I can be impatient, too

[ronws]

I've already done this song but I wanted to do it again with my new gadget (a birthday present.) My old acoustic guitar suffered a mishap a few months ago and one of the braces inside broke and now the thing will never stay in tune. So, at a pawnshop, I got a new used guitar for next to nothing. It is a Spectrum acoustic with a cutaway and a built-in pick-up and on-board eq, presence, and volume.

And, I found, I can jack into one port of the USB set on DI, while the condenser mic is plugged into the other port on +48.

There is no equalization. But I did some hard compression. That is, I had the threshhold hgh and the compression ratio high. And, instead of choosing gain after compression, I chose compression based on peaks. I still max out the compressor and you can hear clipping and scratch on the high notes, though I sang them clean.

I also tried a different mic position. Above the bridge of my nose, about a foot away, and slightly angled down. I still sing so loud in the high stuff.

The strings are new and I put them on yesterday (Ernie Ball Regular Slinkies.) Tuned up a few times, played some hard stuff to flex them (my AC/DC stuff.) Let it set overnight. And in my haste to show off my new "toy", forgot to make sure that the 6th string E was in tune. I hit once and then stayed away from it.

Been concentrating on appoggio lately.

http://www.box.com/s/09def48d0af59a258e5b

[Keith]

I like this version better than the last, just some clipping the mic at the end when you sing high. Try singing straight into the mic on the lower stuff, and turn your head so your voice is "blowing by" the side of the mic on the higher stuff where you sing louder. May help. Singing sounds good man. Keep it up.

[ronws]

Thanks, Keith.

I am trying like the dickens to have a mic placement that works well with the dynamics of my voice. A light, connected low volume sound, especially on this song, as I sing it with the same intent as the original. Then, a sonic blast in the bridge. Little hint, I am not using anymore air than the soft parts, just controlling it and resonating like crazy.

Either that, or I will have to get the money to fly to New York state so that I can record on your rig and you twiddle the dials.

:D

[Vocalist Dad]

Nice job Ron, Your new birthday present sounded beautiful. Happy Birthday by the way.

[Guest]

I thought the guitar playing was better than the last version Was it you or the guitar? hmmmm. Just kidding

Happy B-day old man.

[ronws]

I thought the guitar playing was better than the last version Was it you or the guitar? hmmmm. Just kidding

Happy B-day old man.

Ouch!

Actually, I expected the guitar playing to be a bit more stumbly because I have to get used to the better action on this guitar. But it is easier to play because the action is better. Kind of like, you get used to swinging a club or bat of a certain weight and then you go to something that is lighter and faster and you have to "re-calibrate" your responses.

Now, if I could just learn how to tune a guitar. :lol:

[Snejk]

Learning to tune your guitar by ear is what I would recommend EVERY singer. I can do it pretty darn well now and it has improved my voice ALOT (the pitch that is) xD

[ronws]

Learning to tune your guitar by ear is what I would recommend EVERY singer. I can do it pretty darn well now and it has improved my voice ALOT (the pitch that is) xD

Actually, I do tune by ear. First, I use an A-440 tone generator and play the 5th fret on the first string.

Then I tune my way backwards from there, usually using octaves.

But I've known some to use a digital tuner. They work okay but I prefer by ear, which may be my downfall.

[Snejk]

That's sweet Of course, my pitch ain't THAT great so I will always use digital tuner for gigs and recording purposes, but when writing songs or just playing with myself (hehu), I will keep on tuning by ear :3

[Guest]

Then I tune my way backwards from there, usually using octaves.

Backwards? Well that may be your problem! Wouldn't it be better to face the guitar?

Glad I could help. :)

[Snejk]

*facepalm*

Or maybe I should do that backwards?

Thanks for the laugh!

[ronws]

Tommy, I wish you had mentioned that before. Would have saved me a lot of time and effort. Why doesn't someone tell me these things before?

ay, carumba!

[Robert Lunte]

I've already done this song but I wanted to do it again with my new gadget (a birthday present.) My old acoustic guitar suffered a mishap a few months ago and one of the braces inside broke and now the thing will never stay in tune. So, at a pawnshop, I got a new used guitar for next to nothing. It is a Spectrum acoustic with a cutaway and a built-in pick-up and on-board eq, presence, and volume.

And, I found, I can jack into one port of the USB set on DI, while the condenser mic is plugged into the other port on +48.

There is no equalization. But I did some hard compression. That is, I had the threshhold hgh and the compression ratio high. And, instead of choosing gain after compression, I chose compression based on peaks. I still max out the compressor and you can hear clipping and scratch on the high notes, though I sang them clean.

I also tried a different mic position. Above the bridge of my nose, about a foot away, and slightly angled down. I still sing so loud in the high stuff.

