Two MP3's posted - your critique please...

[Gruuve]

Bassarama:

 

Pretty cool....post some more!

 

Dave

[Gruuve]

OK, I've finally re-recorded a modified bass line for song #2. Based on the thread on "Choosing the interval to pop when slapping", I reworked it just a little. The F# and C#sus chords get octaves popped, the B chord gets a major 3rd octave up popped, then the final C#sus gets an octave and a 4th an octave up popped. I think I like how this sounds better. (It's also considerably tighter than the first one.)

 

Here's the new mp3:

http://www.ipass.net/davesisk/LordReignInMe_DaveBassline.mp3

 

I renamed the old one to this if you want to compare:

http://www.ipass.net/davesisk/LordReignInMe_DaveBassline_old.mp3

 

One other note on tone. The old one was recorded with the bass boosted all the way on the MM SR5. The new one was recorded with the lows flat on the bass guitar (everything else exactly the same). Even though I like having lots of supple lows, it seems like the bass line cuts through a little more with the lows flat. What do you think?

 

Dave

[alexclaber]

Originally posted by Dave Sisk:

One other note on tone. The old one was recorded with the bass boosted all the way on the MM SR5. The new one was recorded with the lows flat on the bass guitar (everything else exactly the same). Even though I like having lots of supple lows, it seems like the bass line cuts through a little more with the lows flat. What do you think?

Yes it cuts more but because it's DI'd onto a mastered recording you don't really want more cut. It also means that the popped notes are even louder in relation to the slapped ones. Personally I'd boost the lows about halfway and cut the treble a bit. And soften up the attack slightly. Also remember that the effect described by the Fletcher-Munson curve means that at live volumes you'll need less bass and treble boost than at home or studio volumes.

 

I've turned my brain on this time and had a ponder about the groove. I think you're playing it a bit too straight and ahead of the beat. Try and sit back into the groove, loosen up and think greasier. Bring a little bit of the Larry Graham thang into the mix. IMO there are some extraneous notes in the line that are diminishing the groove because you're playing them too straight - try and shuffle them a bit, or just leave them out.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Alex

 

P.S. To any other groove gurus - am I on the money here or just sending Dave the wrong way?

[alexclaber]

I think this is a pretty good representation of where I am now . This was a totally free jam at the start of our guitarist's second audition.

 

Needless to say, he has claimed that chair - I think this is the first time that Jennie and I have jammed with a third player and found a coherent sound. And I do like where I fit in it - or should that be, where I fit all over it!?

 

Alex

 

P.S. Go on, knock me off my flimsy self-made pedestal...

[Gruuve]

Originally posted by C. Alexander Claber:

[QBI've turned my brain on this time and had a ponder about the groove. I think you're playing it a bit too straight and ahead of the beat. Try and sit back into the groove, loosen up and think greasier....IMO there are some extraneous notes in the line that are diminishing the groove because you're playing them too straight - try and shuffle them a bit, or just leave them out.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Alex

 

P.S. To any other groove gurus - am I on the money here or just sending Dave the wrong way?[/QB]

Actually, after listening to this in the car on the way into the office (and now that I'm not distracted by the sloppy execution on the first "take"), I think I agree. I am playing some parts of the final slap lick ahead of the beat (intentionally), but that might not actually be the best approach. I think the right answer is actually to leave some of the notes out. After listening to it reasonably well executed, it's obvious to me that at least the outtro lick is too...homogeneous? It's almost straight 16th's with accents (thinking of it in terms of a percussive metaphor), and there needs to be more rests.

 

I guess I'll have record a 3rd "take" tonight or tommorrow, eh?

 

I'm really appreciating all the feedback. This has been a great exercise. I'm thinking I'll likely record myself practicing more often. (Don't worry, I'll only post the ones that are troublesome or interesting for some reason... )

 

Dave

[Fred TBP]

I had a little more free time today so I decided to download everything on this post.

 

Gospel5S, I've tried on two days to download your .wav file, but I can't connect to your site/server. Tell those college network kids (caught the .edu part) to sober up that router, take that firewall down a notch and get that connection together.

 

C-Alex: love you, man, you're the Gandalf of electronic wizardy here, but I'd, ah, well, think about posting another sample. Liked the smaller sample rates though. and you did say it was some kinda rehearsal outtake. Yep.

 

Dave: dude these songs ROCK! If I had a church gig like yours I'd show up every Sunday. Really nice band, as the songs show, everyone works their thing together without a lot of ego-crashing. Given this situation, you instict to go with your gut is the best of all possible worlds. So, here's a few of my thoughts on the songs, just in the spirit of suggestion.

