The Challenge 08/03/2010 Vote Now !

Renesongs

[quote author=giggsy link=action=profile;u=1295 date=1268486938] Hey - here's my entry for this weeks comp - the first time I've entered and definitely beginner category. Not entirely happy with it but only had an hour to play around. http://www.box.net/shared/o6kvbs5soi [/quote]

[quote author=Riaan link=action=profile;u=72 date=1268601824] Here's my entry for the 8th May competition - think I'll stay in the beginner category: http://www.box.net/shared/uhqrthtgnd It doesn't like much like U2...it does sound like another band however, and it's clear where my roots are! All done in Sonar with Guitar Rig 4, on my Strat and Hamer. Bass and drums were done by keyboard and Dimension. Some mistakes but what the hell, here it is.... [/quote]

[quote author=DonovanB link=action=profile;u=1474 date=1268662331] here's my entry. late final edition category a http://www.box.net/shared/c8iytxm105 [/quote]

[quote author=Alan Ratcliffe link=action=profile;u=10 date=1268618827] [b]Beyond the Edge[/b] http://ratcliffe.co.za/music/a_alan_beyond_the_edge.mp3 OR http://www.box.net/shared/ysso3t699t Cheeky title I know, but I've always liked the delay settings the Edge uses, while wishing he would play off them more, creating more interesting rhythms, rather than the fairly simple stuff he does play. After nearly a week of fiddling with all the interesting stuff you could do with one of his double delays, I could have done a Floydian epic CD with it, but forced into a minute, I dropped all the stuff that would take more development or was a bit too far off the brief and kept the bits that could flow easily without needing bridging bits. Quick details: I stuck to my "one guitar, one take" resolution for this. Strat with all three magnetic pickups on, straight into the Twang Reverb and into the AC Box 2 X 12 panned straight up the middle. Piezo pickups have two delays, one set to dotted 1/8 notes and panned left, while the other is set to quarter notes and panned right. Both delays then have a touch of the Stoned Phaser to give them a touch more movement. No original signal in the delays so you get the straight magnetic pickups as the original sound and the piezos do the echoes only. I kept the repeats very tight, barely more than single shot delays and just added a touch of reverb on the complete guitar sound, so it's a lot tighter and less forgiving than the Edges delay settings would be (which might have been a mistake). [/quote]

[quote author=kayDUB link=action=profile;u=33 date=1268652156] Finally got it uploaded... Just had to get something in for this one, I'll try advanced for this one. All recorded with SM58 on hotrod deluxe, with Epi LP and boss DD20, boss CS2 and fulldrive 2 (only for the lead/melody). Just had to have some Adam Clayton bass in there , done on LP with lowpass filter. Recording goodies: presonus FP10 with all linux open source software; Ardour and Qsynth. Must say I lost the plot a bit with this towards the end
http://www.box.net/shared/2r80t9chr0 [/quote]

(old forum) Poll Results: Delayla

Giggsy (B): 1
Riaan (B): 13
Alan (A): 7
KayDUB (A): 8
Donovan (A): 3

DonovanB

what it closed early?
☹

Renesongs

Sorry Don I made the deadline Noon this time because I'm going out this evening. If anyone still want to post an entry I will include you on the voting roll but that will have to be later tonight when I get back home. I think it will be safe to assume that nobody is going to "draw inspiration" from the entries already posted.

DonovanB

shoot, well I just pm'ed you mine now. gonna take a listen soon too.

[deleted]

Wow, kayDUB, nice entry that sounds uncannily like the feel and progression from Cool Your Boots, by Ride (a song I like a lot). Dig it. I also had a few moments in Alan's entry where I was like, "That sounds like Tusk! That sounds like..." Nicely done, everyone.

AlanRatcliffe

I think this whole comp was ill fated for me from the start.

Firstly on Thursday I broke two nails while working on it, which plays havoc with my tone and especially my playing accuracy - as is obvious in the recording (this kind of stuff, you must really lock in to the delay repeats).

Then on Saturday my Guitar Rig Laptop started playing up (I think it's dying, but must try reinstall before I write it off completely), and it wiped out most of my custom patches - including the one I'd been carefully shaping for this comp since Monday (and didn't yet have a backup for).

Sunday was not without incident - Eskom "scheduled" maintenance between 8 am and 4 pm. The fact that it was scheduled for last Tuesday seemed to be enough for them when I phoned asking "Dude, where's my power?". After all, they had done their bit in warning us about the ahead of time by posting a small notice on the local municipality office door (which you can't see when the door is open during office hours).

All-in-all, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, rending of clothes, hair tearage and a little manic laughter on the side.

So, pressed for time, I made a quick and rough patch yesterday and did this as a quick recording. It worked out alright (all things considered).

