[What has happened to Showcase]

On 1/6/2024 at 10:30 PM, Steve Mueske said:

 

There is, it's just called "Finished Works" now. 

Thanks. I may have known that but my memory is so bad now that I can't retain the amount of details I used to

[What has happened to Showcase]

When I first joined Songstuff, there were hundreds of songs to listen to on the Showcase section. I can't find any songs now. If the music is still there, could somebody explain how to access it. I have been on the Showcase page and all I can find is three posts with lyrics only

[Why do I feel like every lyric I write sounds bad]

On 11/6/2023 at 3:12 AM, MikeRobinson said:

Also remember that this never happens:

 

"Suddenly, the heavens open and a beam of light shines down from Heaven as the Angels are up there, singing to you the Perfect Song, so that all you have to do now is to record it [and retire]."

 

Don't "keep starting over," because if you do, you won't "do" anything.  Instead, keep every version of everything that you write, and don't be afraid to let someone else hear it. (Especially in a safe place like "right here.")  But also, don't find yourself "craving 'affirmation.'"  When a song sounds good to you, it is good.

 

"Creativity is not deterministic."  There is no "right answer."  A song is never truly "finished."  And a significant part of the process is – frankly – "trial and error."  Or maybe just "trial."  "Experimentation."  The person who finally hears "the song that you decided to release" never hears, and probably never suspects, all of the stuff that you didn't decide to include.  "To them, it simply sounds 'inevitable.'" The decision-making can't be seen ... and you probably should prefer it to be that way. (Just tell 'em that it's magic ...)

 

But to this I would add one more thought: "don't 'discard' anything."  What didn't work on this one might be perfect for the next one.  Newspapers used to keep what they called "the morgue," where they kept the stuff that they didn't use.  Because, every now and then, they'd go back to it and find exactly what they [now ...] needed.

 

"The Morgue" is an interesting concept and very close to my philosophy on song writing. I used to think that every thing I wrote was great, and I recorded everything. But what I have come to realise is that, just because I have created something, it doesn't mean that it is great. So now I have a number of folders open to me when I write songs. I tend to be quite prolific at times so there is a lot of material of my laptop. 

So, firstly I have a folder for all song ideas that I have been working on. Some are finished but are being left for a while prior to a potential re-write or edit. Some are part-finishes songs. The ones where the idea came to me but it only generated one verse and a chorus, and there are some that are just waiting for music.

I have a second folder that I call "B-Sides" which is where I place all the songs that I have written that I don't think are of good enough quality, but which might turn into something else at some point. I re-visit this folder occasionally.

I have a third folder for songs with musical ideas, or which are in the process of being recorded.

Then I have a full set of alphabetical folders so I can keep them saved in manageable groups, so all the songs beginning with "A", "B", etc.

Some songs I write are almost fully formed within minutes, and I go straight to music, editing the text as I go.

 

I have found Songstuff to be a very useful resource and the community has made me, apart from other things, much more critical of my own work.

[Types of EQ]

I use Reaper as my DAW and I use ReaEQ when mixing my vocals. There are a number of EQ types on Reaper but I tend to stick to the basic one at the moment. I'm just doing things that I learned off the internet / youtube etc. that I think improve my voice on the recording

[Would You Recommend Songstuff?]

2 hours ago, HoboSage said:

For those of you who don't know, this is my second go round as a member here. I was a very active member here years ago. and I can't help but be surprised that many of you seem to think that the critique forums here are currently quite "active."  From my perspective, compared to how they used to be, the critique forums seem like graveyards.    Anyway . . . I feel I need to address this from Greg.

 

I am only posting my stuff in the Showcase.  I am not posting my stuff in a critique forum  But, Greg, I am not an "elitist."  I am simply being true to myself.