 

(BTW, are these covers or originals? My knowledge of contemporary music is a little biased towards really loud stuff.

 

"Your Name is Holy". What an intro! I was reminded of "Running on Empty" (Jackson Brown), that whole open-live vibe with that cool pedal steel hovering about the song like a condor riding the currents. Your vocalist sings here a lot like whatzhername from the Cranberries. And your line follows her well, just like one of those classic Moody Blues songs ("Wildest Dreams" comes to mind).

 

1:30 and 2:30 (the breaks) are great opportunities to fool around with those slides DaveBrownBass was discussing here. I'm thinking Tony Levin retraint, yet his presence is felt. Right around 3:05-3:10 as the song is breaking down is your chance to make the warmth of the fretless come out front. At 3:52 the song is actually over (if I were thinking airplay I would've cut to the announcer at that moment to ned it) but your partners manage to crank it back to 11 for the coda. Well done! Others might have used this area to crank out a blitz of notes, but you kept it in the pocket so that the vocals/choir take center stage again, and that was the RIGHT thing to do here.

 

Overall, you're thinking like a good producer here; Less IS more. If it means you take backstage, so be it, and in the process you make the song sound stronger. Great job here!

 

"Lord Reign In Me" - Whatever that first note riff is, lose it. It's like a first hit foul into left field - doesn't really say anything about what you're going to hit later. But I LIKE what you do for the verses, so either strengthen that into or lose it. No complaints on the verses/chorus structure, it seems to fit perfectly. At 1:50 you do a nice simple walk, but instead of reverting to the slap you might want to try an alternative like false harmonics or some crossovers into higher octaves. At 2:24 I sensed you might have fallen slightly out of sync with that drum roll, but it might also have been a temporary fading of your notes here or a gap in the file transfer. But to be honest I'm nitpicking here, again your work is right on target to what the song calls for.

 

I wish I had more time to listen again (as if 5-10 times weren't enough!) but you really did the right things here.

 

Continued good luck with this band!!!

(I'd post a thumbs-up Graemlin here but then it would wipe out all I said and I have no time left to do this over... or spell-check, for that matter, so forgive the mistakes this time)

[Gruuve]

Originally posted by Fred the bass player:

I'd post a thumbs-up Graemlin here but then it would wipe out all I said and I have no time left to do this over

And all this time I thought the Gremlin-wipeout phenomena was just me! If you click a gremlin and it wipes everything out, then immediately hit Control-Z, and everything will reappear. If you then click the Gremlin a second time, nothing gets wiped out...go figure (Java script?)

 

Thanks for the comments. Yeah, this music is less metallic than anything I've ever played, and I'm finding that I'm really enjoying it.

 

L8r,

Dave

[alexclaber]

Originally posted by Fred the bass player:

C-Alex: love you, man, you're the Gandalf of electronic wizardy here...

Why, thank you!

 

Originally posted by Fred the bass player:

but I'd, ah, well, think about posting another sample.

Care to elaborate? (I'm tough...-ish!)

 

Alex

[LLroomtempJ]

I listened to the second recording and i felt as though it had more overbearing bass than the previous.

 

Flattening the lows out definitely makes your highs more prominent, so this time, the pops stand out a lot more...which didn't sound so good.

 

I think the slap is too much for this song.

 

For comparisons sake, i downloaded the original recording and i liked it way better with st8 fingerstyle. You could probably fingerstyle everything that you were popping and it would sound great.

 

jason "my two cents...again" atkins

 

edit: fred, i took down my suggestion b/c it was a humongous file. PM me if you want to hear it..i may be able to compress it.

[Gruuve]

OK, I've done another take of this tune with the slap/pop bass line in the out-tro simplified a bit. It fits the drum metaphor a little closer now, and I think it grooves considerably more (it feels a little more relaxed and fluid rather than "forced"...if that makes sense...IMHO anyway). I think that if/when we do this song again in church, I'll do the bassline this way. (Of course, I might totally change my mind by then...who knows...)

 

Here's the URL: http://www.ipass.net/davesisk/LordReignInMe_DaveBassline2.mp3

 

Have I beat this song to death yet? I have to stop messing with this one before I get sick of hearing and playing it! This and the thread on which interval to pop has just really been a great exercise for me. I really appreciate everyone's suggestions, opinions, ideas, etc. (whether I actually agree with them all or not!)

 

Dave