Real drummers about Sisters drums

THE place for your Sisters-related comments, questions and snippets of Sisters information. For those who do not know, The Sisters of Mercy are a rock'n'roll band. And a pop band. And an industrial groove machine. Or so they say. They make records. Lots of records, apparently. But not in your galaxy. They play concerts. Lots of concerts, actually. But you still cannot see them. So what's it all about, Alfie? This is one of the few tightly-moderated forums on Heartland, so please keep on-topic. All off-topic posts will either be moved or deleted. Chairman Bux is the editor and the editor's decision is final. Danke.
User avatar
Lightshade
Road Kill
Posts: 14
Joined: 05 Dec 2006, 00:10
Location: Belgium

I'm a real drummer myself playing in several bands,and believe it or not,Dr Avalanche was one of my inspirations in the first days.Crazy or not,it is... :notworthy:

But the real worry to me is that Dr Avalanche sounds outdated now.The drumsound could be used certainly in the 90's,but there are more proper and real sounding sounds than the sounds :von: uses.
If they ever planning to record again (yawn :kiss: ),i'll hoping that the Dr sounds better than now.I can live with the bassdrum and hihat,but the snare sounds.... outdated.

But no disrespect to the unbeatable Dr Avalanche 8)
Ahráyeph
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1272
Joined: 04 Nov 2006, 20:37
Location: Belgium
Contact:

The question is : would the Sisters still have a signature drum sound? And if you check the tech side of things on the site, you know they can't use the modern day drum samplers, because their drivers are written for XP/MacOS. So unless they decide to ditch their military spec and barebone OS laptops, I won't see it happening, really...
User avatar
Badlander
Overbomber
Posts: 3566
Joined: 16 Feb 2006, 20:17
Location: At the Edge of the Deep Green Sea

Lightshade wrote: But the real worry to me is that Dr Avalanche sounds outdated now.
Agreed, but...
The drumsound could be used certainly in the 90's,but there are more proper and real sounding sounds than the sounds :von: uses.
... what's the point of using a drum machine if it sounds like a human drummer ? You might just as well hire a real musician. :roll:
I do want the good Dok to sound like a machine.
I'd end this moment to be with you
Through morphic oceans I'd lay here with you
User avatar
Ozpat
From the Lowlands
Posts: 6758
Joined: 16 Aug 2005, 13:14
Location: In the place through which we wander.

I just love the dear one the way "he" is... 8)
"as we walk on the floodland"
User avatar
James Blast
Banned
Posts: 24699
Joined: 11 Jun 2003, 18:58
Location: back from some place else

Whilst I hold dear the Doktor Avalanche drum sound, I'd really prefer it if his bass was augmented by a real live flesh and blood plank spanker.

And no, I'm mos def. not applying for the job. :lol:
"And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere".
~ Peter Steele
User avatar
eotunun
Overbomber
Posts: 3730
Joined: 06 Aug 2005, 22:24
Location: (X,Y,Z)(t)=huh!²

James Blast wrote:Whilst I hold dear the Doktor Avalanche drum sound, I'd really prefer it if his bass was augmented by a real live flesh and blood plank spanker.

And no, I'm mos def. not applying for the job. :lol:
;D I just imagine what you as the sisters´s Lemmy would look like..
"These are my principles! And if you don't like the just says so, I have others, too!"
~Rufus T. Firefly
User avatar
sultan2075
Overbomber
Posts: 2373
Joined: 04 Mar 2005, 19:17
Location: Washington, D. C.
Contact:

The reason the Doktor sounds outdated is that when they play live a very limited palate of sounds is employed in order to make it easier to mix the sound. I am quite confident that if another record is made, the drum sounds will be different from what we hear live, just as they are on the other records.

For the record, I don'r ecall where I read this. Maybe the official site?
--
The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside.
User avatar
Nic
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1357
Joined: 16 May 2006, 19:00
Location: Sweden

James Blast wrote:Whilst I hold dear the Doktor Avalanche drum sound, I'd really prefer it if his bass was augmented by a real live flesh and blood plank spanker.

And no, I'm mos def. not applying for the job. :lol:
Indeed!

They need a real bass player.
All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
User avatar
Rafster
Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 162
Joined: 05 Jun 2006, 14:10

Lightshade wrote:but the snare sounds.... outdated.

But no disrespect to the unbeatable Dr Avalanche 8)
hah i'm a drummer too and i love the snare the most! the ridiculously amplified sound, especially on tracks like never land, is a signature of the sisters and the rhythms on ToL orginal version really hit the spot for me too.

god please don't let :von: lose that sound...
User avatar
Stoat Grinder
Road Kill
Posts: 62
Joined: 05 Oct 2005, 17:05
Location: Black Country La, La, La

The more artificial sounding the better in my opinion.

Werent the Sisters always about Dirty Guitars and Drum Machines ?

