Please Help, one-man band looking for a vintage sound...Need a critique on this track

  • Thread starter Thread starter StewMusic
  • Start date Start date
ya I have ever used a click track before.. But I will definitely try it to see if it makes a difference :)
 
The song in your first post gave me an instant visual of sitting in an empty box car with you, waiting for the train to take us to an unknown destination.

So I'd say mission accomplished.
:D
 
Nice cheers appreciate it :) This train is bound for glory! All Aboard!
 
No one said it was a bad recording. You can still have the sound like you had in the first recording. But still, even Folsom Prison had a professional band behind him and was recorded by pros with several mics. If you like the sound, then make note of your mic placements, but you will need to tighten things up and it can be better.

For the groove, if you don't want to use a click, use your recording as a scratch or make a scratch track, then come in a lay down your other tracks to that tempo. I like real sound as well, but trying to do 10 things at once is just hard.
 
DM60,

What's the best way to make a scratch track (especially for the beat), if you don't want to use programmed drums or don't want a mechanical feel?

Would using a metronome result in a mechanical feel, or are humans off enough even with a metronome to make it work? Also, what about recording a song like Heroin (Velvet Underground), which has like 20 tempo changes, all natural feeling. How would someone go about laying down the beat track for that if recording alone?
 
4tracker said:
DM60,

What's the best way to make a scratch track (especially for the beat), if you don't want to use programmed drums or don't want a mechanical feel?

Would using a metronome result in a mechanical feel, or are humans off enough even with a metronome to make it work? Also, what about recording a song like Heroin (Velvet Underground), which has like 20 tempo changes, all natural feeling. How would someone go about laying down the beat track for that if recording alone?
Click to expand...

You didn't ask me but I'm answering.
If you use a straight up click you can move around it, sure, but the overall tempo is going to be steady.
If you have a song that is meant to speed up during a certain section or slow down for a quiet bit or whatever, it might be better to just nail a live vocal and guitar performance and then use that as your 'click'.

It's totally sacrificial, but serves as a relevant and proper guide for the rest.
I find a lot of the time singer/songwriters play the songs at a totally different tempo when they're not singing so, usually, I work to a live guide track for that reason.
 
4tracker said:
DM60,

What's the best way to make a scratch track (especially for the beat), if you don't want to use programmed drums or don't want a mechanical feel?

Would using a metronome result in a mechanical feel, or are humans off enough even with a metronome to make it work? Also, what about recording a song like Heroin (Velvet Underground), which has like 20 tempo changes, all natural feeling. How would someone go about laying down the beat track for that if recording alone?
Click to expand...

I use my acoustic or a bass. If you have a drum, you can scratch that out. But be forewarned, I did a song once, just using my acoustic and playing, tapped out the tempo and then the time sig, song turned out to be 7/8 time.

I don't think a metronome has to sound mechanical. You just get the BPMs, find your groove maybe you hit on every other 16th note, it is mainly to make sure you don't drift. You can even take a quick kick/snare, or hell, even a pot and pan.

Even if the BPM drifts, as long as everyone is playing to that, it will sound fine. That is the only reason for a metronome, so everyone is play to the same time. Get something you can play to, metronome is not needed.

Editing sucks when you don't use a metronome, just FYI.
 
Thanks DM60 for your help, ya I agree if I could place two more mics on the situation it may help. I can only record two inputs at a time though.

So its either all live or tracking like the second one. You've all done a great job pointing out things I was missing I thought the bass and guitar tracks were in tune with each other but, guess not. I know there are timing issues though.
 
I dont see the need for editing as much as a lot of people think. I do believe it makes it more robotic and less human.

Usually what I hear that happens is, a drummer screws up one kick drum beat and he does not want to redo the whole drums again...a lot of studios and musician around here do have that way of work. Thats why we dont got any John Bonham's or Ringo Starr's no more. Only computers everywhere.

That is my opinion, of course.
 
CMolena said:
I dont see the need for editing as much as a lot of people think. I do believe it makes it more robotic and less human.

Usually what I hear that happens is, a drummer screws up one kick drum beat and he does not want to redo the whole drums again...a lot of studios and musician around here do have that way of work. Thats why we dont got any John Bonham's or Ringo Starr's no more. Only computers everywhere.

That is my opinion, of course.
Click to expand...

Editing can mean, punch in punch out. Doesn't have to just be digital. That is old school, but still requires the beat to be somewhat predictable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top