What would you ask Richard Chycki?

[Rod in Toronto]

Richard engineered MANY Rush releases, remixed 2112, AFTK and Hemispheres, and also engineered albums from Dream Theater, Aerosmith and Mick Jagger, among others. I have an interview with him next week, and so far I have come up with these questions:

 

1) Some producers are producer/engineer and know the steps to get to the sound they're listening in their head, while others are more like producer/producer, and are simply looking at the end result. How would you compare these roles?

 

2) Was there any kind of direction from the Rush camp about the remixes of 2112 and AFTK - as in "we want this or that side of the music to be more apparent, warmer etc.?"

 

3) What is his approach when it comes to remixing old albums like that, in order to preserve the legacy of the band, whilst also bringing something new to the table, which is worth paying for?

 

4) There's a whole mystique about bands recording in one take and/or with all members of the band in the studio at the same time, and there's a feeling that things are more "authentic" that way. What's his view on that?

 

5) How would he compare the roles of Geddy, Alex and Neil in the studio? Who was the most obsessed with sound? (I think it's Geddy, but I'll ask anyway).

 

6) How was his transition from guitar player and composer in Winter Rose (the band he had with James LaBrie) into engineering?

 

 

Please let me know if you have more!!!

[treeduck]

Could you please change your name so I can spell it and type it out more easily?

[Rod in Toronto]

Could you please change your name so I can spell it and type it out more easily?

 

I was actually googling him and at one point I was like "sh*t...I can't find ANYTHING about this guy". Then I realized I was spelling it wrong!!! LOL

[RushFanForever]

What was the experience like for Rich Chycki working with the Jeff Healey Band on some of their albums?

 

The reason I bring this up is because Alex Lifeson guested on John Mayall's recent album Nobody Told Me.

 

Lifeson plays guitar on a cover of the Jeff Healey Band song "Evil and Here to Stay" that Mayall recorded.

 

The original version of "Evil and Here to Stay" is on the 1992 Jeff Healey Band album Feel This, that Rich Chycki engineered.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l2gFJoUBM4

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qPSeAyf-qM

 

There's the RUSH and Jeff Healey Band connection in a way.

Edited October 8, 2020 by RushFanForever

[blackhawkrush]

Could you please change your name so I can spell it and type it out more easily?

 

I was actually googling him and at one point I was like "sh*t...I can't find ANYTHING about this guy". Then I realized I was spelling it wrong!!! LOL

On that note, ask him about his Polish ancestry.

[Principled Man]

Richard, could you PLEASE re-engineer Presto, Roll The Bones and Vapor Trails? PLEASE?!

 

;) ;)

[chemistry1973]

Richard engineered MANY Rush releases, remixed 2112, AFTK and Hemispheres, and also engineered albums from Dream Theater, Aerosmith and Mick Jagger, among others. I have an interview with him next week, and so far I have come up with these questions:

 

1) Some producers are producer/engineer and know the steps to get to the sound they're listening in their head, while others are more like producer/producer, and are simply looking at the end result. How would you compare these roles?

 

2) Was there any kind of direction from the Rush camp about the remixes of 2112 and AFTK - as in "we want this or that side of the music to be more apparent, warmer etc.?"

 

3) What is his approach when it comes to remixing old albums like that, in order to preserve the legacy of the band, whilst also bringing something new to the table, which is worth paying for?

 

4) There's a whole mystique about bands recording in one take and/or with all members of the band in the studio at the same time, and there's a feeling that things are more "authentic" that way. What's his view on that?

 

5) How would he compare the roles of Geddy, Alex and Neil in the studio? Who was the most obsessed with sound? (I think it's Geddy, but I'll ask anyway).

 

6) How was his transition from guitar player and composer in Winter Rose (the band he had with James LaBrie) into engineering?

 

 

Please let me know if you have more!!!

 

Wait - What remix of 2112? The 5.1 mix?

Edited October 7, 2020 by chemistry1973

[The Cat 3]

Do you ever listen to a favourite album and think you could improve on it?

[rugen]

I would ask him if he's intentionally refuse to do a proper discrete 5.1 surround mix?

[Rush Didact]

I can't stand his work. He has a VERY heavy hand on the compressor, every mix I've heard of his is blown all to hell. He's responsible for the atrocious R30 DVDs.