The strings are new and I put them on yesterday (Ernie Ball Regular Slinkies.) Tuned up a few times, played some hard stuff to flex them (my AC/DC stuff.) Let it set overnight. And in my haste to show off my new "toy", forgot to make sure that the 6th string E was in tune. I hit once and then stayed away from it.

Been concentrating on appoggio lately.

http://www.box.com/s/09def48d0af59a258e5b

Hi Ron I enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing, I think your guitar sounds cool, is that a steel guitar? I enjoyed your voice Ron. I can hear that you have a good instrument and a knack for twang. When it begins to pick up later in the tune, i can hear good muscle control. Nice work on "anchoring" into those heady placements Ron... try holding those positions with a bit more larynx dampening on the open vowels that give you a little sustain time.

Begin to let the color you're auditory memory is visualizing, drive the physiology that is configuring to produce the acoustics your listening for. "Good singers sing and listen, great singers, listen, then sing". Maestro David Kyle

Cool.

[ronws]

Thanks a lot, Robert.

The guitar is an acoustic with steel strings. But your right, it kind of sounds like a steel guitar or pedal guitar, almost. And yes, this song and recording could use more work, perhaps a more unified sound.

And M. Kyle was so right about listening. I should experiment with different tone colors. And dampening as well. It's just that the high part is not very long. Just as soon as you are into it, it's done. Now, I wonder what I could make it sound like with different amounts of dampening on even the softer parts.

Like I said, I recorded this hurriedly without a lot of thought. Back to the laboratory .... cue the evil laugh, cue the Van De Graff Generator ...

[jonathangraham]

Hey Ronws, you never make it it easy on yourself eh? tough song to both play and sing imo

Good tone on this vocaly, I would say the things that could be better would be your overall flow from one note to the other. That also goes for the guitar playing but i'm not sure if that just sounds like that as you were playing and singing at the same time.

on the phrase "it isn't hard to see me glowing" the "to" almost sounds like your shifting something in order to let the note come out. This happens quite abit and you would never speak like that.

just for an idea try elongating each word really slowly holding on to each of the plosives in the phrase three or four times then try it normally without letting the staccato break pop in and see if it helps you connect.

i liked you going for it on the highs shame about the mic distorting but maybe just a lower starting level next time if you don't have a limiter that is.

[Guest]

Hey Ronws, you never make it it easy on yourself eh? tough song to both play and sing imo

Good tone on this vocaly, I would say the things that could be better would be your overall flow from one note to the other. That also goes for the guitar playing but i'm not sure if that just sounds like that as you were playing and singing at the same time.

on the phrase "it isn't hard to see me glowing" the "to" almost sounds like your shifting something in order to let the note come out. This happens quite abit and you would never speak like that.

just for an idea try elongating each word really slowly holding on to each of the plosives in the phrase three or four times then try it normally without letting the staccato break pop in and see if it helps you connect.

i liked you going for it on the highs shame about the mic distorting but maybe just a lower starting level next time if you don't have a limiter that is.

I agree with this review. I didn't comment on the song before because although I thought I might be hearing what was described in the quote above, I had no idea how to explain it More so I had even less of a clue as to what might be causing it or how to critique or give advice on it.

So I just kept my mouth shut, as I do on many of the songs posted here, (before I put my foot in it):D

[ronws]

Evidently, I had a problem with diction. The t sound was a bit harsher than intended. And my pronunciation was misunderstood. The lyric is actually "it isn't hard to feel me glowing," rather than, as you thought I said, "See me glowing."

I think, in the original post, I mentioned that I was playing a guitar that was new to me with a brand new set of strings on it that have yet to "settle." Perhaps my writing skills need improvement, as well.

Thanks for pointing these things out. I can see where to improve.

[Guest]

I'm telling you bro....Bon Scott. You have that Bon Scott kind of vocal....more AC/DC! C'mon Ron ;)

[ronws]

I'm telling you bro....Bon Scott. You have that Bon Scott kind of vocal....more AC/DC! C'mon Ron

Don't you tempt me. I am easily persuaded to do my theme song. Even though I sound nothing like Bon Scott. I will always sing my theme song regardless of detractors and critiques. I am not able to NOT do "that" song. It is always in my set, the four or five songs I can do at a moment's notice.

[Guest]

And your point is? Stop yer bitchin' and moanin' and get to recording cuz.

Don't you tempt me.

Consider yourself tempted :cool:

[ronws]

As my step-grandfather would say;

"Satan, get thee behind me .... and push!"

I might just have to do that song, yet again. Maybe try it with the Sennheiser. Ressurect the backing track that I have, rather than play it on guitar, which I do all the time.