Dream Theater

[groverj3]

The CabClone is the product the Andertons' YouTube channel had to demo a second time with the assistance of a Mesa rep because they were not impressed with it the first time, to put it mildly. The reviews are far from being glowing, nor are any of the demos available. Maybe Petrucci honestly thinks it sounds great and I'll give him the benefice of doubt on that matter. Hell, I don't have any issues with him placing products either, it's his livelihood after all. I'll even admit I've never bought a CabClone. Well, sure as hell isn't going to happen anytime soon to be honest...

Could just be that it is working fine for them to record live demos and that's all.

 

[TedEH]

I don't know if the standalone product is different, but I think I'm the only one who likes the CabClone feature that's built into the Mark amps now. Are they mind blowing? Maybe not. But I'd take that cabclone tone over any Line6 models any day.

It's one of those products that gets praised when you DON'T tell people that's where your tone came from.

"Hey man, that's a great lead tone, how'd you do that?"
"Oh, that's just strait up V:25 + cabclone + some delay"
"Ew, cabclone, you should have used [insert popular product]"

Combine that with the fact that I'm not the kind of person to put Petrucci's taste in tone on a pedestal, and I'd gladly accept that he probably does actually like it. Some of the tones he's come up with are less than stellar, even if some other tones he's come up with are pretty great.

 

[Lukhas]

Could just be that it is working fine for them to record live demos and that's all.

Well he did say "unbelievable". C'mon guys, it's a sarcastic joke. Well it did liven up the thread somewhat at least... I don't care about him using it or whatever: I just found that comment very funny. This was taken way too seriously. I thought only Germans had to explain jokes...

 

[fps]

The CabClone is the product the Andertons' YouTube channel had to demo a second time with the assistance of a Mesa rep because they were not impressed with it the first time, to put it mildly. The reviews are far from being glowing, nor are any of the demos available. Maybe Petrucci honestly thinks it sounds great and I'll give him the benefice of doubt on that matter. Hell, I don't have any issues with him placing products either, it's his livelihood after all. I'll even admit I've never bought a CabClone. Well, sure as hell isn't going to happen anytime soon to be honest...

Who cares? If Petrucci likes it that's all that matters. What's JOHN PETRUCCI going to do, care about what some online reviews think? It's not the tool, it's the operator.

 

[Lukhas]

Who cares? If Petrucci likes it that's all that matters. What's JOHN PETRUCCI going to do, care about what some online reviews think? It's not the tool, it's the operator.

I don't care about him using it or whatever: I just found that comment very funny. This was taken way too seriously. I thought only Germans had to explain jokes...

I didn't even meant to get replies like these. At least the whole kerfuffle gave me an opportunity to smile.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I didn't even meant to get replies like these. At least the whole kerfuffle gave me an opportunity to smile.

I feel like im the only one that got what you mean.

Just out of the blue saying "Oh btw the Cabclone is AMAZEBALLS YO"

 

[Avedas]

I feel like im the only one that got what you mean.

Just out of the blue saying "Oh btw the Cabclone is AMAZEBALLS YO"

I liken it to Paul Masvidal's recent Bias review that sounded incredibly forced.

 

[Avedas]

I decided not to go to the Budokan show last year because I didn't feel like playing 12000 JPY for a balcony seat. Now I find the entire thing is on youtube lmao

 

[Lukhas]

I decided not to go to the Budokan show last year because I didn't feel like playing 12000 JPY for a balcony seat. Now I find the entire thing is on youtube lmao

That's because you're paying for the experience of having a strained neck. YouTube and its terrible compression cannot reproduce that. I find the sound incredibly muffled on the video. Funny that LaBrie harmonizes his very first vocal line higher... even though they're already tuning down half a step. But I'm just jesting. It's not bad.

Oh wait, the description does say something about the quality of the mix.

This is a pro-shot of the company WOWOW japan, the same was broadcast on television. It was rumored that DT was going to release an official DVD of this, but it was not what they expected after mixing and editing errors (Labrie's performance was ruined in almost its entirety with a badly applied autotune for example) among other things. It is difficult to get this because now it is just like an unofficial DVD of the bunch, but I have decided to share it with you so that it is not forgotten.

By the way, thanks for absolutely nothing Autotune.

 

[Exchanger]

Funny that LaBrie harmonizes his very first vocal line higher... even though they're already tuning down half a step

He just re-improvised this line and actually a lot of others...maybe just because he felt like it. I can't pinpoint why, but the overall performance sounds very dull to me.

