A bit of work on the timbre and the bass
Listening to the tracks, I decide to try and use a non-electronic sound for the bass. I dial up an upright bass sample on the XL7. Its an OK sample, but not fantastic. In fact I have never really heard an upright bass sample I am pleased with, unless its something that was a sampled riff by a real bassist - of course that would sound good!
One big problem doing the bass way is that I have to use the keyboard to write the bassline - I mean, its OK, but if you are used to playing with strings its just not the same thing. It is quite interesting to me that the original synth bass parts, simply moved over the upright bass sound, are just not going to cut it. Its that timbre thing again, plus they sound quite stiff with the more realistic bass sound.
I end up writing a set of variations on the original bassline, and again marvel at how much things can change, even with the same notes, depending on how you swing the parts. Thats why I don't do much with quantizing anything, with the exception sometiimes of drums - I want it to swing with my own groove, ya know?
That is about as far as I got today - so if anyone out there wants to donate a bass for this project so I can make it really groove, I mean even an electric bass, I'm not gonna be picky here - just drop me a line.
Hey Dana :)
I've got a bass you can borrow, but you've got to come to Australia to pick it up! :p
I bought one for the same reason you need one now -- home recording. The first time I got holiday pay from a job I went straight to the local music shop (who have made thousands off me in the last decade!), which was closed. I banged on the door, waving cash until they let me in. I walked straight to the back of the store, grabbed my bass and slapped it on the counter.
Shop Guy: "Don't you wanna play it first"
Me: "I've played it every Saturday for the last 6 months."
Andrew -
Man, that made me laugh out loud!
How much I can relate to that, I don't even want to ponder how much cash I have spent just on gear, not to mention all the other stuff like studio rent, etc etc...
Funny, I was having dinner last night with the wife unit and was remembering how I bought not only my tenor sax but also my Jazzmaster - at different times of course - I just looked at each of them and said, that has to be for me.
So maybe I am just impuslive, but I still have those axes, and they are still wonderful instruments.
And I'll be right over for that bass any minute now.....
lol @ Andrew!!!! :D
Say, Dana, the email notification feature is not working. Any clues?
Posted by: Will on June 15, 2004 09:30 PMI have to look at it - is it just not working for comments or for new entries???? Looking at the settings, I really only see one entry for email notifications - so let me know. My friend who runs this is in Japan right now, so if there is some sorta problem that is beyond the interface that I can get to, it will have to wait until then. Wait - when I post this I should get an email.......
Posted by: dana on June 15, 2004 10:15 PMOk, the comments are working, now that I made one it got back to me fine. Hmmm..................
Posted by: dana on June 15, 2004 10:17 PMWell, I haven't been receiving any notifications whatsoever. I would just like to know of new entries, not comments.
This has been fun Dana! :)
Posted by: Will on June 16, 2004 05:39 AM