Here's my therapy.. hope you like it... :op

  • Thread starter Thread starter WATYF
  • Start date Start date
WATYF-

If you would, describe your technique for recording the guitar.

BTW, I have a piece of shit Taylor too :).

Jon
 
WATYF said:
you're prolly a Martin guy,... ain't yee...? :p

all the hayseeds dig the Martins... ;)

I reckon' it's cause they sound like you're playin' a hollowed oat oak tree... :p
:D :D :D
WATYF
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In all seriousness, I'm a Strat, Flying V, Les Paul, SG, L6s, Ric, Guild Starfire, etc, etc..... cranked to 11 kinda guy.

I've got a $60 pawn shop, Epi special(and some other junkers)...but I've lusted for a Taylor since the day I first picked one up. I think they're the ONLY acoustic guitar, actually. I have just never spent over $500 for a guitar however. One day..... even the 310...or whatever model it is. that'll do me just fine:)
 
I'm listening to the new version now.

The BGV's are very nice harmonically. They seem a little right heavy though.

The harshness thing... I think you're too close to the mic at times. Try moving in and out oh so slightly so as to not compromise the intimacy of your vocal. Good compressors can handle it, but not all of us can afford them. I'm always struggling with this very problem.

Just a tiny critical note for what is otherwise a beautiful recording. I wish I could sing and play like that.

Jon
 
Mix: I know the feeling... ever since I started playing git (in '96) I've wanted a Taylor... finally.. one day.. I was like... "you know what... I'm gonna get me one!" :p (of course,.. it took me a while to pay off the resulting credit card bill... :D but it was well worth it) By the by, that's quite the collection of guitars you got... frankly.. I'm a drummer... :p so guitars are a "side-note" to me... most guitarist get ticked when I say that, because I've got a Taylor sittin' around and they're still lusting after one... :p But it's my only guitar... so it's not like I've got a ton of great gits layin' around.. just this one... when you think aboot it... I gotta pay for my Stage Custom kit, and my complete set of A Custom cymbals and all the drum hardware.. etc. etc. etc.. it's a wonder I have anything left over for a guitar... (or a computer... or a mic.. etc. etc.)

JJ: I use one Oktava MC012 mic.. I have it to the left of the sound hole (15th fret or so) and up a little, pointing down at the hole. I run it direct, through my crappy behringer mixer... :p (602A) and I use a couple free VST plugins in n-Track to brighten it up... for this mix (on the primary guitar) I just used a cheesy compressor plugin and a stereo spread (and EQ'ed it a little). And I totally know what you're talking aboot on the vocals (now that you explain it) I was movin' in a little too much... quite frankly.. I hated this vocal take but got tired of doing it over, (which is why I'm surprised you guys liked it) I also had to use a compressor that I'm really not too happy with. What I'd like to do (and may end up doing) is re-doing the take.. and then using this new compressor plugin that I just found to even it out. I'll be sure to let you know if I do that.... I'd like to get a "real" compressor evenutally.. (because that's my biggest issue too) but I heard a rumor that they actually expect you to give them money for those things... ??? what's up with that... :p

Oh yeah.. the BGV's are purposefully right-heavy.. that's how they have em in the original.. I kinda liked it that way so I emulated it.

WATYF
 
Thanks for describing your recording technique. You get great results.

Good compressors are magical and they should be free!

I'm using a DBX ProVocal as a preamp. It has a compressor chain as well as verb, delay and modeling. I have no plugins as I'm using a demo version of Cool Edit. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and go for the full version. I'm tired of "printing" everything.

Can't wait to hear more stuff from you.

Jon

BTW- you're a drummer? based on this track you should call yourself a guitarist, after all, you know what they call a guy who hangs out with musicians don't you...
 
jjtcorsair said:
you know what they call a guy who hangs out with musicians don't you...
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LOL... yeah.. I know.. I hear that one all the time... :p Fortunately, it doesn't apply to me since I play guitar and write too.. I pity those "mere" drummers though.. :D

WATYF
 
Very, very nice. Do you use a slack tuning of some kind? It does have the Cat Stevens sound (which I LOVE). No criticizm from me.
By the way, I'm havibg a problem getting to the page with you individual MP3's for that little re-mix project with Dres. Any help?
 
I heard some harshness in the main vocal. (actualy a lot)

the guitar is not bad, but I like some "bronze ring" that elixirs don't have, which is not a bad thing, just different. (uh what do I know :D)

I don't know if the last mix was on phones but the harmonies might be just a little too far out.

good stuff

cheers
 
Track, you've got PM. And the tuning isn't standard tuning... It's DADGAD,.. (which explains the "slack" sound) It's very Cat Stevens-ish. I love playing in DADGAD. :p I actually didn't even know what it was till I figured out how to play this song.. then I found oat that a bunch of Del Amitri's tunes are in DADGAD and I started using it a lot.

Fed.. yeah.. I'm gonna re-track those vocals.. hopefully tonight.

WATYF
 
My old band used to cover "The Last to Know" (I think that was the title). I thought that was a pretty nice song.

Anyway I thought this was a real good recording. Nice guitar sound and nice vocals. I thought the lead vocals were a bit quiet and could possibly be brought up just a bit.

I'm not familiar with this song and I don't know how true you want to stay to the original. But I thought it would sound nice to have a finger-picked guitar part that followed the basic chord progression, only higher up on the neck. Maybe bring it in in the second verse. Just a thought.
 
