60s psychedelic bedroom instrumental

[jdsowa]

Here's a little instrumental I put together at home after getting a Rogue electric sitar. Didn't see a whole ton of use ultimately, but it got the song started off. Used two SM57s on the drum kit (kick & snare), and either SM57 or Rode NT1000 on all the other instruments. Recorded in Logic 9. Wasn't planning on it having a country rock feel but that's what ended up happening.

[Hoffmanwantsgear]

It's very good, sort of Revolver era Beatles crossed with Stealer's Wheel, with a bit of Love in there too.The bassline is good and the bass should be higher in the mix I think.

[jdsowa]

Here's another song I just finished. It's sort of a baroque waltz, in 9/8. The harpsichord sound is really just a 12-string acoustic guitar, recorded one note at a time to make it sound more like a keyboard.

[drezz]

Lovely tunes man, very nice aesthetic to both of em.........Enjoyed em very much. Sounds very sepia tinted, amazing that you recorded in Logic. Are you using any thrilly pres? If you had'nt have said, on casual listening i'd have assumed it was a tape job.....

[greatgreatriver]

I love it!

Hey that drum sound is really cool - I'm surprised it sounds so nice. The SM57 sounds honky dory with my pres.

Very good stuff - man I could listen to this some more do you have any mp3s for your fanboys?

[jdsowa]

Thanks for the kind words.

I just run the SM57s into the M-Audio Fasttrack USB preamp. Then in Logic I'll usually cut 6db from 10k and 1.2k. Takes the edge off of drums especially. Though, sometimes with things like 12-string acoustic I'll do +10db at 3.5k and 10k, because you really wanna emphasize the ringing quality. And then I limit the crap out of almost every track with 10db gain reduction. And then limit the master by 5db or so.

I have a few more tracks on my youtube channel, but they're in various other styles.

[greatgreatriver]

Thanks man...

I've already checked your space man. Cool stuff - that bossa was fun!

I need to find the right combo to record my drums. I want to make it simple and fast so I can record and edit fast. I'm a bad drummer so I only record loops and do the fills later in the mix etc.

I hear that you are a good guitarist - I like it!

[2N1305]

Ho-Ly F-Uc-K

did you absorb some good stuff, man? did you burn some Beatles + Canned Heat records and breathe the fumes?! That's terrific! I love it!
Do you have any lyrics? If not get some, I'd be willing to sing and/or play guitar on this! As good as it already is, I couldn't help but hearing a slide guitar or sitar(w/reverb or flanger) riff where the end of the first verse would be...
I often sound ecstatic about music, but hey, most of the music on the radio today isn't as original nor as pleasing as this!!

[2N1305]

Originally Posted by jdsowa

Here's another song I just finished. It's sort of a baroque waltz, in 9/8. The harpsichord sound is really just a 12-string acoustic guitar, recorded one note at a time to make it sound more like a keyboard.

Scary, man. This is kind of like Eleanor Rigby, but less dark. You know what I'd put in? A solo with Reversed Piano. Nothing too complicated, not too many notes, just enough so the listener is wondering exactly what it is...
Again I love it. by the way I could not care less how you recorded this : what filters, all that junk. It sounds great but it is great because the music is great. Man I wish I could write stuff like that.

[jdsowa]

Thanks.

No, I have no singing talent whatsoever.

I tried to do piano parts for the 2nd song on a yamaha U3 upright but it just didn't make the cut. Not sure if it's just because it's an upright or because it's in an untreated living room, but I've never had any luck with it.

[LimpyLoo]

Originally Posted by jdsowa

Here's a little instrumental I put together at home after getting a Rogue electric sitar. Didn't see a whole ton of use ultimately, but it got the song started off. Used two SM57s on the drum kit (kick & snare), and either SM57 or Rode NT1000 on all the other instruments. Recorded in Logic 9. Wasn't planning on it having a country rock feel but that's what ended up happening.

Amazing stuff, no joke! It is great to hear such inspired stuff on GS...

