Fake Shredders

[JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo]

Something I thought about last night, what are people's takes on Protest the Hero?

Specifically Kezia, because although that's a beloved album by anyone who really digs that band, they openly admitted to writing stuff that was above their paygrade and practiced until they got it tight. That album might not have existed without tools for tabbing to lay out their creative minds down and write what they truly wanted to write, at worst they probably played a few months worth of shoddy live renditions of the songs and by the time it came to record they were most of the way there. It's far more mild obviously, but curious what folks think considering how binary some people's thoughts on the topic are.

I enjoy PTH, Volition especially, but there's no denying absurd amounts of trickery in that production. I think it's one of the first places I ever really started noticing it. But they are also extremely tight players who back it up every time they play live. Pacific Myth returned to a more real sounding album, but unfortunately it sounds like ass to me. The mix, not the playing. Just listen to Ragged Tooth's initial release compared to the album version. They destroyed what was previously a really nice production.

 

[Avedas]

I enjoy PTH, Volition especially, but there's no denying absurd amounts of trickery in that production. I think it's one of the first places I ever really started noticing it. But they are also extremely tight players who back it up every time they play live. Pacific Myth returned to a more real sounding album, but unfortunately it sounds like ass to me. The mix, not the playing. Just listen to Ragged Tooth's initial release compared to the album version. They destroyed what was previously a really nice production.

Wew, I just realized I had only ever listened to the original releases of each track. That Ragged Tooth remix is brutal.

 

[dreamspace]

For me, music is not a competition (well, unless it explicitly is a competition, like gear comps etc...), but I DO think there's a meritocratic element to music.

We've had lightning fast shredders for 40 years now, people that played as fast and complex then, as people do today. Shawn Lane played insane licks back then, only 17 years old, live with a band. Holdsworth did it too. We've seen top notch Shrapnel shredders like Vinnie Moore etc. play licks so tight they sound like midi sequencers, but live through f**king 8w Peavey practice combos.

Point is - these guys did not have the luxury of modern equipment, recording opportunities, etc. They had to practice, practice, practice, get things down as tight as humanly possible, then hit the studio and record stuff 'til they nearly passed out of exhaustion, because the meter was ticking. They did not have the luxury of doing 150 takes on 30 sec segment, punching in solos note for note, etc.

So if these guys could make all that amazing and timeless stuff through nothing but hard work, why can't many of these new IG heroes do the same?

Now, I don't feel "cheated" if I watch / listen to something knowing that it's been created through studio magic. But if the guitarists can't play their own material live, then it doesn't feel real to me. It's like meeting some chick on Tinder who looks nothing like her pictures.

With that said, technical guitar proficiency is not something you just pick up once, and then you're set for life - it's something that you need to keep sharp all the time, if you plan on being able to play the material you wrote / recorded. In my experience, most guitarists only reach their personal peak once, or if lucky, a couple of times in their lifetime.

It's a perfect storm of motivation, drive, time to practice, physical abilities, etc. It's the same as with athletes, really. Most only have a finite window of time to really record their best stuff, before things start to wane.

Here's a vid of Shawn Lane tearing it up at the tender age of 17.

 

[eggy in a bready]

When it comes to shredding, or any technically proficient music, there are two boxes that the artist must tick for me to give a shit:

-Thoughtful and interesting compositions
-Able to reproduce their material live

Bonus points if they didn't name their project some beyond whack name like "Berried Alive"

 

[SlamLiguez]

Bonus points if they didn't name their project some beyond whack name like "Berried Alive"

What's wrong man, you don't like the JAMS? Sounds like you're just JELLY. Maybe SPREAD out your musical tastes and you might be able to appreciate the FRUITS of his efforts. He's not hurting anyone, what's the MARM in PRESERVING a good image?

...... Chutney.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

 

[Drew]

I don't even think covers need to be live. Like you said, it's basically just cheap visuals to accompany the actual work.

It's something I don't even do anymore because people in comment sections suck. I usually just do visualizations. Or nothing at all and horde my music to myself.

It really depends on the point, IMO. If the finished product to you is a recording of a cover song, then the performance aspect is kinda incidental, though I'd have to wonder if YouTube is really the venue for that more so than Soundcloud.

If it's a "watch me play this song" thing, then absolutely, you shouldn't be miming to pre-recorded tracks.

 

[gunshow86de]

Once again, burying the live take in the mix.

 

[GunpointMetal]

Once again, burying the live take in the mix.

Lol, yesterday was funny. He kicked a bunch of people of IG, replied to like a dozen comments on a post in Prog Snob FB group about how he's "maintaining a community of positivity" on his social medias (forgetting that he called a bunch of people bitches/assholes/"bananas" before booting them), then goes and posts a half pissed-up video that TOTALLY missed the point, lol. Nobody was ever salty about modern production techniques in the music, numbnuts.

 

[Jonathan20022]

The irony of being able to almost not hear his voice in that restaurant is hilarious

Jared Dines jumped on the train because it reached his mainstream eyes, and he decided to add Stephen Taranto to the list of "accused" fake players. The clickbait is so real, he doesn't really know shit because he gives Charles a pass because he's clearly making the movements to match the music and that it's simply pre-recorded.



What are these comments GET A BETTER SPEAKER. He's almost inaudible, jesus.

 

[cwhitey2]

Once again, burying the live take in the mix.

Douche bag...he's a douche bag.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

 

[HungryGuitarStudent]

The irony of being able to almost not hear his voice in that restaurant is hilarious

Jared Dines jumped on the train because it reached his mainstream eyes, and he decided to add Stephen Taranto to the list of "accused" fake players. The clickbait is so real, he doesn't really know shit because he gives Charles a pass because he's clearly making the movements to match the music and that it's simply pre-recorded.

View attachment 75081

What are these comments GET A BETTER SPEAKER. He's almost inaudible, jesus.

Conspiracy theorists like to think Stephen Taranto is faking.

When you bring up the fact that he was at NAMM and played in front of people there and with Helix Nebula, they say his lips are twitchy in his videos, which they are in real life.

This is a perfect example of a valid movement having dumb consequences and people trying to fit a narrative.

 

[Randy]

Read "conspiracy" and immediately thought you guys were talking about Kris Paranto

 

[Boofchuck]

You know, this whole thing really bothered me at first. But now I'm soooo over it. I don't care for sped up videos, nor do I really care for sped up music. So I'm just going to focus on my music and the stuff that I actually do like. Because this is just getting sad.

 

[Metropolis]

Bradley has a confession to make... and it's the complete opposite

 

[mikernaut]

and-

 

[KnightBrolaire]

john browne put up a pretty funny vid making fun of midi fakery: https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Y549MAQMd/?igshid=1k2dhd9615y29

 

[couverdure]

Jared Dines jumped on the train because it reached his mainstream eyes, and he decided to add Stephen Taranto to the list of "accused" fake players. The clickbait is so real, he doesn't really know shit because he gives Charles a pass because he's clearly making the movements to match the music and that it's simply pre-recorded.

Did you watch the same video as the one I watched or not at all? Sounds like you were talking about the first guy and not Charles, and Jared said that he can tell that Charles' parts are harmonized and physically impossible, and he actually gave praise to Taranto because he was surprised that it sounded very real.

 

[Konfyouzd]

If you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t tryin’!

Sadly, that seems to be the way in everything...