In My Life - video using Black Angel Mag+Piezo

VinceM · #1 11-20-2021, 03:15 PM

Hello there!

As I usually do, when I put out a video I like to post here in case there is interest in this mag+sbt system. This is my arrangement of the classic Beatles tune In My Life.

It is a direct recording, with the Mag and SBT at about 50%. However I raised the level of the SBT a bit compared with my last video to warm up the sound a bit. I panned the Mag a bit to the left and the SBT a bit to the right for stereo spread. EQ-wise, there's a 3db Q=0.5 notch at 400 Hz on the Mag. When I play live though I don't do that. I also applied some multiband mastering compression to make it pop out a bit.

Hope y'all dig!

Vince

jricc · #2 11-20-2021, 04:43 PM

Very nice Vince, good tone and arrangement. The slowed down George Martin piano solo was excellent.

lppier · #3 11-20-2021, 06:05 PM

Sounds great Vince! I dug it. I like the harmony second time round, this is one guitar fingerstyle?

VinceM · #4 11-21-2021, 04:21 PM

Thanks guys!

Yeah that piano solo was a bugger to get right. It's strange because it doesn't really fit the feel of the song. But it has a certain charm for sure. It's iconic. It was technically challenging to play the notes but just as hard to get it to fit in tempo wise - especially at the tail end going back into the vocal part.

And yes just a single take. I played a lot of attention to all the parts - bass, vocal melody and harmonies, and instrumental harmony. I tried to incorporate as much of that as I could into the second verse as a way of building the arrangement.

Peter Z · #5 11-22-2021, 12:22 AM

I dig it for sure, Vince! Beautiful in every aspect.

VinceM · #6 11-23-2021, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Z

I dig it for sure, Vince! Beautiful in every aspect.

Thanks!! Glad you liked it!

euraquilo · #7 11-23-2021, 02:59 PM

Well arranged and well played!

Can you elaborate on the pickup and downstream electronics, too? Which SBT, which magnetic? Did these go into an interface directly or did you use a preamp first?

Dan

VinceM · #8 11-25-2021, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by euraquilo

Well arranged and well played!

Can you elaborate on the pickup and downstream electronics, too? Which SBT, which magnetic? Did these go into an interface directly or did you use a preamp first?

Dan

Thanks! Glad you liked this. Here are the details of the setup.

As indicated, I'm using the DiMarzio Black Angel mag and the companion DiMarzio Black Angel Piezo SBT.

The passive pickups go to a stereo endpin jack. I run a short TRS cable to stereo K&K pro preamp (belt clip preamp) and then to a DTAR Solstice, and then into the Tascam DP-24 recorder.

In the recorder I apply a 400 Hz -3dB Q=.5 notch to the mag. The SBT has no EQ applied.

Hope that helps!

Vince

euraquilo · #9 11-26-2021, 12:51 PM

Thanks for the details.

Marshall · #10 11-28-2021, 07:22 PM

I like a Mag and SBT mix. My present pickup configuration uses the Skysonic Pro-1. It has a Mag and a SBT and an internal Mic. The control wheels are on the mag. I generally roll off the Mic and run the Mag and SBT up high. Great live sound.

VinceM · #11 11-29-2021, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshall

I like a Mag and SBT mix. My present pickup configuration uses the Skysonic Pro-1. It has a Mag and a SBT and an internal Mic. The control wheels are on the mag. I generally roll off the Mic and run the Mag and SBT up high. Great live sound.

Yes I totally agree about the mag+SBT combination. I have gotten similar results with a Baggs M1 and a Dean Markley Artist transducer. So I don't even think it matters what specific pickups you use. The two pickup types seem to compliment each other very nicely. They each make up for the other's weaknesses with the resulting sound being "greater than the sum of the parts," so to speak. A roughly 50/50 mix does the trick, with appropriate EQ as necessary for the application. It's not too picky.