#1
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Building a Classic Rock Song From the Ground Up
I've chronicled the rather interesting process I used to record recent a classic rock combo song from soup to nuts, performing all the parts solo. You can read about it, HERE. Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#2
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Hey very cool Bob. Great info.
First let me say I really like the notion in the song of being "Best Friends"... That is the glue (compression ) that has kept my marriage intact and improving for 37 years now . I basically understand everything you are describing engineering wise, and find it really interesting, so thanks . Interesting idea about doubling the bass run with a regular electric, I will have to give that a try. For clarification on the lead guitar parts that you describe as "tripled" do you mean you monitored the 1'st part and played two more separate parts ? Also how did you pan those ? I have never tried singing a later vocal part first, but it makes perfect sense as far a s warm up mechanism . For the backing vocals again to clarify, you did three takes of each of the three part harmony, so 9 tracks total ?
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Sonoma 14.4 |
#3
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Thanks!
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Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#4
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Sonoma 14.4 |
#5
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Good read!
[QUOTE=KevWind;5469907]Interesting idea about doubling the bass run with a regular electric, I will have to give that a try. [QUOTE] A good idea, adding 'upper harmonics' so that listening on a system with no low end (earbuds, computer speakers, for example) will still have a discernible 'bass' line. Your process is not unlike mine, although there are differences - I use EZDrummer, for example, and at the scratch end of recording, will use a single loop to set timing. If there are breaks or tempo changes, I'll figure out where these are when recording the scratch acoustic guitar track. Then I start modifying the drum track - changing the parts for chorus, etc, putting basic fills in. My next step is almost always the electric guitar rhythm part(s), and I mike up an amp now 95% of the time, I just prefer the sound to using a sim. Then I do the bass part, followed by keyboards (if there are any) - I use a 76 key workstation for both internal sounds and to drive VSTis via MIDI. Vocals are next for me lead vocal always first. Then harmony/backup parts. I've found for my own workflow, doing the lead guitar parts after the vocals I the best way, so that the lead compliments transition points. Like you, I've done a rudimentary mix while tracking, so the final mixing is just a continuation.
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Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#6
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Thank you!
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Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#7
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Another way to accomplish this (if you don't have access to an electric) is boost the bass slightly at about 150hz and someplace between 400 hz and 600 hz where ever it isn't "honking" (often at close to 500 )
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Sonoma 14.4 |
#8
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There are more strategies for helping a bass part to get heard.
1. Play "short," with definite cutoffs. It's easier hear notice little notes, even low-pitched ones, when there's silence in between them. 2. Play back toward the bridge, where the harmonic balance tends more toward the high ones. 3. Do numbers one and/or two with a pick. 4. Introduce a little distortion during mixing, maybe on a parallel channel. Soloed it'll sound lousy, but a tiny bit in the mix can make the bass part easier to hear without sounding nasty. Kinda like that tiny bit of anchovy in your Caesar dressing. |
#9
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I haven't tried #4, but I know that several players use it. I'll have to see what it brings to the table. The business of paralleling the bass performance with a guitar adds a certain, mmm.. "grit" to the high end that is interesting and I haven't been able to reproduce any other way. It is probably due to the human inability to exactly sync up, causing a little delay between the two. Whatever, I liked the sound. Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#10
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Yeah, I use a jazz bass (Squier), and a pick - hey I'm a guitarist, not a bassist!
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Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#11
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When that bass is in your hands, be a bass player :-) . It's a different mindset. The good news is, you can fake it.
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#12
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Ha ! Maybe I will look into a bass guitar and fake it .... lord knows I fake being a recording engineer every time is sit at my desk
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Sonoma 14.4 |
#13
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And for navel-gazing extra credit: next time you're faking being a bass player, don't just play along with the drums... "be the drummer."
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#14
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I usually program in sampled acoustic drum beats (with a midi keyboard), starting with the kick then snare , toms, hi hats, etc. Do I get extra credit or maybe at least a star ? I do like the idea of the method Bob used, and record tapping on my desk then go to the sampled sounds .
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Sonoma 14.4 Last edited by KevWind; 09-11-2017 at 11:35 AM. |
#15
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I mean if you're playing with a live, human drummer, mentally put yourself in his or her place as if you're the one playing the drums, while all along you're actually playing bass or guitar or whatever. A bit woowoo, I know, but go with it. You may find a synergy (or call it "tightness" or"pocket") that you didn't have before. It's a very tiny, primitive version of the thing that tells a flock of birds to all make a hard left at the exact same instant.
You can do this with pre-recorded drums, too. But only to a degree, because the drummer can't do it back. |