That was very nice! I think your vocal track will be warmer when you run it through a mic pre. If you can get one with a compressor built in, that can do a lot of good. The level gets a little low in some parts on your vocal track I noticed.

I agree with tripleM about the second guitar (or mandolin) in a higher register. Never heard the original but I did like these guys everytime I heard them.

I love that guitar sound.
 
:D "The Last To Know" is another one of my favorites by them.. :p (it's off of another album though).. And I like your idea (picked guitar).. in fact.. I was gonna do that originally.. I was thinking aboot throwing a "higher" acoustic part in at the second verse, but I never ended up adding it after all was said and done. (can't remember why... prolly just too lazy.. :p ) I may throw that in when I fix the vocals...
I think your vocal track will be warmer when you run it through a mic pre. If you can get one with a compressor built in, that can do a lot of good. The level gets a little low in some parts on your vocal track I noticed.
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This is actually my biggest problem right now.. I messed with volume levels just to bring up certain parts that were too quiet, but I know there's still some stuff that drops down too low. I've got a Joe Meek MQ3 on order... it's a nicer pre than what I've got, and it's got a compressor built in, so hopefully that will alleviate some of these issues.

Thanks for the comments.

WATYF
 
WATYF said:
I've got a Joe Meek MQ3 on order... it's a nicer pre than what I've got, and it's got a compressor built in, so hopefully that will alleviate some of these issues.

Thanks for the comments.

WATYF
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I just added a VC3 (older version of the MQ3 I think) to my vocal chain and it really was a great purchase. I think you'll be pleased. Can't wait to hear what it does to your vocals.
 
Dude... my MQ3's came in yesterday... I'm gonna pick em up in a couple hours and hopefully I'll be able to throw the new vocal track on tonight. I'm lookin' forward to hearin' the new sound too.

WATYF
 
This is really good, both guitars and vocal. Great strumming. In the second verse, some strings in the back would really be cool to add some real impact for that harmony. Couldn't understand some of the words in third verse........ but a good story. I like the "I'm ready to fall." Good job. What kind of mic did you use to capture the guitar?
 
Real nice WATYF! You've got a real nice voice (didn't you complain about your voice, I don't get that at all), and those big harmonies that come in sound great. The guitars sound great, too. I agree about the compressor on the lead (I voted for the Meek, btw, I think you had a thread about which to get. I've got a VC3, used to use it for everything, till I moved up a little (adding to the buttlaod of gear :p ).

Sounds really good.

Macle
 
clay said:
This is really good, both guitars and vocal. Great strumming. In the second verse, some strings in the back would really be cool to add some real impact for that harmony. Couldn't understand some of the words in third verse........ but a good story. I like the "I'm ready to fall." Good job. What kind of mic did you use to capture the guitar?
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Thanks clay.. all I used for guitar was an Oktava MC12 running into my cheesy little behringer mixer. :p

I appreciate the comments macle (obviously that means a lot coming from you.. :p) And yeah.. I complained aboot my singing ealier, but only because it really did suck in that other song.. :D And I laid a really sloppy guitar track on that other one too.. but I can honestly say that I'm pretty happy with how this one turned oat, so I didn't have to include any "disclaimers" this time. :cool:

I am saddened to say that I have been messing with my MQ3 for a little bit (yesterday and today) and I just can't seem to get a good sound oat of it. It seems to clip (at the pre) before I can even get a decent level into the soundcard... so I have to bring the levels in n-Track way up just to be able to hear it... And the compressor has been less than impressive. I used some defualt settings that they spelled oat in the manual, and it sounded absolutely awful,... but I haven't written off the fact that I may just be totally using this thing wrong.. :p I recorded a segment of the 1st verse of "Tell Her" using the MQ3, and then A/B'ed it with the existing track that was recorded using the Behringer pre's, and the Behringer's pre's sounded just plain clearer and brighter... (what's up with that??? :eek: :p ) So I have to say that my first impressions are not so great. That's O.K. though.. I'm just starting to get my ears wet when it comes to buying gear and I've already learned some pretty valuable lessons. (like, "NEVER start a Poll about entry level mic-pre's" :D)

WATYF
 
WATYF,

I dont think you sound a whole lot like Dave Mathews!

I think the song was Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat as Tony the Tiger would say!

I like the depth of the mix and the layering of the vocals during the chorus.

Good job!
 
Emotive, expressive singing (and no pitch problems...trust me, I'm very familiar with pitch problems!) Love your voice, man.
Guitars sounded fine to me. (note: my friggin' connection got squirrely, so I only heard maybe 75% of the song)
I'd kill to be able to sing like you (and many others here).
Oops...how did all these dead bodies get in here?

Seriously, a moving rendition...hats off, man.

Mark
 
see? the audiobuddy is made for computer interface!

your behringer has gain stages other than just the preamp. its possible that youve been using extra gain there. make sure your volume controls on the line in for your soundcard are all the way up.

computers can be tricky!

you have been neglecting your preamp thread! we have been keeping it going for you... we was just havin fun...

i thought you said you were getting 2 meeks? then you could be sure one of them worked right.

the preamps on the behringer may not be all that bad. i have the smallest behringer board which i used for a keyboard mixer. ive never used the preamps but maybe i should try them and see... they may actually be very good cause solid state preamps dont have to be expensive to do the job.

i see the dave matthews thing. ha ha ha. and the strumming is good. you can be in my band if you want!

:)
 
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