Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Lets do a collaboration

#21

OK, you’ve probably got it covered better than I do.

An individual track will stay that way on Kompoz Each track is down loaded then they are mixed down and a new “master” or mix is created and uploaded to the site as its own stand alone track.

I have a tascam muti-track. when I am ready to record a break to an existing track I will usually just bounce the sync tone from
the existing track onto the track I am recording. that way I know they are already in the same place. (I think)

gosh I miss my old 1 inch eight track machine…it was the bomb

#22

working on my lead break …is there a deadline to be done? and not sure how im gonna upload it or where to so it can be used…hope its ok when im done lol …

#23

I don’t think we have a deadline, Ron. We’re not paying for studio time, after all. I goofed around with both mando and dobro leads a litle last night. Had an easier time with the mandolin. The lead breaks can be one of the last pieces we record (even after vocals), so there’s no real rush. Once you get a recording you like, you can upload your track(s) here or over at Kompoz.

A couple of things to remember as you get ready to record: (1) Play while listening to whatever our current scratch track is, but only record your playing (you’ll probably need head phones) (2) Keep the natural reverb and background noise to a minimum. It really starts to add up as the tracks are layered on each other (3) Working on your break ahead of time is a good idea, but you might not want to record until the song starts to take shape. For instance, the scratch rhythm I have recorded now will sound a lot different once Dave adds the bass line and it might effect how you want to play your part.

BTW, Does my scratch rhythm work okay for your bass line, fiddlewood?

#24

sounds good Larry.

My Bass isn’t here at the moment but I’ll have it in the next day or two if not later today. Shouldn’t take me long to upload a part once it arrives as I’ve plated this many times before on the Bass.

#25

I may work on chunking out some mando chords while we wait for your bass, then.

Oldhat, if you want to work on your intro, I can upload the scratch rhythm without your demo track added. I can also remove my backing chords and just leave a metronome click if that works better for you. Seems like it might be hard for you to do the entire rhythm track with my guitar so up front, though. I was banging it like a snare drum. I suspect playing rhythm off Dave’s bass will be a lot easier.

#26

I agree with you Larry, if I were to cut a rhythm guitar I would want the Bass & mando both there. I certainly don’t mind having the mando in when I cut the Bass…

#27

Here’s an explanation why I’m reverse engineering this project by first adding in my rhythm track and then removing it, because it probably seems crazy.

What I’m after is control of the initial track, because if I set the tempo I can work with the project like this:
[attachment=0]Screen-Shot.jpg[/attachment]
You can see I have the two tracks and along the time line at the top, each beat of the measure is marked. I’ve also flagged chord changes, the start of verses, etc. It makes it really easy to keep all the tracks in sync, as well as navigate the project, because I get to work visually as well as aurally. It also leaves me with the ability to drop in a perfectly sync’d MIDI signal (like a metronome or drum beat) anywhere I want.

So, even though I don’t intend on using my guitar in the finished project, it was the easiest way for me to provide a framework for the rest of the tracks. Hope that makes sense.

#28

Larry: Yes it all makes sense.

Ron, I uploaded my lead break over on Larry’s site at kompoz, it was put there only for reference as I will have to do it again to get the correct timing, but figured everyone may want to hear where I went with it to build their own.

Ron, pick a verse to sing also outside of a lead break if you want to sing one or you could work on a rhythm guitar part, or the intro if you like? I am not set in stone on anything I do so if others with a guitar or diff instrument wants to take a stab at something then by all means you are welcome to have it.

My intentions right now for me are:

Intro
Possibly Rhythm guitar
Guitar Lead Break
1 verse
Then the common verse (I know you Rider) for a nice harmonized verse with most singing.

I will start working on the rhythm guitar part. As mentioned I am recording with a handheld digital recorder if it is not clean enough then one of you guys with better recording gear can have that if you want will sound better. I will also work on the intro. I should be able to pull it off Larry with the way it is now, or I will wait on fiddlewood’s bass.

