I Need Help With Pedal Steel tracks

This is not the first time this has happened to me... i got a song that i am trying to generate pedal steel on.. The track is the pedal steel background Ev65.... And Steve is not playing the right chord Changes . He doesn't change or play the chords he is asked to play .

and doesn't resolve from the g to the c or the f to the c.. theres gotta be something i did wrong .i have heard him play in real life on recordings he can play these changes .

Here is a rough chart

(1/2 timing signature) 76BPM Key of Ab

(Inrto)
4 1 5 5

(Vrs)

1 4 5 1

1 4 (5,4)1 Vrs X2

(Chrs)

4 1 5 1

4 1 5 5

4 1 5 (6m,5)

4 1 5 5

i wrote the chart in band in box with a 1/4 time signature ... im feeling lazy so i typed it 1/2 time to show u guys

is there anything wrong with what i am asking steve to play? ...anybody have problems with this real track? or just me?.. i got so many questions LOL .

Hi there,

You state that the song is written with a 1/2 time signature. What does that mean?

Did you set a time signature using F5 that was different to the base style being used to create the song? If so, this might being playing a part in your problem. I have used the pedal steel tracks quite a bit and have never had the problem you describe.

Also, when you say the key is Ab, how was that set?

Lastly, if you'd like to email me the SGU file, I'm happy to have a look at it and see if I can find the problem. If you want to take me up on my offer, you can find my email address by clicking on my forum name (Noel96) and then selecting "View profile".

Regards,
Noel

Clayton,

Yes, I had the same questions as Noel. Plus more..... why did you use the number system for the song than ask about F G C with the key being Ab? That is way too confusing. Nothing connects.

Post a link to the SGU and I'd be happy to look at it.

I have noticed sometimes that the steel does do what you say...or what I think you're trying to say....

Rather than change on the chords it continues in the same chord while other things do change to the new chord.

When I have that happen, I try a few things. First, I force a regeneration of the track. If that fails, I change the real track from say....ev65 to ev120... or ev165 if those other options are available. There are a bunch of options in pedal steel, so don't think you're locked in to just using one style.

But lets say you really, really like the track except for that one place where the player doesn't change.....wadda ya gonna do?

Another "cheat" that I use A-LOT..... look for a PS track with the same player, perhaps at the different tempo recommendation, or for that matter, any other PS track. I add the new track and render it out. See how it treats that ONE SPECIFIC chord change. If it plays it right,,,, waaa laaa..... just use envelopes to mute one down and the other up in that part. As long as EQ and levels are correct, no one will know you did that.

Like I said, THIS is one of my favorite tricks to get solos and fills done right. On my tune: The Best Christmas, my piano has 2 or 3 tracks it pulls from and the guitar solo is 5 tracks enveloped to sound like one complete solo. Trust me when I say... This works

One other thing.... a simple solution. Many folks, including me when I started, loved the sound of the steel in BB/RB so much that I let it play all the way through the song. In today's modern country, that is very often NOT the case. So, while it sounds good, avoid the temptation to let it run all the way, unless you are doing a song that is specific to the genre and dates where that was acceptable. In other words, envelope it out more often than not. Let it do intros, fills, and solo's ..... but keep it under control otherwise.

Listen here for an example of what I am speaking about : http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12638204

Originally Posted By: Clayton_Mark

i wrote the chart in band in box with a 1/4 time signature ... im feeling lazy so i typed it 1/2 time to show u guys

"1/4 time signature typed in 1/2 time" ?

Count me in on the enigma, I'm itching to know exactly what that means. I know it's probably not what happened, but it sure reads as though Clayton used F5 and set the number of beats in the bar to 1.

And without wishing to sound too critical, 'feeling lazy' and then asking for support from this excellent forum don't really go hand-in-hand. Seriously.

Trevor

I'm guessing the 1/4 time sig is 4/4, and the 1/2 times is he only typed in one verse, one chorus, when there are probably 2 or more - a short version of the song is all he meant.
And I have the PS playing off sometimes as well, sometimes an entry change (like Ab to G#) helps.
I like 'hackers idea but that sounds like RB or some other DAW - I'll have to experiment with that.
Good luck to the OP.

Originally Posted By: Noel96

Hi there,
Noel
You state that the song is written with a 1/2 time signature. What does that mean?

Clayton

(i count up ..from 1 all the way upto 2 for each bar... My mistake i mean 2/2 ..

what i was saying is i wrote the chart here on the fourm
in a 2/2 time signature cause it was quicker for me.But
in band in a box i wrote it in 4/4 TIME SIGNITURE...

