AsherLongley
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First song post to ANY forum
Hello everyone. I recently began my journey towards making my music available to the world outside my home studio walls. I've uploaded two of my songs to a recently created "myspace" account. Please take a listen to both songs and let me know what you think. They were both created using Sonar 6 Producer. My equipment is a BOSS GT8 effects processor, an Ibanez electric and bass, a Prosonus Firebox, and a computer. MatthewJHoffman Music Thanks for checking my music out! Sincerely, Matthew
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CJaysMusic
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/15 21:16:08
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Nice. I like the song how it builds as it goes on. The drums need to come up a bit. what was that instrument in the beginning and what FX did you have on it, it was pretty cool.
CJ
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ToneCarver
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/15 22:50:31
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Matthew,
I listened to SuperMario 2 Reloaded .. Nice interesting effects and creativity (cool backwards riffs), good mix, nice double/triple tracking. Drums are a little low perhaps but that should be an easy fix. I like how you morphed from the mellow Pachalbel's canon type of theme into the more energetic full on pyrotechnics towards the end. Good stuff, nice ending. Fun themes, played with energy and passion. Sounds good.
Bill
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msharps
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/15 23:10:43
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Hey Matthew, I like your music and I'm glad your starting to share it with the rest of the world!  SuperMario2 Reloaded... great composition, and I too like the guitar fx that you use in the beginning... very unique! Also a nice choice of sound pads throughout the piece. I think the mix sounds well balanced between the instruments, except that I agree with the others that drums need to come up (I think they should come up quite a bit to give the song a stronger "pulse"... but remember, this is coming from a drummer so use discernment!) My favorite of the 2 songs on your website is "Good King Wenceslas". Great feel and change up's throughout the piece... very creative, and very funky! Man, you have some guitar chops! Look forward to hearing more! <><
Michael Sharps Sonar 6 PE; MOTU 8pre; Glyph GT 050Q 200GB External HD Dell Latitude D820 with Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 2.00GHz, 4.0GB DDR2-667 SDRAM, 100GB 7200rpm HD
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AsherLongley
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/15 23:35:28
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Thank you all sooooo much for the feedback. You've made my entire WEEK! CJ: All the instruments and effects for SuperMario2 Reloaded were created with a single guitar and my BOSS GT8. I use a reverse effect called "reverse". The crystal sound is from another GT8 effect that is a Pad synthesizer. I use a third effect in the intro which is a cross between a Pad synth and a deep reverb/chorus for the single chords at the beginning. Because I didn't have any other instruments to use at the time (and I feel very comfortable with the guitar) I found ways to use what I had to create the mood/sound I heard in my mind. Bill: The drums are the REX2 format that came with Sonar 5 Producer. As I purchase more Smartloops (or find a drummer  ) I'll be able to make them more dymanic. One of the problems I have is that on some of my other songs the mix gets a little muddy and I'm not sure how to correctly adjust the EX on each track to seperate them out enough so that I can increase levels without drawning out other tracks. I'll keep working on it though! Michael: I'll work on the mix EX and bring the drums up a bit. I also have some new ACID drum looks that I can use to add variety to the drums. I've got some other songs where I was able to do this and it sounds awesome. I'm currently finishing a re-write of Handel's Messiah, Hallelujah chorus for an arrangement of 6 electric guitars, 1 bass, 1 keyboard, and drums. It's all but finished, I just need to create some improve tracks for the finali. Once I have that finished, I'll share it if you like. Wow, this stuff is awesome!
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msharps
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/15 23:45:54
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I'm currently finishing a re-write of Handel's Messiah, Hallelujah chorus for an arrangement of 6 electric guitars, 1 bass, 1 keyboard, and drums. I would love to hear this when finished... please be sure to post!
Michael Sharps Sonar 6 PE; MOTU 8pre; Glyph GT 050Q 200GB External HD Dell Latitude D820 with Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 2.00GHz, 4.0GB DDR2-667 SDRAM, 100GB 7200rpm HD
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Frank Basile
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/16 08:44:33
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Hi AsherLongley, Smart Loops now has multi-track drum loops so you can mix each part of the drums separately. They are acid loops, so they work in CW programs just like your stereo loops, but you get the flexibilty to mix the drums the way you need to for your song. Check them out here... http://www.smartloops.com/products/multitracks/medium_straight_rock_1.html
post edited by Frank Basile - 2007/02/16 09:07:34
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opaque slogan
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/16 09:31:47
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Hey, you tricked me into listening to covers! which i hardly ever do.
