New take on Nightingale, better guitar sound.

skei · #1 11-09-2009, 09:02 AM

Ho ho ho.
So as usual I can't rest when I feel I'm pretty close, but not there. Therefore I did a new, somewhat sloppy, version of Nightingale in Berkley square. Just because after listening to it I got sick of not hearing the same sound on the recording as I hear from the amp. I simply used another daw, Ableton live, instead of Garageband. That made all the diff. The sound of the guitar on the recording is now the same as I hear when just listening to the amp. And a ho ho ho, have I worked hard to get to this sound.
Well, anyone interested may listen to it at my 4shared folder (link in the below), but be ware, I just went through it swiftly to hear the sound. As I also used another pick, a gibson standard black, sather stiff, one, it is no excellent playing, will probably take a few days to get used to both these new sensations. But one thing is absolutely sure: I've arrived at the sound I've been trying to get all the friggin' time!
I am completely satisfied, no tweaking, no effects, no nothing, just plug in amp and guitar, and hit record. Never any problems. I am in heaven.
As I said, it's at the 4shared folder. If you feel like it.
Peace
Skei (the at long last satisfied one)

Anandbhat · #2 11-18-2009, 04:07 AM

Great tone,Skei!
IMHO you have all the sound (Tone) you need on that track.A little more guitar volume might help in the mix.
cheers!
Anand.

skei · #3 11-18-2009, 06:57 AM

Great you also heard it!
Well, you're probably right about the volume, I usually tend to keep it low simply because I know I'm not very good at playing, so I guess it's a silly thing to do when you try to learn...
Anyway, yeah, that sound will do just fine for me. So now I'm practicing picking intensely. Just hour after hour adjusting pick angle, pressure, positioning of arm, hand, etc. Luckily I'm such a boring individual I can do this and think it's fun.
Doh.

Peace
Skei (the getting a bit closer to a way of playing blue train that isn't complete waste of time and energy one)

mississippi · #4 11-20-2009, 02:44 AM

nice passion in your play'n

skei · #5 11-20-2009, 04:33 AM

In this case it's a matter of love lost. Of memories of a lifetime ago. A time when the air was easier to breathe, when the sun made a few visits each week, a time when - in short - there was purpose.

As I heard this one played by the best guitarist I know - Ulf Wakenius - and the best bass player I know (very much sadly he's no longer about), Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen, it felt like the heart was being pulled out of myself, placed on the sidewalk and trod upon by a large quantity of persons unidentified. It connected immediately to the soul and spirit, demanding to be played, and it got right almost first try, meaning the soul was present. The soul.
Peace
Skei (the early morning just had breakfast not entirely but almost awake one)

mr. beaumont · #6 11-20-2009, 08:25 AM

not too shabby, skei! like mississippi has said, you're sounding better and better--definitely have a nice warm tone now--but of course, i'd like to hear more of it.

i was listening to a couple tracks on your site, and i definitely think that 52nd street sounds like you at your most confident. i like that--keep it up.

skei · #7 11-20-2009, 08:41 AM

Gracias per cafe noir, my good man!
Well, right now I'm burning the metronome, have to pay for not having worked it especially seriously before. But it's coming along nicely, and I, like I stated elsewhere, will work eagerly on getting time in good shape. After that I'll do some more recording to see if it gives result.
Yeah, 52nd street is absolutely one of my all time fav tunes, a pity bird's not here to inspire more...
But wakenius is still around, and he does - in between those rapid runs along the fretboard - those arp things I like so much, so I shall burn the metronome some more, after having had another cup of java black, and then some arp lines, connecting those rascals to weave a net of bop and pleasure intertwined.

Now java
Peace
Skei (the metronome in the dark one)

wizard3739 · #8 11-20-2009, 10:39 AM

Nice job Skei, your tone is really nice and warm.

wiz

skei · #9 11-20-2009, 06:31 PM

Thanks a lot, wiz,
means a lot hearing that from one of the nicest, nay, most perfect, tones on the board!
It's not like a hollow body, quite another story, I like both, but for silence and the smoothness I chose the les paul. It's a fine, lean sound, may lack a bit in brilliance, but the warmth makes it nice in other ways. It'll be interesting to try some recording with some bop music, not sure it'll fit so perfectly, but I still have the 335, the one I used on 52nd street, for a more hollow body sound, so I won't have to compromise with that. But I heard Wakenius playing almost anything with OP, and it worked very well with a les paul - and that special sound - so it should be ok. I'm thinking I should try to mix piano, bass etc, perhaps guitar too, a bit 'thinner', or more narrowly in tone register, to give each a more specified sector to work with. Instead of getting it all muddled up like a sad pudding from christmas last year...
I've listened to the samples on Jake hanlon's page, and that stands out, more narrowly defined, not weak, just a bit more specific in soundrange, instruments, instead of the 'wall of sound' which I sadly inherited from the old skei of the R&R circus era...
Well, glad you enjoyed the sound, I'll try to fine tune and 'narrow' it down a bit in thew future, and in the meantime keep working the old pal metronome!
My best to the wife!
Peace
Skei (the just about to have his 1.30 am cafe noir one)

StevieB · #10 11-20-2009, 06:42 PM

Hi skei . . . I really enjoyed listening to your rendition of a classic song. Good note selection and fine tone. Keep on playing it and your confidence will grow.

skei · #11 11-21-2009, 08:41 AM

Good point, stevie!
Keepin' on. Also I did new mixes of Nightingale and Blue train this morning, to try to get the guitar a bit more up front. Without making it sound strange, of course. Think it's a bit better now, but I just can't get hooked up on mixing, playing is so much more fun. Metronomes. But, as I wrote, it's better in these 'penultimate' mixes.
Peace
Skei (the penultimately in need of coffee & toast one)

skei · #12 11-23-2009, 03:56 AM

And after this I still did a new mix of Blue train, did apply a stereo field to the guitar, it did change the feel a bit, it was some plugin dividing the signal in two, adding a slight, very slight, delay to one of these, and it did get the guitar more 'in' to the mix. Together with a more 'narrowly' or 'clearly' defined piano and bass, it did open up a bit. I'm more into playing than mixing, though, so I guess it will never be good as such.

And now for some more morning coffee, and turn on the metronome.
Peace
Skei (the in time soon one)