The first time I saw this was on the Drums of Thought video. I was kind of annoyed at the time, but now I see as a transparency in showing the process. And I also think these kind of videos must be a pain in the ass to edit!! 😅
Mike does a great job of documenting his studio time. He has tons of these videos of him recording. They’re all his different takes in the studio. I’d imagine songs like this would be a nightmare to get perfect haha
Liquid Drum Theater and other of his official video playthroughs have always been like this. .. cherry pick the best captured parts of the sessions .. - Yes.
Like others said, He films the complete recording session, then slice together the parts that ended up on the album. He did the same on the Train of Thought recording sessions, although he didn't need as much takes then ^^. Look for example at As I Am, he only needed a second take for the drum solo.
He said in an interview that what ends up in the album is what he felt he wanted to play that day during the recording session. It means that we are not going to hear the same exact drum part when he plays live. He will always change because he just memorizes time signature and plays what he feels
Thank you Andrew - Images and Words (first time I heard Mike Portnoy, back in 1992) is still a frequent play of mine and helped take my own drumming to new places.
I think personally the most impressive part for me is how Portnoy is able to play so technically and so intensely and still just COMPLIMENT who he’s playing with, not completely overshadow and overpower. Obviously, all the other members of the band are ridiculously talented as well, but the LTE/DT synergy is phenomenal.
Mike is playing the drums, I could hear how he’s following the guitar solo in the wreaths, and how he’s following along with the the base changes time signatures on the drums guitar everything’s amazing he’s pretty wild on the drums. He’s insane dude.
There is a mindset among some drummers that I see occurring. It is still fairly rare, but I think it explains why some drummers are able to do things like this. I first saw it with Terry Bozzio - when he started experimenting with amplifying his drums with a filter to accentuate their central tone. He was essentially blurring the line between normal drums and tuned percussion, which led him to consider the kit as both a rhythmic instrument and a melodic one. This invites stepping into a more classical composition than the usual drummer would! Along with Terry, Neil Peart began thinking this way as he got more into jazz drumming. I think that Mike Portnoy and Gavin Harrison are also thinking that way (whether intentionally and consciously or not). Very possibly some others as well - Simon Phillips comes to mind ...
very interesting observation, and it makes a lot of sense. It is kind of like the inverse of the way Dave Grohl thinks about his guitar, more as a drum kit, as if the high strings were like the snare and cymbals, and the lower strings represented the toms and bass drum. Essentially, it is a huge part of what makes him a fantastic riff writer, just like Portnoy, Peart, and Bozzio.
Amazing drummer, amazing guy. Met him twice. This is a relatively small kit for Mike. His touring kit on the Octavarium tour was enough for three drummers.
I’m sure that in studio, Mike just sets up what’s needed for each song. Then on tour, puts together a big kit in order to incorporate the different sounds from song to song
@@jonpoon3896 back then he had his whole touring set in the studio with three bassdrums, two drum thrones etc.... a total nightmare for any technician. Since he left DT his sets got smaller anyways but in general he tours with the setups he records with.
Im very much an old school drummer , came up in the mid to late 80s , I am a power Tom guy for ever , even though power toms make my kit set up a bit higher because of the depth of the toms I still sit low on my throne ,compared to many metal ( double bass in particular) seem to have changed their settings over time and now sit higher than ever , I get the physical advantages of sitting higher on a kit , for me it messes my ability to play fast double bass , for some reason I start to gallop ( sort of flams with my pedals ) my double bass set up is incredibly close to the way Dave lombardo sets his drum set up , it always surprises me when I get asked to have a go on another drummers set as to how high drummers under a certain age sit , it amuses me how set ups follow kind of trends of the decades , I remember when most drum manufacturers stopped making power toms or even regular toms with any depth to them , I couldn't stand the trend of short stack toms that seemed to emerge in the early 2000s , to this day I haven't seen a drum company make a entry ) mid level drum set up with nice deep toms as standard .
To echo what a few have mentioned; Mike tries to match the video to the takes you hear on the final recording. He’s been doing drum playthroughs since before they were a thing; He has DVDs of several full albums of this. His goal is for us to see him play what you hear on the final product, not to show a live studio version of the tracks, which is what most do these days. To each their own; I appreciate both approaches 💪
The reason of this was as Mike always says he normally does 2 or more takes with completely different approach and then choose which (part/section) is the best fit on the song.