It was only when i got on to good king wotsizface that i realised the Mario one must have been a cover too. Oh well, i've got to say i thought Mario was great, familier styles with a quirkiness that kept it really fresh and interesting and it sounded good too.
The good king thing was good enough, arrangement wise but the bass was really struggling to be heard and the thin shrill lead tone was horrible. (not a fan of that kind of tone)
Good job Matthew.
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AsherLongley
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/16 10:14:45
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Thanks for the comments Opaque. Actually, most of my stuff is original, but I wanted to share familiar songs first so people had a reference point when analyzing my skills.
I believe the shillness is my lack of experience in the audio engineering field. EQing is something I've been struggling to master for the past few months.
I started using Sonar 6 months ago, so DAW editing is still very new to me. In fact, I used to create songs in a shareware program called Goldwave and Multiquence. That was a struggle.
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cjlinus
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/16 11:23:18
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I just finished listening to the song and was really impressed. I wish I had your chops! Good job. The drums did come off as a little low in the mix but it fix the mood IMHO.
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RLD
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/16 19:01:19
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Hi Matthew,
Interesting intro in the Mario tune...
I think the heavy git parts would benefit from some panning and high pass filter to separate and clean them up a bit.
Enjoyed it!
RLD
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Ognis
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/16 21:57:10
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You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
post edited by Ognis - 2007/02/16 22:18:58
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Maxprizm
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/16 22:31:25
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ORIGINAL: Ognis
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
huh?
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AsherLongley
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/17 01:01:51
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I've been thinking about that (the definition of cover) ever since Opaque's comment and from my experience, a cover is when you attempt to redo the exact song in a different style. What I find myself doing is taking a melody or theme, and then creating my own composition with it. Not unlike when John Williams takes the original phrase from his Starwars theme and plays with it in other portions of the film's music. It's not the same song as the original, but uses parts of it and weaves the melodies into new ones. (granted these are all his own works, but the concept is the same) I've created 35 compositions on my DAW so far. 80% of those are all original. But there are some songs I love so much that I just have to play them ( all be it in my own unique style.) Most of those songs are worship songs from my childhood that I don't hear played anymore in churches. It's almost like some of the older songs are dying out. That saddens me because they have incredible meaning and depth to their messages. Lyrics that are falling into shadow. I want to keep some of them alive, even give them new life and present them to a new generation. I'm mostly an instrumentalist, so all but two of my songs are instrumentals. The worship songs I mentioned above are all done instrumentally with no singing parts. That allows me to use different phrases and forms - allows me to play with the original melodies. It's awesome fun! I love it.
post edited by AsherLongley - 2007/02/17 01:25:56
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Maxprizm
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/17 20:50:42
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Loved both these tunes. While not being a big fan of rock guitar instrumentals, the melodies and playing were catchy enough to keep me interested. Also agree with Roger, some panning would give it a bigger/cleaner sound.
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Ognis
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/17 21:04:13
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ORIGINAL: Maxprizm
ORIGINAL: Ognis
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
huh?
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
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Maxprizm
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/17 21:41:23
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ORIGINAL: Ognis
ORIGINAL: Maxprizm
ORIGINAL: Ognis
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
huh?
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
I think I understood what you said... just not why. I could care less whether they are covers or not. I think the whole point of posting material here is to improve not impress. When you are dealing with anonymous/subjective opinions on the internet it's easy to get disheartened. You just have to take what makes sense and what you think might help your material and use it. I too prefer original material but I'll give covers a shot also.
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AsherLongley
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/17 21:44:10
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Maxprizm,
I really appreciate your comments. I'll revisit those two song projects and see where I can better pan the tracks for greater clarity.
I would possibly do more songs with vocals but it's hard to get a good sound with the room and equipment I have. I purchased a $19 mic/stand just to get me started, so it's a trick to bring the volume up and the EQ up enough to hear it well. I was thinking of getting a vocal pre-amp or even getting a pre-amp (I hope this is the correct term) that would boost my guitar and mic signals.
