A new MP3 A.K.A. breaking in my new sound card with some classic rock and roll

[Corey]

So to celebrate the awsome new soundcard (bought with a Christmas bonus from IR ;) ) I got and the fact that I decided to finally take an entire day off and only do something fun, I figured that I'd do an audio production number. So here's me doing a cover of The Yardbirds, "Shape of Things". I played the bass and 3 guitar tracks in real time but the drums I did in chunks and loops, some real time, some not. Phloot. Enjoy.

http://www.truckstoppoets.com/mix.mp3

Shape of Things (To Come) is Copyright The Yardbirds
Owned by EMI Music, Licensed by Harry Fox Agency.

I'm using this version to clear it for recording so it's no biggie to post it. That's how they work, they don't really care either way as long as they get their piece of the pie... :)

Enjoy... The mix probably sucks but it was a one-day-only side project. Oh yeah, notice where I quoted Steve Howe (ASIA Only Time Will Tell) in bar 9 or so of the solo. I thought this was nifty, in the old days all musicians used to quote each other like that in their songs/solos, it was part of the art.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[eric_darling]

Very nicely done cover, Corey! Seriously. You've got a knack for the musical stuff. Speaking of The Knack... I'd love to hear you mix a little ASIA in with "My Sharona." Yeah, that would be sweet.

[JimS]

Sounds great Corey, what sound card did you get? Have you ever got to play with one of those Extigy’s? What do you think about it? I’m not sure of the quality, but I like the idea of a breakout box, get the plugs up front where you can use them. How many sound cards are you running in your machine? Are you running everything out to an analog tape or DAT, or what? Question is both for individual tracks, and final mix. How much of your mix is done on an analog mixing board, and how much via software? And finally, what type (brand /model) of FX box (pedals) are you using on your guitar? How much of those FX’s are created with software?

E.C. would be proud, that Asia lick shakes it up nicely, nice addition. I forgot about Asia, if you wouldn’t have mentioned Steve Howe, I would have thought it came somewhere else. In all, I was thinking it had a bit of Ingvay Malmsteen flavor to it. Nice work.

[Corey]

I got a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum, the one with the face plate drive thingy but no extra break out box. Great card, seems to be very good for what I need.

As for FX it's all hardware, a Line 6 POD ( only $500 or so). Nothing software based. I run it through a ART Tube MP Studio preamp (only $100 or so) and then straight in through the AUX in. It helps to have a decent guitar which is properly setup and with good pickups. Primarily the core of this style though is in your playing technique, i.e. your right hand (picking hand) technique is the main factor. Past that you can get this sort of sound in a variety of ways.

I did do one thing though, I set up my patches for this song so that the delay was timed to the tempo of the song, in this case two seperate patches, one with the delay synced to quarter note tempo and one with it synced to half note tempo. In the areas where it sounds like the delay is very heavy that simply the half speed delay used for thickness. Works good. Then I used a third patch for the solo, this time with very little in the way of reverb or delay so that it would sit on top of the mix without getting washy.

As for the setup I run straight from the soundcard into Adobe Audition. Nothing extra. Strictly old school style multitracking. The bass itself is a VSTi so I played it through a keyboard... The only thing I did was a little panning, some small track EQ tweaks, and a little reverb. Until my mixing skills get a chance to wake up I'm going to keep it to basics.

In terms of Yngwie, I listened to him lots when I was young but I am more influenced now by people like Frank Gambale and Scott Henderson... The tone for this song was modelled more upon the ideal of Steve Morse or Akira Takasaki, in this case the entire tune is just an alternate take on the Dixie Dregs cover of Shape of Things anyhow...

Mixing ASIA with The Knack, eh? Hmmm... Is that legal?

Seems to me the 'B' side to My Sharona was a pretty good tune even though I can't remember it. There's something to be said for ultra honest rock and roll like The Knack. I'd rather hear somone succeed at being themself than fail at being someone else. :)

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[JimS]

Thanks for the explanation.:cool:

[Corey]

np. Someday I would like to have a free "how-to" site for low budget home studios. Maybe in a couple years...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Intrigued]

Ok, so when is your first album coming out again? (grin)

Good job!

[Corey]

Sometime in mid 2042 provided we can keep the Tartars away from basecamp...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)