I know you have said many times that extremely drum styles are out of your wheelhouse but it does inspire you to play. I would love to see a video of you trying to learn one of these extreme techniques. I’m a guitarist and have learned over the years that learning other styles can be a boon in my own creativity and I would assume it’s similar for drummers. Portnoy knows his stuff when it comes to those who came before including those from other genres. I think it’s part of what allows him to be so creative in his playing. Thanks for the video as always. Cheers from the US.
Liquid Tension Experiment is Mike Portnoy drums. John Predicting guitars. Jordan Rides keyboards and Tony Levin Chapman Stick and bass guitar. Jordan, Mike and John have played Tiger as members of Dream Theater. Tony is the bass p!ayer for Peter Gabriel both live and in the studio. Tony is also a member of King Crimson and Stick Men. Liquid Tension Expiment have released three studio albums and one as Liquid Trio Expirement all albums are fantastic
I can't believe we've gotten to this point in this channel's life and nobody has recommended The Great Debate. This is a great one though. Shame it has so many edits. Wish he'd recorded a single take of the finalized song instead of splicing together so many parts. LTE has some of his finest drumming.
He records all his trackings, then when the video is edited, the editor tries to match the parts used in the album from the different trackings. They sometimes use fills or comps from prior takes or vise versa.
Liquid Tension Experiment is great. Mike Portnoy with 'Dream Theater' members John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess, along with bassist Tony Levin. They have some great songs including a rendition of 'Rhapsody in Blue'.
Now THAT'S how it's done! The music reminds me of a combo of Frank Zappa, Tool and King Krimson. That was super cool! Love those Sabian cymbals. They are made in New Brunswick Canada. The founder, Robert Zildjian recently passed away, a terrible loss.
The bass player in LTE is Tony Levin from King Crimson, so good catch there. It is also Petrucci from Dream Theater and Jordan Rudess who wasn't in Dream Theater yet when they did their 1st album.
one of the highlights of my life was seeing Dream Theater in NZ with Portnoy and being behind the FOH speakers so i got the acoustic drum sounds and stage mix. Holy sh*t. AMAZING.
This album didn't do it for me. It was done during lockdown, so I'm guessing the time they had to record was very little so there are plenty of copy+paste sections that I guess were decisions made in post production (like "I would like this section be twice as long" so they edit it out)
The old man meme can't be applied here 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I have to say i haven't seen Portnoy being that creative and in the groove, for about 24 years i guess??? (since Metropolis Pt. 2) He got a ton of new inspiration and it's god damn tasty!!! Love it! Thanks for doing this. I guess it just comes out to inspiration and letting go. Don't forget Andrew, all those guys went to Berklee and have had a lifetime of living as touring and recording musicians as well.
Everyone should have a go at a Mangini A symmetrical drum kit you never cross your arms again 👍ever since i have changed my drumming is so expression able ii will never go back to oneway drums
My personal opinion, Portnoy's performance on When the Water Breaks - Live in LA. is his best playing ever. I haven't seen better from him, but this is just an opinion from a rusty drummer who still has the ear for it.
Wonder if he'll release a vid with all the mistakes. In the docu for Systematic Chaos, he includes some of the fuck ups, that way you know he's human =)
Amo a Portnoy fue muy importante toda la decada de los 2000's pero lo siento , la música va evolucionando! El instrumento en este caso la bateria. Siento que Portnoy ya no tiene recursos , solo repite y combina lo que ya esta patetado por el. Alguien podria estar de acuerdo conmigo ?
I'm annoyed by the video edits. A few camera angles of the et and his drumming all cut together, fine. That's all I want to see, but these edits are rough as hell and just don't make sense to cut different playthroughs. Drumming = AMAZING!!! Video work and editing, leaves a lot to be desired. Wish I was his videographer; I'd at least do him justice.
6:23 I can just imagine some morbidly obese World of Warcraft neckbeard alone in his bedroom listening to this solo like, "Yes, I will lose weight and become less socially awkward, and women will love me. It is time". Then 2 hours later he's raging on WoW again.
