The Challenge 24/08/2009 Votiing

Renesongs

Here are the entries for the [b]Action Hero Blues[/b] - voting closes noon on Sunday

[quote author=majestikc link=action=profile;u=173 date=1251234087] Here's my entry for the weekly challenge: http://www.box.net/shared/k6jti9a1hy [/quote]

[quote author=MusicMadness link=action=profile;u=581 date=1251693432] Here is my entry Beginner category http://www.box.net/shared/qt2jpkn49g Played on my new Mustard Tele! Added Midi Violin. [/quote]

[quote author=Alan Ratcliffe link=action=profile;u=10 date=1251668489] http://ratcliffe.co.za/music/a_alan_blue_spy.mp3 OR http://www.box.net/shared/tfnd0231cj Two guitars, bass & drums. Fun one to do this, although the end result may owe more to Spy vs. Spy than James Bond :) Details later... [/quote]

[quote author=PeteM link=action=profile;u=1544 date=1251704503] Here's this weeks contribution - the action bit proved to be challenging. Category A http://www.box.net/shared/2aqcrkqgyv [/quote]

(old forum) Poll Results: Action Hero Blues

majestikc (B): 11
MusicMadness (B): 3
Alan Ratcliffe (A): 9
PeteM (A): 6

AlanRatcliffe

Fun one to do this, although the end result may owe more to Spy vs. Spy than James Bond (with a little bit of Fever thrown in for luck). I went the ZZ-Top route, but shuffle rather than swing. It gave me an excuse to play a solo that's 90% harp harmonics (I was talking to Andrew Bryson about them recently, so they were on my mind). I also had fun shoehorning in a 007 reference at the beginning (but with a blues rhythm section).

Two guitars, bass & drums.

Guitar 1
(melody & rhythm)
Strat, neck pickup (Kinman Blues), TC Electronic Nova Drive, Fender Twin Reverb, Shure SM57. The Nova Drive is set on the distortion channel, but with only a slight crunch when I lean into the guitar.

Guitar 2
(harmony, rhythm accents, solo)
Strat, bridge pickup (Kinman Blues), TC Electronic Nova Drive, Vox AC15 HW, Shure SM57. The same distortion settings as on guitar 1, but with the overdrive section also kicked in - also not heavily overdriven, but the two together add up.

Bass
My usual two channel humbucker bass with neck pickup compressed and bridge slightly distorted. DI'd with Guitar Rig 3 - an Ampeg amp sim for each.

Drums
EZDrummer, Nashville Kit.

Recording
I recorded the guitars late at night, so couldn't crank the volume to get the sustain I wanted for the solo. It worked out OK, but I wanted one note to sustain more (the last note of the riff just after the intro), so I stretched it with the time stretch tool in Sonar - it worked OK, but sounds like it has chorus or pitch modulation added, which is weird.

Mix
Just a touch of smallish room reverb on drums and guitars. Guitar 2 is compressed a little to get the harmonics to pop a little better, but I left the rhythm more dynamic. No EQing - everything fitted fairly well as it was. Finally just a peak limiter on the master buss to tame the peaks.

majestikc

I used a R500 Harmony strat rippof straight into the pc's onboard nforce2 sound (retro), Session Drummer in Sonar, same guitar for the chords and "bass" line and lead, some cheap reverb and a cup of tea, nothing else.
The buzz was from the crt monitors

Heath

man that is so blues majestic

andrewjbryson

Jeez guys

everyone is getting their productions so neat with great tone.
all 4 entries are good

Dunno who to vote for.
Its a pencil scratcher

AlanRatcliffe

majestikc wrote: I used a R500 Harmony strat rippof straight into the pc's onboard nforce2 sound (retro), Session Drummer in Sonar, same guitar for the chords and "bass" line and lead, some cheap reverb and a cup of tea, nothing else.
The buzz was from the crt monitors

And I have to say it worked brilliantly. Even the buzz... That cup of tea wasn't one of those that power the Total Perspective Vortex was it? ?

majestikc

Yes it was, it was mint infused total vortex perspective tea with colon cleansing properties, it's good for the blues.

Squonk

majestikc wrote: Yes it was, it was mint infused total vortex perspective tea with colon cleansing properties, it's good for the blues.

@ Majestikc Thank goodness you only had to record one minute for the weekly comp , the water closet was surely calling after that cup of Rosy Lee ?

Renesongs

Well done to this weeks winners Alan (A) and Majestikc (B). Majestitikc you have the most votes overall so please PM next weeks topic to me as soon as you get a chance.

Squonk

Well done Alan and Majestikc 8)

CDee

Good stuff guys!

PeteM

Well done guys - I look forward to the next one

majestikc

I am the undefeated champion of the world!

[deleted]

I am the undefeated champion of the world!

HA HA HA...Glad to see it didn't go to your head