Live performance

[AlChuck]

Well, partly live.

I got a nearly-last-minute invitation to perform a piece at the 10th annual College of San Mateo Electronic Music Concert. I had taken a class two years ago called Music for Visual Media, and through that connection, somehow I ended up on the stage in the CSM Theatre last night, performing a guitar improvisation over a backing track that I'd assembled with ACID recently from several digital audio loops. Since it was an electronic music concert, I thought I should go as futuristic as possible, so I brought my funny-looking Hohner Steinberger-copy headless guitar and played through my POD instead of a standard guitar amp.

It came out pretty good, and fortunately I had someone videotape it. I've posted an MP3 taken off the camcorder:

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...d=1548&alid=-1

It's the last in the list, "Threshold."

[Emeric]

Very Cool AlChuck.

Sounded fusionish jazzish like, know what I mean.

Looks like a fun gig. Nice job.

[Henri Devill]

Al, You and my best freind back home{Boston}Do the same type of vibe!Very cool stuff!Do you do looping delays live with sample and hold then overdub{Fripp esk}?I really enjoyed the listen!


Don

[Lt. Bob]

pretty interesting.....I like the 'live' sound you have. You can hear the hall.......I likes it.

[chrisharris]

Cool performance. Sounds like they dug it, too. See, the reason I never post any live stuff is because my live mixes are really light in the "applause" department, lmao...I really need some kind of an EQ button that fixes that.

Since this was recorded on a camcorder, I won't go all "mixy" on you, lol.

(cut some mids...like a bunch)

Okay, maybe a little mixy, lmao.

Thanks for posting.

[AlChuck]

Emeric,

Thanks for the kind words... I guess it is kind of fusionish/jazzish, especially since there's improv going on... I thought of it more as some sort of electronica?... these labels are so tough sometimes out on the soft edges, aren't they?

Henri Devill,

No, I've never really tried the looping delay things ala Fripp or David Torn, though I love the things they do... I could see how you might think that because some of the stuff in the ACID loops I used had a very similar sound to what I was using on the guitar (the POD's Fender Deluxe model with the overdrive up about 75% and using the Swell/Delay effects patch, which gummed off the pick attack and caused the beginnings of the notes to bloom like they were bowed). My effects use is pretty much plug and play. Someday I might try to do more with it, but I spend most of my music time just trying to learn to play the axe itself better at this point.

Your friend's stuff sounds intriguing. Any online stuff I can hear?


Lt. Bob,

thanks for checking it out and I'm glad you liked it.


chrisharris,

As far as your recordings, these days with a computer or DAW, you can layer in all the applause you want

And thanks for the comments. I didn't even think of trying to EQ the overall mix at all. I'll load up the file and see if cutting out some mids helps clarify it sonically. But it was also inherently midish (as opposed to MIDI-ish), so it might just be the way it is.

(loads up file in Sound Forge and fiddles for a few minutes)

Well, I just gave it a quick shot, and all I seemed to be able to do was make the percussion more sibilant. Actually, the guitar seemd a little more distinct from the loop track too. So I am encouraged to try again a little more carefully. This might serve me as a good testing ground for learning how to use EQ to improve stuff that's a little too much this or too little that... I don't feel I have much of a handle on using EQ at all, my changes always sound either too subtle to really tell, or too obvious.

[Stratomaster]

Cool performance-your tone reminds me of Holdsworth a bit-with the kinda volume swell thing...Not much to add-just wanted to say I checked it out(and I noticed you were from San Mateo-I spent a week there a couple of years ago-nice area-but$$$$!). Nice piece-sounded like the crowd dug it as well.

[AlChuck]

Stratomaster,

Thanks for the comparison to Holdsworth, I've always loved his tone. No if only I could play like he can too!

This whole Bay Area is indeed ridiculously expensive. We got a really dinky house eight years ago, which I guess was good, but we were way over the advisable debt/income ratios and so we live pretty spartanly compared to most people in this country. My wife thought we could live there for five years and then buy up. Ha! We're stuck forever. Or worse -- now I'm out of work and the severance has almost run dry so I'm starting to feel a bit panic-y.

[chrisharris]

Originally posted by AlChuck
now I'm out of work and the severance has almost run dry so I'm starting to feel a bit panic-y.

Hey man...good luck to you. I hope things work out...and soon.

You could always move to Texas...I mean, sure the people suck, but you can live in a mansion on a 40 acre estate for what it costs to rent a one bedroom apartment in your area.

Anyway, I hope the panic subsides.

[boydrj]

Trippy stuff ... all the better that this is live! The recording came out nice!

I like the ambiance of the entire piece.

[drstawl]

I have to hand it to ya, being able to play those cool jazzy licks over the distracting sound of that drum machine!

And the Holdsworth comparison was right on. The chord that you kept coming back to was very much like the heart of a solo he played on the Tony Williams Lifetime Album in the song, "Fred".

[A1A2]

Music for Visual Media? I'm taking a course called, Image and Sound next semester, woohoo! what did you guys do in that class? I will get to play with flash and protools in that class.

Do you have an expression pedel for your pod? I would like to try that sound, which has a slow attack, on my pod, too

This is cool, I really dig that electronic piece of yours. Are you a fan of Radiohead, too? I sure am. The guitar playing is very considerate, I must say. You are a good player, who knows when to play what unlike many others who just play their best riffs wherever, u know what I mean?

Where do you get your loops? ACIDPlanet?

Good job, this is really cool!

The storm has gone away over here , sunny again. Summer time!


Al

[AlChuck]

boydrj,

Thanks! Not too bad for a camcorder. It helped that the house PA was a good one and the room sound was clear.

drstawl,

Thansk for listening. Wow, "Fred" happens to be one of my all-time favorite recordings, I can even almost play the head. The drum part just kills, and Holdsworth's solo is a magnificant thing.

A1A2,

Let me PM you about that class.

No, I don't have an expression pedal for the POD. I couldn't face spending the money on it, especially when I would use it so infrequently. You can easily get that sound on the POD, just pick the effect setting just to the right of the Bypass setting at 6:00.

I am not a fan of Radiohead, not because I don';t like them but becuase I have so far remained unexposed to them. I have heard a lot of good things about them, but somehow I have not gotten around to seeking them out yet. From what I've read and been told, I suspect I would like them.

I get loops from a couple of ACID CDs that I own (the first Bill Laswell one, the earlier David Torn on, a few others). ACIDPlanet, from PocketFuel, and occasionally from a few other places. I make my own when the spirit moves me too.

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the sunshine.

[A1A2]

AlChuck

thanks for sharing that tip on POD, I will definitely try it out.

I never really got into radiohead before cuz their first album sucked. But, lately I've been listening to their songs, and they sure have changed their way of making music. Check out Ok Computer, alot of people compare that album to Dark Side of the Moon.

Anyway, check your PM

Al

[Slackmaster2K]

Al, this is REALLY cool stuff!

Slackmaster 2000

[Pedullist]

Holdsworth, Holdsworth?

MUST.....DOWNLOAD.....THIS.........SONG!

[AlChuck]

Slackmaster,

Thanks!

Pedullist,

If you're really expecting something Holdsworthy (Holdsworthian? Holdsworthesque?), I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, I don't think there's anything in here faster than an eight note...