The HAARP Machine Megathread

[splinter8451]

I really don't care

if Pledian Keys is any indication, compositionally they are way ahead of anybody else on their label. if they use tricks to play the songs no biggy. you can't fake songwriting like that

What if.... the songs were entirely written by computers?

Regardless, all this stuff has my interest more then their music so it is good publicity for them.

I loved the old tracks but I am not a big fan of "buttrock" clean vocals, I'm more of an "emo bitch" clean vocal guy.

 

[DLG]

shit like this is why I can't stand 90 percent of newer metal bands and sometimes start to loathe technology.

anyone can write technical music in guitar pro and record it at half speed now, making technical music completely unimpressive.

let's take it back to 1989, when not everyone could be technical thanks to computers.

 

[mikernaut]

Craziness up in here, But Misha mentioned Casey Sabol analyzing the vid.... durn you Casey, some of us want to hear more of your music.. getter dun!

 

[RobZero]

i always thought that there was something ''synthy'' in the tone of the strandberg video. Thanks bulb for the explanation

 

[Scar Symmetry]

I'm not going to lie, I really, really enjoy the music, I think it's amazing.

However, a source very close to the band (and was once a member of the band) confirmed to me that the songs are pretty much recorded one note at a time.

However, The HAARP Machine were due to tour America with Decapitated... so it must be achievable live?

 

[IAMLORDVADER]

Shocking quality video but you can get the idea that Al can play live

 

[DLG]

However, a source very close to the band (and was once a member of the band) confirmed to me that the songs are pretty much recorded one note at a time.

I wouldn't even doubt that Sumerian encourages most of their bands to record like this.

 

[Maniacal]

Shocking quality video but you can get the idea that Al can play live

I was at that gig, they played to a track that had another guitar playing on it. They did this for the entire Decap tour.

Upon close inspection what I could hear was the play along track.

 

[PresidentJesus]

I heard that there was a chance that The Faceless is taking The HAARP Machine on their US tour this Winter so if that's true, we may all get to watch Al a little bit more personally. He still is a fantastic player, and more importantly (imo), a fantastic composer

 

[Lorcan Ward]

However, a source very close to the band (and was once a member of the band) confirmed to me that the songs are pretty much recorded one note at a time.

That sounds exhausting. I can understand recording bar by bar but tracking each note is very hard to believe. It would take endless hours to put together and in that time you could perfect each riff and do the common way of cutting/pasting together several takes.

 

[guitarister7321]

I was at that gig, they played to a track that had another guitar playing on it. They did this for the entire Decap tour.

This is kind of understandable considering they have one guitarist and their songs require two guitarists. But then again can't they just hire another guitarist, even if it's just for live shows?

 

[Xarn]

That sounds exhausting. I can understand recording bar by bar but tracking each note is very hard to believe. It would take endless hours to put together and in that time you could perfect each riff and do the common way of cutting/pasting together several takes.

Not every riff needs to be recorded this way, but I wouldn't doubt it. Actually, the dude who recorded Structures admitted they did in fact record most of the songs this way, either they played the riff at halfspeed, recorded note by note or recorded parts of a riff and pasted it together. Yeah, this sounds really exhausting but if you get paid big bucks for it, would you complain?

 

[DLG]

This is kind of understandable considering they have one guitarist and their songs require two guitarists.

still not understandable.

 

[CyborgSlunk]

shit like this is why I can't stand 90 percent of newer metal bands and sometimes start to loathe technology.

anyone can write technical music in guitar pro and record it at half speed now, making technical music completely unimpressive.

let's take it back to 1989, when not everyone could be technical thanks to computers.

So now people can be technical that actually CAN compose?

 

[JoeyW]

That sounds exhausting. I can understand recording bar by bar but tracking each note is very hard to believe. It would take endless hours to put together and in that time you could perfect each riff and do the common way of cutting/pasting together several takes.

No way dude, like I said earlier lots of bands take that approach this is probably just to the farthest possible extreme. I say who cares as long as they sound good live. It makes the songs sound better. Plus by punching every note you'll get that 'machine' sound that human hands can't acheive. Which I'd imagine is what The Haarp Machine are going for.

I think the best way to do this is to track the whole part as perfectly as you can and then punch each individual note and blend the two together, best of both worlds.

 

[JoeyW]

Not every riff needs to be recorded this way, but I wouldn't doubt it. Actually, the dude who recorded Structures admitted they did in fact record most of the songs this way, either they played the riff at halfspeed, recorded note by note or recorded parts of a riff and pasted it together. Yeah, this sounds really exhausting but if you get paid big bucks for it, would you complain?

Structures can't play their music live though...

 

[ItWillDo]

Structures can't play their music live though...

I'm not going to completely confirm this, but I've seen them twice now and I think they try to put so much into their performance (which results in good stage-energy though) that they really do seem to slack in the accuracy-department. Their performances are great to watch, but a sloppy listening-session.

 

[DLG]

So now people can be technical that actually CAN compose?

you are saying ron jarzombek can't compose.

recorded on a tascam four track

 

[sakeido]

I'm not going to completely confirm this, but I've seen them twice now and I think they try to put so much into their performance (which results in good stage-energy though) that they really do seem to slack in the accuracy-department. Their performances are great to watch, but a sloppy listening-session.

they might know they can barely play their shit and make up for it by jumping around a lot instead

its probably ridiculous but in the Escapist Notion playthrough video it looks like he's playing the entire thing. He probably doesn't run through the whole song flawlessly like the audio suggests but the guy has very developed technique

 

[JoeyW]

I'm not going to completely confirm this, but I've seen them twice now and I think they try to put so much into their performance (which results in good stage-energy though) that they really do seem to slack in the accuracy-department. Their performances are great to watch, but a sloppy listening-session.

Both times I've seen them it's been pretty awful. The first time (last year) one of the guitar players dropped his pick but instead of picking it up he just randomly started strumming his guitar with his hand while spinning in circles, it was like 5 guys were playing 5 totally different songs. The other time I saw them (a few weeks back actually) their sound guy had turned the guitars down so much that they were hardly audible, the rest of the band was pretty good though and they had a pretty unreal bass tone and their drummer was tight as hell. I was thinking 'okay I guess this is a lot better'.... But then the clean vocals. I hate bashing musicians but the only thing I could really compare it to would be Derek Whibley trying to harmonize with a dying cat and failing horribly. I agree though! They put on a really good show!

its probably ridiculous but in the Escapist Notion playthrough video it looks like he's playing the entire thing. He probably doesn't run through the whole song flawlessly like the audio suggests but the guy has very developed technique

^ Truth, I don't get the whole controversy here. Maybe there is still more to the story?