You’ll find, as usual, that I’ve tweaked the vocals with Melodyne…and given it an entirely different feel than the original.

Make sure you check the next post, with an instrumental version and even a “behind the scenes” listen to the individual performances that went into the remix.

Echoplex LP (Front)

Heavily modified vocals in Melodyne, a pounding breakbeat, and speaker-bending textures and sound design.  My typical NIN remix.

Start to finish, this remix took about three weeks to take shape, and is the largest project I’ve ever worked on to date (in terms of track/bus count).  I did my usual workflow on this one: sequence the parts in Live, fix & manipulate the vocals in Melodyne, then mix, tinker, and master in Audition.

Ultimately, it came down to 42 individual tracks routed through 10 busses.  When it was “stemmed” out to let other remixers remix my remix, the smallest stem count I could get was 30, plus the vocal comp.  Suffice to say, this was an enormous project.  As usual, even with an absolute murder of Waves plug-ins, reverb sends/returns, sidechain compressors, and the overall size, Audition never flinched.  The final master was done with the L2.

Echoplex LP (Back)

If you really want to geek out, here’s a list of the stems:  synth-o-plex, fuzzy synth, bass digs, super funky bass, bass strikes down, bass stabs with echo, female soprano vocals, guitar swells, female solo vocals, piano ostenato, storm drum, hats 1, hats 2, hats 3, misc percussion 1, misc percussion 2, 18 violions and 10 violas, piano through guitar rig, cymbal splashes, cymbal crescendos, bass drum and kicks, snare 1, share 2, stomped drum kit, clean piano ender, funky guitar, piano riffs and loops, vocal comp dry, vocal comp main, vocal comp echo only, vocal comp harmony only.

That should give you a good idea how much crap is going on in this remix.  Download these FLAC files at will below, and share if you like.  Just bear in mind the Creative Commons License, which you can read at the footer of this and every page.  (You can also click the album art above for the full size for front/back, if you keep those as well).

Enjoy!

Track List:

1.  NIN – Echoplex (Grim Trigger’s Mercury Vapor Mix) [6:23, 38 MB]
2.  NIN – Echoplex (Grim Trigger’s Mercury Vapor Instrumental Mix) [6:23, 38 MB]
3.  NIN – Echoplex (Grim Trigger’s Mercury Vapor Radio Edit) [4:24, 28 MB]

There is the main version and a dub version.  The dub version, until now, has never been made available to the public.  Now, after being asked to remaster both, I’m allowed and excited to offer them to the public.  There’s little in terms of “story” behind this remix beyond a dozen hours sitting in front of a wide screen monitor in 2006 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The first master back then didn’t pass the “Jeep test”, and it took a few days to get the first version finalized.

Both remasters I completed today in about 3 hours.  I’ve gotten better at mastering over the years.  (It helps to have studio monitors and no distractions.)

I have uploaded FLAC versions, and you’re welcome to download a copy for yourself via the Creative Commons License mentioned in the footer of this page.

Track Listing:

1. NIN – Only (Grim Trigger’s Halfway To Andromeda Mix) [10:48, 70 MB]
2. NIN – Only (Grim Trigger’s Halfway To Andromeda Dub Mix) [10:48, 68 MB]

Here’s the current “preview” to my remix for NIN’s Discipline.  This is unmastered, and I’m still working on the structure.  Nevertheless, you can get a taste for the direction it’s headed (and the crazy shit I did to the vocals).

I’ll walk you through the ins and outs of the remix from within Adobe Audition 3, and talk in-depth about the technical and musical challenges and steps to creating a remix.

You can watch through the embedded player below, or catch the full HD version at Vimeo.  Enjoy!

Timbaland Remix Walkthrough & Breakdown from Blair Trosper on Vimeo.

I’m to the stage where I’m finalizing the vocals and chord progressions, and I thought I would pull back the curtain and explain the process start to finish.  Enjoy the attached MP3 for an unusual take on re-tuning Trent’s vocals.