 

I have been writing, playing, and recording music for a long, long, long time.  When I first joined here, I was just starting to re-engage with music after a long hiatus from it.  All I had in terms of gear back then was a cheap acoustic guitar, a mic, and Reaper to record.  I was still able to write good songs, but my arrangements and recordings were rudimentary.  Over time, I steadily upgraded my guitars, my DAW, my mic, etc.  I'm not in band where I have the opinions of bandmates to consider.  I don't collaborate, so I don't have the opinions of collaborators to consider.  I am now at the point where music, including the recording of it, is something that's solely between me, my muse, and the universe of sounds. I  don't post in the critique forum, simply because I have also come to the point where I can be honest with myself, and know that I sincerely do not care what anyone else thinks of my work.  You think I should change this part of my lyrics?  I don't care.  You think this aspect of my arrangement or this mixing choice I made is problematic?  I don't care.   It would only be counterproductive for me and for the critique forum to post my stuff in a critique forum here.

 

However, if I think I might have something constructive to offer, I will still comment on stuff others post in a critique forum here.  I will also participate in discussions of things here if I think I might have something to contribute.  But, for my work, all I want to do is archive it and share it.  I don't think that makes me an elitist.  I certainly don't feel that way or have that mindset.  However, if John/Songstuff thinks I come off that way and that's not the type of member it wants, that's cool.  I will understand.  Just let me know, and I'll stop Showcasing my stuff. 

 

Thanks,

David

 

 

 

 

 

Hi David,

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I made quite lengthy comments about a number of aspects of Songstuff, as requested. You only seem to be replying to one part of those comments, yet your final section here addresses my overall feelings. The main focus of my comments was that Songstuff could be more of a community, with members paying attention to not only their own work, but the work of others, helping aspiring songwriters and performers to develop their skills. 

 

you said that

 

"if I think I might have something constructive to offer, I will still comment on stuff others post in a critique forum here.  I will also participate in discussions of things here if I think I might have something to contribute".

 

This is exactly what I was alluding to, so we don't have a disagreement, and my reference to "elitism" is not aimed at you.

Apologies if you felt slighted in any way

Greg M

 

[Would You Recommend Songstuff?]

1. Would you be willing to recommend Songstuff to your fellow songwriters and musicians? What is the reason behind your answer?

 

I do recommend Songstuff quite regularly to other  songwriters I come across. i have been in a community called Drooble for quite a few years. It's having bad times at the moment, but was set up to bring musicians and writers together, although there wasn't a lot od critiquing, it was often just supportive comments. Songstuff is much better for helping to develop songwriting skills, in my humble opinion

 

2. What would you like to see more of on the Songstuff Community?

 

I like the way that the critiquing is kept separate on Songstuff, but I would like to see a more general discussion page pushed a bit more, which might help to bring out more members of the community. I know that there is probably something like that somewhere on Songstuff, but sometimes it feels so dispersed that I tend to stick to critique pages.

 

When I first joined, I felt as though I was being put in my place a few times by more established members. One of the sections that allows you to post your best recordings seemed to dominated by a few individuals who I didn't tend to come across elsewhere, and the songs are not open to critique but often don't seem to have been posted elsewhere. A bit elitist.

 

I think that it is a bit unfair to exclude people from posting songs simply because they don't have access to top quality recording equipment. I went through quite a lot of those songs when I first joined, and I didn't think that a lot of them were any better than some of my songs, they were just better quality recordings. 

 

Maybe there could be another page for artists to post songs that, although not brilliant recordings, meet a specific level of recording quality. Then you might see a lot more of the songs that go through the development stages on the critiquing pages finding their way onto a page for finished recordings.

 

I suppose that another thing that I enjoyed on Drooble was having staff / administrators who occasionally led discussions on the main pages to try to encourage more members to participate in discussions. not just about songs and music, but about equipment, recording techniques, strings, plectrums, software, DAWs

 

Also posing challenges, as you have done recently, for song writers to push themselves a little bit. Like giving the first two lines of a song and asking members to write the rest of it with a specific structure in mind, including numbers of verses, choruses, bridges, bars, time signatures etc (but start off easy), Or provide a chord sequence for the first verse, or write a song with a three line structure, anything to create more interest.