What'd you use for strings on the baroque jam?

[Koho]

This made me L.O.L.

[jdsowa]

The string parts are just done with a cello. It's very difficult to play if you're not a real cellist (due to lack of frets & vibrato technique), so I record it one note at a time and it ends up sounding pretty convincing. On both songs I would just do one melody line and then usually do two more tracks where I would play staccato 1/4 notes to outline the chords.

I've wasted many hours trying to convincingly layer 8-12 violins for a full string orchestra effect, but then you have to have the vibrato of every single track more or less in phase, and this is actually very difficult. I can really only pull off a cello vibrato where I have the instrument vertically in my lap. This isn't really appropriate for a tiny violin.

[LimpyLoo]

Originally Posted by jdsowa

The string parts are just done with a cello. It's very difficult to play if you're not a real cellist (due to lack of frets & vibrato technique), so I record it one note at a time and it ends up sounding pretty convincing. On both songs I would just do one melody line and then usually do two more tracks where I would play staccato 1/4 notes to outline the chords.

I've wasted many hours trying to convincingly layer 8-12 violins for a full string orchestra effect, but then you have to have the vibrato of every single track more or less in phase, and this is actually very difficult. I can really only pull off a cello vibrato where I have the instrument vertically in my lap. This isn't really appropriate for a tiny violin.

haha nicely done.

[Koho]

...wait a minute. This is for real?
I thought the OP was just posting links to some lost 1960s movie soundtrack tunes. Needless to say, I am impressed! You should put together an album.

[jozef]

These sound great! Amazing that you did that with only sm57's and a rode... I really need to stop trying to search for the right mic and get on with making music. I'll also throw my hat in the ring if you need some vocals through an online collaboration.

[ZFire]

Wow, agree it sounds great. My only comment would be that the mix is very... hard left - center - hard right, and it might be nice to fill in the panorama a bit.

[greatgreatriver]

I completely failed to get that drum sound with two sm57. Do you have any pictures of your setup. More info would be much appreciated.

/Drum man

[jdsowa]

Maybe I'll take a pic when I get home, but here are the details:

I've a got a little towel resting on the side of the snare head for muffling. The snare mic is in the usual place that people put it, but maybe a tad bit further back (4" back) and maybe 3" up above the drum. The farther back you go, the less of a proximity effect you get. It adequately picks up the hat and the crash-ride, but the toms would probably need an additional mic if I was to use them. But with home recording, every new mic you use introduces more room noise that you absolutely want to avoid.

The front head of the kick is on, and the kick mic is maybe 2-3" away, dead center. I don't think I have any muffling inside the drum ATM, but I think there's at least a blanket pushed up against the outside of the head to muffle it a bit.

Then I have the kit draped in blankets which hang from mic stands above to eliminate room noise. It's not terribly functional for real drumming w/ lots of fills.

But again, the limiting (and the EQ) is absolutely crucial for this sound. Limit both tracks with 10db gain reduction, then limit your overall mix by another 5db.

The reverb is from IK multimedia studio classic plugin. Oddly enough, I only use reverb on the kick drum channel because the snare bleed that it picks up is darker & more subtle than the snare mic.

I wouldn't recommend this sort of approach to anyone. Practice your instrument, and get in a studio with other guys and bang it out quickly. This crap takes too much work.

[greatgreatriver]

Originally Posted by jdsowa

Maybe I'll take a pic when I get home, but here are the details:

I've a got a little towel resting on the side of the snare head for muffling. The snare mic is in the usual place that people put it, but maybe a tad bit further back (4" back) and maybe 3" up above the drum. The farther back you go, the less of a proximity effect you get. It adequately picks up the hat and the crash-ride, but the toms would probably need an additional mic if I was to use them. But with home recording, every new mic you use introduces more room noise that you absolutely want to avoid.

The front head of the kick is on, and the kick mic is maybe 2-3" away, dead center. I don't think I have any muffling inside the drum ATM, but I think there's at least a blanket pushed up against the outside of the head to muffle it a bit.

