Showing posts with label Home Recording. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Recording. Show all posts
NOOB HOME RECORDING (011) PLASTIC FLOWERS RAW VOCAL MIX
After completing the levels-only mix I went through the POD Farm vocal presets and found one that had a clean reverb effect. I stuck with my plan to record wet so that I didn't have to fiddle with the dry track during mixing.
Levels-and-Panning-Only Rough Mix including Vocals
So far so good :)
I'll let it stew for a bit to give my ear a rest and listen to it a few more times. Then I'll make a final decision whether to proceed with the mixing segment.
I recorded one track for the main vocal first. Then another performance track doubling the chorus parts only. I did one rough pass to include the main vocals to the levels-only mix. When I was happy with it, I proceeded to do the back up vocals. I used the same POD Farm vocal preset but adjusted the reverb module to increase the depth and make the back up vocals sound farther from the main vocal. I duplicated the back up vocals and panned them left and right.
Here's a clip.
Levels-and-Panning-Only Rough Mix including Vocals
So far so good :)
I'll let it stew for a bit to give my ear a rest and listen to it a few more times. Then I'll make a final decision whether to proceed with the mixing segment.
NOOB HOME RECORDING (010) PLASTIC FLOWERS ROUGH INSTRUMENTAL MIX
After recording the basic parts, Guitar, Bass and Drums, I did an initial "levels and panning only" mix to get a rough idea of the final product and also to make it sound somewhat pleasing when I start laying down vocals. I think it improves my performance when the music sounds good, at least in my ears.
The tracks I ended up with are:
NOOB HOME RECORDING (009): PLASTIC FLOWERS BASS GUITAR
I think the easiest part to play on this song is the bass guitar. I tried to do it as close to how our original bass player did it. Just simple but melodic.
I used the Eighties bass module in POD Farm but left the Brite Room reverb module in place. My thinking is that since I used it on the guitar and the drums also had some room reverb within BFD Eco, the bass should be in the same "room" to make the sound cohesive.
Here's how it sounds...
Plastic Flowers Bass Clip
On the next post, I will share the rough instrumental mix. Stay tuned.
Next: NHR - #010, Plastic Flowers Bass Guitar
See the Plastic Flowers NHR String
I used the Eighties bass module in POD Farm but left the Brite Room reverb module in place. My thinking is that since I used it on the guitar and the drums also had some room reverb within BFD Eco, the bass should be in the same "room" to make the sound cohesive.
Here's how it sounds...
Plastic Flowers Bass Clip
On the next post, I will share the rough instrumental mix. Stay tuned.
Next: NHR - #010, Plastic Flowers Bass Guitar
See the Plastic Flowers NHR String
NOOB HOME RECORDING (008): PLASTIC FLOWERS MAIN GUITAR
Back in December (2012) I finally managed to record the main guitar and bass parts of Plastic Flowers.
First thing was selecting the effect. When we played it live back in the 90s, I used a chorus pedal that fed into an amp with reverb that gave me a shimmery, watery effect. On POD Farm, I got close using a vocal preset called Verb Vocal which comprised of the Console preamp and Brite Room reverb modules. I then swapped the Console Preamp with the Class A-30 Top Boost amp.
First thing was selecting the effect. When we played it live back in the 90s, I used a chorus pedal that fed into an amp with reverb that gave me a shimmery, watery effect. On POD Farm, I got close using a vocal preset called Verb Vocal which comprised of the Console preamp and Brite Room reverb modules. I then swapped the Console Preamp with the Class A-30 Top Boost amp.
I then tweaked some of the amp and reverb unit to taste.
Here's what it sounds like.
Main Chorus Guitar
Mixing Tips Roundup
As I approach the mixing stage of my musical project, I thought it best to compile my favorite guru advice in one place.
These tips could have been kept secret but instead, these guys went out of their way to write, record and shoot videos for the general home recording public... for FREE!
They will forever remain in my "Book of Awesome". Thanks and more power to you!
- Joe Gilder's tips on identifying focus, mixing in general and mixing in mono.
- EQ tips from Ian Shepherd.
- Sage advice from Bobby Owsinski on monitoring levels when mixing.
- A few mixing bites from the guys at Home Recording Show.
- And the mother of all mixing tips... Graham Cochrane's collection of 5 Minutes to A better Mix videos.