 

Also, there could be a lot more collaboration on the site. I know that you have a section for collaboration, but I think that this could be something that could get more encouragement. I have collaborated with 6 or 7 other musicians over the last few years, some more successful than others. It does lend itself to international mingling, as tracks and stems can be sent to other countries. I now have an old friend who I collaborate with regularly. It is a lot more enjoyable than working alone.

 

3. What would you like to see less of on the Songstuff Community?

 

I don't think that there is anything I would want to see less of on the site. However, if you are successful in growing the site then there may be a growth of obnoxious characters. What can you do?

 

4. Would you be interested in starting or growing the fan base for your music?

 

I have just signed up to Distrokid which circulates my finished songs to Spotify and other sites so, yes, I am interested, but it isn't a deal-breaker.

 

 

5. Would you be interested in starting/growing the number of artists recording your songs?

 

It would be nice to get other people recording my songs. I have had a couple of musicians do this over the years, as far as I am aware. I would settle for somebody with a great singing voice. Me and my old friend can do most things between us, I do the singing but I'm not the best, so a decent voice would make the world of difference.

 

Just a few thoughts

[If you could read my mind - a cover of an old Gordon Lightfoot song. Testing vocal mixing (again)]

When I used to sit in the back room playing my favourite songs, many years ago, I used to play this song a lot. I came across it again recently and just had to do a cover. On reflection, the cover picture is probably not appropriate

[Mersey - a cover of an old song by Pavlovs Dog from the 1970's. Testing vocal mixing]

16 hours ago, GregB said:

Hi Greg M

 

It'd be useful to know how the individual components sound on their own.

 

Your topic title suggests that you are singing against a pre-recorded complete arrangement? 
If so, I'd suggest the following:

• provide an MP3 file (just one minute would suffice) of the unprocessed (no EQ, reverb, compression etc,) of:
  1. the arrangement
  2. your singing (unprocessed)
• repost in "Music Production and Recording" and ask Members to:
  • comment on the raw materials
  • possible ways of processing them, and
  • post example results with explanations (e.g. EQ maps)

I would find this a quick fun challenge with only two 60-sec samples.

 

Cheers,
Greg B

 

Hi Greg

I am literally just getting ready to go on holiday for a week but can do it when I get back

 

Greg M

[Melissa - an old Doobie Brothers song. I am working on mixing the vocals so if any of you have and comments on how well or badly the song and vocals are mixed, I would be happy to hear you r comments and suggestions]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:04 PM, Rene Asologuitar said:

Hi Greg, The recording is good

The vocals can actually come up in the mix.

Instrumentations are great.

I am enjoying this song.

Rene

Thanks for your uplifting comments, Rene

[Mersey - a cover of an old song by Pavlovs Dog from the 1970's. Testing vocal mixing]

15 hours ago, Gtar Pkr said:

Well... Some would argue that you've got a better studio than me lol. I'm no pro, but for what it's worth...

 

Mic Address:

I use the same mic, have for many years. I tend to point the mic more at my chin than directly at my mouth to combat "Pops-Bops-and sibilance. I also use a nice dense "fuzzy" top. I will adjust the line gain with the mic resting right on my chin for singing normally, then pull the mic away just a bit when reaching for the higher "louder" notes. Mic address is important because it trains you to "level" your vox recording without relying heavily on compression effects. Also, keeping the mic close to your mouth tends to eliminate "room ambiance" in your recording. You also should be using headphones when recording your vox.

 

Effects:

Another reason why "mic address" is so important is because effects will not correct a poor recording. Effects only "add" to a recording. So, put on your headphones and get accustomed to recording your voice WITHOUT effects. A little line Eq to kill the extreme low end of your mic is OK, but be careful not to kill too much... effects and Eq comes later.