Then I have the kit draped in blankets which hang from mic stands above to eliminate room noise. It's not terribly functional for real drumming w/ lots of fills.

But again, the limiting (and the EQ) is absolutely crucial for this sound. Limit both tracks with 10db gain reduction, then limit your overall mix by another 5db.

The reverb is from IK multimedia studio classic plugin. Oddly enough, I only use reverb on the kick drum channel because the snare bleed that it picks up is darker & more subtle than the snare mic.

I wouldn't recommend this sort of approach to anyone. Practice your instrument, and get in a studio with other guys and bang it out quickly. This crap takes too much work.

Totally super cool of you! Thanks man. I'm a home studio owner and I like this stuff. Don't mind spending too much time on experimenting.

My kick is 24" Ludwig - Unfortunately I have a hole in the front skin. I suspect it would sound cooler with a closed head.

I get a good snare sound but the kick just sound hard without that cool retro muffled (fat) sound. I've tried everything. I also experimented with a 414b-uls for room/oh. No luck! My drumming skills are not got either.

I'm using a firewire sound card Steinberg MR816X.

I really like your baroque waltz... I listen to it everyday.

[greatgreatriver]

It would be really interesting to see a picture of your setup man. Thanks!

[jdsowa]

Of course the 414 is a good mic, but I think condenser mics are highly problematic for home recording (especially drums) because they're too "open" sounding and accurate. Those are only good things if you have a good room. For home, you want the colored, focused sound of a cardioid dynamic mic.

Not to mention, Ringo's kit was recorded with a bunch of cheap dynamic mics that, if not for their historical significance, would sell for the price of a used SM57 ($50-100).

And the Beatles made passable records.

[erikdrink]

Cool!

[greatgreatriver]

I agree bro!

Thanks for the inspiration man - I go 100% cheap with my drum recordings.

I did a mistake by not adding more instruments to the drums. It's way to hard to judge the drum sound on its own.

Still I'm kind of sad about the lack of chub in the kick department.

I have two more kick drums - 22" and 20" - what's the size of you kick?

[jdsowa]

I'm pretty sure it's 22". My guess is the size is not a crucial factor, though.

It's been a long time since I've recorded a kit with a open-hole front head, so I can't say what effect that's having. Post a recording of it, if you want.

And I'm not hitting the drums very hard at all in these songs, either.

Have you ever tried recording drums outdoors? Just try it even with 1 drum out on your back deck. It's like night and day. Small rooms create phase problems which end up canceling out all sorts of frequencies across the spectrum, which, along with short reflections, is to account for why home recording is so extremely difficult.

[greatgreatriver]

I haven't tried recording drums outside - I would probably do that if my drumming was top notch.

I'll try to upload something later.

[jdsowa]

finished another instrumental just now. This one has more a 60s/70s soul soundtrack vibe. Used Hohner Pianet N electric piano from the 60s. Same one Beatles and Zombies used on several things. Also used the electric sitar again. The string parts are 11 viola tracks and 1 cello track. For some reason I've never had much luck recording violin or viola notes too far above middle C. Gets too shrill when layered and close-miked.

[greatgreatriver]

Originally Posted by jdsowa

finished another instrumental just now. This one has more a 60s/70s soul soundtrack vibe. Used Hohner Pianet N electric piano from the 60s. Same one Beatles and Zombies used on several things. Also used the electric sitar again. The string parts are 11 viola tracks and 1 cello track. For some reason I've never had much luck recording violin or viola notes too far above middle C. Gets too shrill when layered and close-miked.

Your drum sound is so cool - it must be nice to have a working sound - I'm still struggling for the right sound.

I dig this song a lot! - the solo part was a little boring though - I would go more extreme with the solo so it messes with the slick groove.

I would love to have this music in my car - is it possible that you could share these songs in da future -

thx!

[Yummerz]

Now this kicks ass! What amp and bass are you using for the soul number? I like how its woof plays with the kick.

[springreverb]

very cool songs and recordings
very tasteful productions