My understanding based on some interviews and videos, is that Mike plays several versions of the drum parts during recording sessions, playing what he feels at the moment. With each take he keeps making variations on several parts, and he records both audio and video. Then he listens to the recordings and keeps his favorite recordings of each part of the song and splices them together for the final cut. He does the same with the videos for his instructional drumming DVDs.
i really don't like Mike's videos because there are so many cuts in them that i really question his ability to play his songs from A to Z. what's the point of creating such things if you struggle to play them? for me, it's a big nope. my critic is confirmed as when he's live, with any bands he plays in, his drumming is getting out of original parts written and recorded on albums. and it's not from few years back! in the 90's he was already cutting his videos. many are on youtube. i don't understand that. just play simpler then! as if he has something to prove. i really don't like that.
All great and unique musicians for sure. But somehow it's too much of everything. Inaudible. Proof that 4 exceptional artists do not necessarily make a great band. Fretboard Wank ... Sorry
I know you have said many times that extremely drum styles are out of your wheelhouse but it does inspire you to play. I would love to see a video of you trying to learn one of these extreme techniques. I’m a guitarist and have learned over the years that learning other styles can be a boon in my own creativity and I would assume it’s similar for drummers. Portnoy knows his stuff when it comes to those who came before including those from other genres. I think it’s part of what allows him to be so creative in his playing. Thanks for the video as always. Cheers from the US.
I believe Portnoy is using video of the actual takes that end up on the album. So, you get a jump cut whenever there's a splice between takes.
@andrewrooneydrums. Here is the reason for multiple camera cuts
And those psychedelic stuffs are takes he didn't video of.
yes cudos for this transparency
The first time I saw this was on the Drums of Thought video. I was kind of annoyed at the time, but now I see as a transparency in showing the process. And I also think these kind of videos must be a pain in the ass to edit!! 😅
@@domithedrumsterexactly! 🙌
At 5:10 he starts to escalate without loosing timing and control. Bery aggressive playing in best way. What a beast
Mike does a great job of documenting his studio time. He has tons of these videos of him recording. They’re all his different takes in the studio. I’d imagine songs like this would be a nightmare to get perfect haha
Liquid Drum Theater and other of his official video playthroughs have always been like this. .. cherry pick the best captured parts of the sessions .. - Yes.
So beyond thrilled that he’s bringing that magic back to Dream Theater!
I really think that this guy is a heart and soul of the band
He was right to leave when they very much indeed needed a break, hope there's good stuff in the near future !
@@Nebuloid1there wasnt any magic albums with mangini either
Love how he seems to be one of the few drummers willing to climb the toms rather than always go from high to low.
Gavin Harrison is another one who uses it quite a bit.
@@Mulukkis I immediately thought of Gavin Harrison as well!
I make it a habit to climb specifically because of Gavin. Or do the back and forth of Keith Moon.
Labyrinth is a great Song from Sons Of Apollo. There are a Drum Cam Video from Mike Portnoy on UA-cam in 1080p.
Yesterday I saw a video of Portnoy playing his kit with a drum line. It was AWESOME!
Like others said, He films the complete recording session, then slice together the parts that ended up on the album. He did the same on the Train of Thought recording sessions, although he didn't need as much takes then ^^. Look for example at As I Am, he only needed a second take for the drum solo.
I'm guessing that with LTE there's a lot less time to nail and refine the parts so this is understandable.
He said in an interview that what ends up in the album is what he felt he wanted to play that day during the recording session. It means that we are not going to hear the same exact drum part when he plays live. He will always change because he just memorizes time signature and plays what he feels
Thank you Andrew - Images and Words (first time I heard Mike Portnoy, back in 1992) is still a frequent play of mine and helped take my own drumming to new places.
That's was the year I first heard him too! I was 15.
His accuracy hitting those small accent cymbals so quickly is incredible
Its rly easy stuff btw.....
I think personally the most impressive part for me is how Portnoy is able to play so technically and so intensely and still just COMPLIMENT who he’s playing with, not completely overshadow and overpower. Obviously, all the other members of the band are ridiculously talented as well, but the LTE/DT synergy is phenomenal.
