PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic My "new CD" - all BIAB (...and free)

They are all very good, but I must say I really like
the imagery you put into "CLARE AND THE WONDERLAND WALTZ "

(I am including the earlier "answers" since this has ended up on a different page...)

>>>>>>>Joe V asked: I love the slide guitar sounds - where they recorded in real time, or piano rolled in ?

Practically EVERYTHING you hear on these songs are RealTracks. There are a few acoustic guitar tracks that I recorded and one small electric guitar lick. I don't do midi.


>>>>>>> What RealTracks are used?

All of the songs on the CD have been posted in the Showcase over the last 4-5 months. I always list the RealTracks that are used. I think the easiest way to find them, if you are interested, is to go to the "Showcase list"
http://www.pgmusic.com/user-showcase/
and sort by "Artist Name" so all the floyd jane songs are together.


>>>>>>>>The questions that JohnJohnJohn asked included the questions that Kevin asked so I will use that as an outline :


>>>>>>>- did you use existing RealStyles or did you create your own combos of RealTracks?

I typically do not pay ANY attention to the style in BIAB. Most often, it just “gets in my way”, and it’s a waste of time for me to try a bunch of different styles (although, I do occasionally). I know what I want a song to sound like before I start. I try different drum styles and bass tracks together until I find the feel that I’m looking for. Then add an acoustic guitar (sometimes a piano). That’s my basic rhythm section. I get that to exactly what I want the song to be before I do any more (instruments). I then add a vocal. I write songs – meaning lyrics – so the vocal is part of the foundation of my “production”. Once that is set, I add any harmonies that I want. Sometimes I sing the harmony - sometimes "the BIABettes" do. The rest is what I call “sweetening” – the “lead” instruments – sprinkled throughout – trying to “stay out of the way” and add a little flavor. So that is “it in a nutshell”.

The few times that I do load a style, I will still go “audition” anything that I think might fit the song. I’ll try every acoustic guitar track that looks at all like it might work – you never know when you will find something to fit that you would not have thought of. I’ll try a bunch of different pianos (typically the hardest to find the right thing, I think). Most any electric guitar lead that might work. Even when I find what seems like “it will be the one” I will try others. Since I do mostly country, I will do fiddles and mandolins and pedal steel and resonator, etc, etc, etc..

I save any track that might work to a folder (designated for the current song). I then take those into Sony Acid Pro – my “mix software of choice”. I have recently tried Reaper – and may switch to that. Anyway, I get the drums, bass, guitar, piano and vocals mixed, and then start picking lead parts – a track at a time. I keep them muted (volume envolope at 0) until I come to a spot that I think they might fit and then try it there – rather than have the whole thing playing and try to subtract out what doesn’t fit.



>>>>>>>>>>- did you do much work on the exported RealTracks?

If you mean processing (EQ, reverb, compression, etc) the answer is NO. I ocassionally EQ the drum track just a bit to add a "snap" to the snare. That's a small up-bump of some mid-highs. And I EQ'd an accordian once to "make it thinner" because I wanted a concertina. I don't really ever touch anything else.

If you are asking do I cut and paste - YES. And that depends on the song and "what comes out of BIAB" for a particular "player". Sometimes I'll simply load in the whole track - and it's done. For me, that happens a lot with the rhythm guitars - both acoustic and electric. For "long leads", I'll typically generate 3 versions of a track to pick-and-choose from (sometimes have to go back for 1 or 2 more).



>>>>>>>>>>>>- what DAW do you use?

Sony Acid Pro. I find it easy and intuitive. (I've recently looked at Reaper and it seems much the same). I don't have a lot of requirements as far as that goes.
I don't pile on a bunch of plugins/processors (practically none). I have never understood mix busses - so I do no processing there, either. I have a volume envelope
on each track to turn things on or off when I want them "playing their part". And on the vocal to tame the loud spots and bump up the parts/words that are too soft.
Besides that, I want it to be easy to grow (zoom) or shrink a wav/track (wide or tall) to make that volume envolope easy to "pinpoint". It's also easy to split a track at any point (usually 2 points) and copy the split piece and paste it into a new track - if, for instance, I find a guitar lick that I want to repeat somewhere.

The rest is just initial volume and panning - in Acid those can get as stretched-out (visually) as you want.

And that's about it. I think it's easy to get "carried away" piling stuff on, so I never start. Stays simple and it works for me.



>>>>>>>>>>>>- what plug-ins do you use for EQ, Reverb and other effects?

