Dragon's Back - Will McNicol

[Vaillant75]

Hi everyone,

Just a bit of context first, I have already shared on S&T a couple of Iphone recordings, but I've been willing to upgrade my recording chain for quite some time. I finally took the plunge a month ago, mainly because I received a Tom Sands build and I wanted to make justice to that stellar guitar (build thread: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=579993).

My recording chain is now one Gefell M300 into Apogee into Reaper, and below is my first my first attempt: a tune from Will McNicol called Dragon's Back. It's a really nice piece with interesting textures and dynamics, which is well suited to demonstrate a guitar's tonal properties. Still some approximations here and there, but I managed to get through it so here you go:



It's a mono recording, and no EQ or reverb have been added. I still can't do it without sounding "artificial". I would happily receive feedback from the seasoned recording experts out there, as I'm aware I still have a lot of learning to do.

Cheers,
Tom

[OM-42]

Tom - That sounds amazing - both your playing and the guitar.

Congrats!

BK

[islandguitar]

Incredible sound and playing!!! That guitar is wonderful in your hands, Tom!!!

[UKPhil]

Very nice playing indeed and being a McNicol composition probably very difficult to play.

[Dustinfurlow]

It should be said that this is a really fantastic sound for just one mic and no EQ!

The bass is full and clear as one would expect from a Sands, and the playing is solid as can be. This is my favorite WM piece, too...5*

[Vaillant75]

Originally Posted by OM-42

Tom - That sounds amazing - both your playing and the guitar.

Congrats!

BK

Originally Posted by islandguitar

Incredible sound and playing!!! That guitar is wonderful in your hands, Tom!!!

Thanks for the kind feedback guys, really appreciated!

Originally Posted by UKPhil

Very nice playing indeed and being a McNicol composition probably very difficult to play.

Hi Phil,
Definitely not the easiest. recording all of it at one go while minimizing the number of mistakes hasn't been easy, but it's a very enjoyable one to play. You should give it a go!

Originally Posted by Dustinfurlow

It should be said that this is a really fantastic sound for just one mic and no EQ!

The bass is full and clear as one would expect from a Sands, and the playing is solid as can be. This is my favorite WM piece, too...5*

Hi Dustin,

Thanks for the kind words, means a lot coming from an accomplished player like you. This is also my favorite piece, very evocative and fun to play.

[tdlwhite]

Recording sounds great - both the playing and the tone.

Those bass notes really fill the sound out beautifully but it sounds rounded even without them.

[Wrighty]

Great job Tom!

[reeve21]

Fantastic playing and recording!

[Vaillant75]

Originally Posted by tdlwhite

Recording sounds great - both the playing and the tone.

Those bass notes really fill the sound out beautifully but it sounds rounded even without them.

Originally Posted by reeve21

Fantastic playing and recording!

Thanks for the comments guys. Really means a lot for the bedroom player to get encouraging words, keeps the motivation up!

Cheers,

[Vaillant75]

Originally Posted by Wrighty

Great job Tom!

Hey Peter,

Good to have you checking in! I wish I could reach your recording sound in the near future, you among others really inspired me to invest in a decent recording chain.
I've been following your transition towards classical guitar with great interest. Lagrima already sounded wonderful after a few weeks of playing.

Cheers,

[Wrighty]

Originally Posted by Vaillant75

Hey Peter,



Good to have you checking in! I wish I could reach your recording sound in the near future, you among others really inspired me to invest in a decent recording chain.

I've been following your transition towards classical guitar with great interest. Lagrima already sounded wonderful after a few weeks of playing.



Cheers,

Thanks Tom, you’re doing really well and I’d say heading towards a great sound.

[SprintBob]

That was wonderful, congrats on the guitar and the recording setup. Can’t wait to hear more from you.

[rémy64]

Very nice recording.
brilliantly interpreted Tom

[Vaillant75]

Thanks for the encouraging words everyone!