For the record and if Larry thinks it sounds good enough then I am using an “Olympus Digital Voice Recorder model WS-311M” this is simply new technology over the little handhelds most of us used in college back in the day to record lectures in but digital. It can be had for $85-$95 at Bestbuy. Is around 5 years old and they are probably better now, the initial post I made of the audio of me singing and playing was done with it.

Oldhat

#29

cool thanks …ill work on a lead break and a verse vocally if it doesnt hurt your ears too much lol …thanks for the challenge guys …it will be fun !!!

#30

I think your recording setup works fine, Oldhat. Seems like your mic is brighter than mine, but a little EQ can fix that. It will be an interesting challenge to make all our recording setups blend together, especially for the vocals.

If we use two rhythm guitars, it might be better to finish one, then let the second guitar play off the first. One of the problems with recording like this is that it starts to sound kind of sterile. If the second guitar can hear and react to what the first is doing it might give more of a live feel.

I’ve been having lots of fun playing mandolin over the rhythm track today. Easy chords, so it’s perfect for my limited mando skills, and G is easy for improvising, too.

#31

Larry that’s one of the reasons I figured we’d just stick with the 3 chord progression…for easy lead breaks, I don’t think any of us besides for Ben are “studio ready” so keeping it simple will def be doing all of us a favor.

I agree on maybe 2 rhythm guitars and one playing off the other, but perhaps with a mando and the single guitar part and some fills it will over-come the “canned” sound that may show up.

This is going to be pretty interesting for me in seeing a project come together and the effort made.

#32

Oldhat’s setup should work fine.

My Bass will be home sometime tomorrow I’m told. I insisted it get here in time for me to get my part recorded so everyone could use it this weekend when they had more time…hehe

#33

I also suggest that if we do 2 guitars in the rhythm section that we have someone else do it besides for me doing both. Maybe Mike will want to take a stab at it. I have a “pre-conceived” notion of the rhythm and it would be nice for another to do their version of a guitar rhythm to it to add to the sound as I might get a redundant sound if I do both.

So if anyone else with a guitar, an interest, and some recording equipment wants to add in a rhythm guitar section then chime in and join up.

Oldhat

#34

I wasn’t necessarily advocating for a second rhythm guitar. I only mentioned it because I wasn’t sure if Ron wanted to add a rhythm track.

My concern was the same as yours, though, Jesse. If the two rhythm tracks were created in isolation from each other, the strum pattern might turn out to be essentially the same. We’d just end up increasing the volume and/or taking up musical space without adding anything new.

#35

Wow, reading your last two posts I not only envisioned a “counter rhythm” but solved a problem on my five string at the same time. I love you guys, keep talking!

#36

Fiddlewood, hell if all I need to do is talk then send me a bottle of Canadian Club and a 6 pack of diet coke and you’d be a star by the time I got done…I solve the entire worlds problems when I get about 5 cocktails under my belt as I don’t know how to shut up!

Glad the local idiot could help though!

Oldhat

#37

well, if it gets like that we may just tack a big rubber ear on a tree and set ya in front of it and you can talk to that. We’ll just call ya “no ears” cause you’ll be all talkin’ and no listenin’.

#38

After 3 1/2 hours trying to remember how to get a track form my computer into my recorder I am ready…whew.

I’ll have the Bass done and up on Kompoz tonight barring further complication in my mental abilities.

I’m not sure if I can pull off a banjo part at that speed or not…we’ll see.

Larry, would you prefer separate backup and lead tracks for a banjo or one track?

#39

— Begin quote from "fiddlewood"

After 3 1/2 hours trying to remember how to get a track form my computer into my recorder I am ready…whew.

— End quote

Too long between recordings, Dave. It always frustrates me when I’m ready to do something musical and the technology hangs me up. Glad you got it working.

You can do your banjo in one take or record the lead and rhythm separately. I usually do my tracks separately, but that’s because I’m not talented enough for a single take.

I think all our lead breaks kind of fell into place. We’ve got 4 breaks: 2 guitars, banjo, mandolin… perfect.

#40

OK.

A couple more questions.

placement of said leads in arrangement?

Is there a chorus after each verse? (that would be normal)

Do we still need to decide who is singing which verse?