[DeliriumCordia]

I too notice the artefacts in Pneuma the most. Does anyone know where this might have occurred in the process? Might be pure coincidence but I've noticed that other albums mixed by Joe Barresi (handled mixing on Fear Inoculum) have the same sort of issue (namely Wavering Radiant by sludge metal band, Isis).

 

[miguelfcp]

Hi again guys!

Like I promised I recorded the problem I mentioned in my previous posts. I recorded with my cellphone so the quality is not the best but I think all of you can listen the crackling I mentioned.

https://mega.nz/#!qpJ1BQST!pYBpmqTzHwbbQo25VRUSeONUjrOj3JFomkbimmGsxP0

 

[phthora]

I too notice the artefacts in Pneuma the most. Does anyone know where this might have occurred in the process?

Yeah. 2006 when they replaced David Bottrill as producer.

Honestly, Aenima has the cleanest production out of all the Tool albums. It really is a masterpiece in that regard.

 

[Darksoul]

Oh boy...am I doing a wise thing today? Is this the day I'm banned from Head-fi? Goodbye to amazing guides, like-minded people and excellent marketplace. I won't miss the shills and holier-than-thou people tough.

This album is crap. Take the name "Tool" out of it and it will be panned has a poor excuse for a Tool wannabe band. I can't fathom how a band with a publishing trajectory as Tool to have what I consider such an amateurish recording.

There's rampant crackling on all tracks. There are tracks where there's uneven volume among the instruments. I'm no sound engineer, just a conceited "audiophile." But I expect a minimum amount of quality on a recording. Not everything has to be mixed and over-engineered to the point of a Steely Dan album, but at least make everything fit together. It sounds like this was put together over decades (it was!), it just feels disjointed.

Musically, it sounds uninspired. Tool by the numbers, but wholly devoid of the guts. When I got a release date for Fear Inoculum, I listened exclusively to Tool the week before that. Aenema, Lateralus and 10000 Days, were on a loop for a week (not really, but it was "Tool week"), Undertow never clicked with me. When I finally stepped into Fear Incoculum after refreshing all of my favorite Tool albums, I was...disappointed.

I didn't feel the same "wow, it's like I've listened to this all my life" moment as when I listened to 10000 Days, after waiting for it for 5 years. I really don't hear this "amazing" album everyone claims to hear. From what I was used to hearing from Tool, this borders on mediocre. Maybe the guys ran out of money and decided to put together anything and let the fans buy all the special editions in waves?

It's not even a good album on its own. Sorry, but Fear Inoculum is a hard pass for me.

Everyone is welcomed to have a discussion about this, but I really don't like this album.

 

[DeliriumCordia]

There's rampant crackling on all tracks. There are tracks where there's uneven volume among the instruments. I'm no sound engineer, just a conceited "audiophile." But I expect a minimum amount of quality on a recording. Not everything has to be mixed and over-engineered to the point of a Steely Dan album, but at least make everything fit together. It sounds like this was put together over decades (it was!), it just feels disjointed.

Musically, it sounds uninspired. Tool by the numbers, but wholly devoid of the guts. When I got a release date for Fear Inoculum, I listed exclusively to Tool the week before that. Aenema, Lateralus and 10000 Days, were on a loop for a week (not really, but it was "Tool week"), Undertow never clicked with me. When I finally stepped into Fear Incoculum after refreshing all of my favorite Tool albums, I was...disappointed.

Can you give an example of uneven volume? I haven't given this album my full attention yet, but I am curious. I will say that 10,000 Days isn't better in the production department.

Honestly, this seems like a common complaint against every Tool release post Opiate, though they all represent a different theme or feeling (often by expanding on existing ones). As much as I love Tool, they aren't the most musically adventurous group. Is this the boring part, or is it the production itself? Or both?

 

[Darksoul]

Can you give an example of uneven volume? I haven't given this album my full attention yet, but I am curious. I will say that 10,000 Days isn't better in the production department.

Honestly, this seems like a common complaint against every Tool release post Opiate, though they all represent a different theme or feeling (often by expanding on existing ones). As much as I love Tool, they aren't the most musically adventurous group. Is this the boring part, or is it the production itself? Or both?

Maybe I'm nitpicking. But in Pneuma, towards the end, past the 8 minute mark. The guitar goes from loud to...less loud, to blasting in those last 3 minutes. My apologies if that's meant to be that way, but it just...doesn't work for me. It's also on this same part that the drums sound really distorted, the crackling it's egregious when Danny Carey strikes the toms. Also terrible crackling on Invincible at 7:30 minutes, with the guitar also getting louder and then more quiet. Like I said, I may be nitpicking on the uneven volume. However, the crackling is really obvious.

Granted, Tool was never big on high production values. But I don't remember having such a hard time listening to older Tool songs. Maybe I've grown old and cantankerous.

 

[CoryGillmore]

Oh boy...am I doing a wise thing today? Is this the day I'm banned from Head-fi? Goodbye to amazing guides, like-minded people and excellent marketplace. I won't miss the shills and holier-than-thou people tough.

