The HAARP Machine Megathread

[NaYoN]

Ok, I guess I'll come out a bit more. Several sources very close to the band has said that said person isn't really all that much of a good player and never plays without a backing track. I really don't want to say anything more about this issue, and those who know the origins of these stories probably know why I'm unwilling to say bad things about this person. If you want details feel free to PM me but I'm not willing to talk about this in public.

EDIT: Nevermind. I don't want to be involved in this for privacy reasons.

 

[anomynous]

Not really surprised.

 

[NaYoN]

Let me just put it out there that just because there are allegations about the skill of the player or whatever, that shouldn't take away from the music. If it's enjoyable to listen to, that's all that matters. The performance of the music is a different topic.

 

[bhakan]

Do you think they're looking for another guitarist? It seems like they could use it for touring if they need to have a second track, and Al Mu'min could continue to write kick ass songs, but not have to worry about the technical aspect as much.

 

[NaYoN]

Do you think they're looking for another guitarist? It seems like they could use it for touring if they need to have a second track, and Al Mu'min could continue to write kick ass songs, but not have to worry about the technical aspect as much.

From my understanding, he is to the band what Michael Keene is to The Faceless or Jari Maenpaa is to Wintersun.

 

[bhakan]

^ I didn't mean to replace him, but to add another guitarist, like Wes in the Faceless

 

[DLG]

like misha said, if you have a drummer that is spot on, it will sound decent enough live. he probably plays with an additional guitar track to make it sound fuller.

my whole thing is that this dude is very clearly a wicked enough player and could track all of these guitars in a conventional way and have it sound excellent in the studio. I'm bothered by the fact that he had to succumb to this pressure that's so prevalent in this scene to sound like a computer.

I watched the infamous strandberg vid today, and that tremolo picking part is so blatantly doctored that it sounds hilarious to me. It doesn't sound like a human hand is playing it, and imo, it would sound better if he just played it regularly, small imperfections in attack and all, and of course, with the drums and everything else in the mix, on the album it would sound perfectly fine, if not completely awesome just the way he played it.

hopefully we'll get to a point soon where this whole quest for a perfect tone and performance will implode on itself and people will start caring more about songwriting and ideas again instead of complaining about hearing string noise when someone is picking a triplet.

 

[anomynous]

THALL

 

[Opion]

Holy shit, this whole "playthrough sped-up" thing actually makes a lot of sense. If you go to 1:14 and listen to the tremolo-picking it sounds...artificial. I mean I know a lot of players who can do fast speed-picking like that but...Misha and Nolly I think nailed it on the head.

Not sure if I like this band anymore, even though that new song they just came out with rocks. Being sneaky like that isn't really cool...

 

[TIBrent]

Sheesh...there is a new Strandberg video due out anytime now. Which showcases some live playing by mr. Mu'min playing much live tracked guitar. This guy is the real deal. In an age where everyone is a do-it-yourself expert in home recordings & hijacked vst(s) & logic is the answer for all, for anyone to be giving this cat slack about how he tracked, check yourself. As for for the video work, it is creative editing, done by a very skilled editor & is not meant to look like a single camera/one-angle live play-though. Expand your mind a little on what has become the status-quo of doing things. & Trusting a bitter ex-bandmate for any sort of praise towards a divorced member, yeah good luck with that. You'll hear everything from, 'the guy didn't play a note himself' all the way to 'he has a hooker addiction'.
This is going to be a heck of a year for the HAARP Machine, & Al as well. There are going to be a lot of folks left looking stupid standing in the dust when all the is being prepared drops, this guy is the Real Deal. If for no other reason to believe, than believe it because Ola Strandberg is no idiot & he wouldn't be wasting his time with a gimmick.
Just my two cents.
-Brent

 

[Jordan Djenital Warts]

Do you think they're looking for another guitarist?

I have an email from Al stating he was looking for another guitarist to form a band. He was replying to an ad I posted on a local classifieds, although that was back in 2007 in all fairness.

I didn't take him up on his offer, as he was only 17 at the time...and his email was a little too conceited for my liking.

I quite like his music though. We have similar tastes / influences.

 

[Lorcan Ward]

Holy shit, this whole "playthrough sped-up" thing actually makes a lot of sense. If you go to 1:14 and listen to the tremolo-picking it sounds...artificial. I mean I know a lot of players who can do fast speed-picking like that but...Misha and Nolly I think nailed it on the head.
.

Its just tremolo picking, when did that become hard to do

Edit: I'm calling bulls**t on this. Just tried 3 ways out: Copying and pasting one note at a time
Recording it half sped and then speeding it up and pitch shifting back to normal
Playing it normally.

http://soundcloud.com/drawnacrol/tremolo-test

You can clearly hear which is which. I don't think any amount of editing could smooth out playing one note at a time.

