Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Lets do a collaboration

#282

I think I mentioned before, what is in the lead, be it lead voice or instrument I run center. I slightly pan harmony vocals on a final mix.

my normal procedure:

mix vocals and check by turning down volume gradually. should be able to hear all or none, not one or two.

slightly pan harmonies to left and right and listen in headphones. sound should be balanced left to right. adjust volumes on harmony vocals until evenly balanced left to right.

by panning, usually the panned track will increase or decrease in perceived or real volume (mine have normally decreased in the total mix. The amount of volume/presence difference is usually about the amount needed to keep the lead voice only lightly in front of the harmonies.

go back to speakers (preferable flat response monitors) and turn volume gradually down again checking for lead vocal should be last to be heard as turning down.

this is also how I mix an entire song. by turning down the volume you learn what really stands out in the recording. One of the biggest things is flat response speakers or headphones. Use of something that “colors” the sound only makes it harder to mix cause it throws everything off.

example: turn “rider” down (wearing headphones) until you can only hear one thing/track. What do you hear? without trying this I’ll guess bass, because it is overwhelmingly loud on all my playing apparatus except the cheap computer speakers.

Now turn the volume to where you can barely hear the loudest lead (vocal or instrument). Can you hear all the others at that volume as clearly? you should be able to.

finally I use this trick with volume level to create the different layers of sound that make up the intire recording. I decide what I want in front, middle and back, then use this changing in my listening volume to double check my guessing I’ve done at more normal volumes.

hope some of this makes sense.

#283

On another note, effects I use sparingly. I completely dislike hearing the people trying to cover mistakes by adding more effects. Almost all amateur engineers use too much of any effect they use. don’t get me wrong, sound effects have their uses and can do wonders to a signal, but just because the knob goes to ten doesn’t mean it is all (or even half) needed.

One of the resons I choose acoustic as opposed to electric music is to get away form all the over use of electronic effects. I played electric music for a living for several years and could certainly sound that way if I wanted to…I just don’t. Like Mike says: It is a choice on how YOU want something to sound.

Everyone has a different ear, some more different than others…

#284

Good stuff, guys! Exactly the kind of practical info I was looking for. I especially like the idea of turning the volume down and seeing what instruments are left. I haven’t tried that trick before.

#285

Man, the Banjo Ben Facebook bump is big. I see our song is #1 in bluegrass and #3 in overall country on the Sounclick charts today.

#286

Yep that facebook plug bumped us right on up there!

I’d say a song will stay there awhile as once in the top 5 I am sure if folks are looking they are gonna listen to most of the songs on top of the chart.

I been cruising through some public domain songs and have seen a few potentials to make into bluegrass songs.

Oldhat

#287

Well actually we have had only two people rate our song, myself and someone else. both ratings were 5 stars so we got a 5 star rating.

68 people rated rosinators but they only averaged 4.6 or something.

#288

I know it has been said that we should focus on the public domain songs for any future collaborations but if we decide not to do that then I would personally pick doing Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” as a suggestion, think it would sound pretty sweet all “bluegrassed up”

Oldhat

#289

— Begin quote from "fiddlewood"

Well actually we have had only two people rate our song, myself and someone else. both ratings were 5 stars so we got a 5 star rating.

— End quote

I’m not sure how much ratings count toward chart position. I think the number of plays is the top consideration, but ratings and how new the song is count, also.

I’m about ready to jump into another project. Maybe we should do a roll call to see who might want to join in and with what instruments, then we can pick a song. I can do the engineering and base track again, and Ben can fill in where needed. Who else?

We can certainly do a copyrighted song if that’s the consensus. We’ll just be a little limited on what we can do with it. As far as Kompoz is concerned we could just name the project something generic like, Practice Song, and I doubt anyone is going to notice. Soundclick lumps all country cover songs into one category, so we couldn’t get listed in the bluegrass or main country charts, either, but that’s a small concession.

Masterpiece is another song from the Dead’s repertoire… are you a closet Deadhead, Jesse?

[ul]Roll Call
Larry - engineering, base track, fill in
Ben - fill in
Jesse - general noise making[/ul]

#290

I’ll contribute something…maybe we should just write something?

Yes, I am a “closet Deadhead” but I am a bigger fan of “The Band” and found it in my listening to them Levon Helm was “Da Man”! Just something about them (Dead, The Band) and a few others around that 1967-1974 time period when rock and roll started taking on many different forms…I mean was it “rock, country, bluegrass, folk”? Bands could play any style and jump in and out of them…Like the Byrds…I mean it’s country with a bluegrass twang then some of the spaciest acid hippy biker trip stuff a year or so later…I like the early stuff and didn’t get into that acid stuff, I mean Iron Butterfly with Ana Gadda Da Vida was some cool stuff but I never tried to play it!

Was born in 1970 and from as early as I remember mom had The Byrds, Dylan, John Prine, The Dead, The Band, Croce, CCR and a host of others playing nearly all day every day on the record player in our living room…good memories that were all set to good music.

#291

I added you to the roll call, Jesse. Sounds like we listen to a lot of the same music. I’d add the Allman’s (especially the Dickey Betts country stuff) and the Flying Burrito Brothers to your list of inflluences.

I’ve got a buddy in Indiana who’s supposed to be sending me a guitar track of Maggie’s Farm to work on. Maybe you can jump in on it, too.

#292

Jump in…I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more!

#293

I’m in for at least a Bass track and what fill in is needed. Larry if you just want to edit your post we could keep the whole list there or should we start another thread with the list in the first post?

I’ll try to put up two rough tracks for originals in the next day or two on my kompoz page to see what you think. One is a bluegrass instrumental, the other a 3/4 time vocal.

Another very cool tune is an old Ernest Tubb song “You’ll never forget me”, that fits very well in a bluegrass setting w/ nice chord progression and harmonies. I’ll try and knock out a rough track to that also.

#294

I say we start a new thread as some may not be following this and a new thread will give guys (and gals) a chance to jump in where they might otherwise miss the chance if we keep it in this thread.

If we get too many pickers or singers then I can always stay to the side.

I seen Ben posted at least a mando part for “Arkansas Traveler” and that is a Public Domain song…there are words to it also…just an idea.

Dave I will look for your stuff to be added on Kompoz. I liked your “How Blue” song a lot by the way.

#295

Okay, I started a new thread: https://banjoebenclark.com/forum/t/netgrass-collaboration-2/246/1

We’ve got the four participants I was counting on. Now, let’s see who else wants to play. If we get enough pickers we can always do more than one project at once.

I was trying to dust off my Whiskey Before Breakfast project this morning and realized I don’t have the Banjo sep. Do you still have it Dave?

I found the Ernest Tubb song, but only the original. I was having to use my imagination to hear it as bluegrass.

#296

Never mind on the banjo for WBB, Dave. I found it.

#297

Larry, I don’t believe I still have that track but I can check. OK, glad you had it I was pretty sure I don’t.

There is quite a different feel to this other version of the ET song. I might just run a quick guitar & voice of it to see what you guys think.

Jesse, Thanks for the compliment. we could use that song if we wanted to also. Foxtail Grass recorded a version of it once and another local band plays it on their shows fairly regularly. the band I wrote it for broke up before we had a chance to perform or record it.