word on the use of the LFE: this is often a topic for heated debate. The original 5.1 specifications from Dolby required the front-speakers to be "full range" (20Hz-20kHz, something like that). The role of the LFE is to provide additional low end for effect purposes. In the domain of movies, this makes a lot of sense. However, within the context of just music, this becomes a point of discussion. The complicating factor being that most 5.1 sets available are not full range. They use "bass management" where basically the signal of any speaker is filtered to redirect the low frequency information to be handled by the subwoofer. It is because of this that a lot of people take the view that you should not put information from the bass guitar or kick in the LFE channel. In practice, a lot of that information is sent and handled there anyways. Personally, i don't completely agree with that view and all mixes I liked make a lot of use of the LFE channel. The LFE channel has value for me and I will use it to handle the sub information from kicks and bass. With the caveat that I will use very gentle levels to just give it some oomph and be on the safe side. It is great to use the LFE for effects (bass drops, within prog rock the bass pedal sound, deep synth bass) in music. But the key, at least to me, seems to just be moderate as the target audience is so diverse in their capabilities to handle low frequency information. I also compress the LFE channel more on the master bus. My normal setting is 2:1 SSL VCA style for all channels with just a few db of reduction on peaks and 4:1 ratio for the LFE channel with a lower threshold. I key the bus compressor from the front channels but let the LFE key on it's own. And I explicitly filter the LFE channel content with a LPF at 120 Hz (but leave all regular channels as is). My surround mixbus is btw all plugin based as outboard would be dramatic for me. My stereo bus is mostly hardware though but it's why I stick to the SSL style if I know something will end up in Surround as well as the plugin can replicate my TK Audio BC501 pretty well. And perhaps a word on reverbs: there are surround reverbs available. But in general I only use those if I want elements to be in a shared space across the complete speaker bed. I usually only have one of those in a session and will give most elements regular mono or stereo reverbs as if i'm mixing in stereo. But there is nothing wrong with layering reverbs. For example pan a guitar solo to the center speaker where it has a dedicated spring reverb as part of the solo sound and sending a bit of the signal to the surround verb to let it "bleed" slightly into all the other speakers. Your ears are your guide here. It is also completely OK to use a stereo verb for the front speakers and a different verb on the back speakers. A vocal can for example be routed to both in different levels. All depending on what you like to achieve.

[@kennethbropson8019]

@@santibanks Excellent and informative. I really appreciate you taking the time.

[@MODERNDAYROCKERS]

big up that man Kevin Paul :)

[@cfcashfloh5280]

Great! Thanx!

[@GeorgeDemin]

I do have 5.1 mixes for Violator and SOFAD, but only on DVD’s. Wish I got some on CD’s as well

[@siedracul]

Violator is my all time favorite album of all time. It’s sexy, sophisticated, it flows….just genius. I think they said it was their easiest album (in terms of flow) they’d done to date.

[@tonyblue1]

Loved that!

[@VaughnGeorge]

Cheers Tony !! VG :-)

[@workonesabs]

I've got the 5.1 album, listening it now, in DTS 5.1 on my hi end hifi system. Actually im listening it 9.1, as its a 9.1 system , 5.1 channels and 4 plus.

[@pewburrito]

@Vaughn George This was fantastic brother Vaughty, it wasn't even Notty, can-u-tease-us-w/-some-kind-of-idea-how-soon-(is now)-long-we-might-have-to-wait-until-the-'TFF'-&-'Electronic' album-reviews/analysis/interviews...-months..-?-🤤-and-then-we-can-start-the-party? (see it all rhymed)

[@VaughnGeorge]

You are welcome brother! !VG :-)

[@h.ferguson3645]

Excellent!!!!

[@GeorgeDemin]

So wait a minute, does 15:50 serve as confirmation that Alan worked on 5.1 Ultra a little bit?

[@timedeathandwaste]

я думаю, что имелся ввиду дэйв клэйтон. он был студийным клавишником при записи ultra

[@GeorgeDemin]

@@timedeathandwaste тогда понятно, Клэйтон вроде даже живьём с ними выступал в 1997

[@Morse___]

Love a geek fest like this! Brilliant stuff Vaughn 👍🏻

[@VaughnGeorge]

Glad you enjoyed it!! VG :-)

[@daromirfirunsson]

Whats that intro song/remix? Such a great synth!

