sgulley
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If you really like music and recording it then never stop trying to get better at it.
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Post by sgulley on Dec 31, 2005 8:39:10 GMT
I wrote this love song today, and actually got around to some lyrics.
Recorded acoustic guitar with condenser mic just under the neck, and did some Fender echo bends on lead guitar. It gave it sort of a country-mellow effect (at least that was what I went for). Comments about the mix would be very helpful & appreciated.
Thanks, Stan
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staple1
Chart-Climbing Member
Posts: 32
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Post by staple1 on Dec 31, 2005 13:36:52 GMT
Hi Stan,
I like the song. I thought the mix was even all around. I would have liked a little more level on the guitar solo.
It reminded me a little of an Eric Clapton song "Promises".
Rob
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Post by nikonbob55 on Jan 1, 2006 18:42:51 GMT
Stan, Very nice mix - very sedate, mellow, and quite easy on the ears. The bass and drums sit nicely in the background - there, but not obtrusive, very supportive of the guitar and vocals. The lead, although it doesn't rise over the level of the backing tracks, blends nicely with them, particularly the nice rhythm picking that's going on. It's a wonderful sentiment to share with your wife, and you've expressed it very tastefully! Bob
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sgulley
Superstar
If you really like music and recording it then never stop trying to get better at it.
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Post by sgulley on Jan 2, 2006 19:38:14 GMT
Thanks for listening. I didn't expect that kind of a response but I surely do appreciate it. I'd love to hear some other music posts that might be floating around. I've been going through "DSL-hell" the past couple of days and am just now getting back online. I did the newest Windows Updates on Saturday, and my router quit working. After completely reinstalling Win2K, the DSL drivers, and reconfiging the router, and can finally breathe freely again. P.S. Windows updates are now turned off forever. At least back online for the last day of the holidays Stan
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Post by Objecks on Jan 4, 2006 7:26:13 GMT
Wow, Stan! Very nice!
This is some of the most tastefully subtle guitar work I recall ever hearing from you! I would NOT bring the lead guitar up -- sounds great in its supporting role.
If I might offer a couple of suggestions:
The rhythm guitar part sounds just a tad muffled to my ears. Might benefit the sound of your recording to experiment with the mic placement a bit. Also, if you're using any reverb on that track, I think I would back off a bit. This might help the guitar feel more present. I love the sound of an acoustic guitar recorded so that it sounds like I'm sitting right in front of it.
Am I correct in thinking that you have an acoustic rhythm, an acoustic lead, and an electric lead? There might be another guitar in there somewhere. To me, the lead parts seem to be on top of each other in the stereo field. The recording might benefit with some additional experimentation with stereo placement.
IMHO, this is definitely a song worth working with to get a top quality recording!
Charlie
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sgulley
Superstar
If you really like music and recording it then never stop trying to get better at it.
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Post by sgulley on Jan 4, 2006 16:04:51 GMT
Thanks Charlie for your comments. I am still fairly new to mic recording because I was so dependent on my POD for years. There are just 2 guitars but I did put the BBE sonic maximizer in the FX loop when I recorded the acoustic track. Maybe that produced the off-centered-ness, instead of a straight-on effect that you are hearing. Or, it could have ben the mix-down effect that I used on the 2488 (i think it was ambience). When I get some time later I will pay more attention to spacial settings/effects and see if I can get a more direct sound. Thanks, and really good hearing from you. Stan
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Post by Tom on Jan 4, 2006 16:37:40 GMT
Hey Stan,
Nice work. EQ sounds OK across the board. I would leave the guitar levels as is. But I might try taking the vocal level down a very little and adding just a touch (more?) reverb to it.
tom
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holzra
Superstar
is that any way to treat an expensive musical instrument?!?!?!?!?
Posts: 879
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Post by holzra on Jan 5, 2006 4:34:14 GMT
stan . . . i am so used to just non-stop very nice lead guitar going throughout your stuff, and to hear you really tackling the "singer-songwriter" in this is so very nice to hear!!!!! the lyrics come across so very heartfelt, the vocals fit just right. as always, i am a fan . . . . i think you should really continue to explore this vein, could become a very nice niche. . . .
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sgulley
Superstar
If you really like music and recording it then never stop trying to get better at it.
Posts: 2,994
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Post by sgulley on Jan 5, 2006 16:04:26 GMT
Thanks Roger. I have been like the kid with the crayons, over-coloring everything for my first couple of years of recording. I am now trying to put things into a song that belong in the song, but it is going to take a while before I will be able to do this. Most of the mixes of the past that I look back on just had too much going on; track EQ cancelations, off-centered vocals, etc. The tips at this forum are hopefully starting to take hold a little bit. I'm more a habitual person than a disciplinarian but am slowly learning to try different things. I am really looking forward to doing a few songs with you this year, and that will take the vocal burden off of me! Have you ever heard of a vocal-correction software plugin/program called "Melodyne Uno?" I've heard that it works really good for fine-tuning vocals, and it is suppose to limit generated artifacts & sound natural. Since it is only $150 it is almost affordable. Some people are against vocal-correction and feel that it is cheating, but I see no difference between that and adding effects to a guitar or some other kind of instruments. Any thought? Thanks again for the kind words. Stan
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Post by Objecks on Jan 5, 2006 18:00:32 GMT
... Some people are against vocal-correction and feel that it is cheating, ... If it works, where do I sign up?
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Post by nikonbob55 on Jan 5, 2006 23:52:35 GMT
Given that I feel my vocals are best used like Halloween makeup (take 'em out once a year to scare people with), I've looked at some of these auto correction programs. As a rule, you need to play the correct melody line with a MIDI instrument, in order to give the program a reference to adjust your vocal to. Now, I don't mind playing keys here and there, but I never really got into or learned MIDI properly, so I took an even better step for improving my vocals. I have Al sing them!
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holzra
Superstar
is that any way to treat an expensive musical instrument?!?!?!?!?
Posts: 879
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Post by holzra on Jan 6, 2006 2:24:23 GMT
protools has auto-tune for a BIG price
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sgulley
Superstar
If you really like music and recording it then never stop trying to get better at it.
Posts: 2,994
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Post by sgulley on Jan 6, 2006 7:21:19 GMT
Actually Melodyne claims that it can be totally independant of MIDI and with just straight audio files. I know BIAB needs a MIDI melody to harmonize with.
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Post by nikonbob55 on Jan 6, 2006 22:08:53 GMT
You are correct, Sir! I've read up on other, similar apps in the past which have required MIDI tracking, but I went and looked at the Melodyne site. It does look interesting, no doubt. I'll try and do a bit more research on it this weekend.
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sgulley
Superstar
If you really like music and recording it then never stop trying to get better at it.
Posts: 2,994
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Post by sgulley on Jan 7, 2006 19:16:28 GMT
I recorded "Still Look Pretty To Me" using the RCAs on the 2488 into the PS5 L/R channels, mixed an MP3, and posted it out on SC. That easy. Don't know if there is a noticable quality loss or not, but you will notice a mix difference from the last one.
Stan
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