Mike is playing the drums, I could hear how he’s following the guitar solo in the wreaths, and how he’s following along with the the base changes time signatures on the drums guitar everything’s amazing he’s pretty wild on the drums. He’s insane dude.
The best thing about your reactions is that you don't constantly stop the song. You give it time then comment. Respect fellow country man.
Constantly* (?)
@aerodude73 that's what I meant and had to edit this 🤣
Portnoy of course a disciple of the professor and one of the greats
There is a mindset among some drummers that I see occurring. It is still fairly rare, but I think it explains why some drummers are able to do things like this. I first saw it with Terry Bozzio - when he started experimenting with amplifying his drums with a filter to accentuate their central tone. He was essentially blurring the line between normal drums and tuned percussion, which led him to consider the kit as both a rhythmic instrument and a melodic one. This invites stepping into a more classical composition than the usual drummer would! Along with Terry, Neil Peart began thinking this way as he got more into jazz drumming. I think that Mike Portnoy and Gavin Harrison are also thinking that way (whether intentionally and consciously or not). Very possibly some others as well - Simon Phillips comes to mind ...
very interesting observation, and it makes a lot of sense. It is kind of like the inverse of the way Dave Grohl thinks about his guitar, more as a drum kit, as if the high strings were like the snare and cymbals, and the lower strings represented the toms and bass drum. Essentially, it is a huge part of what makes him a fantastic riff writer, just like Portnoy, Peart, and Bozzio.
Amazing drummer, amazing guy. Met him twice. This is a relatively small kit for Mike. His touring kit on the Octavarium tour was enough for three drummers.
I’m sure that in studio, Mike just sets up what’s needed for each song. Then on tour, puts together a big kit in order to incorporate the different sounds from song to song
@@jonpoon3896 back then he had his whole touring set in the studio with three bassdrums, two drum thrones etc.... a total nightmare for any technician. Since he left DT his sets got smaller anyways but in general he tours with the setups he records with.
Their version of Rhapsody in Blue is insanely good. Btw the bass player is the legendary Tony Levin
ua-cam.com/video/Jq9I9Zyy7_k/v-deo.htmlsi=biKCoUMOHO3bu6Ub
Agreed!!
Im very much an old school drummer , came up in the mid to late 80s , I am a power Tom guy for ever , even though power toms make my kit set up a bit higher because of the depth of the toms I still sit low on my throne ,compared to many metal ( double bass in particular) seem to have changed their settings over time and now sit higher than ever , I get the physical advantages of sitting higher on a kit , for me it messes my ability to play fast double bass , for some reason I start to gallop ( sort of flams with my pedals ) my double bass set up is incredibly close to the way Dave lombardo sets his drum set up , it always surprises me when I get asked to have a go on another drummers set as to how high drummers under a certain age sit , it amuses me how set ups follow kind of trends of the decades , I remember when most drum manufacturers stopped making power toms or even regular toms with any depth to them , I couldn't stand the trend of short stack toms that seemed to emerge in the early 2000s , to this day I haven't seen a drum company make a entry ) mid level drum set up with nice deep toms as standard .
To echo what a few have mentioned; Mike tries to match the video to the takes you hear on the final recording. He’s been doing drum playthroughs since before they were a thing; He has DVDs of several full albums of this. His goal is for us to see him play what you hear on the final product, not to show a live studio version of the tracks, which is what most do these days. To each their own; I appreciate both approaches 💪
Yup got it!
Love it! Yeah like the comments said, he compiled his takes into one video haha. Pretty cool if you ask me!
DEFINITELY!
The reason of this was as Mike always says he normally does 2 or more takes with completely different approach and then choose which (part/section) is the best fit on the song.
Your right Andrew many edits I staired blankly at the screen some were hard to see. either that or a camera malfunction 😊.
I know you have said many times that extremely drum styles are out of your wheelhouse but it does inspire you to play.
I would love to see a video of you trying to learn one of these extreme techniques. I’m a guitarist and have learned over the years that learning other styles can be a boon in my own creativity and I would assume it’s similar for drummers.
Portnoy knows his stuff when it comes to those who came before including those from other genres. I think it’s part of what allows him to be so creative in his playing.
