Is Iron Maiden overproduced?

Lego said:
I believe the drums on BNW are actually sample-replaced with samples from Nicko's own kit...
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Sample reinforced. There is some slight cymbal leakage in the tom mikes, so some of the original toms are there.
The snare is almost exclusively sampled (might be some of the original left in there, low in volume compared to the samples), and the kick is also sampled for the most part, if not entirely.
 
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Yax said:
Sample reinforced. There is some slight cymbal leakage in the tom mikes, so some of the original toms are there.
The snare is almost exclusively sampled (might be some of the original left in there, low in volume compared to the samples), and the kick is also sampled for the most part, if not entirely.
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Yep. Mainly the kick and snare is what I was referring to. Although Shirley's done this on just about every Maiden tune he's touched, it's more apparent on BNW than any other record.
 
I'm a sampling advocate, so it's fine by me! Cymbal leakage in tom mikes (and hihat leakage into snare) is nasty, especially when you go for a scooped, compressed sound. The ugliness will jump right out. I like to blend the original snare with the sample, and EQ the sample to fill more of the high end that I filter out in the original snare. :okok:

Not that I don't like old school, room mic sound like Powerslave.
 
I would love an album produced like seventh son or fear of the dark,and maybe Xfactor,that clean sound! yes i definitely would love a new album with that sound.Im really tired of Kevin Sherly raw sound.
 
On the producer's role in writing and arranging the songs, Brave New World is quite interesting to compare to Virtual XI. Both albums has a lot of repetition in choruses, but it's the small variations on Brave New World that makes it work so much better. Take the chorus of the title track as an example - that guitar-lick that Dave does makes a world of a difference. I'm pretty sure Kevin has been involved in working those things out during the overdub-sessions.

Of the albums that neither Shirley nor Birch was involved with, I like The X Factor the best. It's clear it has been worked through and thought out. Not as streamlined as it could have been with a great producer, but it sounds fine. The sound of the rhythm guitars suffered a bit at times ("Lord of the Flies" do sound much more powerful on Death on the Road), but the lead work sounds fine. It's more puzzling that it hasn't been remastered to be on the same levels as the other CD-releases. It does sound very weak at times, and it's impossible to listen to in traffic due to the many quiet sections.
 
The Wickerman is the most repetitive thing I can remember hearing..... then again, my favorite track of all time has a repetitive chorus Caught Somewhere in Time
 
Maturin said:
On the producer's role in writing and arranging the songs, Brave New World is quite interesting to compare to Virtual XI. Both albums has a lot of repetition in choruses, but it's the small variations on Brave New World that makes it work so much better. Take the chorus of the title track as an example - that guitar-lick that Dave does makes a world of a difference. I'm pretty sure Kevin has been involved in working those things out during the overdub-sessions.

Of the albums that neither Shirley nor Birch was involved with, I like The X Factor the best. It's clear it has been worked through and thought out. Not as streamlined as it could have been with a great producer, but it sounds fine. The sound of the rhythm guitars suffered a bit at times ("Lord of the Flies" do sound much more powerful on Death on the Road), but the lead work sounds fine. It's more puzzling that it hasn't been remastered to be on the same levels as the other CD-releases. It does sound very weak at times, and it's impossible to listen to in traffic due to the many quiet sections.
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I think the main problem with the X Factor is that the heavy rhythm guitars are just too quiet in places.

Man on the Edge has loads of energy, and I feel that this is largely due to louder guitars (they got it right on this track), where as Sign of the Cross lacks energy to me, even in the heavier sections. Compare parts of both songs side by side and it's clear that the guitars are too quiet in SOTC. This happens in many songs on this album, which results in the bass and drums sounding too loud and an overall lack of energy for the album.

I love this album but just always want to turn those guitars UP!! It would have been so much more dynamic and less doomy.
 
SirRobbins said:
Brave New World was probably the cleanest sounding album they have ever done
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Yes,Brave new world sound good,but i think from that album to TFF Kevin has change the sound to a heavier sound,or loud.

I like how Fear of the dark sound,the guitar sound really clean,and sometimes soft,Afraid to shoot strangers is amazing.I think for example AMOLAD with that kind of sound would be killer.If you have fast songs or heavy songs like powerslave that wouldnt work but for an album with a amazing instrumental parts would be great
 
Yax said:
I'm a sampling advocate, so it's fine by me! Cymbal leakage in tom mikes (and hihat leakage into snare) is nasty, especially when you go for a scooped, compressed sound. The ugliness will jump right out. I like to blend the original snare with the sample, and EQ the sample to fill more of the high end that I filter out in the original snare. :okok:

Not that I don't like old school, room mic sound like Powerslave.
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I understand why it's done, and I do appreciate the sound it achieves, but I wish he'd leave Nicko alone, especially on the live albums! Give me a raw, natural drum sound that really captures the essence of being there in the room with him instead!
 
dickinson1978 said:
Yes,Brave new world sound good,but i think from that album to TFF Kevin has change the sound to a heavier sound,or loud.

I like how Fear of the dark sound,the guitar sound really clean,and sometimes soft,Afraid to shoot strangers is amazing.I think for example AMOLAD with that kind of sound would be killer.If you have fast songs or heavy songs like powerslave that wouldnt work but for an album with a amazing instrumental parts would be great
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I agree they sound louder and almost like live recordings but that is the beauty of Bruce's voice nowadays. The studio albums are nearly identical to a live sound for vocals, the music is often slower in studio and if I'm honest, many of their songs sound better live because they are played slightly faster. The intro to Hallowed is played slower but then the song itself picks up faster than studio or at least sounds heavier. The only album I can remember them playing songs at regular speed was Powerslave or Somewhere in Time and those songs were fast period
 
I think the self-titled debut is grossly overproduced.
:devil:


In all seriousness, I've never thought of Iron Maiden as "overproduced." Maiden's sound changed from album to album in the 80s. Piece of Mind and Somewhere in Time are more lush in production than Number of the Beast or Powerslave, but I don't think Birch went overboard. Iron Maiden has, however, been badly produced at times -- Steve Harris is a great bassist and songwriter, but a subpar producer.
 
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I think I know what you mean but would you indicate it with a video?

I'd say Adrian's riff (could be seen as a lick?) is a more dominant factor throughout the last couple of rounds in (every?) chorus. Dave and Jan "just" play chords.
 
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