HSC Part One

[brmanuk]

Originally Posted by Kid Presentable

Make Some Noise turned up on Z-Trips redacted thing, in its pre-Zdar glory, as limp and as lifeless as lettuce audio-wise. This one ain’t it.

Anyone know where I can hear this version of Make Some Noise?

[Micodin]

Originally Posted by brmanuk

Anyone know where I can hear this version of Make Some Noise?

around the 9:30 mark

https://youtu.be/5CeIBLUFj70

[Kid Presentable]

Originally Posted by Micodin

around the 9:30 mark

https://youtu.be/5CeIBLUFj70

Nowhere near as bad as I remember, but it was jarring at the time beside shit like Pass the Mic etc.

Actually quite enjoyable.

[tuc70021]

Originally Posted by Micodin

around the 9:30 mark

https://youtu.be/5CeIBLUFj70

Ok, this is a perpetual problem for me as I don't seem to be able to grasp recording/sound reinforcement at all, but can someone explain how a mix like this can actually be made? There was a point where the vocals for Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun were laid over some other beat, but as far as I know the acapella for that track was never released. Does this DJ just have some exclusive access to instrumentals/acapellas? Is there a way to isolate vocals through a mixer or something? Or were these instrumentals/acapellas just released on some bootlegs I don't know about.

[Sir SkratchaLot]

Originally Posted by tuc70021

Ok, this is a perpetual problem for me as I don't seem to be able to grasp recording/sound reinforcement at all, but can someone explain how a mix like this can actually be made? There was a point where the vocals for Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun were laid over some other beat, but as far as I know the acapella for that track was never released. Does this DJ just have some exclusive access to instrumentals/acapellas? Is there a way to isolate vocals through a mixer or something? Or were these instrumentals/acapellas just released on some bootlegs I don't know about.

Z-Trip is a very high-profile DJ so there is a very good chance that he may have access to certain tracks or even components of the tracks ("stems") directly from the Beastie Boys. I suspect that's how he got the early version of "Make Some Noise". Even back in the old days, DJs would get advanced a cappellas so that they could remix tracks for official remixes. So, DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill fame got the a cappella of "So What Cha Want" back in 92 and used that to create his remix for the single. There are also a good amount of "unreleased" instrumentals floating around that were obtained from concert/show vinyl that ended up in collectors' hands. Also, the Beasties self-released a lot of a cappella trough this website some time ago (Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun was one of them).

It used to be that DJs would have to track down the vinyl and piece these mixes together (either live using turntables, or on a multi-track recorder) directly from the vinyl. So, for example, you can get the instrumental version of a track and put the a cappella from another track over that. There are tons of tricks. You can create "instrumentals" by manual looping of parts of the track turntables. Or, you can track down the source samples and use those. You're basically just tempo-matching the sounds and bringing them in and out in much the same way that hip hop tracks are produced in the first place.

Now that DJs have digital tools, they can piece together audio from any source and the sharing of digital files is really easy. You no longer have to track down concert vinyl with only 10 copies in existence to get instrumentals. You can just download the file and put it into your digital djing program and control it just like it was vinyl.

[tuc70021]

Originally Posted by Sir SkratchaLot

Z-Trip is a very high-profile DJ so there is a very good chance that he may have access to certain tracks or even components of the tracks ("stems") directly from the Beastie Boys. I suspect that's how he got the early version of "Make Some Noise". Even back in the old days, DJs would get advanced a cappellas so that they could remix tracks for official remixes. So, DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill fame got the a cappella of "So What Cha Want" back in 92 and used that to create his remix for the single. There are also a good amount of "unreleased" instrumentals floating around that were obtained from concert/show vinyl that ended up in collectors' hands. Also, the Beasties self-released a lot of a cappella trough this website some time ago (Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun was one of them).

It used to be that DJs would have to track down the vinyl and piece these mixes together (either live using turntables, or on a multi-track recorder) directly from the vinyl. So, for example, you can get the instrumental version of a track and put the a cappella from another track over that. There are tons of tricks. You can create "instrumentals" by manual looping of parts of the track turntables. Or, you can track down the source samples and use those. You're basically just tempo-matching the sounds and bringing them in and out in much the same way that hip hop tracks are produced in the first place.