 

Effect Order:

This is wide open to debate and completely dependent upon the kind of effects you're using. But, "I" always Eq first! I Eq my vox track to sit nicely in the mix WITHOUT effects first. THEN, I'll add some mild but "quick" compression, a little stereo delay, and buss that to my overall room effect to match the mix.

 

Hope that helps

 

Thanks for taking the time to help. I understand some of it but the rest I am learning. I will post other songs in the future so if you still want to know whether or not I'm improving, always happy to get feedback and suggestions. I do use headphones for all my recording, but the points about mic address sound like they might be very useful, cheers

[Mersey - a cover of an old song by Pavlovs Dog from the 1970's. Testing vocal mixing]

21 hours ago, Gtar Pkr said:

Tell us exactly HOW you're recording @Greg M

If you're trying to achieve that "open air karaoke club" effect, then I'd say you've nailed it!

I am a home recorder so limited in terms of resources, although that is not the reason why my sound is not refined. Musical tracks are recorded in a studio (not by me) and I am recording vocals to add to the music. I'm using a Shure SM58 mic to record the vocals through an interface. I'm mixing on Reaper using Reaper VSTs and add-ons that come with it. I'm trying to learn the secrets of mixing vocals from the internet, youtube etc, as well as leaning on the expertise of more experienced musicians. It is a long journey but I certainly want to sound better than "open air karaoke"

[Melissa - an old Doobie Brothers song. I am working on mixing the vocals so if any of you have and comments on how well or badly the song and vocals are mixed, I would be happy to hear you r comments and suggestions]

Let me know what you think of the mixing. 

 

[Mersey - a cover of an old song by Pavlovs Dog from the 1970's. Testing vocal mixing]

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going to concentrate on getting a better mixed sound for my vocals. This is my first effort with a plan for mixing. The vocal mix includes: compression, EQ, pitch shift, reverb, delay and pitch correction. While I feel that this is an improvement, I am keen to listen to any comments from those of you with a trained ear as to how good a start this might be, or any comments on issues that still need correcting. I would appreciate any comments you have

Greg M

[Effortlessly]

On 12/26/2020 at 4:46 PM, McnaughtonPark said:

I have no memory whatsoever of writing this lyric, not a single word of it.  It gets corny at times but I do think it scans well.  I like the older style approach to the phrasing, and I wonder what I was thinking when I wrote it.  Sometimes I act like I’m someone else when I write, like a character in a book, and I try to figure out what they would be saying or singing about.  Does anybody else do that?

 

Quite a lot of my songs are written from the point of view of a particular individual, some relatively obvious like broken hearted lovers, but some more specific, like a man who is reflecting on the life of his friend who has just been jailed for murder, or a Roman legionnaire who is trying to get back to the safety of York after his legion has been defeated by Britons. It makes for quite an interesting change to do it. 

[Please Send Help]

On 2/5/2019 at 8:48 PM, SilentPoet said:

What is the end

What messages do we send

What direction does the path bend

All I have is paper and a pen

 

What is beginning

What is it that we call winning

Why do I always feel as if I'm sinning

What on earth is happening to me

 

Now can’t you see

This is not what I was meant to be

Why on earth does this have to be me

Now can’t you see

 

Because I’m blue

And I’m completely obsessed with you

But what on earth am I to do

Because I honestly haven’t got a clue

Who are you?

 

Where is the light?

Why do I wanna be with you all the time?

Why do I have to find someplace to hide?

I don’t wanna die

 

Because I can’t help but feel alone

Because I can’t help but feel like there's no place to go

Am I all alone?

 

Because I can’t help from going crazy

Please send help.

I can’t help from hoping someone will save me

That’s why I’m asking you

Please send help

Please hear my yelps

Please send help

Please let me tell

Someone

I don’t think I’ll ever have fun

again.

 

The fact that every reviewer seems to have a different take on this indicates a lack of clarity, unless that is what you are trying to portray. I get the feeling that this is about mental illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bi-polar illness, or somebody building up to a nervous breakdown. Looking at it again, with the bold type and obsession with rhyming, it sounds more and more like a rant, or something that "Punk poets" used to do in the late 70s and early 80s. 