Noel Says

Did you set a time signature using F5 that was different to the base style being used to create the song? If so, this might being playing a part in your problem. I have used the pedal steel tracks quite a bit and have never had the problem you describe.

Clayton
i know what u mean ,And no i never did that .

Noel

Also, when you say the key is Ab, how was that set?

Clayton

i simply set the key to Ab where all the other chords are listed

Noel

Lastly, if you'd like to email me the SGU file, I'm happy to have a look at it and see if I can find the problem. If you want to take me up on my offer, you can find my email address by clicking on my forum name (Noel96) and then selecting "View profile".

Clayton

Thank you so much Noel ....
i am just actually witting you from the side of the stage...i will be back in studio Wednesday morning ..If you still have time, i would like to send you the steel track so you could have a listen ..Either way Thank you for the info and sorry my typing skills are not the best .

all the best

Clayton Mark

Regards,
Noel

Originally Posted By: Guitarhacker

Clayton,

Yes, I had the same questions as Noel. Plus more..... why did you use the number system for the song than asks about F G C with the key being Ab? That is way too confusing. Nothing connects.

i already answered noels questions

im talking about simple 1 4 5 1 progressions .. you can apply any key to numbers ..whether its in c or Ab Numbers translate to both..Numbers work best for chick singers cause they are 90% of time all in flats or sharps ..

Post a link to the SGU and I'd be happy to look at it.

I have noticed sometimes that the steel does do what you say...or what I think you're trying to say....

yea man

Rather than change on the chords it continues in the same chord while other things do change to the new chord.

yes same as me ..

When I have that happen, I try a few things. First, I force a regeneration of the track. If that fails, I change the real track from say....ev65 to ev120... or ev165 if those other options are available. There are a bunch of options in pedal steel, so don't think you're locked in to just using one style.

But lets say you really, really like the track except for that one place where the player doesn't change.....wadda ya gonna do?

import to Real Band to regenerate that change ..

Another "cheat" that I use A-LOT..... look for a PS track with the same player, perhaps at the different tempo recommendation, or for that matter, any other PS track. I add the new track and render it out. See how it treats that ONE SPECIFIC chord change. If it plays it right,,,, waaa laaa..... just use envelopes to mute one down and the other up in that part. As long as EQ and levels are correct, no one will know you did that.

Thats a Awesome idea Thank You

im gonna try that ...

Like I said, THIS is one of my favorite tricks to get solos and fills done right. On my tune: The Best Christmas, my piano has 2 or 3 tracks it pulls from and the guitar solo is 5 tracks enveloped to sound like one complete solo. Trust me when I say... This works

I for some reason Trust You LOL

One other thing.... a simple solution. Many folks, including me when I started, loved the sound of the steel in BB/RB so much that I let it play all the way through the song. In today's modern country, that is very often NOT the case. So, while it sounds good, avoid the temptation to let it run all the way, unless you are doing a song that is specific to the genre and dates where that was acceptable. In other words, envelope it out more often than not. Let it do intros, fills, and solo's ..... but keep it under control otherwise.

Totaly agree with you ...I am a Fulltime musician for all my life .. i play dobro with bluegrass bands and new + old country bands and its alot of padding on the new country stuff ..i was trained the old school way where everybody plays when they are supposed to play ...and KISS

THANK YOU I will have a listen
Listen here for an example of what I am speaking about : http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12638204

Seriously i am far from lazy pal it was an expression ...i do have bad typing skills though ..i figured i would edit my post just in case i started a war of any kind ...peace and love ..and thanks but no thanks for that response was pretty lazy if you ask me compared to the other awesome responses
LOL LOL LOL LOL

You are correct Barry ....and that little trick like ab to g# actuly made the steel change correctly
in a few spots
..Thank YOU ..and i owe you a beer for that LOL

Originally Posted By: BarryKJ

I'm guessing the 1/4 time sig is 4/4, and the 1/2 times is he only typed in one verse, one chorus, when there are probably 2 or more - a short version of the song is all he meant.
And I have the PS playing off sometimes as well, sometimes an entry change (like Ab to G#) helps.
I like 'hackers idea but that sounds like RB or some other DAW - I'll have to experiment with that.
Good luck to the OP.

thank you everyone

i think i am on the way to making better tracks ...ill have to post a clip sometime this week

Yes.... I always use BB to write the song, and then move to Real Band to generate the tracks, and finally into Sonar to mix and master.

There are other ways to do it but that's my preferred method.