[@VaughnGeorge]

Glad you like it. I produced it , you can find it by searching “Vaughty - A remix violation”

[@mackousko5641]

Well thank you good job

[@VaughnGeorge]

Thank you too!! VG :-)

[@Esperluet]

51:56 Sorry ???

[@dalidamezine5219]

Say hi to Kevin VG, thanks‼ ️🙆🤦🙍😍🥰😘🥳🤩💕💞 ♥ ️❤️💝🎇🎆👉🙏👈🥳

[@The_alien_silly_alien_dog]

Superrrrr

[@Esperluet]

43:23

[@Stanon85]

51:50 Funny - DM doesn't use hi-hat? Then listen to the Policy of Truth.

[@VaughnGeorge]

This was relevant to albums only up until "MFTM". We all know that from Violator onwards , Flood had gotten them to change their own rules. VG :-)

[@patrick99e99]

world in my eyes sound: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJOug3ihqqmbadU

[@AnalogueSolutions]

you'll never get albums like Violator again (stomping on flight cases, ,recording in stairwells) because now an album can be recorded in the box, using plugins and sample libraries. Many producers now don't need to leave their chair. You could say the technology has made many lazy

[@VaughnGeorge]

Well said Tom!! VG :-)

[@jimsimon4432]

Idea: would one of the band lads agree to be interviewed if you promised that all KZbin proceeds and GoFundMe contributions from the interview went to help displaced Afghans make a new start in their new country? It’s my understanding that in their peak they were overly generous with their time and back stage passes for Make-a-Wish children. They have hearts.

[@viktorrietveld]

Reverb=girls Damn, wish I knew that in the 80's

[@janr3inhardt]

20:00 min No. Just no. DM are brilliant, but they are not „one of the best live bands of all time“. I HAVE seen them quite a few times, so I do know when theyre performing rubbish which is far from the live performances of 101 or Live In Paris etc 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@sebastiankraft9977]

one of the best live bands of all time? Are u joking?

[@VaughnGeorge]

Don't just take my word for it. VG :-)

[@thegiftedone]

Dominatrix should seriously join Depeche Mode ………most…..actually all mixes out there miss the mark….they strip,no pun intended, the SOUL OF DEPECHE MODE…when I saw Halo live (3 times)

[@thegiftedone]

Oops….hit send accidentally……..when I saw and heard Halo live ……I felt the power of GOD ! That intro is supernatural! It was like lightning bolts from the heavens!…..it is unexplainable!…………..I been a devotee since ‘85 as a kid…… first heard Shake the Disease only through my older cousin who sent it from Europe to me in boring useless Los Angeles Ca….. and blew me away……they never played it here on the radio…….later saw it in MTV….but that song changed my life! That band is in my soul……like you devotees out there……we are a club…… a special club……..Fletch we love and miss you buddy…… u managed and held this band..the real glue…… Alan you creative genius a-hole..I say that with love because we need you now more then ever……please come back replace Fletch spot……and actually play …..lol..not sure what exactly he played but he waved a lot and kept this band together…Alan……cmon buddy….there’s no more partying…….they are older…wiser…less booze……no drugs……no ,one hair or flannels….and no drumming……don’t u like millions and millions of money ? Come back……it killed me that I missed your auction….come back! it’s time…………so we can forget about sounds of the universe and spirit …….smh…….. I like heaven and wrong …..but come back and let’s get Black Celebration part 2! Peace and love ! And keep the balance right!

[@luisfinch3586]

I agree, Violator has amazing production but it doesn’t beat U2 Achtung Baby or Mansun Six so I’d say Violator is the third best produced album of all times.

[@DMK-75]

Some Achtung Baby drums on the beginning of Higher Love on SOFAD!

[@luisfinch3586]

@@DMK-75 absolutely amazing drum sounds on archtung baby no wonder.

[@luisfinch3586]

@@DMK-75 sampled from “until the end of world”?

[@DMK-75]

No the intro from So Cruel. It’s used on Higher Love