This album is crap. Take the name "Tool" out of it and it will be panned has a poor excuse for a Tool wannabe band. I can't fathom how a band with a publishing trajectory as Tool to have what I consider such an amateurish recording.

There's rampant crackling on all tracks. There are tracks where there's uneven volume among the instruments. I'm no sound engineer, just a conceited "audiophile." But I expect a minimum amount of quality on a recording. Not everything has to be mixed and over-engineered to the point of a Steely Dan album, but at least make everything fit together. It sounds like this was put together over decades (it was!), it just feels disjointed.

Musically, it sounds uninspired. Tool by the numbers, but wholly devoid of the guts. When I got a release date for Fear Inoculum, I listened exclusively to Tool the week before that. Aenema, Lateralus and 10000 Days, were on a loop for a week (not really, but it was "Tool week"), Undertow never clicked with me. When I finally stepped into Fear Incoculum after refreshing all of my favorite Tool albums, I was...disappointed.

I didn't feel the same "wow, it's like I've listened to this all my life" moment as when I listened to 10000 Days, after waiting for it for 5 years. I really don't hear this "amazing" album everyone claims to hear. From what I was used to hearing from Tool, this borders on mediocre. Maybe the guys ran out of money and decided to put together anything and let the fans buy all the special editions in waves?

It's not even a good album on its own. Sorry, but Fear Inoculum is a hard pass for me.

Everyone is welcomed to have a discussion about this, but I really don't like this album.

HOW DARE YOU! I'll not stand by as you soil Tools good name! I challenge you to a duel!
Haha I kid. But I strongly disagree. As someone who just seriosuly got into Tool just a little over a year ago, Fear Inoculum is currently my favorite Tool album. I listen to it front to back daily. I also listen to the entire discography in order probably 2-3 times a week. I saw them in concert a month ago and the Fear Inoculum songs were amazing. They played FI, Pnuema and Invincible.

One weird thing about FI, it's not a very satisfying headphone listen. I find I have to really crank the volume or else it just sounds kinda lifeless and closed in on all my headphones. It's odd. But once you crank it, I think it sounds great. It sounds great on my loudspeakers for sure.

 

[max1236]

Oh boy...am I doing a wise thing today? Is this the day I'm banned from Head-fi? Goodbye to amazing guides, like-minded people and excellent marketplace. I won't miss the shills and holier-than-thou people tough.

This album is crap. Take the name "Tool" out of it and it will be panned has a poor excuse for a Tool wannabe band. I can't fathom how a band with a publishing trajectory as Tool to have what I consider such an amateurish recording.

There's rampant crackling on all tracks. There are tracks where there's uneven volume among the instruments. I'm no sound engineer, just a conceited "audiophile." But I expect a minimum amount of quality on a recording. Not everything has to be mixed and over-engineered to the point of a Steely Dan album, but at least make everything fit together. It sounds like this was put together over decades (it was!), it just feels disjointed.

Musically, it sounds uninspired. Tool by the numbers, but wholly devoid of the guts. When I got a release date for Fear Inoculum, I listened exclusively to Tool the week before that. Aenema, Lateralus and 10000 Days, were on a loop for a week (not really, but it was "Tool week"), Undertow never clicked with me. When I finally stepped into Fear Incoculum after refreshing all of my favorite Tool albums, I was...disappointed.

I didn't feel the same "wow, it's like I've listened to this all my life" moment as when I listened to 10000 Days, after waiting for it for 5 years. I really don't hear this "amazing" album everyone claims to hear. From what I was used to hearing from Tool, this borders on mediocre. Maybe the guys ran out of money and decided to put together anything and let the fans buy all the special editions in waves?

It's not even a good album on its own. Sorry, but Fear Inoculum is a hard pass for me.

Everyone is welcomed to have a discussion about this, but I really don't like this album.

If you don't like it that's cool ,a lot of tool fans didn't like it or had higher expectations so it's not that much of an unpopular opinion but I don't hear any of the recording problems your talking about. FI actually sounds very sterile sounding if anything. I really like FI especially because I thought 10000 was underwhelming except for a few tracks. To me the best tool is their first 3 albums with lateralus and aenima my favorite. But I also I appreciate how they've changed over time. Obviously it would be impossible to make albums on that level for ever.

 

[DeliriumCordia]

One weird thing about FI, it's not a very satisfying headphone listen. I find I have to really crank the volume or else it just sounds kinda lifeless and closed in on all my headphones. It's odd. But once you crank it, I think it sounds great. It sounds great on my loudspeakers for sure.

.I think that's just the production job itself. I enjoy FI on my ER4 for what it's worth (minus the flaws).

 

[miguelfcp]

I notice the crackling most in Pnuema, within the first two minutes, but mainly when the bass guitar kicks in. But yes this is in all the versions, from streaming services to CD to HDtracks.

EDIT: Oh wait you're saying you don't notice it if you use RCAs out? But do you get the crackling in Pnuema on both outputs? I haven't noticed anything in Descending.

In case you didn't see, here is a sample of the problem I mentioned

https://mega.nz/#!qpJ1BQST!pYBpmqTzHwbbQo25VRUSeONUjrOj3JFomkbimmGsxP0