If anyone has recommendations on signal boosting hardware that has two channels I would appreciate the advise.
-Matthew
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airmeki
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/17 22:53:46
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Hello Matthew - well, first of all a warm welcome to this forum!  I too thought 'Good King' was the 'better' one of the two, however, SuperMario was a great tune too ... so don't get that wrong. Just a preference. Mixwise, the drums on both songs are 'bubbling under', I'd say. I'd move them a bit forward in the mix. Also, the rhythm guitar on the right side is too far back. Bass sits well and so do the leads. Btw, all guitars are beautifully performed! Congrats on your tunes, and I too look forward to hear The Messiah. Thanks for sharing your tunes with us. Heinz.
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coldsteal2
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/17 23:21:46
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great songs,
post edited by coldsteal2 - 2007/02/18 00:10:59
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jacktheexcynic
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/18 00:43:31
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ORIGINAL: Maxprizm
ORIGINAL: Ognis
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
I think I understood what you said... just not why. I could care less whether they are covers or not. I think the whole point of posting material here is to improve not impress. When you are dealing with anonymous/subjective opinions on the internet it's easy to get disheartened. You just have to take what makes sense and what you think might help your material and use it.
I too prefer original material but I'll give covers a shot also.
this forum produces some interesting behavior. if you are new to the forum or have been around a long time, and your stuff is either good or really amateur, you'll get a lot of comments. if, as ognis has observed, you cover a song and say that it is a cover, people don't mind (especially if it's not mediocre) but if you don't then watch out. hip-hop will get almost no comments even if it's good. electronica will get more, mainstream anything will get a fair amount but really good funk/jazz/blues or 80's rock will get pages and pages. not everybody does this of course but it's the general trend. also myspace is a turn off for some people, me included, but sometimes i go anyway and am pleasantly surprised. this is one of those times. i agree with the drums needing to be up more on mario, and don't really have any other comments. good king wenceslas was interesting enough to keep me listening (i have a short attention span with instrumentals). mix-wise i'm burned out today, spent way too much time on my own stuff. RLD mentioned the guitars and right now i can't hear it but if he noticed something it's there. matthew, i noticed that you live in mcminnville - you may have heard of a boarding school called laurelwood which used to be in gaston. i graduated there in '99.
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Maxprizm
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/18 01:36:26
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ORIGINAL: jacktheexcynic
ORIGINAL: Maxprizm
ORIGINAL: Ognis
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
I think I understood what you said... just not why. I could care less whether they are covers or not. I think the whole point of posting material here is to improve not impress. When you are dealing with anonymous/subjective opinions on the internet it's easy to get disheartened. You just have to take what makes sense and what you think might help your material and use it.
I too prefer original material but I'll give covers a shot also.
this forum produces some interesting behavior. if you are new to the forum or have been around a long time, and your stuff is either good or really amateur, you'll get a lot of comments. if, as ognis has observed, you cover a song and say that it is a cover, people don't mind (especially if it's not mediocre) but if you don't then watch out. hip-hop will get almost no comments even if it's good. electronica will get more, mainstream anything will get a fair amount but really good funk/jazz/blues or 80's rock will get pages and pages.
not everybody does this of course but it's the general trend.
also myspace is a turn off for some people, me included, but sometimes i go anyway and am pleasantly surprised. this is one of those times. i agree with the drums needing to be up more on mario, and don't really have any other comments. good king wenceslas was interesting enough to keep me listening (i have a short attention span with instrumentals).
mix-wise i'm burned out today, spent way too much time on my own stuff. RLD mentioned the guitars and right now i can't hear it but if he noticed something it's there.
matthew, i noticed that you live in mcminnville - you may have heard of a boarding school called laurelwood which used to be in gaston. i graduated there in '99.
Thanks for explaining that a bit more for me. I have noticed this trend, especially in hip hop.
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Maxprizm
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/18 01:43:56
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ORIGINAL: AsherLongley
Maxprizm,
I really appreciate your comments. I'll revisit those two song projects and see where I can better pan the tracks for greater clarity.
