Jazzy Blues

the panning seems a little too left on the guitar. for some reason, i want the bass of the piano left, and the highs center. i think it's because i want the bass of the guitar to be complimented.

but really...the tones are AWESOME. levels are great. performances are GREAT. reverb is perfect.

anything i could say is mere preference. i don't think i have ears or the space to critique it other than that because it's just that good.
 
I listened to this with headphones on and I thought the recording was lush and full. I loved it! Nice work!
 
Gotta redo the drums...or can them. Dragging the time. Need a real drummer. I can feel the time, but the hat is always a few ms's off the pulse. Funny how I hear goobers when I post it. ....which is one of the reasons I do!

the panning seems a little too left on the guitar. for some reason, i want the bass of the piano left, and the highs center. i think it's because i want the bass of the guitar to be complimented.

I'll try it. I think I should narrow the piano's field, too.
 
Kind of you. However, they are buried in the mix...cuz they are lame. They add nothing but noise. I have to get jiggy wid it, and play along with sticks [can't make brushes work very well] and shedshedshed. If I can't get something nice after a week, I'll just go with the finger snaps alone. They work.

Just not worth cluttering with no added zing or taste, I reckon.

I can hear what I want...just not experienced enough to reproduce it. I gotta track the 2&4 hat closings by themselves...no independence....and I can't get my foot down on the beat. Grrrr 8^)
 
Yup. I love that beasty bass thing. That track was recorded with a Shure SM58, set 16" in front of the F hole on the treble side. There's no compression or EQ-ing on the entire mix, just a brickwall that clips a couple transients on the master. Very pristine recording. I got the bass set up right, I think.... the mic's sweet spot; the right mike; and the right action on the beast. Nice transient thump, and not a wad of proximity bass-boost to roll-off. [I'd been using a small-diameter condenser clipped onto the bridge...too close...awash in boom.]
I ended up knocking off the nut the bass, and flat-sanding the neck to get a low, growling, jazzy action. They all come from the factories with a huge relief [bow] in the neck. I tacked 1.5 inch-wide, 50 grit emory cloth strips onto 1.5" by 5' aluminum "I" stock...and flat-sanded the fingerboard. Lots of experimenting with the string placement and height. A lot of trial and error. Almost perfect.

I also used dots of white nail polish to mark the the side of the fretboard to help me navigate ;^)

ps...TX wilco. It's the first time I've used 'bright ambience' for verb. It worked really well...kinda like a dance practice room in a factory loft. I like it!
 
jeffmaher said:
I ended up knocking off the nut the bass, and flat-sanding the neck to get a low, growling, jazzy action. They all come from the factories with a huge relief [bow] in the neck. I tacked 1.5 inch-wide, 50 grit emory cloth strips onto 1.5" by 5' aluminum "I" stock...and flat-sanded the fingerboard. Lots of experimenting with the string placement and height. A lot of trial and error. Almost perfect.

I also used dots of white nail polish to mark the the side of the fretboard to help me navigate ;^)

ps...TX wilco. It's the first time I've used 'bright ambience' for verb. It worked really well...kinda like a dance practice room in a factory loft. I like it!
Click to expand...

Lol, now thats dedication! It paid off, sounds great.
 
Very nice. Well done wikth the bass beast. Difficult things but when they are right, they are right & you seem to have it sorted.
I don't mind the snaps off to the side - they're where I'd expect them to be with the impatient clarinetist who has to be heard in some form or other.
 
I don't mind the snaps off to the side - they're where I'd expect them to be with the impatient clarinetist who has to be heard in some form or other.

That's close to the original intention......dancers waiting cue to rehearse steps...off to the side; but it seemed a little distracting? I'll try ctr, then pan again. See what happens.

And, speaking of impatient horn players, I wanted to use muted 'Miles' trumpet on it...play the line...and do an 'out' solo on the dead verse; I just don't have the chops...or a mute. My Craigslist orchestra's account is in the red. Maybe I can stuff a sock in the bell and make my fingers move really fast, with dedicated practice? :^)

I love my upright. Yes!

Someone actually thought enough of it to download it on Soundclick. My second sale in 6 years! At this rate, I'll have enough to warrant getting a PayPay account to get paid....in 25 years!
 
TX Dave! I think I'm gonna can the drums, though; I have a good master without the drums: more space, clarity, etc. Maybe substitute bongos....the swish on the snare and the crashes seem unnecessary. Just filling all the space, stealing thunder from the groove.
 
Hey Jeff, that sounds awesome – good stuff!!!

Nice to hear an acoustic bass – useful info you’ve provided on micing experiments with the bass (sm57 @ 16” versus small condenser clipped @ bridge). And sanding the neck to get some ‘growl’ too!!! What are you using for a piano ???

Sadly, I’ll have to stick to using VST plug-ins (CuBase) for pretty much everything I do for the foreseeable future (don’t have the space).
 
That's 'general midi piano #1' loaded in an antique Roland XV50/80 rack synth. I'd live to have a real one. No room :^) [and too much room in my wallet]

I apprenticed with a guy who does MIDI orchestras so well you can't tell they're fake. I was going that direction...until I realized I could assemble a real orchestra for a fraction of what SOTA midi gear costs. Craigslist. Violin for $50. Trumpet for $25, etc. It's fun. Except when I get told that my instruments sound MIDI. Maybe that's a compliment?

But the upright? That's a brand-new all real wood thing that cost a lot. I didn;t want plywood. Although they make really good ply basses. [but they feel and sound dead to me]
Space? Use little instruments!
 
Just listened, not sure what changes you made since originally posted. Love the bass, fits right in the pocket. Guitar sounds great, nice capture.

Not crazy about the finger snaps; at least not having them going through the whole song. I'd say bring them in and out as the song moves through the variations. Like keep them during the main riff, then as the song goes into improvisations, stop them. Something like that.

Always great to listen to your work.
 
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