 

I hope you get something interesting about the band out of the interview, but I can't say I want to know any of his thoughts on audio engineering.

[Rod in Toronto]

I can't stand his work. He has a VERY heavy hand on the compressor, every mix I've heard of his is blown all to hell. He's responsible for the atrocious R30 DVDs.

 

I hope you get something interesting about the band out of the interview, but I can't say I want to know any of his thoughts on audio engineering.

 

I can try to offer some constructive feedback on his production with Rush. Would you like to elaborate a little bit more?

[RushFanForever]

I can't stand his work. He has a VERY heavy hand on the compressor, every mix I've heard of his is blown all to hell. He's responsible for the atrocious R30 DVDs.

 

I hope you get something interesting about the band out of the interview, but I can't say I want to know any of his thoughts on audio engineering.

 

I almost wonder if people's ears can't handle sonically what rock music sounds like anymore.

 

I guess if every album was recorded, mixed, and mastered in the Steely Dan way, then everyone will be satisfied.

[Fordgalaxy]

I can't stand his work. He has a VERY heavy hand on the compressor, every mix I've heard of his is blown all to hell. He's responsible for the atrocious R30 DVDs.

 

I hope you get something interesting about the band out of the interview, but I can't say I want to know any of his thoughts on audio engineering.

Butch Vig once said something along the lines of the loudness wars were here to stay and we should learn to live with it. I wrote him off after that as anything but a drummer. Maybe Chycki has the same messed up mentality.

[Weatherman]

I love that John Mellencamp actually charted in 2010 with an album recorded in MONO.

He put a huge middle finger up to the loudness wars.

It's called No Better Than This.

From Wikipedia: "Mellencamp recorded the album using a 1955 Ampex portable recording machine and only one microphone, requiring all the musicians to gather together around the mic. The album was recorded in mono, the same manner as the classic folk and blues recordings of the 1930s and 1940s."

[Rush Didact]

I can try to offer some constructive feedback on his production with Rush. Would you like to elaborate a little bit more?

 

I appreciate the offer, but he's not going to be interested in anything I have to say.

 

I almost wonder if people's ears can't handle sonically what rock music sounds like anymore.

 

I guess if every album was recorded, mixed, and mastered in the Steely Dan way, then everyone will be satisfied.

 

Oh give me a break. There's plenty of great-sounding modern rock out there that hasn't been blown to hell with a compressor. Tool's latest album is very dynamic and it doesn't sound anything like Steely Dan.

[chemistry1973]

I can't stand his work. He has a VERY heavy hand on the compressor, every mix I've heard of his is blown all to hell. He's responsible for the atrocious R30 DVDs.

 

I hope you get something interesting about the band out of the interview, but I can't say I want to know any of his thoughts on audio engineering.

Butch Vig once said something along the lines of the loudness wars were here to stay and we should learn to live with it. I wrote him off after that as anything but a drummer. Maybe Chycki has the same messed up mentality.

 

 

As much as I love Wasting Light - it sounds absolutely terrible.

[Rush Didact]

I can't stand his work. He has a VERY heavy hand on the compressor, every mix I've heard of his is blown all to hell. He's responsible for the atrocious R30 DVDs.

 

I hope you get something interesting about the band out of the interview, but I can't say I want to know any of his thoughts on audio engineering.

Butch Vig once said something along the lines of the loudness wars were here to stay and we should learn to live with it. I wrote him off after that as anything but a drummer. Maybe Chycki has the same messed up mentality.

 

As much as I love Wasting Light - it sounds absolutely terrible.

 

Wasting Light is an ear-bleeder alright. I don't know if I've ever sat through the whole album start to finish, it's just an unbroken wall of sound.

[RushFanForever]

Oh give me a break. There's plenty of great-sounding modern rock out there that hasn't been blown to hell with a compressor. Tool's latest album is very dynamic and it doesn't sound anything like Steely Dan.

 

Then post some other examples besides Tool then.

 

All I hear or read about the majority of time is how people complain about modern rock not sounding great.

 

I stumbled on this article from the New York Times in relation below.

 

They Really Don’t Make Music Like They Used To

Edited October 9, 2020 by RushFanForever