 

[Scar Symmetry]

Sheesh...there is a new Strandberg video due out anytime now. Which showcases some live playing by mr. Mu'min playing much live tracked guitar. This guy is the real deal. In an age where everyone is a do-it-yourself expert in home recordings & hijacked vst(s) & logic is the answer for all, for anyone to be giving this cat slack about how he tracked, check yourself. As for for the video work, it is creative editing, done by a very skilled editor & is not meant to look like a single camera/one-angle live play-though. Expand your mind a little on what has become the status-quo of doing things. & Trusting a bitter ex-bandmate for any sort of praise towards a divorced member, yeah good luck with that. You'll hear everything from, 'the guy didn't play a note himself' all the way to 'he has a hooker addiction'.
This is going to be a heck of a year for the HAARP Machine, & Al as well. There are going to be a lot of folks left looking stupid standing in the dust when all the is being prepared drops, this guy is the Real Deal. If for no other reason to believe, than believe it because Ola Strandberg is no idiot & he wouldn't be wasting his time with a gimmick.
Just my two cents.
-Brent

Bitter ex-band member? You don't know the guy. He is a good, trustworthy dude now in a BIG band and he LEFT the project. He has no reason to be bitter. He is also a ridiculous guitarist

 

[anomynous]

Wait........Nolly & Al were in a band together?



Or is it referencing another "ex-member" that's now in a BIG band?

 

[Scar Symmetry]

Wait........Nolly & Al were in a band together?



Or is it referencing another "ex-member" that's now in a BIG band?

It's not Nolly.

 

[Sikthness]

Wow lots of people offended in this thread. Is it really that big of a deal? People sayin they like the songs but dunno if they will purchase cuz of alleged recording techniques? Thats just ridiculous. Most players can't play their own shit 100% as it is on the cd anyway.

 

[Dan]

Sheesh...there is a new Strandberg video due out anytime now. Which showcases some live playing by mr. Mu'min playing much live tracked guitar. This guy is the real deal. In an age where everyone is a do-it-yourself expert in home recordings & hijacked vst(s) & logic is the answer for all, for anyone to be giving this cat slack about how he tracked, check yourself. As for for the video work, it is creative editing, done by a very skilled editor & is not meant to look like a single camera/one-angle live play-though. Expand your mind a little on what has become the status-quo of doing things. & Trusting a bitter ex-bandmate for any sort of praise towards a divorced member, yeah good luck with that. You'll hear everything from, 'the guy didn't play a note himself' all the way to 'he has a hooker addiction'.
This is going to be a heck of a year for the HAARP Machine, & Al as well. There are going to be a lot of folks left looking stupid standing in the dust when all the is being prepared drops, this guy is the Real Deal. If for no other reason to believe, than believe it because Ola Strandberg is no idiot & he wouldn't be wasting his time with a gimmick.
Just my two cents.
-Brent

Or you could be talking to people that have played in bands with the Ex drummer, who know him personally and know exactly how the album was tracked long before you had ever heard about the band. Understandable quote. But get your facts straight before having a go Dave James is a trustworthy bloke, and a handsome one at that

ANYWAY. From what i've heard so far it will be good. Craig did an excellent job drumming on the album. Alex is a fantastic drummer anyway and a top bloke, regardless of whether he recorded these drums or not anything he does in the future with the band will be excellent, and i firmly believe Mike is one of the best metal vocalists out there (even if i do think they used a little too much autotune and compression on his vocals )

 

[reynoldsofski]

Hey guys!

Can we just set the record straight that i am not this 'source' cus I'm getting a whole bunch of gnaaaaaaarly phonecalls about this thread, having recently left the band.

I was not there for the tracking of the guitars so have not and will not have anything to comment.

Peace
Craig Reynolds
(I played drums on the HAARP machine record. I don't play a 'string' let alone 'seven' so sorry for the intrusion.)

 

[sakeido]

Wow lots of people offended in this thread. Is it really that big of a deal? People sayin they like the songs but dunno if they will purchase cuz of alleged recording techniques? Thats just ridiculous. Most players can't play their own shit 100% as it is on the cd anyway.

yea this is nothing new. ever seen a vid of Marc Okubo trying to play his stuff when he isn't baked?

Its just tremolo picking, when did that become hard to do

Edit: I'm calling bulls**t on this. Just tried 3 ways out: Copying and pasting one note at a time
Recording it half sped and then speeding it up and pitch shifting back to normal
Playing it normally.

Tremolo Test by drawnacrol on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

You can clearly hear which is which. I don't think any amount of editing could smooth out playing one note at a time.

you can do the two produced versions a lot better than that... copy and pasting one note definitely not but take two good takes of a trem picked line, mix and match til it is overall clean, then quantize like you would with a drum part with proper crossfades.

using an algorithm to speed up, that I dunno about but with a good plugin who knows.

regardless you'd have to use clean DI tracks then reamp to smooth over whatever rough edges are left and make it sound a little more natural.

trem picking isn't hard but the consistency in the strandberg vid is nuts. even the first time I listened I was like "man that sounds like Paul Gilbert's drill powered guitar pick." I could see how that vid is processed. The attack on notes is unusually crisp and sharp which I attributed to some space age strandberg specific technology.. made it sound almost MIDI-esque. oddly enough that is what made me go "ehh if the guitar sounds like that, no thanks"

 

[isispelican]

so all of these shots are faked ?


thats messed up, cool music though