[Can you help me with this poem?]

On 10/4/2017 at 2:46 PM, sonadora songs said:

his is a poem, I wrote its lines to Sonadora. Sonadora is a great girl from a coast city, this city is known by its fountain, which it was recorded to be the tallest fountain in the world  ( king fahad fountain ), Sonadora tweeted that she has a depression, She is suffering from it, so, to defeat it, she walks in the city ( Jeddah ), that city which has the tallest fountain. She tweeted: 

((What I do to fight my Depression ? Well I walk for hours and hours in an open area with listening to my favorite music, This helps me a lot))
 I wrote the poem, then I send it to the singer, the singer tried to make it short to fit the song. here I will post the poem nd the song:

the poem: 

 

 

 

 

You could notice the poor of the language because I am not a native speaker, Also I haven't been in any English native language. So, forgive me.

So, please, can you criticize this poem help me to make it great to be a good song?

 

My best wishes

 

This reads really well as a rambling poem. There are grammatical errors but those can be altered at a later stage. I like the way the poem flows, and the way you have used rhyme in a slightly unconventional way. However, I think it deserves a better ending. The last four lines feel like you ran out of ideas, 

 

"You are a "blessing"... to depression I said, 
after I carefully see where it led
depression makes her want to walk
hearing loud sax or relaxing folk
passing by that crowd, healing their wounds
That is what great ones have to pay"

 

after these six lines, you could refer to things such as:

 

the blood on the ground (from their wounds)

sore feet, holes in my shoes, blisters

drifting away on the melody

what a beautiful key (or melody)

it frees me for a while

 

you can refer to the depression with using the word "depression" in the last lines, I think it should follow the line of how she tries to make herself feel better, and what she actually feels.

 

I'm only talking about an idea for the last four lines. I think the poem works really well up to that point.

 

[Song building - the "idea" comes first]

3 hours ago, Paul Hayworth said:

My method makes me free of rules I make for myself because anything that stops you creating from your own hangups, form structure, sound is your own rule and decision which you might have adopted cos someone told you, so I go for anything goes. I have no rabid possey of angry fans who will stop following/paying if I change my style or genre limitations so again, no worries just create be inventive, be happy!

sounds like good advice

 

[Song building - the "idea" comes first]

20 hours ago, Paul Hayworth said:

That's ok nobody on the internet agrees on anything. I don't make products I make songs. Personally I like the freestyle approach using the tools to go somewhere new. The best inspiration for sound comes from new music gear, I genrally avoid vst's, I prefer a good cheap second hand classic unit, that's all too easy. For lyrics I don't have any big message or style, it's usually just a song. One thing I do try to do is make 10 or 12 songs into an artistic piece with common themes, instruments and ideas. I settle on titles later after the lyrics. It doesn't matter how you do it because who t'f' cares about buying new music especially albums.  I also feel songwriters that get tied up in writing a genre or style to be the best of that thing like Nickelback just bore me senseless. I like new original stuff, unlike most joe public's now, so it is unsellable. That's fine lol! My choruses like Bowie have been recently just emerging from songs, I don't plan structure eg v ch v ch end, because yes it's boring. Most pop songs start with a chorus and stay there hence the new 2 chord routine as joe public likes simple catchy songs. I like mega complicated works pushing technical and writing abilities, so there.

