^ that blues track was cool, but I had a hard time thinking of anything original or cool to put over it. I tried some mellow fretless... didn't feel it. Tried some floyd-octave shiz... didn't feel it. oh well.
Where do you get your backing tracks from anyways?
I suppose I could throw together a few backing tracks this friday afternoon, just to offer variety. I have a sweet drum program (groove agent) that's good for... well, drums. Then I could toss it over to someone wanting to do guitar, and so forth. and just to get things moving faster, it would be good to include notes on song structure, key, expiration date, etc.
After I start school next month, I'll see what I can do about getting some live backing recordings from the studio dudes. That is, if we manage to get our shit together enough to do anything. Props to dent for initiating something.
note: anyone who doesn't suck at singing want to do vocal recordings on the jams? I think that could be kind of cool.
dent:
I cannot stress enough how important the link from your instrument to computer is - this is where you need to dump some cash.
I wish you'd have started this thread about 2 weeks earlier. I bought some POS instrument to USB port patchcord nonsense. Fuking thing borked my audio driver, and didn't work for shit. Forty bones for nuthin.
Any suggestions for a good connection? The fukhead at GC acted like I was speaking fuking Japanese when I asked how best to connect my guitar to my puter.
____________________ Just another freak in the freak kingdom.
We seriously need to figure out who plays what and what platform they're working with.
Anyway, to answer your question Clav check out this article: Buyer's Guide. It may be on a Mac website but it's very generalzied and this is the exact article that got me down the path to recording some extremely high quality tracks. There are ways around spending a lot of cash - just got to understand how digital recording works.
____________________ "You must have weak asslips. I like to sculpt mine on the way out, like table legs under a lathe" - Vasudeva
If you want to go the midi route, you'll need to buy a midi-box and/or card, cables, and the midi software (expensive for good software as far as I know). Worst case scenario is you plug your synth straight into the mic input on your computer and record that way. If you do that, there is freeware you can use to record (Google it), and Audacity is a good freeware program for tweaking tracks.
give me a price range and I can throw some product links at you
I will probably get a midi-box and will need multitracking software. Throw me some links. The keyboard came with software, an editor and library for managing performances, patches, and rhythms. Price range is 'no' more than $200 but want to go as cheap as I can. Under $100 would be sweet.
____________________ One man's love-bombing is another man's being showered with attention.
____________________ But the whole of modern so-called civilized existence is an attempt to deny reality insofar as it exists. When did Don last look at the stars, when did Norman last get soaked in a rainstorm?
____________________ To win, you must fight not only the creature you encounter; you must fight the most horrible thing that can be constructed from its corpse.
dent: Fuck, I didn't even know that you played guitar.
Anyone else?
We seriously need to figure out who plays what and what platform they're working with.
[sigh] Okay, here we go.
What I play:
Drums/Percussion
Bass
Guitar
Keys/Piano
Vocals
Flutes
Woodwinds
Mandolin
Brass
etc...
Platform:
Software:
PC running Acid Pro 5
(I haven't upgraded to 6 yet, although I realy want to soon. I've run Pro Tools, Gigastudio and others in the past, and liked some of them a lot, but Acid has just become easier and faster to work with for me.
Mackie 24*8 (which I use mostly for live, and hardly ever in the studio anymore, except for the sweet, sweet mic preamps.)
16 tracks of ADAT (which I use mostly for tracking drums)
Tons of outboard gear, most of which I hardly use anymore except for live.
Mics and stands and cables coming out of my ears. I think I calculated at one point that there was upwards of 35 miles of cable in the spare bedroom at my house.
What I Play/Record/Like:
Anything and everything from bluegrass and country to jazz to punk and pop, and everything in between. If it makes my foot start tapping by itself, I'm all over it.
As others have pointed out, the interface between your analog audio (instruments) and your DAW (computer) is the king of all. Cheap sound cards have cheap DACs (Digital Audio Converters), and sound like ass. Preferably, get something with a breakout box, because the inside of your computer is a very hot, loud and violent place, and is not the location you want to be trying to capture pristine digital audio.
Also, if you play acoustic anything, ever, for fuck sake, buy a decent microphone. My current under $1k favorite is the AT4050 Although I used the 4033 for years and loved it (still do). You can pick a 4033 up on eBay for a couple hundred these days.
Be aware that any pro level (and many prosumer) mics will require phantom power (typically 48V, 5mA DC fed from the mixing board referenced against pin1 ground) to run.
I'm sure I'm leaving tons out here. But... meh. If it's important, it will come up.
I love the idea for an LS collaboration, but I am horrendously busy at the moment. Still, send my the file, and I'll see whether it sparks anything. Sound like a blast.
____________________
You can't hear me laughing to myself
If you could you would be someone else.
Also, if you play acoustic anything, ever, for fuck sake, buy a decent microphone.
Acoustic recording has been a fucking nightmare for me. I tried purchasing clip-on mics, stick on mics and electric pickups - all absolute junk. I've tried using a few different Shure mics at close range on a boom stand - all shit. Seriously, how does one record acoustic and get an acoustic, full spectrum sound? I want to be able to record all ranges of tone, not just treble.
Help.
____________________ "You must have weak asslips. I like to sculpt mine on the way out, like table legs under a lathe" - Vasudeva
Also, if you play acoustic anything, ever, for fuck sake, buy a decent microphone.