I would possibly do more songs with vocals but it's hard to get a good sound with the room and equipment I have. I purchased a $19 mic/stand just to get me started, so it's a trick to bring the volume up and the EQ up enough to hear it well. I was thinking of getting a vocal pre-amp or even getting a pre-amp (I hope this is the correct term) that would boost my guitar and mic signals.
If anyone has recommendations on signal boosting hardware that has two channels I would appreciate the advise.
-Matthew
I feel your pain very much on the lack of equipment thing. I am having a similiar problem with vocals. Without a preamp it's definitely a balancing act. I dont usually have that problem with guitars as I am going direct in with a POD. As far as a good preamp goes there are just too many for me to recommend one, seeing how it usually comes down to how much $$ you can spend. It seems like it takes forever just to get a decent signal chain setup, for me it has anyway and I am still not there yet. Good luck.
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ed_mcg
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/18 09:42:37
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Matthew,
Welcome. Really interesting takes on these tune.
Wenceslas had a bit of an overly scooped sound - missing some in the 500~1500 range the mix. I think this is do to the guitars, they are going through a POD? They have that POD fizzy sound.
Nice playing!
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AsherLongley
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/18 21:00:40
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Ed_mcg,
Can you explain what "scooped" is? I'm very curious. I'm new to audio recording so some terms are foreign to me.
You must be refering to a frequency range (500~1500). I'll have to do some basic learning about this in order to get a better spread on my recordings.
My guitar processor is a BOSS GT8. Thanks for the comments! I'm going to consider all that people have said and do some rework on my recordings. Once I'm finished, I'll post the updated versions.
-Matthew
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Drumz
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/18 21:25:53
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Matthew, welcome. Good job on your songs, you play well. I am fairly new to recording myself and I can tell you that it is an adventure. Their is a lot of good advice from folks in this forum that will help you make your music better.
Sonar 8 PE, Windows 7 32 bit, Intel w/H55 chipset, Intel Core i5 3.2GHz,2x Seagate 500GB SATA,4GB DDR3/1333, Presonus FP10, Roland TD 20, Mapex Maple, Paistie, and a bunch of other noise making stuff.
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jacktheexcynic
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/18 21:40:15
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ORIGINAL: AsherLongley
Ed_mcg,
Can you explain what "scooped" is? I'm very curious. I'm new to audio recording so some terms are foreign to me.
You must be refering to a frequency range (500~1500). I'll have to do some basic learning about this in order to get a better spread on my recordings. scooped is when you use an EQ to take out the midrange. it leaves things sounding flat and sterile. sometimes a little bit is necessary for cheaper instruments to get rid of the "clangy" sound. scoop too much though and you lose the tone of the guitar. My guitar processor is a BOSS GT8. Thanks for the comments! I'm going to consider all that people have said and do some rework on my recordings. Once I'm finished, I'll post the updated versions.
-Matthew
guitar processors and amp simulators often suffer from a generic sound as well as the fizzy stuff that ed mentioned. i deal with the fizz by low-passing the guitars between 7 and 10khz, depending on whether i'm just trying to eliminate fizz or make more room for vocals and percussive attack. i suppose one could also use a highshelf+lowpass. with the pod i experiment with different custom settings until i get something that i like. sometimes the generic sound works but i find the more i tweak the better the sounds i get for my particular guitar. i don't know if the boss gt8 supports amp simulation but if it does i would tweak knobs for an afternoon just to see what you can get out of it.
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Ognis
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RE: First song post to ANY forum
2007/02/19 00:04:26
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ORIGINAL: Maxprizm
ORIGINAL: Ognis
ORIGINAL: Maxprizm
ORIGINAL: Ognis
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
huh?
You have to say they are covers or people will never listen to your music again. Thats what happened to me, even after posting countless original songs. Now, there is no point in me posting my music here anymore. You may of screwed yourself.
I think I understood what you said... just not why. I could care less whether they are covers or not. I think the whole point of posting material here is to improve not impress. When you are dealing with anonymous/subjective opinions on the internet it's easy to get disheartened. You just have to take what makes sense and what you think might help your material and use it.
I too prefer original material but I'll give covers a shot also.
I just forgot, sorry, I still was looking to improve what was said before the first time.
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