Thanks for the mission statement. I dare say that we are all similar in a way. Maybe not working in the same way, but each having our own individual style and approach. Most of my songs are verse verse bridge chorus verse bridge chorus. Even when I try not to write that way. Even if I wrote verses that were 8 lines, 4 bars per line, I would still have to change the chords and tone in line s 5 and 6 at least, not unlike a chorus. I suppose that if I wrote with a band, I would have other influences in terms of how to shape a song, but I don't, and I'm not too bothered about it

[Song building - the "idea" comes first]

On 4/5/2022 at 7:19 AM, Paul Hayworth said:

Most pop songs went from 3 chords to 2 in the 2000's 2010's with Woop Woop and eehh ohh hooks. Crowd pleasing choruses are definitely out of style. With Bowie's 60's 70's music passages are cleverly linked, but 'Ziggy Played Guitar' is is the mental hook and melodic hook.

we will have to agree to disagree.

[What are you listening to at the moment?]

On 7/9/2017 at 3:52 PM, Richard Tracey said:

Hi all, just wondering what everyone is listening to at the moment - music wise, before someone says their other half or kids moaning at them!!! - I just thought it would be interesting to see the diverse mix of music and whether you feel inspired to do your own music when you are listening....

 

 

I started listening to the Ultravox back catalogue again yesterday. I have done this as I feel this is the best way for me to think about my own music, as this is my favourite group and they influenced my style from a young age. You remember how good the music is, but really, until you listen again with the ears of someone hoping to create and do something with their own music, you really don't realise how good the music actually was. The arrangements, the mix, the production, all of it. If I could emulate only a fraction of that, I would be happy.

 

I tend to listen to my own playlists these days on Spotify. There is a mixture on there music from the 1960s to the 1990s with some newer music that I have come across through my children. I have a lot of Todd Rundgren on there (great songwriter), with some Santana, Erasure, MAN, and so much more. I was listening to "Take a look at me now" by Phil Collins recently and it sparked an idea for a song that I have just completed the lyrics for. My ideas can emerge from anywhere.

[Song building - the "idea" comes first]

On 4/2/2022 at 5:02 PM, Glammerocity said:

I've generally started with the lyric, because if you have something to say you should try to say it without having to contrive it. Once you've said it, you can fit music to it. It can be more contrived to try to fit words into a pre-existing song. Then again, one of the best things I ever did was just a hook line - "Don't tie your baby down" - when I recorded the tune, then my songwriting partner put verses to it.

 

Lyrics don't always have to say something or even make sense. Onomatopoeia is an effective device for conveying a feeling; every sha la la la, every woh oh oh oh, as it were. Sometimes the music is the hook - have you ever noticed Ziggy Stardust has no chorus? Mick Ronson's guitar lick is as close as it gets. And that's considered a classic (though not by me, I was more of a Diamond Dogs fan.)

 

So in conclusion, horses for courses in creative forces.

 

I agree with you that songs don't need to have choruses, but you chose the wrong example in Ziggy Stardust, because this is the chorus:

 

So where were the spiders
While the fly tried to break our balls?
Just the beer light to guide us
So we bitched about his fans
And should we crush his sweet hands?
Oh yeah

 

A chorus is a way of changing the focus, or increasing the focus on a particular aspect of the song, often the key point of the song, and it often contains the hook in the song, but it doesn't have to. In Ziggy Stardust it was a musical hook. There aren't really any repeated lines in this song, other than "Ziggy played guitar", but there would be nothing gripping about the song without the musical chorus.

 

 

[Still Got the Blues by Gary Moore (cover)]

On 12/8/2021 at 5:20 AM, GregB said:

A short version of a 2014 jam that was only recorded to test Multicam video editing from 4 sources (3 cameras and 1 stereo field recorder). Martin sings and plays lead guitar. Soon after this we started to write and home-produce our album "Prescient" (2015) discussed in my blog elsewhere on this site.

 

This song by Gary Moore is one of my favourite songs ever, so I was intrigued by your choice. But it comes out very well. Strange that Martin gets to do the Gary Moore lead break, whilst looking like Eric Clapton. The song quite suits the acoustic arrangement. Did Martin do the big guitar solo?