[deleted]

Honestly I have the memory of a gold fsh, once I listen to the next song I forget the previous one, so it's very hard to choose. I think they were all good. I was a little de-slow-la in figuring out what the competition was about, but my keen mind soon caught up.

OOh, Alan, just remembered, I liked the stereo.

kayDUB

Viccy, thats why I download them to listen to them a couple of times ?

Stratisfear wrote: Wow, kayDUB, nice entry that sounds uncannily like the feel and progression from Cool Your Boots, by Ride (a song I like a lot). Dig it. I also had a few moments in Alan's entry where I was like, "That sounds like Tusk! That sounds like..." Nicely done, everyone.

Thanks Strat, never heard of Ride tho! ?

Well done guys, was hoping for more entries though!
Don, why don't you post your link here so long so we can listen so long?

DonovanB

Ok, here it is...

I went for the U2 approach, so I started with the bass and worked my way from there.

kayDUB

DonovanB wrote: I went for the U2 approach, so I started with the bass and worked my way from there.

I also worked from the bass line ? Sounds good, clean and neat!

Squonk

All excellent entries, lots of edge type delay.

I think the closest to U2, not only in sound but in composition and feel is Kaydub's.

Riaan that's a freaking excellent progressive piece of music, maybe closer to Edge in the 90's. That trip to JHB must have inspired you ?

Alan good stuff , hats off to the one guitar and one take but it works well

Donovan B - I dig that lead thing you do with all the layers

Giggsy cool Edge sounds in the intro, kind of bendy Delayed tones.

Difficult choice ???

Riaan

Thanks Squonk! Yes maybe it was the Jhb trip...but maybe it was coming back to CT that did it... ?

[deleted]

kayDUB wrote:
Thanks Strat, never heard of Ride tho! ?

Most people haven't! Hahaha. (It wasn't an accusation of a rip-off, BTW - I expected you'd never heard of 'em. ? )

Don, nice entry!

kayDUB

Squonk wrote: I think the closest to U2, not only in sound but in composition and feel is Kaydub's.

Thanks Squonk! I'm a bit of an Edge nut :-[

Stratisfear wrote:
kayDUB wrote: Thanks Strat, never heard of Ride tho! ?
Most people haven't! Hahaha. (It wasn't an accusation of a rip-off, BTW - I expected you'd never heard of 'em. ? )

didn't take it as an accusation! actually took a listen to cool your boots, the progression is similar and there is also a similar type of lead/melody line... but all in all quite different. Its interesting how a song can remind us/invoke a memory of another song, even tho they are pretty different with slight similarities!

[deleted]

Viccy, thats why I download them to listen to them a couple of times

Normally my approach, but I figured since there were only four I'd be okay. I was also trying not to over think it and just go with my first impression.

DonovanB

Alan yours sounds unbelievably complex. Any chance of a diagram explaining what you did? ???

AlanRatcliffe

DonovanB wrote: Alan yours sounds unbelievably complex. Any chance of a diagram explaining what you did? ???

Slightly simplified to make it easier to follow:

The chain is easy 'nuff but the settings are key (mostly in the delay). Specifically:

the lack of original signal in the delays, which keep the magnetics and piezos discrete
the two different delay times
delay repeats/regeneration/feedback is kept to a minimum - basically one repeat each (technically not a repeat, but a delayed sound as there is no original signal)
Delay sounds cut off below 250Hz with a highpass filter to prevent the dreaded "delay bass buildup"
Phaser is kept fairly subtle and with only 15% wet signal

Originally I had a compressor in each branch of the chain. Unfortunately they're a bugger to set correctly for this kind of thing, tending to mess with the accents or pump. So they were first against the wall when the revolution came and I had to recreate the patch quickly.

DonovanB

how many output/inputs do you have for one guitar?

AlanRatcliffe

Only two on the Strat. ? But Guitar Rig is nice that if you have have a patch set up for stereo inputs and you use only one input in your copy of GR, it routes the signal to both inputs, so you can still use it. You might want to pop an amp or a DI and compressor in the ex-piezo chain, but I know it works pretty well with a single input as is. If you have a copy of GR3 or 4, I can let you have a copy of the patch to fiddle with and dissect if you'd like.

A lot of my delay stuff follows a similar theme, but I'll also do things like pitch shift one delay down or up an octave or use a reverse delay (or both) with lots of regeneration and modulation as the basis for a pad. Usually one branch of the chain will be kept simple, to keep the sound punchy and avoid an over-processed "spongy sound".

PeteM

Well done everyone - very nice entries.
Riaan - I loved the energy in your number - a kinda suppressed tension with a real ballsy beat.
Alan - your sound is incredibly clean considering there is so much going on - great. That percussive sound comes from the piezo, I imagine.