Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Netgrass: Hard Times

#81

— Begin quote from "ldpayton"

My laptop speakers have no bass either. I doesn’t matter how much I add to the mix.

— End quote

It’s just a rough mix, so I didn’t care or say anything, but the current hard times mix has a pretty large amount of bass. My neighbor’s teen wanted a copy so he could show off his subwoofers in his car. :laughing: I have a sub on my PC speakers, so my system is pretty sensitive to bass response. If you ever want me to help tweak the bass response in a mix, give me a yell. I could set the project up on my end to match yours and help give some indication of levels that seem to work on my end.

LFB sounds pretty groovy. When I get some time, I’ll try to work up something for it as well. Did you all have a chord progression chart somewhere handy?

#82

Thanks for the feedback on the mix. That kind of input is invaluable. I purposely put the bass a little more in front just because it was the new track, but it sounds like I over did it.

I have a subwoofer on my pc, too, and on our first few netgrass projects everyone was telling me I was under mixing the bass, so now I turn down the subwoofer when I mix. I have the subwoofer level marked and I’m trying to hone in on the best level for mixing. You just gave me one more data point.

I don’t have a chord chart for LFB, but I believe it just switches between Dm and C, and then Dm-C-A-Dm at the little turnaround.

#83

Thanks for the LFB progression. Listening to the turnaround, I thought it would be more complex than that. I am easily confused :slight_smile:
I think bass frequencies are the hardest things to nail when setting levels. You want to get them present and well accounted for, but you also want it to sound natural on a wide variety of speaker systems. In our recordings, the bass (instrument) is the only source of low frequencies, so it is critical in the mix. I think you have always ended up with good sounding mixes.

#84

I guess I neglected the chords for the B section on LFB, didn’t I? I think I just played G-D-E-A.

— Begin quote from ____

but you also want it to sound natural on a wide variety of speaker systems.

— End quote

And, the difference is huge between my laptop which will never have much low frequency response, and my desktop PC which rattles the window panes. FInding the right compromise is tricky.

#85

I created a http://www.kompoz.com/compose-collaborate/home.track.project?trackId=247187&projectId=38250 with some mandolin and a little less bass. I added the Am at the end by punching in on the guitar track and by using a pitch shifter to lower ozi’s bass by a third - that will get us by until we can fix it right.

I may need to redo the mando once we get Jesse’s guitar track mixed in (it’s hard to know how much space to take up), but this will do for now.

#86

— Begin quote from ____

I purposely put the bass a little more in front just because it was the new track, but it sounds like I over did it.

— End quote

Naaaaaaaaaaah! Bass is never too loud - just ask any bassist (or your neighbor’s son) :stuck_out_tongue: BTW did you tell him the instrument is the size of a ukulele? :open_mouth:

I can cut my volume back in recording but figured it better if you had lots of headroom to play with in the mix.
Second mix is a lot better Larry, and love the mando in there. The Am shift works well.
Sounding good so far. Thanks for putting the time in to get it right.

Re LFB - looks like the fiddle may not be lonesome for too long if Mike gets his teeth into it as well :laughing: …

#87

Pitch shifter… sweeeeeeeet! So can I just record a few notes of various duration and you can make it play whatever you want. Awesome!

Seriously, nice job with the mando, the mix and all. I just had time to listen once before heading to bed, but I dig it.

#88

I had time to listen through a bit and I like it. The mando rhythm is nice. The mando half break fits well with the half break I did and I like it. The bass mix is good. As we add vox and other items, it might need tweaking, but it’s in the right range. Great job Larry.

#89

Glad to see you guys keeping it going…lots of progress!

I am still 3 days away from my guitar but rest assured I will lay something down within 5 days!

In Baltimore drinking fine Scotch at 10:30 in the morn, got a few days to go and a few gallons of Scotch! Plane flies out of Cleveland on Sunday and am heading there tonight around 11:00.

Old war buddies are good friends, however when we hook up 2 times yearly we tend to act like we are still 19 years old!

#90

— Begin quote from "ozicaveman"

Naaaaaaaaaaah! Bass is never too loud -

— End quote

I think we need to work a bass solo into one of these projects. :smiley:

#91

— Begin quote from "Oldhat"

I am still 3 days away from my guitar but rest assured I will lay something down within 5 days!

— End quote

Looking forward to it. We’ll keep the hard drives warm for you. Dianne is returning on near the same schedule. In her Kompoz comments she said she would be back around Tuesday.

#92

I’m suffering with musician’s remorse today. I couldn’t decide whether to strum the mando like I did, or just use a syncopated quarter note chop, and now I think I might like a chop better. Guess I’ll wait until Jesse lays down some guitar before I decide to change it (plus, I’ll probably change my mind again by that time).

— Begin quote from "oldhat"

when we hook up 2 times yearly we tend to act like we are still 19 years old!