["Saltwater" (Julian Lennon) - a "Kitchen Acoustic" cover]

On 2/18/2022 at 6:58 AM, GregB said:

Here's an acoustic version of 'Saltwater' recorded in my kitchen.  Great song but shame about my own 'performance visuals' ... which remind me why I don't perform in public anymore!      But it's a wonderful freedom to get away from Pro Tools and get an 'instant' result without the usual time-intensive home-recording hassles.  In fact, just out of shot at my right elbow, there's a large fridge with a constant hum -- you'd never have THAT in a home-recording scenario!

 

 

 

If you like the song, I have attached below my personalised songsheet with chords/lyrics. (My guitar is tuned 2 semitones down, so my C will sound like your Bb.)

 

PRODUCTION

• Video: Canon 70D, 18-135mm telephoto, 1920x1080, natural light only, tripod, 24fps, autofocus.
• Audio: Zoom H1 (the first model), seen on table in front of me. Stereo mics. Recorded as MP3 320Kbps.
• Editing: Resolve 17.4 on Windows.  I top-n-tailed the performance with 3rd-party imagery to avoid looking like a complete dork during the awkward starting and finishing any song.
• Room: Our kitchen has a fully tiled floor and walls of tile, wood and glass (great natural reverb)

 

I hope this simple approach encourages others to post videos on the Forum.  Mobile phones have great cameras. Use a second or old phone for the audio, and experiment with mic distance/height to get a natural mix of voice and guitar that sounds loud but without distortion.

 

SALTWATER

Poor old Julian. Largely abandoned and ignored by his famous father it is ironic that he was later villified by the music industry for 'trading on' John Lennon's name. I rate 'Saltwater' (1991) as a great song. Performed by him, and co-written with Mark and Leslie Spiro, it was one of the very first that focused solely on the planet's growing environmental plight. His production is a throwback/copy/homage to 'Strawberry Fields', doubling down in similarity by also using what sounds like Mellotron organ and strings. But, regardless, it's a beautiful and well-structured song with wonderfully concise lyrics that still encapsulate mankind's unthinking madness. The official video did the song a great disservice ...

 

 

PERSONAL RELEVANCE

I only realised at the start of 2022, when I found the song cheat-sheets that I had made and used for public performances many years ago, that 'Saltwater' must have been a big influence on my own environmental song "Earthrise", Track 29 on 'The Flat White Album' (2020).  The following should start at the music (skipping the 60-sec visual prologue):

 

 

 

Cheers,

Greg

 

 

 

Saltwater - songsheet.pdf 314.75 kB · 1 download

Well played Greg. I do like this song by Julian Lennon, and you really did it justice. Good version

[Song for Guy (Elton John) - acoustic 12-string cover]

On 3/13/2022 at 1:55 AM, GregB said:

@Rene Asologuitar's recent acoustic instrumental (https://forums.songstuff.com/topic/56445-give-us-your-peace/) got me thinking about getting my finger out and doing something myself: 

 

 

Rather than the usual front-on shot,  I thought I'd try something different (detailed in the video description).

 

The recording and video setup was as follows:

 

Cheers,

Greg

 

The video of your fingers changing chords is strangely captivating, seeing all the tiny changes of position to create the sound. I don't like that song really, but you brought something new to it. 

 

[Home recording - what's in it for me?]

23 hours ago, Glammerocity said:

 

The thing I use most for EQ is cutting 300Hz to get rid of muddiness.

 

Compression is a huge subject. I've been recording for decades and still learning. RecordingRevolution has a handy compression checklist in PDF format on what to do and just as importantly what not to do.

http://Compression7.com 

 

Two really good compression tips worth trying:

Use a multiband compressor to compress the upper and lower mids on your master buss. Reaper's is called ReaXcomp.

Use a delay calculator to work out compression attack and release times to make a track pump in time with your song. It's a good starting point. I use this one: https://github.com/JosephTLyons/GUI-Delay-Time-Calculator/releases/download/1.7.1/The.Lyons.Den.Delay.Time.Calculator.V.1.7.1.zip

Hey, thanks very much. some of this actually makes sense to me. Cheers