 

[Lukhas]

He just re-improvised this line and actually a lot of others...maybe just because he felt like it. I can't pinpoint why, but the overall performance sounds very dull to me.

Yeah, the whole thing sounds like there's a carpet between the microphone and the speaker cabinet. I suppose that's what was meant by "mixing and editing errors". And LaBrie's being LaBrie: he's struggling to sing high while maintaining good elocution and articulation. At least I get to actually hear Mike Mangini for once, and I liked it.

 

[wat]

Does anyone else find the whammy use in the intro riff to Pull Me Under to be way over the top and cringey in every live performance? Like GOTDAMN, that is some heavy handed whammy usage.

 

[DLG]

Honestly, why is Labrie in the band still? It's not like they are going to lose any fans by firing him in 2018? Get some young guy who can actually sing the old material and keep it moving.

Labrie can then actually sing in bands where he isn't forced to play 3 hour sets of things he sang when he was in his 20s just because their new albums are stinkers and need to play "legacy" shows to get butts in seats.

 

[TheShreddinHand]

Did anybody listen to the Facebook live chat they had last week? I couldn’t but wondered if they dropped anything newsworthy?

 

[A-Branger]

^same... any talk about 8 string? is it gonna happen or not? or at least any talk about heavier songs? I really hope so after the endless slow piano intros from the astonishing

he isn't forced to play 3 hour sets

just remember that our of the 3 hours he prob sings like 1.2 of it the rest he stands in the corner with the tambourine or something

 

[Exchanger]

Honestly, why is Labrie in the band still? It's not like they are going to lose any fans by firing him in 2018? Get some young guy who can actually sing the old material and keep it moving.

I think there is a huge personnality/history factor here. They struggled a lot to find their vocalist in their early days, as they wanted someone who had enough charisma to front the band, but could put his ego aside when it comes to creative leadership. Then they stuck with him after the vocal cords incident, they had some issues with his live performances but they gave him a second chance to fix that and he took it... and the band seem to have had a great alchemy from Octavarium until BCSL and the departure of Portnoy. At that point, when you've worked more than 25 years with the same guy and been through hard times, you can't just tear that apart just because you want the Best(TM). He still sounds good on the albums, and isn't that terrible live. As for a replacement, well, they can hire a guy the same age but who probably isn't gonna hit the high notes either, or a much younger guy but then it's probably gonna be harder to bond with him.

 

[groverj3]

Did anybody listen to the Facebook live chat they had last week? I couldn’t but wondered if they dropped anything newsworthy?

I watched most of it.

The only real newsworthy bits are that it sounds like Mangini has a lot more input into songwriting, and LaBrie is actually writing some lyrics/is there for the writing. Their approach sounds like what they did for Train of Thought, where they're making live demos, changing things on the fly, and then going to go into a real studio to record afterwords.

Also, Mangini makes good chicken wings.

 

[thedonal]

I clicked through a bit of it after the event. I have to say John Myung really didn't look like he wanted to be there. Not a criticism- he seems like a pretty introvert/quiet guy.

 

[A-Branger]

The only real newsworthy bits are that it sounds like Mangini has a lot more input into songwriting,

boooo... I had a bit of hope he was going to get tired to not have any imput and eventually leave the bamd, open for the possibility of MikeP returning Ive never liked Mangini... not even on the drum auditions, meh.... well hopefully he brings some good tunes as Petrucci by itself wasnt doing it for me on the last albums

I clicked through a bit of it after the event. I have to say John Myung really didn't look like he wanted to be there. Not a criticism- he seems like a pretty introvert/quiet guy.

'

yup, thats Myung indeed. Reinforcing the stereotype that us bassplayers are the mystery guy in the corner. He always been like taht, he barely speaks

 

[Herrick]

I think if you simply listen to the lyrics of most of the album, you can tell that whoever was writing the lyrics (Portnoy) was greatly frustrated with the process. The demos themselves, to me, are evidence that the label made some changes to the songs, as this demo is far more different from the finished product than the other demos.



I think Petrucci is likely speaking for himself and that perhaps the rest of the band, particularly Portnoy, felt differently.

I'm more inclined to believe Portnoy in this case. There's a documentary on YouTube for the band's...20th anniversary I think. I can't remember which band member it was, but it was someone other than Portnoy who confirmed there was pressure from the label regarding the style of the album. Pretty sure it was LaBrie. I'll look for it if I can remember.

I don't know why Petrucci would claim they all wanted the album to come out the way it did.