DISCOVERING REAPER - 003 - Starting Reaper
By default, Reaper opens the last project every time you start the program. I think it's a cool feature. It simply saves me a few mouse-clicks but this behavior can be changed by setting program preferences, or just temporarily by holding down the SHIFT key while Reaper is starting. For now I'm happy just the way it is.
I also discovered that I can still have Reaper start up in different ways without futzing with the preference settings. By simply using the Windows START menu and selecting REAPER, I am offered four other choices.
- Create New Project
- Reset Configuration To Factory Defaults
- ReWire Slave Mode
- Show Audio Configuration On Startup
On the next installment, I'll be going through Chapter 2: Reaper Project Basics.
Awesome!!! Home Recording On The Cheap
Bobby Owsinski featured One Like Son's "Start The Show" video done entirely with an iPhone, an interface and a few apps.
Check out the blog post HERE.
Check out One Like Son's music HERE.
Check out the blog post HERE.
Check out One Like Son's music HERE.
DISCOVERING REAPER - 002 - Backing Up
I decided to skip the sections on Output and Input Aliasing, Setting Up MIDI and Plug-Ins. I figured I could do it as needed. Reading on down the user guide there's an important blurb on backing up. Having had experience with glitches and crashes and --GASP-- the blue screen of death, this would be the most important thing to do on a regular basis.
DISCOVERING REAPER - 001 - Setting Up Audio
Setting up audio preferences is the next important topic tackled in the user guide. Having software and hardware agree with each other before you hit the "record" button will ensure the likelihood of a hassle-free home recording experience.
DISCOVERING REAPER - 000 - Introduction
I've had the evaluation copy of Reaper 3 installed for a while but never came around to using it as I've been comfortable with Ableton Live but after listening to episode 131 of the Home Recording Show podcast, I've decided to take this personal trip to discovering this DAW.
A Pat On the Back
I find it very rewarding when total strangers leave praises and nice comments for any work I've done. It feels great when people, other than friends and relatives, find what I have to share enjoyable. At some level it's a validation to why I do what I do and that's what keeps me inspired to do even more.
Owsinski, On Making Your Band Sound Great
Here's a few more golden nuggets from Bobby Owskinski on how to improve your band's performance. On his recent blog, he extracts some tips from his book: How To Make Your Band Sound Great.
He briefly explains Dynamics, Attack and Releases, and Turnarounds.
I think these can also be great songwriting tools. I'll make sure to take the time to incorporate these aspects into my songwriting process.
Read the rest of the article HERE.
He briefly explains Dynamics, Attack and Releases, and Turnarounds.
I think these can also be great songwriting tools. I'll make sure to take the time to incorporate these aspects into my songwriting process.
Read the rest of the article HERE.
THE POD FARM BASS AMP AND CAB MODELS
On this post we'll get familiarized with the five bass amp models of POD Farm (version 1). Bass playing is not my strongest suit but for this demo it will have to do.The bass on this sound test is an Ibanez GSR 190-T with both pickups active, all knobs on full. I used a medium pick.
The bass modeling on the POD Farm allows for different combinations of amp and cabinet, room positioning of the cabinet, different microphone and mic positions. Top that with customizable amp settings and we get potentially hundreds of sonic possibilities.
Latest Home Recording: STEREO
I haven't posted in a while because I've been busy finishing my latest home recording. Yeah, it's bad but kinda good at the same time. Well I'm done... finally.
I wrote Stereo back in the early 90's when Pill was still actively playing. The song's inspiration revolves around being stereotyped when the general impression was that you were most likely an addict of sorts if you were in a rock band. But we were far from it. It was annoying but hey, it gave me fodder for a song.
I wrote Stereo back in the early 90's when Pill was still actively playing. The song's inspiration revolves around being stereotyped when the general impression was that you were most likely an addict of sorts if you were in a rock band. But we were far from it. It was annoying but hey, it gave me fodder for a song.
SPONTANEOUS NOODLES
Hah! I just dug up this old music file from back in the mid 90's. It's just spontaneous "noodling" in the studio while on rehearsal break. I just started playing this palm muted riff. Next thing you know, Art (drums) started playing along. Paul (bass) soon joined in. What followed next was pure four-and-a-half minutes of fun and mayhem.
The lyrics were gibberish of course. At that time I must've been thinking about Rage Against The Machine.
Lugaw No.5
I have a couple of favorite parts:
At 2:45 where I started playing harmonics and Paul just shifted his pattern and ended up with an awesome melodic break.