Thanks for the video as always. Cheers from the US.
Liquid Tension Experiment is Mike Portnoy drums. John Predicting guitars. Jordan Rides keyboards and Tony Levin Chapman Stick and bass guitar. Jordan, Mike and John have played Tiger as members of Dream Theater. Tony is the bass p!ayer for Peter Gabriel both live and in the studio. Tony is also a member of King Crimson and Stick Men. Liquid Tension Expiment have released three studio albums and one as Liquid Trio Expirement all albums are fantastic
Been watching your channel a while !! Love it !! Can't believe it was nener mentioned about the key on his snare. What could that help do ? Lol
Mike is the world's quickest quick-change drummer!
Nice Knight Rider t-shirt man ! I love it 😃.
If you want to check out some Portnoy outside of the DT/LTE bubble check out some Transatlantic, that’s a true Super Group!
Neal Morse band, The Similitude of a Dream or Tge Great Adventure. 2 of the greatest albums ever!!
I can't believe we've gotten to this point in this channel's life and nobody has recommended The Great Debate. This is a great one though. Shame it has so many edits. Wish he'd recorded a single take of the finalized song instead of splicing together so many parts. LTE has some of his finest drumming.
My vote to The Great Debate!
I actually recommended that a month ago..
Andrew, watch that, you are going to love it.
Take the version ”Portnoys angle”
Totally agree, for me the most creative drum line he had ever made, fun to listen
He records all his trackings, then when the video is edited, the editor tries to match the parts used in the album from the different trackings. They sometimes use fills or comps from prior takes or vise versa.
Should check out Mr. Bungle- Sudden Death. It was said by Scott Ian that it has 97 time changes and its just a great song all around
Liquid Tension Experiment is great. Mike Portnoy with 'Dream Theater' members John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess, along with bassist Tony Levin. They have some great songs including a rendition of 'Rhapsody in Blue'.
I always put on and then take off my hoodie mid song while air drumming, it is just so much more impressive, chicks love it.
Now THAT'S how it's done! The music reminds me of a combo of Frank Zappa, Tool and King Krimson. That was super cool! Love those Sabian cymbals. They are made in New Brunswick Canada. The founder, Robert Zildjian recently passed away, a terrible loss.
The bass player in LTE is Tony Levin from King Crimson, so good catch there. It is also Petrucci from Dream Theater and Jordan Rudess who wasn't in Dream Theater yet when they did their 1st album.
Thanks for the info. A few moments in I was drawn to the bass playing - wasn't sure who it was... Levin is killing it...!
one of the highlights of my life was seeing Dream Theater in NZ with Portnoy and being behind the FOH speakers so i got the acoustic drum sounds and stage mix. Holy sh*t. AMAZING.
I love the Knight Rider shirt!
**throws drumsticks away**
LOL
This album didn't do it for me. It was done during lockdown, so I'm guessing the time they had to record was very little so there are plenty of copy+paste sections that I guess were decisions made in post production (like "I would like this section be twice as long" so they edit it out)
There’s a few I wish Drew would revisit! Ray Luzier’s Korn medley is dope, Gene Hoglan never gets enough love either imo 😅
I met Gene Hoglan at Peabodys In Cleveland. Our band was opening for his band Pitch Black Forecast. Cool dude.
Transatlantic - Into The Blue [KaLIVEoscope - Live In Cologne 2014] - 1080p (A Band with Mike Portnoy on Drums) 🤘!💪!
Wonderful ❤
There's no substitute for chops. Having said that I don't think it hurts to have the broad sound palette of a monster kit.
😂 That’s what she said!
The old man meme can't be applied here 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have to say i haven't seen Portnoy being that creative and in the groove, for about 24 years i guess??? (since Metropolis Pt. 2)
He got a ton of new inspiration and it's god damn tasty!!! Love it! Thanks for doing this. I guess it just comes out to inspiration and letting go.
Don't forget Andrew, all those guys went to Berklee and have had a lifetime of living as touring and recording musicians as well.
Lets hope we hear a lot of it on the next Dream Theater record!
Man, I watch something like this, and I think why do I even bother trying to make my doubles sound even? 😂
Mike could play a Meg White shuffle if he carries on working at it
It could be as it's a studio recording, the edits are him punching in to different sections?
