Breaking Benjamin's New Gear

[zipline7020]

So I stumbled upon a few live videos of Breaking Benjamin made this year, and besides being sad that ben doesn't use PRS anymore, but instead Gibson and LTD,

I also noticed theres no amps on stage, the heavy mesa sound sounds WAYY different than it did a few years ago, and all thats on stage gear wise are some green lit rectangles on a rack in the back corners and an iPad up front.

Did they switch to the Axe FX or Bias??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4xfoyM-6O8

 

[Sparkfriction]

never liked their sound or music. Sorry this post doesnt help... i just think, their sound is nothing special.

edit: i tought they playd not mesa? wasnt it randall or something?

 

[TheRileyOBrien]

Definitely not bias running on the ipad. A lot of bands have started using ipads to manage their own in ears/monitors. The screen looks to be showing a mixer so I am fairly confident that is it.

As for the guitar sound. Might be axefx but you can't really judge a live sound based on a youtube video.

 

[HighGain510]

They said the new album was recorded with the Axe-Fx somewhere (FB maybe?) so I believe they had made the switch to Axe-Fx live too possibly. I really dug their album tones previously, waiting for the rest of the album to come out but listening to the pre-order tracks in my car just left the guitar in the mix feeling a bit flat. Not a dig at Fractal whatsoever as I have heard Fractal metal tones absolutely smoke on albums, I think it's more how they dialed it in combined with the mixing/mastering on the new album which is a bummer as I'm sure it definitely could sound better.

I didn't follow their amps much but I know they had used H&K for a brief period since I had seen videos of them with a TriAmp MK II a few times and think Mesa had been used a bit as well?

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Ben switched to Axe-FX when the band reunited a year or two ago. He also was using PRS up until 2 - 3 months ago. Apparently he had a falling out with them and just uses off-the-shelf LTDs and the Gibson Les Paul Baritone he used to record Phobia.

If I were to guess, the iPad is to control a mixer of some kind. The guys from Periphery do this as well.

I really dug their album tones previously, waiting for the rest of the album to come out but listening to the pre-order tracks in my car just left the guitar in the mix feeling a bit flat.

I think the problem here is that the bass is either mixed differently or is too low in the mix. The guitars seemed to be a bit lower in the mix than the bass, and the entire mix seemed fairly compressed, so I'm guessing the guitars being squished with the bass so high in the mix makes it seem fatter than it usually is. When you listen to the isolated guitars, they sound extremely, extremely thin. I noticed this while listening to Topless from Phobia and Hopeless from Dear Agony.

Also, before the Axe, they used Triamps (EDIT A mix of Hughes and Kettner Triamp and Duotone) on the first 2 Albums, and then the Randall RM series for the other 2 before the split (Ben used the Treadplate, and Aaron used the XTC). If they used Mesa, it was extremely short lived.

 

[zipline7020]

Yea I know they used to use the Randall with the mesa plug in it.

and the guitar sound is way less saturated and the mix has less bass, you're right. I miss the phobia sound.

but with time maybe their axe fx patches will sound better once they get over the learning curb.
But the PRS sound will be missed.

 

[TheRileyOBrien]

Their tone has always been pretty bland and meh to me.

 

[cGoEcYk]

I always thought they were a good example of standard/generic nu-metal tone (probably Recto).

 

[Promit]

Anyone think it's tacky to have an ipad visible to the audience? Use it, sure, but why is your stupid mixer screen up and pointed at the crowd? I like their sound well enough on the new album, although this live recording is obviously not great. Wouldn't be surprised if it's a boosted Recto type setup.

 

[toiletstand]

.... was diary of jane 8 years ago? thats the one song i REALLY liked from them

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I always thought they were a good example of standard/generic nu-metal tone (probably Recto).

They sound different to me. Their tone has this odd midrange to it. They've never used Recto to my knowledge. In the studio for their last 2 original lineup albums, it was Randall RM, Wizard, and Bad Cat.

Also, their live setup is all Axe-FX II, and they recently recorded their album with Axe's. They talked about it in a video that I can't find. All the guitarists use Axe's straight into the mixing board.

 

[kobanwolf921]

Search the gearslutz forum where David Bendeth, the producer/engineer of Phobia where David talks about Ben's guitar chain. David explains, "Amp wise I had a Marshall triple lead (I assume he means JCM 2000 TSL60 or TSL100?), a Soldano and a Randall module amp. For clean we had a Vox ac30 and a 59 Fender Deluxe. Cabinets were Marshall orange backs." In the same forum, David does post a pic showing Wizard and Bad Cat. Far from a "standard/generic nu-metal tone (probably recto)" as some others describe above.

Regardless of your taste in music, most people agree Phobia sounds really good. Its kind of like AIC's Black Gives Way to Blue. Sonically, it just sounds amazing whether you like the song writing/ singing/music or not. Yes, it helps Ben Grosse and Chris Lorde Algea mixed.

I'm no amp expert, but my guess is Ben got his low end from the Randall/ Soldano while the bright/ sparkly upper mids are what Marshall is famous for. Anyone else have pics/links/info on other BB albums? Thnx

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I'm actually curious about Dear Agony as well. It's weird because the guitar tone itself is extremely thin and shrill, but the bass is SO massive that it fills out the shrillness of the guitar and fits perfectly