— End quote

If you wind up spending 30 days in jail, we’ll replace you with another guitar player. :laughing:

— Begin quote from "mreiz"

The mando half break fits well

— End quote

I purposely worked off your break, but I think I might have copied you too much (musican’s remorse again).

— Begin quote from "mreiz"

we need to work a bass solo into one of these projects

— End quote

Now, that’s a good idea!

#93

— Begin quote from "ldpayton"

If you wind up spending 30 days in jail, we’ll replace you with another guitar player. :laughing:

— End quote

Maybe we wouldn’t want to do that. Jail time for Jesse would probably get the kind of press we would need to “make it.”

— Begin quote from "ldpayton"

I purposely worked off your break, but I think I might have copied you too much (musican’s remorse again).

— End quote

I was trying to work around the melody and it sounds like yours stays pretty close to it as well. One can only do so much different and still be hanging around the original notes. Personally, I like what you did, but I could probably come up with a crosspicking one if you want me to try something different.

— Begin quote from "mreiz"

we need to work a bass solo into one of these projects

— End quote

I have a mental image of Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap. “Ladies and gentleman… Derek Smalls! He wrote this!!” Now that I got that out of the way we could certainly work it into a song. I think the easiest way is to do the single stacatto chord chops only on the chord changes and then we all just get out of the way and let ozzie do his thang. Maybe throw in a bit of percussive muted strumming on the mando or guitar. Let’s keep an eye out for a good place for it to fit in future songs.

#94

Feel free to do some mandolin if you would like. I don’t mean to hog up the mandolin on every project. I’ve just been doing it by default. You can take the whole track if you want. I’ve been working on a dobro track today, so I’d happily switch over.

#95

Oh no, you got me all wrong Larry. I love your mando tracks. I really like the break you did on this one. In addition, I can barely play one of those things. The only mando playing I have up on this site was some chops for the “never grow old” thread (you’d have to listen pretty close to hear it). Anyway, what I was trying to say was that if you thought our breaks were too similar, I could try to replace the part I did on guitar with a different part involving some crosspicking (on guitar). I am not married to the break I did before. I like it ok, but I suspect I could come up with something else I like as well.

Now with all my dis-association with the mando in the previous paragraph… I ordered one today. I got one from the same maker that BBforum user Brenton had suggested (Red Valley). It should be done within a few weeks. I am pumped. I was expecting to put the one I have up for sale on the forum, but my mother in law has said she wants it. Even easier.

#96

BTW, glad to hear you are playing with Dobro for it. I think I am going to record later. I might start something new or work on some transitional pieces for the start of the verses on Hard Times. I kind of don’t want to get too carried away on GTR stuff until Jesse gets to jump in.

#97

Yep, I did misunderstand. Guess I’m quick to try to dump my mandolin duties. I figure somebody’s got to be able to do a better job than I can. Learning mandolin (and dobro) parts is always an adventure for me. All I know is a handful of chords and no scales so it takes a while to figure out even basic stuff. It is good practice, though.

Sounds like, with a new mandolin, you’ll be ready for the next project. BTW, what guitar did you use on this project?

I’ve been working on dobro just in case we need it. Would be nice to add a banjo or fiddle instead, though.

#98

— Begin quote from "ldpayton"

Guess I’m quick to try to dump my mandolin duties. I figure somebody’s got to be able to do a better job than I can.

— End quote

That certainly wouldn’t be me :slight_smile: I think your mando sounds great.

— Begin quote from "ldpayton"

I’ve been working on dobro just in case we need it. Would be nice to add a banjo or fiddle instead, though.

— End quote

There is still going to be room for several short lead parts at the intro and between the verses and the choruses. They are short parts, but I think dobro would work great for one or more of those. Dianne’s singing partner (spouse?) plays banjer. I haven’t heard from Dave on these projects for a while, but he would be an obvious candidate. I could probably get my fiddle playing buddy to put down a track or two if desired. I guess we can see what pops up when Jesse and Dianne get going.

I used the D18GE to record my break part. I might go back and try some different guitars and see how they sound. The OM18 might end up with up with the tone that cuts the best in that range. Might even try my wife’s guitar if she’ll let me :smiley:

#99

Also, it is kind of a long song. I think maybe dobro noodling (maybe loosely doubling the vocals) during the last verse and chorus might be something to add some variety.

#100

I really like your guitar recording. I’ve been having trouble getting good recordings ever since I had to replace my PC. My recordings don’t seem as crisp and clear as they used to.

I already hit up Dianne to see if her husband wanted to add some banjo, but he declined… and it seems fiddlewood is still off the grid. Maybe someone new will step up.

— Begin quote from ____

There is still going to be room for several short lead parts at the intro and between the verses and the choruses.

— End quote

That’s best for me and the dobro. I’m better off inserting breaks and fills instead of trying to play constant rhythm.