General Music Chat

I know this place is notorious for hard rock and heavy metal, but . . .
I just uploaded a song that is anything BUT rock/metal

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"Bishop's Pond," recorded 2-3 weeks ago.
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> I don't know what style to call it (you tell me).
> gentle relaxing song.
> finger picking
> two flutes
> 2 guitars playing same song generates an occasional echo or phasing.
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. . . reactions welcome.
Alan

I'll try to remember to listen to it later, can't do it now at work.

Not ALL of us are metal/heavy rock!

I hear the phase thing you mention, were you going for this effect when you recorded? What method did you use to record the acoustic tracks?

I don't know what to call the style, either, but its very soothing and mellow. Good job!

Yeah, I was, indeed going for that phasing effect.
I first noticed this effect, a few years ago, while recording alternate tracks for a song.
I like the effect, for sometimes it is a phasing, sometimes it is an echo, and sometimes it simply sounds like one guitar.
While not appropriate for all songs, I think it works in this song.
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I recorded this song with Sony Acid music Studio; I just needed some simple software with basic effects; I am an acoustic musician. $70.
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No microphones used during recording; the flutes are from an old, cheap Casio Kiddie-keyboard.
I boosted the reverb on the flute, to make them sound farther away from the listener.
Kiddie-keyboard - or not - I like the sound.
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I run the inputs through a preamp: ARTcessories USB Dual Pro.
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The rest is practice, and patience in mixing.
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Glad you like it, glad to share it.
- Alan

No mics - you DIed the guitar tracks? If so, what pickup system do you use?

My acoustic guitar has a pickup on it; I just jacked in.
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I set up a click track, so both guitars will always be on the same page.
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I recorded the first guitar.
Then I muted it.
As I recorded the 2nd guitar, I just listened to the click track, and just played the song the same way as the first time.
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When I do that, the 2 tracks will always come out nearly identical.
It's that "nearly" that does the trick.
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When mixing, I added identical volumes for the 2 guitars, and put one on the left channel (30%), and the other on the right channel (30%), just enough to separate them a bit, to enhance the presence of the effect.
When mixing, I added identical echoes & identical reverb for the guitars.
Again, the flutes got more reverb, to make them seem farther away.

So what pickup system does your acoustic guitar have? I can't hear any piezo quack in it at all.

It's just a match-thin strip of metal under the plastic saddle.
There's a 9V battery running a pre-amp & 4band equalize in the guitar.
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The guitar is a Samick D-5CE, you might be able to get more details online.
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I used extra light strings, which diminish the volume/fullness of the lower note s, drastically.
With careful attention to the EQ settings, I get the tone I like.
When recording, I stay well below 0db.
I have Zero percent tolerance for clipping of digital signals.
I make it so my preamp never redlines (although they suggest "occasional" redlining).
And with the software - again - I never redline. I expand each track to it's fullest - if I SEE any clipping - I delete the track . . . I don't even listen to it.
For rendering an mp3, I keep the volume to about -1 db to -2-1/4 db.
If it doesn't sound clean, I'm not interested.

That's a standard UST pickup, somehow you must be EQing the quack right out of it!

Over the years, I have gotten uncountable compliments on how my Samick sounds.
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Remember, I use extra light acoustic strings - .009 to .047. And they sound relatively tinny, until properly equalized.
Sooo . . .
I boost the bass quite a bit, and cut the lower mid-range way, way down.
Treble is up a tad, and the bite is down a tad.
Glad you like the results; it took me about a year to discover the best EQ setting for those strings.

I've always used 10s on my old Epi acoustic - after over 40 years I'd be afraid to put any other gauge on it! I use 11s on my Fender acoustic and Ibanez 12-string and 13s on my Taylor. Which has the most full-bodied sound? The Taylor, of course!

Enjoyed the music.
Thanks for posting.