As for the bass. It's got to be flesh and blood
Unspoilt By Progress
User avatar
weebleswobble
Underneath the Rock
Posts: 5875
Joined: 09 Feb 2006, 06:57
Location: The Bat-Milk Cave
Contact:

You mean the Doc is a f**king machine? :eek:
‎"We will wear some very loud shirts. We will wear some very wrong trousers."
User avatar
Badass
Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 156
Joined: 07 Apr 2006, 09:21
Location: Land of Cheese and Chocolate

weebleswobble wrote:You mean the Doc is a f**king machine? :eek:
now that you say it, i've actually never seen a drummer... :eek: :lol:
This is not revenche, this is punishment
User avatar
Badlander
Overbomber
Posts: 3566
Joined: 16 Feb 2006, 20:17
Location: At the Edge of the Deep Green Sea

weebleswobble wrote:You mean the Doc is a f**king machine? :eek:
No, it's God. :von:
I'd end this moment to be with you
Through morphic oceans I'd lay here with you
User avatar
James Blast
Banned
Posts: 24699
Joined: 11 Jun 2003, 18:58
Location: back from some place else

only in the world of snare, it would seem... :innocent:
"And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere".
~ Peter Steele
User avatar
ormfdmrush
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1178
Joined: 01 Sep 2006, 01:22
Location: Moscow, Russia
Contact:

Badass wrote:
weebleswobble wrote:You mean the Doc is a f**king machine? :eek:
now that you say it, i've actually never seen a drummer... :eek: :lol:
he's in the box :von:
User avatar
Lightshade
Road Kill
Posts: 14
Joined: 05 Dec 2006, 00:10
Location: Belgium

I believe the recent drumkit (wich they have been used along the way till now and ..) is the kit from TOL 92.

On the other hand like somebody said,they have the trademark drumsound,why should they change if nobody bothers 8) I agree.

But you know real drummers....always complaints.
Last edited by Lightshade on 04 Jan 2007, 01:07, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
sultan2075
Overbomber
Posts: 2373
Joined: 04 Mar 2005, 19:17
Location: Washington, D. C.
Contact:

All of this reminds me...13 or so years ago, I used to know this guy who played drums for a crap gothic band who insisted until he was blue in the face that the Sisters recorded with a drum machine but always used a real drummer live. He was a tool in many, many ways, but this was maddening. He also used to claim that he knew Von personally and that he had worked on a record with him in the early 90's. I should add that this sh!tbag was from suburban Texas, had never left the country, and just...oh god, it all comes flooding back. What a loser he was. And he wasn't even a good drummer.
--
The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside.
User avatar
Pista
Cureboi
Posts: 17615
Joined: 25 Jun 2006, 15:03
Location: Lost In A Forest
Contact:

Of course you need to look at the long list of advantages of the Dok.
Never late for reharsals/ gigs.
Never sh!tfaced
Can turn down the volume in case the old lady next door gets p!ssed off
Doesn't argue with Von (poss the most important thing)

To name a few.

But, I agree that a real flesh & blood bass player should come back into the scene.
Cheers.
Steve
Just like the old days

TheCureCommunity
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:

One main advantage of a drum machine over a human drummer: you only have to punch the rhythm into a drum machine once.

(Cue drummer jokes)

But yes, a permanent human bassist on all tracks would be nice.
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16791
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

"you only have to punch the rhythm into a drum machine once"

not in the early incarnations of the dok you didn't :lol:
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:

Well yes. There's that tale of Ben accidentally switching the Dok off halfway through a gig isn't there. And in those days his memory was wiped when he was switched off. :lol:
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16791
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

markfiend wrote:Well yes. There's that tale of Ben accidentally switching the Dok off halfway through a gig isn't there. And in those days his memory was wiped when he was switched off. :lol:
someone told me that one of claire's original roles in the band was helping re-program the patterns into the dok if/when they got lost...

dunno how reliable that source was, but when one also factors in her doing the "front of house" sound stuff, that makes her a very early version of the "nurse" doesnt it? :D
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
kazamel
Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 184
Joined: 02 Mar 2006, 16:54
Location: Belgium
Contact:

markfiend wrote:Well yes. There's that tale of Ben accidentally switching the Dok off halfway through a gig isn't there. And in those days his memory was wiped when he was switched off. :lol:
IIRC that was at their first gig on the mainland, at Mallemunt Festival in Brussels. Perhaps that's why the playlist of that concert is different from the others in that period.
I like these calm little moments before the storm. It reminds me of Beethoven. Can you hear it? It's like when you put your head to the grass and you can hear the growin' and you can hear the insects.
User avatar
Badlander
Overbomber
Posts: 3566
Joined: 16 Feb 2006, 20:17
Location: At the Edge of the Deep Green Sea

kazamel wrote: IIRC that was at their first gig on the mainland, at Mallemunt Festival in Brussels. Perhaps that's why the playlist of that concert is different from the others in that period.
Brussels, 05.08.83 ? I didn't notice. :eek:
I'll go and check.
I'd end this moment to be with you
Through morphic oceans I'd lay here with you
User avatar
kazamel
Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 184
Joined: 02 Mar 2006, 16:54
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Badlander wrote:
kazamel wrote: IIRC that was at their first gig on the mainland, at Mallemunt Festival in Brussels. Perhaps that's why the playlist of that concert is different from the others in that period.
Brussels, 05.08.83 ? I didn't notice. :eek:
I'll go and check.
Von wrote:Ben Gunn once managed to press the TR808's dangerous red button as we were about to go onstage in Brussels, so Andrew had to reprogram the whole damn machine while everybody else was tuning their guitars up (slowly).
http://www.thesistersofmercy.com/tech/doktors.htm
I like these calm little moments before the storm. It reminds me of Beethoven. Can you hear it? It's like when you put your head to the grass and you can hear the growin' and you can hear the insects.
Post Reply