311 is gearing up to release its next album, "Soundsystem," which sports some heavy-duty production help from Hugh Padgham.

Padgham, who has produced Sting, the Police, Melissa Etheridge, and XTC, among others, gets the main producer credit on "Soundsystem," while 311 singer-guitarist Nick Hexum will be listed as co-producer. Hexum told the MTV Radio Network that although Padgham was manning the mixing boards, the group members were doing their share of button-pushing as well.

[article id="1451168"] "On this record, more than ever, we were in there working, turning the knobs ourselves,"[/article] Hexum said, [article id="1451168"] "rather than just going into a recording studio and pointing at something and saying, 'Make that a little more treblely or more low end,' and [using] these weird esoteric terms about 'crunch' and stuff. This time we went in there and made it happen ourselves, 'cause we really learned how to use all the gear." [RealAudio][/article]

"Soundsystem" is due in stores on October 12, and the band will be on a theater tour through early December (see [article id="1434824"]"311 To 'Come Original' For Fall Theater Tour"[/article]), and 311 will be on a theater tour through early December. Here's where you can catch them:

• 10/3 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theater
• 10/10 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
• 10/13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ DV8
• 10/19 - Omaha, NE @ Sokol
• 10/20 - Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
• 10/21 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
• 10/22 - Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
• 10/29 - Birmingham, AL @ Five Points South Music Hall
• 10/31 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
• 11/3 - North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 11/4 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Ziggy's
• 11/5 - Norfolk, VA @ The Boathouse
• 11/6 - Washington, DC @ Nation
• 11/12 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
• 11/15 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 11/22 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Metropol
• 11/24

- Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew's Hall