Pretty sure he's also El Estebathingie's dad.
there's SO many portnoy-isms here!
Portnoy is almost an amazing replica of the Professor Peart
Epic
💯👌
Everyone should have a go at a Mangini A symmetrical drum kit you never cross your arms again 👍ever since i have changed my drumming is so expression able ii will never go back to oneway drums
Cool beans.
My personal opinion, Portnoy's performance on When the Water Breaks - Live in LA. is his best playing ever. I haven't seen better from him, but this is just an opinion from a rusty drummer who still has the ear for it.
Nice video❤
The edits are different takes at different times.
glitches in the matrix obviously.
Anything LTE or DT i'm there.
El Estepario Siberiano's father 😂
Probably gets overlooked but I always liked Scott Rockenfield's snare sound.
Wonder if he'll release a vid with all the mistakes. In the docu for Systematic Chaos, he includes some of the fuck ups, that way you know he's human =)
Mike Portnoy playing the track on several takes shows how amazing Matt Garstka is
Amo a Portnoy fue muy importante toda la decada de los 2000's pero lo siento , la música va evolucionando! El instrumento en este caso la bateria. Siento que Portnoy ya no tiene recursos , solo repite y combina lo que ya esta patetado por el. Alguien podria estar de acuerdo conmigo ?
superB plAying As noRmal in this viDeo😉
Is this in 7/16? Dafuq XD
EDIT: ok it changes at 2 minutes. lol
multiple takes
I'm annoyed by the video edits. A few camera angles of the et and his drumming all cut together, fine. That's all I want to see, but these edits are rough as hell and just don't make sense to cut different playthroughs. Drumming = AMAZING!!! Video work and editing, leaves a lot to be desired. Wish I was his videographer; I'd at least do him justice.
its not one take and one day are u aware ?
6:23 I can just imagine some morbidly obese World of Warcraft neckbeard alone in his bedroom listening to this solo like, "Yes, I will lose weight and become less socially awkward, and women will love me. It is time". Then 2 hours later he's raging on WoW again.
strange edits in video or is that just me?
jst u bebe
It’s probably the actual takes used on the album and stitched together.
My understanding based on some interviews and videos, is that Mike plays several versions of the drum parts during recording sessions, playing what he feels at the moment. With each take he keeps making variations on several parts, and he records both audio and video. Then he listens to the recordings and keeps his favorite recordings of each part of the song and splices them together for the final cut. He does the same with the videos for his instructional drumming DVDs.
You are "judging" Mike Portnoy like you can teach them something and it's the other way around that he can teach you xD
Def not judging Mike.
He's a legend.
i really don't like Mike's videos because there are so many cuts in them that i really question his ability to play his songs from A to Z. what's the point of creating such things if you struggle to play them? for me, it's a big nope. my critic is confirmed as when he's live, with any bands he plays in, his drumming is getting out of original parts written and recorded on albums. and it's not from few years back! in the 90's he was already cutting his videos. many are on youtube. i don't understand that. just play simpler then! as if he has something to prove. i really don't like that.
All these dream theater musicians make music for people with autism. the notes are being played but no groove.
What the F does autism have to do with this?
Mozart was autistic.
The edits made it weird to watch.
I thought it was a great display of technical accuracy, but without dynamic variety. It just didn't make me feel anything.
Listen dream theater record before 2009, this video is not their best work
Great to listen to but I just couldn't watch this. All of the video edits were way too distracting for me.
All great and unique musicians for sure.
But somehow it's too much of everything.
Inaudible.
Proof that 4 exceptional artists do not necessarily make a great band.
Fretboard Wank ...
Sorry
Octobans. ...
I know you have said many times that extremely drum styles are out of your wheelhouse but it does inspire you to play.
I would love to see a video of you trying to learn one of these extreme techniques. I’m a guitarist and have learned over the years that learning other styles can be a boon in my own creativity and I would assume it’s similar for drummers.
Portnoy knows his stuff when it comes to those who came before including those from other genres. I think it’s part of what allows him to be so creative in his playing.
Thanks for the video as always. Cheers from the US.