Recorded Guitar and Vocal

[Brother Junk]

So, before I post this, I just want to let everyone know that I have some sort of undiagnosed neuro-muscular disorder, and it makes my hands shake (a lot). My progress (or regress, depending) is being recorded at Boston Medical's Neuro Center. I go in yearly and take a bunch of tests bc it may help me or others in the future. But right now, they don't know what it is. It resembles Parkinson's disease, but it's not. It's not alcohol or drug related. And I can have it for 4 days, and lose it for 10, or the reverse. I can have it in one hand, or the other, or both. It's still a mystery to everyone (which is why it's undiagnosed I guess lol)

So, it comes and goes, but sometimes, I don't have the option of waiting to send something out. I'm not a fantastic guitar player to begin with, but that's what you hear with the guitar. I played as best I could with the shaking and then looped it for the singer. For the final, I will wait until my hands stop trembling.

I'm leaving this track as the singer sent it to me (her reference mix) bc I'd like to hear what you think about her vocal in the track. I'd like to hear other people's opinions before I embark on what I typically do to her vocals.

I'm going to take her vocal and play with the guitar to try to find some other places to go with it. What you are hearing is my initial idea I sent to her, and her vocal idea back to me.

I'm curious what you think of her vocal as is, and if you hear another chord you would go to. It's just a little diddle in the key of G, so I know for chords I have C, D, Am, Bm, Em, F#....but nothing jumps out at me as an easy bridge. Any ideas or criticisms, factoring in that it's a rough draft, I'd love to hear. I wonder if I should just take that diddle and stretch it out.... I'm not asking you to write the song, I'm wondering if your musical minds here another place for that guitar to go (chord wise) bc I can hear the rest of the song in my head, but it's piano and strings. The guitar part I feel like I boxed myself in somehow. It's in G, so G=i, Am=ii, Bm=iii, C=iv, D=v, Em=vi, F#=vii. Is there a place that you would typically go for a bridge? E.g. the iv?

I've mentioned before that musically, I'm a self taught hack. I'm taking lessons now, and it's filling in all the knowledge gaps, but I know that I am not a good musician. You fine folks are the musicians I talk to the most, and I greatly respect your experience and abilities....so spitballing ideas with you is a treat unto itself.

Oh, the guitar is recorded with one of those Seymour Duncan sound hold pickups. The playing, I just need the right day....but I also have a bluebird mic, but it's not cooperating with my stand (it's a crappy stand)...

Any thoughts on whether I would be better to record it mic'd through the BB as opposed to that pickup? For right now, those are the only two options I have and that guitar has no eq applied to it atm.

 

[pcrecord]

I first noticed the noise.. electronic noise. it's prevents me to really enjoy the recording.
The vocal is a bit dark but it's acceptable because it could be an artistic choice.
But both vocal have the same texture, if recorded differently they would seperate more.
If the guitar would have 2 tracks (2 mics) you could pan them hard to avoid having everything in the center.

Very beautifull song, nice voice and nice playing !

Thanks for sharing

 

[Brother Junk]

I first noticed the noise.. electronic noise. it's prevents me to really enjoy the recording.

That's that Seymour Duncan Woody pickup : (

I can pick up one of these for $300, anyone play one before? Honestly, I have been spoiled bc my father is a guitarist. So, when I need one, I have access to a Les Paul, a Super-Strat, a super expensive PRS, I can't even remember them all, but top shelf guitars. It's his living, so he plays nice stuff. So, when I pick up a budget guitar, argh, yuck. But I'll get used to it. But I need something for $300 or under

http://www.guitarcenter.com/PRS/SE-...age-Cherry-1424791401909.gc?pfm=item_page.rr1

Or, I could pay to have pickups put in my Acoustic. I'm not sure which is the better value?

The only way putting pickups in my Tacoma Acoustic is super helpful depends on how Guitar Rig 5 works. I've not used it, but I might have it shortly....but I'm not sure if I just plug into my Mbox Pro, load Guitar Rig and it will put effects on my acoustic? Bc then, I could have my acoustic, I could amp my acoustic, and I could record with my acoustic.

But I'm not sure if I need a separate interface for the guitar...and then that interface plugs into the Mbox Pro? Do you know Marco?

I first noticed the noise.. electronic noise. it's prevents me to really enjoy the recording.

It's worth mentioning twice....I don't know if that pickup is just not made well, or if it was dropped, but it is super noisy. I'm going to have to borrow my dads acoustic.

The vocal is a bit dark but it's acceptable because it could be an artistic choice.

Yes, I just give her little song elements and she writes to it.

But both vocal have the same texture, if recorded differently they would seperate more.

Awesome! I will do that for sure when she gives me the vocals.

If the guitar would have 2 tracks (2 mics) you could pan them hard to avoid having everything in the center.

I will also do that

Very beautifull song, nice voice and nice playing !

Eh, thanks for being kind. I know the playing is terrible. But I'll post the final to show that I can play a little bit. It all just depends on how shaky my hands are that day.

That's why I do what I do. I would love to be a performing musician, but my health doesn't allow it. If you were to see how badly my hands shake, you would be amazed I played that little diddle that well! On bad days, my hands will spasm and go an inch in each direction shaking.

That's why that guitar is like that....my hands were shaky. That little guitar part is very simple, I could play it perfectly in my sleep....unless my hands are shaky.

So instead of performing, I try to write stuff and put the pieces together, because then I can choose what days to record...when my hands aren't shaking. If I was your guitarist on gig night....you'd be screwed.

Je vous remercie beaucoup por la critique construtive... Je l’apprécie vraiment ;0) That last word doesn't look right, but I guess it is.

 

[pcrecord]

Or, I could pay to have pickups put in my Acoustic. I'm not sure which is the better value?

To me acoustic guitars sound more natural when recorded with microphones. Altought I should say, aside from the noise, yours sounds good.

That's why that guitar is like that....my hands were shaky. That little guitar part is very simple, I could play it perfectly in my sleep....unless my hands are shaky.

You shouldn't excuse anything, I didn't notice anything wrong with it.

Je vous remercie beaucoup por la critique construtive... Je l’apprécie vraiment ;0) That last word doesn't look right, but I guess it is.

Ça me fait plaisir de pouvoir aider

 

[Brother Junk]

To me acoustic guitar sound more natural when recorded with microphones. Altought I should say, aside from the noise, yours sounds good.

It's a nice guitar. Pre-Fender Tacoma DB-20. I've played $2k-$3k Martins and Taylors in direct comparison to my Tacoma, and I like my Tacoma better. The people who owned the Martins and Taylors both said they like the way theirs plays better, but they preferred the sound of my Tacoma DB-20 (I agree) Everyone who hears/sees/plays it is very impressed and wonders how they missed them.

If you ever get to play a pre-fender Tacoma, I highly recommend it. It's shockingly good. And then Fender bought them and !@#$ them up. I would love to have a pre-fender DM-9. They just play so nicely, and the DM-9 sounds amazing. It's a step down from my Db-20, but it has a very cool and unique sound. I would take a DM-9 over that Martin and Taylor I played. I like them that much. Anyway...

Ça me fait plaisir de pouvoir aider

I understood most of that actually.