SickthingsUK

Hi Dennis,

I always wondered, why did you guys decide to mix the vocals on "Elected" in the left channel only. In fact, I noticed a lot of different separation between different instruments in both channels.

VinceLeeRose wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:10 pm

Hi Dennis,

I always wondered, why did you guys decide to mix the vocals on "Elected" in the left channel only. In fact, I noticed a lot of different separation between different instruments in both channels.

I'm sure that was Bob Ezrin's decision and he likely thought it helped the lead vocals cut through better. Bass usually works best in the middle, and my bass tone is punchy rather than a tone that looms down below the other instruments. That, combined with all of the guitar parts, "Elected" had lots going on in the midrange, and leaving all of that in the middle to fight it out would easily cause the mix to sound muddy.
I doubt that any of us questioned the placement of the vocals, or any of the instruments, because the overall mix sounds exciting.
I like the version that we did for Live From The Astroturf: Alice Cooper because Neal's drums are more prominent.

Dreary wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:37 pm

VinceLeeRose wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:10 pm

Hi Dennis,

I always wondered, why did you guys decide to mix the vocals on "Elected" in the left channel only. In fact, I noticed a lot of different separation between different instruments in both channels.

I'm sure that was Bob Ezrin's decision and he likely thought it helped the lead vocals cut through better. Bass usually works best in the middle, and my bass tone is punchy rather than a tone that looms down below the other instruments. That, combined with all of the guitar parts, "Elected" had lots going on in the midrange, and leaving all of that in the middle to fight it out would easily cause the mix to sound muddy.
I doubt that any of us questioned the placement of the vocals, or any of the instruments, because the overall mix sounds exciting.
I like the version that we did for Live From The Astroturf: Alice Cooper because Neal's drums are more prominent.

Not only that.
Could it have something to do w/being a single release to many AM radio stations that hadn't progressed from Mono & the vocals could/would be heard?

Daggers & Contracts wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:17 am

Dreary wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:37 pm

VinceLeeRose wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:10 pm

Hi Dennis,

I always wondered, why did you guys decide to mix the vocals on "Elected" in the left channel only. In fact, I noticed a lot of different separation between different instruments in both channels.

I'm sure that was Bob Ezrin's decision and he likely thought it helped the lead vocals cut through better. Bass usually works best in the middle, and my bass tone is punchy rather than a tone that looms down below the other instruments. That, combined with all of the guitar parts, "Elected" had lots going on in the midrange, and leaving all of that in the middle to fight it out would easily cause the mix to sound muddy.
I doubt that any of us questioned the placement of the vocals, or any of the instruments, because the overall mix sounds exciting.
I like the version that we did for Live From The Astroturf: Alice Cooper because Neal's drums are more prominent.

Not only that.
Could it have something to do w/being a single release to many AM radio stations that hadn't progressed from Mono & the vocals could/would be heard?

I doubt that. We did listen to mixes on big systems and small speakers, as well as mono. We tried to make it good on all counts.

Dannorama wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:32 am

Doesn't the single mix have the vocals centered? I thought that was what we heard on Greatest Hits. Also, on Life & Crimes - was that mixed mono? (I think that the School's Out single was mixed in mono.) Just Wondr'ring Aloud.

Off the top of my head, yes, there are certainly different mixes.

I remember several times hearing Elected on a mono radio/stream and there being more or less no lead vocals on it, presumably because they were playing the stereo version but broadcasting in mono and simply stripping one channel from the mix..
Not sure the technicalities on how it all works, but I definitely remember hearing an almost instrumental Elected more than once and laughing at it.

Dannorama wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:32 am

Doesn't the single mix have the vocals centered? I thought that was what we heard on Greatest Hits. Also, on Life & Crimes - was that mixed mono? (I think that the School's Out single was mixed in mono.) Just Wondr'ring Aloud.

On the single mix of Elected on The Life & Crimes... the vocals do sound centered to me, but on the Greatest Hits aren't the vocals in one channel only? I haven't listened to GH for a long time so I could be wrong. SO on the same box set was also the single version (which I recall does sound mixed in mono) as was Caught In a Dream. With the exception of CIAD, I like the album mixes of the aforementioned songs better than the single mixes.

Ted

Ted Sallis wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 15, 2021 2:28 pm

Dannorama wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:32 am

Doesn't the single mix have the vocals centered? I thought that was what we heard on Greatest Hits. Also, on Life & Crimes - was that mixed mono? (I think that the School's Out single was mixed in mono.) Just Wondr'ring Aloud.

On the single mix of Elected on The Life & Crimes... the vocals do sound centered to me, but on the Greatest Hits aren't the vocals in one channel only? I haven't listened to GH for a long time so I could be wrong. SO on the same box set was also the single version (which I recall does sound mixed in mono) as was Caught In a Dream. With the exception of CIAD, I like the album mixes of the aforementioned songs better than the single mixes.

Ted

I must confess that I'm at a disadvantage here because I rarely listen to those records, and when I do, I'm usually analyzing the structure of the songs rather than the mixes. And even that is on the back-burner behind my new songs.
Greatest Hits albums are remastered to make the songs from various albums sound like they belong on the same album. That's overseen by the record company rather than the producer. And since Greatest Hits albums are often slapped together to fill in for an artist that's unable to deliver an album, the budget is minimal. It's a bit of a shame that some people will only buy Greatest Hits albums, even though it does convince lots of people to buy the original albums.
I'm glad that all of you are so into all things Alice Cooper.