As I said above... almost NONE. An EQ here and there (I've got some choices, but always use the one that is "built in" to Acid) and reverb on the vocals - and, again, I use the one in Acid - and always use the default ("Rich hall") exactly the way it comes up - I might bump up the Rev Out from -35 to -34.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>- did you use any special software for mastering your CD?

A buddy of mine has Ozone5 and offered to run my final mixes through that. There were 3 presets for "country" - basic, pop and rock (as I recall). Listened to a couple of songs using each of those. I liked what the "Basic Country" did to those two, so just had him run each of them through that (He said "But, what about..." and I said
"That will be just fine for me."). So that is the answer. Each of the songs had one pass through Ozone5 on the Basic Country preset. Simple.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>- what type mic did you use for vocal recording?

Audio Technica AT4033a (condensor mic - 20 years old).

How I record vocals is "discussed" in the Tips and Tricks area - a thread called "Recording Vocals" along with input from others..

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=379364&an=0&page=0#Post379364

That is the way I did all the vocals in these songs. That has changed recently. I "upgraded" to a new computer which meant my PCI-based Gina20 interface had to be replaced. I got a Focusrite Scarlett (8i6) - which I've had a bunch of trouble with. It puts out garbage at 16bit. I came close to sending it back until I found a
reference somewhere (in some forum) that suggested using 24bit. Focusrite took a WEEK to answer an email - by which time I had found this workaround (buried in a forum somewhere) and they really offered nothing of value!!! Anyway... just did my first vocal using it - same mic, but now through the Scarlett into the computer - and I'm liking the result (I think).



>>>>>>>>>>>- describe your recording room. any room treatments?

Funny, I've never really thought about this until you (and Kevin) asked. I record in the same room that I work in (I work out of my house).
A "back bedroom" turned into "an office". Wood floor (laminate). Sliding glass doors with no curtains. A few bookcases. A large desk with two computers (one work, one personal). A very large shag (loop) carpet decoration that my wife made on the wall (basically the only "baffling" there is). And, again, I've never really thought about it, but now that I do... the fan in my 10 year-old computer is quite loud (the side is always off) and I can hear the hum of the pool pump (I live in Florida).

So much for "isolation", huh? I record very close to the mic, so the input level is fairly low - I don't notice ambient noise getting recorded (except for the ocassional email "ding" that gets in there). The mic typically sits 5 feet from those sliding glass doors. So the answer is - "no special treatment".



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>- what about your mixing? what studio monitors do you use or do you use headphones?

I have a pair of Yorkville YSM-1's that are quite nice, but my amp (a very old Heil Sound PRO 200B) quit on me some time ago, so none of these songs were mixed
on them. They were mixed using headphones - Audio Technica ATH-M40fs (again, 20 years old - Josie recently posted that they were on sale for $59 at Guitar Center, I think - I love mine) - and a cheap pair of computer speakers (harmon/kardon) - that actually don't sound too bad. Go figure...


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>- do you double-track your vocals?

Never considered that...



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>- anything else you can share about your workflow, process, tools?

Not sure what else to tell... I do things as simply as possible. With relative "few toys". If there is anything else you can think to ask... I'll do my best to answer... But pretty much, what you hear from me is RealTracks mix at the right volume and a vocal added.


Here's a bit more from other (previous) threads...

In the Showcase thread for "It Could Be", I was asked about "how I do what I do", which I
answered.. look for the "big post" at the bottom.. It includes some of the above, but also talks about my old equipment.
http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=389268&an=0&page=6#Post389268


I explained to jo131 (Joanne), in the BIAB for Windows section, how I get harmonies using the Helicon plugin (the BIABettes):
http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=394587&an=0&page=6

As others have said, not my genre but that has nothing to do with the great quality of these songs, mixes and overall production.

Especially Clare and the Wonderland Waltz - it reminded me of my first listen to Tom Rush's "Wrong End of the Rainbow: 'Merrimac County' and 'Sweet Baby James', " don’t know why it just did. It took me back 40 some years to a different part and time of my life.

Sincerely, keep at it and good luck

Larry

Floyd,

Thank you so much for sharing all of those details. I'm saving this entire thread!!

John

While all those arguments go on about what the program is and what the program isn't... and all the talk of "theory" bounces back and forth...

I'd like to thank all those who commented on "some actual product" - using the incredible software that has been made available to us.... for crying out loud... there sure is a lot of "talk"....

Write some songs.

Do a production. Mix something. The tools are there. Geez....

Git off the pot....Show us what ya got!!!

Sounds good, floyd.

Real good.


--Mac

Hi Floyd.
I almost missed your post to me about the harmonies! Thanks so much. I really do need to be a little more organized!

I just had a chance to listen. Good country writing and feel. I love a good country ballad. Keep up the good work.