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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 17, 2014 10:17:39 GMT -6
Forum has been kind of slow again... Here's "Steady Pickin'' from the "Blues Solos for Acoustic Guitar" book. First half or so of this is just demonstrating the picking pattern slowed down. Got my studio re-assembled, with a new audio interface installed. Tried recording the acoustic with some various microphones, but just thought I got a better sound to plug it in and use the built in transducer. Well, it's far from perfect, but I'm not trying to do a hundred takes or any such, more the turn it on and play it the best you can...
Bruce
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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 17, 2014 10:18:17 GMT -6
Oops! forgot a link
Sorry about that!
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Post by jack1982 on Oct 17, 2014 11:04:22 GMT -6
Very cool Bruce, that's a very pretty melody. And you've even got a nice overdrive sound going on the acoustic guitar, you're such a rocker  What sort of new audio interface did you get? I gotta keep up with the Jones's ya know  |
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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 17, 2014 13:25:49 GMT -6
Listened to it on Youtube, and it does have kind of a distortion sound on those double stop slides! That was recorded without any effects, of course. I don't think audio always translates cleanly on to Youtube. That was my attempt to rejuvenate (or maybe resuscitate?) my alternating thumb playing. The new interface is a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8: www.amazon.com/Focusrite-SCARLETT-18i8-Interface-Preamps/dp/B00CPCJI2C/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1413572430&sr=8-5&keywords=focusrite+scarlettThere wasn't anything wrong with the Ux2, just didn't have enough inputs for when my kids were here and were wanting to record (my son in particular has come to realize how fun my studio is). The software drivers for the UX2 limit you to just two inputs at a time (even though the unit will accept two instruments and two mic inputs). The drivers under Windoze XP used to let me use all those inputs at once. My Pod Farm software is tied to the UX2, but I should be able to use it if I just plug the UX2 into a USB port. Apple will also let you create an aggregate device and use more than one single input device at a time (if I ever wanted to do so). Anyway, with this 18i8 unit, I have four "combo" inputs on the front and four line inputs on the back, and can record eight separate mono tracks at once into my DAW (Logic). I can expand that if I buy a separate ADAT unit (could add I think 10 additional microphone inputs) and record 18 independent tracks at once! Anyway, I don't think I'll outgrow this unit any time in the foreseeable future. Bruce |
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Post by blackcountrymick on Oct 17, 2014 13:37:41 GMT -6
Nice one Bruce, that's my next one to attempt as soon as I've got "Just Another Wine Bar" smoothed out  . That's taking me totally into new territory, it looks and sounds very complicated. |
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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 17, 2014 16:41:10 GMT -6
Nice one Bruce, that's my next one to attempt as soon as I've got "Just Another Wine Bar" smoothed out . That's taking me totally into new territory, it looks and sounds very complicated. Thanks, Mick. If you've never played this alternating thumb bass notes style, you will have a bit of a time with this type of tune. It's not a style that most electric guitarists ever learn. I think the book offers a little bit of explanation of playing this style (pages 20, 21, and 22 in my copy). I used to play quite a bit of this style years ago. In popular music, some examples that come to mind are: Dust In The Wind by Kansas, Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, The Boxer by Paul Simon, and Julia by The Beatles. It can take some time to learn to play this way, but particularly on an acoustic, it sounds pretty cool. Bruce |
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Post by Phil on Oct 17, 2014 18:28:22 GMT -6
Nicely played, Bruce. Yes, alternating bass can be pretty tricky at 1st, but once you get it it's like riding a bike.
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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 18, 2014 5:31:58 GMT -6
Nicely played, Bruce. Yes, alternating bass can be pretty tricky at 1st, but once you get it it's like riding a bike. Thanks for listening, Phil. I was kind happy to find I could still get on that bike! Bruce |
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Post by jack1982 on Oct 18, 2014 6:14:22 GMT -6
So Bruce are we going to be hearing you and your kids as a whole band now? Awesome piece of equipment by the way! |
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Post by wannaplayblues on Oct 19, 2014 2:27:09 GMT -6
Loved it dude!
The base strings sounded a little over-driven on my speakers so I can only suggest moving the microphone further away or reducing the output/record volume.
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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 19, 2014 11:19:15 GMT -6
Jack, I'm a little slow on recording the kids - they're both gone to college now. Maybe when they back in town on school breaks...
Wannaplay, I agree about kind of an overdriven sound. That's an acoustic electric played plugged in, so can't move the mic. I "mix" using a cheap set of 2.1 computer speakers. I've been reading about mixing, and I've come to the conclusion that maybe I need some studio monitor speakers to try to get better mixes. I've had these on the list of studio upgrades I'd like to make. Maybe I need to pull the plug and do it!
Bruce
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Post by wannaplayblues on Oct 19, 2014 13:48:03 GMT -6
My electro-acoustic (yep, I have an acoustic that I never talk about) has a volume dial and bass/trebble controls. If your's is like mine perhaps turning down the volume dial will lower the recorded output?!?
