Desperately Seeking Drummer(s)

[Queue]

You: a drummer, or musician that is rhythmically inclined, capable of recording, capable of downloading and sync'ing to existing recorded tracks, and finally capable of converting your recordings to MP3's and uploading for collaborative multitracking recording projects.

(Not asking too much am I? )

If you're interested, skip on over to Collaboration Central and check things out. Everything is free, and everyone is pretty low key, mostly 'just for fun' homewreck types. There's only one 'real' drummer collaborating right now, and a few guys taking up the slack with some drum pads and/or midi stuff. Sure would be nice to see a few more drummers over there. (And less drum machines/fruity/ACID tracks.)

I'm personally concentrating on two projects over there:

Rock and Roll Cliche and
I Hate the Rain

disclaimer
I am not affiliated with the site, although I am listed as a founding member, basically one of the first 50 to sign up.

Queue (I am "Queue" over there, too. How convenient.)

[Tekker]

Yeah I'm interested, sounds like a blast! (And I'm a "real" drummer too, YEAH!! ) But I'm still kinda new to the whole MP3 posting thing. I just started my own webpage (through Angelfire.com) and I tried to post some (experimental) MP3s but I just couldn't figure it out, and it kept saying that it could not locate the page (or something). But maybe with a little help I could get the hang of it. (I hope)

Also I went and listened to your song but it sounded really bad on my end, it stuttered through the whole thing, kkkiiinnnddddaaa llliiikkkeee tttthhhiiisss. It did that on all the songs I clicked on too, does it sound that way to you guys or is this just on my end?? Usually when I play MP3s or something it usually plays through the winamp player, but when I played those songs it's just that little bar player that comes up and plays them, so maybe that's the problem. Because I had that little bar player too when I had loaded up my song onto my page (well it was loaded into the little editor box but I still couldn't figure out how to actually get it onto my page.....but that's another story) and listened to it and it had that exact same stuttering sound. So I guess it IS on my end, I've got all the puter's sounds going through my new Aardvark Direct Pro soundcard so is there something that I don't have set up right that would make it play better?

-tkr

[Queue]

Tekker,
Come on over (we really do need drummers).

--Everyone else is invited too, though--

Next time try right clicking on the MP3 file and saving/downloading it to your hard drive. Then try playing it. I know the server there isn't the speediest, and it might not stream MP3's very well if it is busy.

-BUT-
If it still skips, it could be your AARK. It took me a few tries to get mine to work correctly, so let me know if it still skips after downloading. If it does, post here what OS you're using, what version of Winamp, etc.

And for uploading, they'll give you webspace, the best way to upload is using an FTP client software. There's a tutorial posted, plus lots of helpful people (just like here).

***And before anyone starts to fire up the flamethrowers***

I'm NOT trying to pull any traffic away from here. I, personally, will continue to use these forums at homerec.com for info (and fun) and the forums over there for collaborating (and more fun).

Queue
--It's all good (and fun)--

[Tekker]

I just tried saving your song to HD and that worked.
I liked your song, (very cool rain effect) what insturments are you playing on it? (and please tell me you didn't write those lyrics )

Also where's that FTP tutorial at? I couldn't find it and I'd like to check that out.

-tkr

[Queue]

Tekker,
Glad you could hear the song. (In case you couldn't tell, I'm an amateur. ) I wrote the beginnings of the song and lyric with lots of help from my 5 year old twins . I think at this point they are the 'weakest link' buh-bye. I'm trying to rework them, but keep some of the juvenile qualities. I'm playing that low growling electric guitar part on what is called a 'basitar' (that's a whole 'nuther story). Bill (his nick @ CC) is playing the acoustic guitar. He also recorded the rain sounds and was a major part of the arrangement, and I copped the thunderclap through an altavista search. I'm doing the mixing.
Real drums would help considerably, and we had a nibble on a lead guitar part, but haven't heard back in a few...

FTP Threads (@CC)
A couple of FTP clients and one tutorial here
Lots of WS_FTP tips on this one

I thought there was another one, but I can't find it...

Queue

[Tekker]

Well, I've been trying to download the smartFTP (Crimsonwarlock seemed to like this one?) for a while with no luck. But as soon as I can get this thing to work I'd love to help with the drums and I've been dinking around with some weird guitar solo-type stuff also. I'm no shredder but think I'm fairly decent, (leads are NOT my strong point, but I'm working on it ).

I'll let you know how this thing turns out, I gonna re-boot now and see if that fixes things (that usually does.......see you on the flip side )

-tkr

[Queue]

I went with WS_FTP, mainly cuz all the tips were for that one. It has worked flawlessly for me.

Would it help for me to put up a drumless mix, or is the robo-drum good for you to use as a metronome?

Leads are welcome, too.

Queue

[Tekker]

Yeah, I just talked with my dad a little bit ago about it and he also said to look for WS_FTP because he uses that one at work all the time so he knows it really well and could help me with it (if I have problems like that last one). So I'll go give that one a try.

I think that a drumless one would be good too, because I've already got the drum one downloaded, and if you can give me the tempo of the song I can set up a clicking metronome in Cakewalk also and see which one is easier to play with.

I wouldn't exactly call them leads........more like noises.

-tkr

[Queue]

Tekker,
Here's a track w/o the 'drums'.

rain4a_nodrums90bpm.mp3

I think it is 90 bpm.

Queue

[Tekker]

Thanx Quene, I'll take a look at it.

I saw that the guy doing the guitar part finally wrote you back, but I still want try out some guitar stuff anyways (you can never have to much guitar ).

Do you (or anyone else) know of a good software program that will convert MP3s to waves that isn't on a time limit? (I had a Cool Edit 2000 demo, which was real good but it ran out and I can't save or export anything I do with it now, so all I can use it for is the frequency analyzer)

-tkr

[Queue]

Not sure how good it is, but Musicmatch will do that for you (and it is free).

