mp3 - going after that Gilmour vibe

Drew · #1 08-11-2006, 12:25 AM

http://www.drewpeterson.org/ssdotorg...tably_numb.mp3

So, I haven't done much recording-for-the-sake-of-recording of late, and I've been on kind of a big Floyd kick the last few days (I just discovered "The Division Bell," dear lord do I need a set of EMG SA's for my strat), so I figured I'd blow off some steam after work by laying down a quick backer for the second "Comfortably Numb" solo and winging something over the top, trying to capture some of that Gilmour tone/feel. The mix could still use a little more polishing, and the solo meanders a bit in a few places (and a few moments are more Lynch-inspired than Gilmour-driven, but there's actually some nice middle ground between those two), but it was kind of fun so i figured I'd post it up here.

Comments/criticisms/thoughts?

sirbrandon101 · #2 08-11-2006, 12:42 AM

Loved the tone!!!! And the playing was excellent.

What'd you use to record(aside from the Strat)?

Drew · #3 08-11-2006, 10:15 AM

Thanks dude! Amp was a Mesa Nomad, mic'd up with a SM57 for the leads and an Audix i5 for the rhythm tracks, with some distorted chording and e-bow madness courtesy of my UV. A Martin MC-16GTE with a set of AKG C1000s's covered the acoustic tone. All of this went through a M-Audio Firewire 410.

**Ayrton** · #4 08-12-2006, 01:15 AM

Drew that smoked...

Even the wife dug it, and she dosen't have a clue about music.

Drew · #5 08-12-2006, 01:08 PM

Haha, thankls Ayrton, and thank you to the wife!

I uploaded a slightly cleaner mix, a little additional delay on the lead guitar and slightly cleaned up bass and rhythm guitar sounds. I'm just trying to get the hang of mixing on my system, as I've got a CD VERY slowly developing (it's kind of a running joke over at www.sevenstring.org how slow I work, lol), and I think I'm, while not quite pro-level yet, getting a lot closer to where I want to be...

The playing is admittedly a bit sloppy - this was just a one-take improv, just blowing off some steam after work and having more fun dialing in a Gilmour-esq tone from a non-Gilmour-esq (I think - what DOES he use, anyway?) setup and just working on the actual recording/micing process itself.

Drew · #6 08-15-2006, 01:45 PM

a bump - I really would love some feedback on the tone/mix, specifically the mix. I think while it's probably a touch bass-heavy it's pretty clear, but if anyone on a different set of monitors or with a different set of ears hears something that just doesn't sound right, I'd be absolutely grateful to know about it (especially if you have a suggestion for how to fix it).

pawel · #7 08-15-2006, 02:25 PM

Wow - great playing as usual from you - great phrasing, nice mix of bluesy and more high-tech playing, excellent jam!

I liked your tone gain-wise, but I feel that it has this midrange "honk" I don't like too much, maybe it's just me. The mix sounds very good - it is bass-heavy, but not overwhelmingly so. Maybe the acoustic (clean?) guitar could be more prominent, because it does get buried a bit. I am listening on headphones though, so I it's not like I can hear all that much.

**GilkyBear** · #8 08-15-2006, 05:08 PM

That was nice, very smooth. I hear you on the EMG SA's too, I was soooo close to putting them in my strat when I had it.

Drew · #9 08-16-2006, 01:42 PM

Thanks guys!

Pawel, thanks for in-depth mix critique, dude.

I suspect the midrange honk is due to the amp, a Mesa Nomad - if so it's probably a personal taste thing, as a good chunk of the reason I play Mesas is the midrange cut and smooth treble they have for lead tones.

There's an electric doing "chink" rhythm guitar stuff on the three before distorted stuff comes in and an acoustic playing chords throughout - I'm guessing you're talking about the later. In principle, I agree with you, and if I was mixing this as an original I'd probably have it much more acoustic driven myself. However, listening to the original the acoustic's so faint that I had to grab a set of phones to make sure it wasn't my imagination and a shaker or something instead of a guitar. It's mostly a synth-driven track before the distorted rhythm gutars kick in, so I just copped a lot of that vibe with a few Ebow tracks.

**jim777** · #10 08-16-2006, 03:23 PM

I have to apologize Drew for not getting around to this yet. I'll listen to it tonight and get you some feedback.

**jemsite** · #11 08-16-2006, 03:29 PM

an exercise like this is a great learning experience for less well-rounded listeners because it shows you the excellence of Gilmour's phrasing, feel and melody (most of which the average shredder lacks) and how important that is to playing guitar (especially solos).

this was pretty good Drew... couple of quick things though (not a knock). when in doubt add vibrato not pinch harmonics. the trills gotta go. you can also hear where you sorta lost the melody in spots searching for notes ignoring the melody... BUT the original is a solo that cannot be improved upon.

so anyone doing this type solo is starting out with two cement blocks around their neck and land nowhere in sight... glen

ps - i'm still waiting for your "are you experienced" solo 100% recreation.

ChopTart · #12 08-16-2006, 03:33 PM

That was fantastic Drew!

I'm listening to it right now, and I love how well everything flows in the improvisation. Making your own licks and using them isn't the tough part IMO, its making it sounds good as you spout it off - and you did that really well! Plus, like everyone else already said, the tone was amazing!

Drew · #13 08-16-2006, 04:12 PM

Haha, thanks Glen - no offense taken! The trills and pinch harmonics are just me being me, and it's stuff I just do without thinking these days. I guess those bits are just sort of my personal touches here but everything you say here is pretty much spot-on (thought, I'd like to believe it's POSSIBLE to one up Gilmore here, even if I haven't actually heard anyone do it yet in the 30 or so years since he's cut this...

)

I promised you a rendition of "Are You Experienced?" I'd totally forgotten...

I thought it'd been a non-specific Jimi solo rather than this particular song, but either way I guess it's time to pull out my transcription and start brushing up.

And thanks ChopTart!

**jim777** · #14 08-16-2006, 10:50 PM

I really like the tone of the guitars, and I like the balance of the instruments in the mix as well. The feel of the rhythm is very 'in stone', so to speak. I think it might sound more dynamic if you redid one of the rhythm tracks after you recorded the solo, so you know where to add little embelishments there. It sounds a little like a never ending loop, but I think you could change the entire feel of the rhythm pretty easily, and very effectively.
It sounds really well done to me. What software are you using, and what's producing the drums? I need to get myself in gear as well....

Drew · #15 08-17-2006, 02:49 PM

Thanks Jim! The drums are a loop I programmed in Fruity Loops using Drumkit From Hell samples (and I suspect this has a lot to do with the "loop" feel, as the rest of the instruments are live). It was recorded in Sonar 3 with a M-Audio Firewire 410 as a recording interface. I think I was only recording at 16-bit, which I need to NOT do by the time I begin tracking for my album in earnest.

Fruity Loops is a pretty effective solution for fairly simple, repetitive drum stuff, which makes it absolutely ideal for demoing. I'm planning on paying to get a drummer buddy of mine into a decent studio when I finish demoing ideas though - there's no substitute for a real drummer, IMO.