The next one's at around 3:34... more gibberish but I was more interested on the guitar parts. As I listened to it, I just kept asking myself, "How the heck did I do that?".
Anyway, this looks like something that could turn into another music project. It would be fun to try to recreate it on my digital setup, maybe add real lyrics to it and do a proper arrangement. Hopefully I can figure out how I played those nifty guitar parts.
Thanks to Art for bringing his tape recorder and capturing this awesome moment. It brings back fond memories and never fails to put a smile on my face every single time I listen to it.
The lyrics were gibberish of course. At that time I must've been thinking about Rage Against The Machine.
Lugaw No.5
I have a couple of favorite parts:
At 2:45 where I started playing harmonics and Paul just shifted his pattern and ended up with an awesome melodic break.
The next one's at around 3:34... more gibberish but I was more interested on the guitar parts. As I listened to it, I just kept asking myself, "How the heck did I do that?".
Anyway, this looks like something that could turn into another music project. It would be fun to try to recreate it on my digital setup, maybe add real lyrics to it and do a proper arrangement. Hopefully I can figure out how I played those nifty guitar parts.
Thanks to Art for bringing his tape recorder and capturing this awesome moment. It brings back fond memories and never fails to put a smile on my face every single time I listen to it.
Bobby Owsinski's 5 Elements Of A Great Arrangement
A while back I came across a great article about musical arrangement on Bobby Owsinski's Big Picture Blog.
He explains that most songs usually have five elements: Foundation, Pad, Rhythm, Lead and Fills that, when used effectively, can make a great song. Any more than that makes it confusing to the listener.
These elements can also be a helpful analysis tool for a musician in the process of arranging his masterpiece or for anyone who wants to figure out what makes a hit song tick.
He explains that most songs usually have five elements: Foundation, Pad, Rhythm, Lead and Fills that, when used effectively, can make a great song. Any more than that makes it confusing to the listener.
These elements can also be a helpful analysis tool for a musician in the process of arranging his masterpiece or for anyone who wants to figure out what makes a hit song tick.
"STEREO" PROGRESS AND HRS INTERVIEWS KIM LAJOIE
Back on the music front. My current project is still in the works. I've pretty much laid down all the basic tracks except for the vocals. But it's already taking too long to finish. I keep getting distracted and I'm always finding excuses not to record this one final track so I can begin mixing.
Anyway, if you're interested on the song's progress, here's what I have so far... it's called Stereo and the song will be in Tagalog. This track is still in its raw form and will be mixed once I have all the elements in.
Stereo-Raw Backing Track
On another note, there is an interesting interview with Kim Lajoie on the Home Recording Show podcast. The important thing I personally got out of the interview is to concentrate on making music instead of obsessing about gear. It doesn't matter if I have a rinky dink effects box or a $2000 recording console. What matters is knowing how to effectively use the equipment and software you have and that the music must come first.
Kim Lajoie also has a blog with heaping amounts of information and insights on recording and making music. Be sure to check it out.
Anyway, if you're interested on the song's progress, here's what I have so far... it's called Stereo and the song will be in Tagalog. This track is still in its raw form and will be mixed once I have all the elements in.
Stereo-Raw Backing Track
On another note, there is an interesting interview with Kim Lajoie on the Home Recording Show podcast. The important thing I personally got out of the interview is to concentrate on making music instead of obsessing about gear. It doesn't matter if I have a rinky dink effects box or a $2000 recording console. What matters is knowing how to effectively use the equipment and software you have and that the music must come first.
Kim Lajoie also has a blog with heaping amounts of information and insights on recording and making music. Be sure to check it out.
Avoiding G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)
The home recording hobby can get very expensive really quickly if you're not careful. Hardware and software manufacturers have done a great job of marketing their wares, promising you the best sound at the push of a button. I try to avoid getting G.A.S. or Gear Acquisition Syndrome by reminding myself the following:
DIY Microphone Shock Mount - For Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic
After finishing my DIY pop filter project and making some improvements on it, I decided to take my home recording adventures further by looking to see if anybody has attempted to build their own microphone shock mount. So I Googled "DIY shock mount" and sure enough, I found a few but they were for pencil or shotgun type microphones, like this one from wiremonkey.com. The concepts were simple and really easy to build but I could tell it wouldn't work on my large diaphragm microphone so back to the drawing board.
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