Also try CDEX someone posted a link on CC about that one.

Or go here and find one for yourself...

Queue

[Tekker]

I just laid down 2 and 1/4 drum takes, on the first take Cakewalk dropped out in the beginning of the song, but I kept the it anyway (just for kicks ). I did a 3 mic setup, 2 overheads and 1 on kick and I think it sounds pretty darn good. I got a little off on some places (mostly because of my rigged up and blown headphones, and the fact that I was in a hurry to get done before it got to late and I had to stop playing), and I might try again tomorrow when I have more time and won't feel rushed and see how things go. And as soon as I get the drums done I'll start working on some guitar stuff too.

Would you like the unprocessed drums (so you can do it yourself) or does it matter to you one way or the other?

Also do you think you could post each track separately, so I can do a mix of my own? (then we could compare notes)

-tkr

[Queue]

I HATE tracking in a hurry (almost as much as I hate rain )

As far as processed/unprocessed, send me processed for now, until we get a feel for things, then we'll figure things out based on bandwidth/storage.

I'd like to try that compare the mix thing. I'm sure I could learn something from an experiment like that. I'll have to render out the tracks for you and get them to you tomorrow. You want them completely dry?

Queue

[Tekker]

I'm going to fix the tracks in Cakewalk. There was nothing really major, just a few fills got off (I guess I got a little carried away ) so I think I can fix them, and what I can't fix I'll redu today.

Yeah, completely dry would be good.

Now I just need to figure out how to work this FTP thing works and get these tracks to you when their done.

Also, I just thought of something, you should have your kids sing (at the end of the song with all the voice overs) I think that would be pretty cool, and I'm sure they would love it.

-tkr

[Queue]

I might try that (with the kids). But you better believe they'll be singing into a dynamic (SM57) and NOT my condenser (Studio Projects C1)!!!

[Tekker]

Well it doesn't look like I'll be doing anything for a while, my computer won't see my Aardvark card anymore. It still sees my Turtle Beach card so I guess I can still edit with that, but I won't be able to redu anything until this stupid computer sees my card and starts working. (Oh I sure hope it's NOT my card )

Yeah, definitly don't give your kids the C1.

-tkr

[Queue]

Major bummer

Let me know if I can help.

The kids don't know the C1 exists... It lives in a case until they're asleep.

Queue

[Tekker]

I don't think anyone can help my puter now.......it just needs to be put out of it's misery, for it has suffered long enough.

I couldn't get my dad to look at it today (and I have no idea what-so-ever when it comes to stuff like this) but I'll see if I can get him to look at it tomorrow.

I hear that, when I ever have kids I'll have to have a secret underground (bat cave-like) studio, that only comes to life after bedtime.

-tkr

[Queue]

hehe

My "studio" used to be in the basement of my townhouse, in a closet that is under the stairs. I put a little latch at the top of the door. I was cassette 4-tracking then.

Now that I'm PC-DAW dude, I had to move operations to where the PC is... duh..... It is at the opposite end of my townhouse, in a loft above our master bedroom. Good thing is, kids don't go up there much (if at all) without me. Plus I think the acoustics in there are pretty good, as the roofline comes way down, the back wall is about 3' tall. Bad news is I can't track when the Mrs. goes to bed. I do a lot of mixing then...

--Anyhow--
If you get things working, let me know, either on this thread or over at CC. If I've found drums for "Rain" I'm sure there'll be something else going on over there for you to chip in on.

Queue

[Tekker]

If I've found drums for "Rain".....

(?????????????)

YOU DID WHAAAATTTTT??????

If you were worried that I wouldn't be able to get it done, I CAN still edit what was recorded before (like I said only minor tempo flurries on the fills ect......). Who (or what) are you using for drums?

I'm sure there'll be something else going on over there for you to chip in on.

BUT I WANTED THIS ONE!!! *Said in my best 5 year old tantrum voice*

-tkr

[Queue]

Calm down!! (Said in my best daddy calming tone, remember I deal with 5 yr old tantrums on a daily basis...

I was just trying to leave things open, and wasn't sure how long you'd be down and out of comission with the PC problems. Currently there is nobody doing drums (just that guy named "Fruity"). Can't say no one will come along, but so far you're it.

Queue

[Tekker]

Oh goodie, goodie, goodie, goodie........

Yeah, I still can edit what I have with my old junky Turtle Beach card, I guess I don't need the best card in the world just to get the timing right. And I don't think my drums will really need that much EQ on them (maybe just a little reverb for effects and stuff). Everything sounds REALLY good, which was a surprise to me seeing as how my toms didn't sound all that good in person. But I'm sure that if I had "real" monitors then I could hear all the little (and major) inperfections, but right now they are sounding pretty darn good through my Aiwa CD-Player speakers.

-tkr

[Queue]

As you could probably tell from those tracks, I'm no pro... Glad you're not completely shut down.

Queue

[Tekker]

I just saw that there was an "IF" there.....

IF I've found drums for "Rain".....

I'm kinda doing two things at once here (I'm also reading some heath book to get my food workers license so that I can bus tables at a restaraunt.....whooopie ), so I'm reading that inbetween posts and I just saw the "I've found drums" part and well, you know the rest......

-tkr

[Tekker]

My soundcard is fixed now, but I really don't think I'm going to have to redu anything though. I've got a lot of it edited and it sounds very good "as is" so I think I'll just finish it up and (figure out how to use that FTP thing) then send it off. And what I think I'm going to do is just get it mostly on beat (there's still a little bit of a lag and pull at some parts) and then send off a "scratch track" just so you can hear it and have something to tweek with, then I'll finish it up and send off the "real deal".

-tkr