Now that DJs have digital tools, they can piece together audio from any source and the sharing of digital files is really easy. You no longer have to track down concert vinyl with only 10 copies in existence to get instrumentals. You can just download the file and put it into your digital djing program and control it just like it was vinyl.

Thanks for this detailed explanation. That's kind of what I assumed, but wasn't sure if that's still how it worked, albeit without the endless searching for show vinyl like you said. I have a pretty big and pretty useless collection of singles from back in the day when I'd want to get the instrumentals to something and the only way to get them was to find a 12" that usually had the LP version, clean version, instrumental, and acapella.

[jimmyjrg]

Originally Posted by tuc70021

Thanks for this detailed explanation. That's kind of what I assumed, but wasn't sure if that's still how it worked, albeit without the endless searching for show vinyl like you said. I have a pretty big and pretty useless collection of singles from back in the day when I'd want to get the instrumentals to something and the only way to get them was to find a 12" that usually had the LP version, clean version, instrumental, and acapella.

You can isolate vocals to create an accapella by playing the instrumental and album version over each other and phasing out the instruments. It only works if the mix is the same on the normal version and instrumentals. I made heaps of accapellas this way, but it doesn't always work well. At the very least you can make some isolated vocals and alternative mixes.

If there's any Beastie Boys stuff you want acapellas for I can try and make some as long as there's an instrumental version available too.

[Sir SkratchaLot]

Originally Posted by tuc70021

Ok, this is a perpetual problem for me as I don't seem to be able to grasp recording/sound reinforcement at all, but can someone explain how a mix like this can actually be made? There was a point where the vocals for Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun were laid over some other beat, but as far as I know the acapella for that track was never released. Does this DJ just have some exclusive access to instrumentals/acapellas? Is there a way to isolate vocals through a mixer or something? Or were these instrumentals/acapellas just released on some bootlegs I don't know about.

Don't know if this helps you conceptualize the process, but here is the into to an 80s mix I did. The video shows what records I used and when they come in and out of the mix so that you can visualize how the audio-mix was created. Pretty much all DJs mixes use similar concepts when putting together a mix.

https://youtu.be/WjziRqW9HoM

[dave790]

Originally Posted by Micodin

around the 9:30 mark

https://youtu.be/5CeIBLUFj70

Missed this the first time, thanks a lot.

I like and possibly prefer the OG mix, but I can certainly appreciate what Zdar brought to the table.

[Micodin]

Originally Posted by dave790

Missed this the first time, thanks a lot.

I like and possibly prefer the OG mix, but I can certainly appreciate what Zdar brought to the table.

the mixing in the pre Zadar cuts sound closer to the Mario C days and that’s why i think i prefer them. i really wish they would put out a Mario mix of HSC and call it Part One.

[dave790]

Originally Posted by Micodin

the mixing in the pre Zadar cuts sound closer to the Mario C days and that’s why i think i prefer them.

Yeah. For an album that is effectively driven by the same sprit as those 90s Mario C albums, it's a superior mix for me. Make Some Noise sounds rawer and all the better for it.

[Brother McDuff]

the original mixdown that the boys did themselves was really dark and muddy. and while Zdar’s mix was a large improvement, i also feel like the sub frequencies are a little out of control, and unnatural. that was likely by the boys’ request though, and a result of them recording it themselves. i think Zdar was ultimately called in on a rescue mission to try and squeeze the most he could out of the raw tracks. likely why it sounds so compressed too, and the low end so manufactured sounding.

all and all, one of my lesser liked records of their’s from a sonic standpoint. it was gratifying to hear Adam express his respect for Mario in the book, and admit they would have been better off enlisting him on later projects.

[brooklyndust]

Originally Posted by Micodin

around the 9:30 mark

https://youtu.be/5CeIBLUFj70

I don't think I remember hearing this before. I like it! Maybe more than the original version or maybe because it's just something different.

I also prefer the og version of Too Many Rappers. I would love to hear the pre Zadar mixes and the original lyrics too.