How do I do this??

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cedar Fever
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Cedar Fever

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OK...you all have to treat me like a 2 year old. I am that ignorant. However...I do know what I want to do...just not knowing how to do it.

I play the tenor guitar...since 1975...and have all these years working on one song...that I wrote in 1974. I am a very persistant person. Anyhow, I am practicing more....and what I am trying to do....without words (I can't sing....even though the song has words)...it to tell the story (song) in music.

I have a Yamaha stereo mixer, dawn pro-audio spkr system...and a JVC cd player/burner that lets me create cd very easily. I start with LINE only and create my first cd with me playing my tenor guitar...playing the song. The using the option of CD + LINE...I can then create a totally new cd that results in a finished product of two tenors. This process I can repeat...adding a 3rd tenor and keybord, ETC. Pretty cool for not much money.

So I have done this in my little studio/bedroom but.....what I want to do is add tabla drums.

I want to put the tabla down first...so that I have a steady beat. But to complicate matters...because the song has changes...only in certain parts do I want the tabla drums to play. How in the world do I do this? I have visited tons of tabla drum loop sites and a lot is offerred...but I just don't know what is the best step to take. I might mention that the JVC says on it MP3 player. But you see...I am just confused with all this MP3...Wave...etc. lingo.

OK...if I had a cd with a seamless loop or continuous playing of a tabla beat...fine...I could use the JVC's CD + LINE feature and work with that. HOW DO I GET THAT SEAMLESS TABLA LOOP CD?
 
Cedar Fever said:
.....I have a Yamaha stereo mixer.....
Click to expand...

Before I attempt to answer your question, I would like to know which Yamaha mixer do you possess?

;)

spin
 
Answer for Spin

Hey Spin...thanks for taking the time to help me. My Yamaha is the EMX 68S (stereo powered mixer). I am 57 so I am totally behind the times...but still I try to understand all this information. My daughter's boyfriend suggest I buy cool edit pro....as he feels it will do what I want...and is very easy to use. I just don't know. But I will respect your insight.

Using the analogy of a word processor (that I know how to work)...you know...I can present a "story" using a series of paragraphs. I could then bold a word....pitch it differently....color the type....cut and paste it here and there....import a picture into the text if I wanted to...etc...all to present the story just as I want to. How do I do this with music? What do I need to learn? Not for commercial use...but for a decent sound that I can be proud of? For example...I could color the background on one page bright red with the letters black....use a highlighter...next page blue if I want. I want to be able to do something like this with my music. Put in a clap of thunder if I want...rain....tabla....drums fading in...fading out....different beats....to create a symphony. Not asking much am I. Again, thank you....CF
 
I would suggest using a program like Acid Pro 4.0 by Sonic Foundry.

The learning curve is not too high. Plus, it will give you flexibility AND room-to-grow as you learn more. :cool:

spin
 
Cedar Fever said:
.....I want to put the tabla down first...so that I have a steady beat. But to complicate matters...because the song has changes...only in certain parts do I want the tabla drums to play. How in the world do I do this? I have visited tons of tabla drum loop sites and a lot is offerred...but I just don't know what is the best step to take. I might mention that the JVC says on it MP3 player. But you see...I am just confused with all this MP3...Wave...etc. lingo.

OK...if I had a cd with a seamless loop or continuous playing of a tabla beat...fine...I could use the JVC's CD + LINE feature and work with that. HOW DO I GET THAT SEAMLESS TABLA LOOP CD?
Click to expand...

If I were in your postion, I would.....

Use a computer for my recording

Then......

Download the tabla drums

I would then import them into my tracking program (Acid, Sonar, Cubar, Logic, etc) [BTW..... there are DEMOs of these programs at their respective sites (I'll post the links in my next post, if you want them)] as Track1.

On track 2, I would record the tenor.

The same for Track 3 and Track 4.

On Track 5, I would record my keyboard.

On Track 6, rain

On Track 7, a different drum pattern

ETC....

Since you have tempo changes, I would erase or delete the desired section of the drums on Track 1. Or you could insert tempo changes, if you still want to have the drums playing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The reasons I think using the computer route would be better/easier is........

1. It would give you greater control of your recordings

2. It will be easier to redo takes

3. It will make editing you songs easier

4. It will make arranging your song easier

5. It will greatly improve the sound of your song (by removing the multply takes which will lead to the degradation of the songs sound)

6. Etcetera.....

spin
 
Hey Spin....very helpful answers. Thank you. The area that I live in is pretty heavy into the live music scene. Not sure where you are from, but near here is the famous Gruene Hall ("Oldest Dance Hall in Texas")...where John Travolta did his dance number in his movie, "Michael." Anyhow...minutes from there is the River Road Ice House and tonight Monte Montgomery is playing there. Have you heard of him? In Austin he is probably the number one draw right now. He fills the places up with other musicians just watching him play the guitar. He plays an electric acoustic. At times sounds like two guitars at once. I saw him at the Saxon Pub on an average Monday night and it was standing room only....250 +....paying $10 to get in.

I don't know, maybe if I had started playing the guitar at 7 years old I'd have mastered it long ago. All I know is that I find it a very difficult instrument to play. And I only have 4 strings to contend with. Should be a snap. I only wish. I try to practice at least one hour a day. I'm probably not musically inclined. How in the world some guys do it just blows me away. There are these two Brothers in San Antonio...Border Palace....early 20s. The play Flamenco. Fast, Like Monte...hrs. without an error...anyhow, again, thanks for your advice. CF
 
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