Just a suggestion - I clearly don't know your guitar
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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 19, 2014 21:10:08 GMT -6
There are actually four knobs on it: V, B, T, and M. Now I'm assuming V = volume, B = bass, T = treble. The M one remains somewhat enigmatic. I think the guitar actually has two separate transducers in it, and this may control the miix of the two. I probably just need to play around with all of these, but I swear it didn't sound so "boomy" playing on my music computer. Again, supposedly, mixing on more "flat" sounding studio monitors is supposed to help you end up with a better sounding mix when played on other systems... I can't speak from experience, as I've never had any studio monitors, but I've grown more interested as I've read more about mixing. I have not been especially happy with the sound mixes I've been able to produce with my videos, but we're all our own harshest critics...
Bruce
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Post by jack1982 on Oct 20, 2014 4:44:05 GMT -6
I'd put my money on M = midrange I need to get some studio monitors too but the way I keep spending money on all this other stuff that'll probably have to wait until next summer. I mix on headphones, which I guess is the worst thing you can do. Sometimes I'll put the song on a USB stick and listen to it on my home stereo with its tower speakers and subwoofer, and then I'll listen to it on the TV which is where my good computer speakers wound up. This last time with Big Bends I just mixed it on the headphones and said good enough - it's got way too much bass and treble on the home stereo and on the TV it sounds kind of "okay". |
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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 20, 2014 7:17:31 GMT -6
I'd put my money on M = midrange I need to get some studio monitors too but the way I keep spending money on all this other stuff that'll probably have to wait until next summer. I mix on headphones, which I guess is the worst thing you can do. Sometimes I'll put the song on a USB stick and listen to it on my home stereo with its tower speakers and subwoofer, and then I'll listen to it on the TV which is where my good computer speakers wound up. This last time with Big Bends I just mixed it on the headphones and said good enough - it's got way too much bass and treble on the home stereo and on the TV it sounds kind of "okay". Jack, The "V, B, and T" are all grouped together, sitting pretty much directly above the sound hole when playing it, the "M" button sits off by itself, over by the base of the neck. That's why I didn't think it was another tone control. I did a cursory google search on the Yamaha LD10. Seems it's a pretty highly regarded Yamaha "Custom Shop" model (whatever that means?) made from 1991 to 1996. I'm pretty sure I bought mine in 1991. Didn't readily find anything about it's electronics. I may need to search farther, as well as playing around with it some more. I've always just played it "unplugged" - had taken the 9V battery out of it years ago. I've only put a battery back in it and plugged it in to make these videos recently. The plugged in sound of it has just blown away any sound I've been able to get with my array of cheap microphones... I've always thought the guitar has a beautiful acoustic tone. Yeah, some studio monitors is definitely on my "wish list" too. I've had my eye on these M-audio ones:
www.amazon.com/dp/B0051WAM64/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3MITBCWKAL64E&coliid=I2VESPQ63I488H
I could just kick myself, because Amazon had them "marked down" to $119, but now they're back up to $149. They've had decent reviews, and certainly come in way less expensive than a lot of studio monitors.
This set of Behringer's has also had some decent reviews, is at the same price:
www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-DIGITAL-MONITOR-SPEAKERS-MS40/dp/B000IKSIOM/ref=sr_1_25?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1413810859&sr=1-25&keywords=studio+monitors
Anyway, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I'll get some studio monitors
Bruce |
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Post by jack1982 on Oct 20, 2014 8:45:31 GMT -6
Bruce don't be giving me links to products, I'm already reaching for the credit card Those both look pretty darned nice. I always have to read through the description carefully because a lot of studio monitors have a price of X amount of dollars - EACH! But those both appear to be for the pair. |
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Post by cunningr on Oct 21, 2014 10:29:20 GMT -6
Bruce I final got a moment to listen to the recording I liked it wish I could pick like that. I am bugging to set up a set place for recording and music, but pretty sure it won't happen. I told my son if he passes all his classes this year I would by him a set of acoustic drums, which means I may build a sound proof room in the basement. Wife is pissed but he is really good and I feel need to nurture his talent as long as he is interested.
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Post by blackcountrymick on Oct 21, 2014 15:49:18 GMT -6
Bruce, how far did you get with this Johnny Norris book?
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Post by bluesbruce on Oct 21, 2014 17:42:26 GMT -6
Mick,
I never went thru this one systematically. My book says it was copyrighted in 1992, and I bet I got it back in the early 1990's (pre-1994, when my first child was born, and my guitar playing went into suspended animation). Only about the first three songs in it seem familiar, but I just don't remember. It's definitely not worn looking, and it wasn't one of the books I really "took to". I used to play a lot of finger style acoustic stuff back then, and I may have laid this aside thinking it was too simple (which seems funny now).
I used to play some much more complex alternating thumb pieces - this one is really just a straight pattern, slide up 5 frets, slide back, then slide up 7 frets. This is the kind of thing you'd play when you're first learning alternating thumb picking, or when you're trying to play it for the first time in, oh maybe 20 or 30 years!
Bruce
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Post by blackcountrymick on Oct 28, 2014 5:45:02 GMT -6
Hi Bruce, I was just searching for some extra help with Steady Pickin' and came across this guy.....
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. That's taking me totally into new territory, it looks and sounds very complicated.