Acoustic recording has been a fucking nightmare for me. I tried purchasing clip-on mics, stick on mics and electric pickups - all absolute junk. I've tried using a few different Shure mics at close range on a boom stand - all shit. Seriously, how does one record acoustic and get an acoustic, full spectrum sound? I want to be able to record all ranges of tone, not just treble.
dent:
Seriously, how does one record acoustic and get an acoustic, full spectrum sound? I want to be able to record all ranges of tone, not just treble.
Help.
Recording acoustic guitar outside of million dollar rooms specifically designed for the purpose generally falls into one of two categories; difficult and impossible.
I think the number one mistake people make (and which it took years to break myself of) is placing the mic(s) too close.
Just like the three things that matter most to business, the three things that most effect the sound of an acoustic guitar recording are:
1) Mic Placement
2) Mic Placement
and 3) (you guessed it...) Mic Placement.
Typically, I use either the XY pair as described there or (inexplicably not described there) an MS (Mid-Side) pair. This requires good mics with different or configurable polar patterns, so it's not cheap.
But the big things are mic selection and placement. Use decent mics, preferably condenser types. Dynamic mics typically aren't sensative enough, and the transient response ends up being dreadful. Make sure the space is very quiet. Place the mics(s) a good foot or two at least from the instrument, and try not to point them directly at the sound hole. This seems counter-intuitive until you realize that nobody listens to a guitar by sticking their ear 1 inch in front of the sound hole. The spaced XY technique described above works well.
Also, remember that you'll have to play around with it every time. Slight variations in tempurature, humidity, and physical location in the space will make dramatic differences in your recordings. So every time you record, it becomes a process of tweaking it for "what's going to work today".
Also also, did I mention buying decent mics and positioning them correctly? Actually, even a pair of Audio Technica AT2020's (100 bucks each) will work fine, although I find them a little brittle sounding.
Remember that the ultimate goal of recording is to replicate the way the human ear works (regardless of how much munging you're planning to do to it afterwards in the mix). So if your guitar on tape doesn't sound like it does when you're playing it, tweak your setup. Have someone else play it while you walk around the room, bobbing your head up and down like some crazed water fowl, looking for the sweet spot for the instrument. When you find it, put the mics there and see what happens. When you find the placement that works for that session, the instrument will really start to speak. When you hear that, get the cut in the can fast.
Really, there aren't any magic bullets other than experience and practice. Although it helps a great deal to buy decent mics and position them correctly.
____________________
You can't hear me laughing to myself
If you could you would be someone else.
This is called "Karl's Dream" and is from the project I'm currently working on. It's a work in progress, so the mix isn't final yet, nor has it been mastered properly, etc.
I ain't laughing, dudebroguy - that's some seriously tight recording. Damn, there's some talent coming out of the woodwork now. Nice acoustic sound - that's pretty much the sound I'm constantly searching for.
I think we have enough talent in here to at least put together a fun jam track. If no one submits a backing track I'll try and find some time this weekend (I'm in the midst of closing on a house and moving shit) and record a track with just drums and some guitar and post it as an mp3. The next person can import and create a new track, record and save it as an mp3 and repost for the next person to DL.
Acoustic rock? Rock? Metal? Jazz? Blues?
____________________ "You must have weak asslips. I like to sculpt mine on the way out, like table legs under a lathe" - Vasudeva
I just got a Pignose acoustic amp, plus ordered a Audiophile USB
It is bundled with Reason (turns midi keyboard into a synth, +more) - also getting SoundForge.
Should be here this week (but will take a little longer to learn to use the s/w...)
Dent: let me know when you can send something my way. I can lay down funtrax with:
acoustic guitar
flute
fiddle
maybe some synth (once I figure out Reason)
____________________ To the dog who has money, men say "My Lord Dog".
I'm picking up an Epiphone acoustic this weekend. I've never played acoustic, but I love the sound and want to see if I can transition from electric.
Which got me thinking; when the fuk did everybody and their little yellow dog start playing Les Pauls? I've been a Stratfag since I was old enough to wrap my hands around the neck; but the more I look around, the more I start think that Pete Townsend and I are the last two aging gimps rocking the Stratocaster.
____________________ Just another freak in the freak kingdom.
oh yeah and heres an equipment rollcall, if you like that sort of thing:
Sonar 6 Producer Edition
M-Audio Mobile Pre-USB
Creative Extigy(for me midi keyboard)
Behringer BCR2000 control surface
Alesis M1 Active Monitors
Epiphone SG(can't afford a Gibson)
I rocked a Squire for a long time, Clav. I loved the sound, but only on the neck pick-up. I think a lot of people find the center and bridge pick-ups to be entirely too twangywangy and tinny. But like I said, if you're doing some clean picking or bluesy runs - the neck pick-ups are untouchable.
Fuck the clunky Les Pauls. The only two guitarists that ever made them rock out were Wylde and Slash.
____________________ "You must have weak asslips. I like to sculpt mine on the way out, like table legs under a lathe" - Vasudeva
Fuck the clunky Les Pauls. The only two guitarists that ever made them rock out were Wylde and Slash.
I thought my Les Paul was the best thing in the world until i picked up an SG in my local guitar shop. Never looked back!
Its really strange playing a body-heavy guitar now though, i like the weighty headstock of the SG.
Here, fuck with this file: http://www.mediafire.com/?cuucflltjgx
I recorded it with Garageband. It's pretty simple, standard tuning, drop D. I bet we can get quite a bit of other instruments on top. I have the raw files if anyone wants to fuck with the drums.
Feel free to add or shorten the length of the track, add new drums, more drums, different drums.
____________________ "You must have weak asslips. I like to sculpt mine on the way out, like table legs under a lathe" - Vasudeva
