HUGE project

I'm 3+ weeks in, just finished the piano, and still need to do the bass (that will be easy) the drums (that will be a PITA), percussion, and lead guitar. Maybe another week or so?

If you work at it, "hard" several hours a night, what's the outside for you? To get one laid down? I'm looking at a month plus on this one :-( I know some work on projects for months and months, but I don't think that's solid? More on and off?

For me, I've been busting my hump on this one for 3_ weeks... I haven't been lollygaging. I woudn't even know how to gag a lolly? And it sounds like it would be pretty mean anyway.

ORIGINAL: robby

I'm 3+ weeks in, just finished the piano, and still need to do the bass (that will be easy) the drums (that will be a PITA), percussion, and lead guitar. Maybe another week or so?

If you work at it, "hard" several hours a night, what's the outside for you? To get one laid down? I'm looking at a month plus on this one :-( I know some work on projects for months and months, but I don't think that's solid? More on and off?

For me, I've been busting my hump on this one for 3_ weeks...

Hi, robby,

I tend to work in spurts. I can go for weeks/months without touching a project, then, once I get into one, I'll work night and day, as time allows, to finish it. The process nearly always takes me at least six weeks, maybe more. And I mean six weeks of spending every available minute on the project and staying up way past my normal bedtime.

So, don't feel bad about how long it takes you to do a project from start to finish. In any case, it's not a race, it's a labor of love----right? ;>) Besides, there's no time limit on this sort of thing. It's done when *you* say it's done.

Not sure how well this concept would work if it were a commercial project with a definite deadline. I suspect that we'd get our stuff done in the time alloted.....

Best regards,
Bill

Don't know if you have the money, but buying an electronic drum kit and actually playing the parts lets you feeeeeeeeeel it, man. It doesn't take long to teach yourself the basics, and it makes the process so much more fun. I did this a few years ago after programming drums with my keyboard, and its made such a huge difference in my fun level. Plus, whacking those rubber and mesh pads lets me get out my aggression after a rough day...best therapist I ever had, and available 24/7...

You are recording piano and bass before DRUMS?

To each his own and (with all due respect), but despite how much you hate doing drums, this is most unorthodox, and maybe for a reason.

Hey, I've done it that way, too, but the song has never gelled (when done that way) as it has when everyone else tracked to the drums (even in midi land, with midi sequenced "drums") as it has when laying down the bass (etc.) to a recorded drum track. Tracking to a metronome & adding drums later... looses something.

HTH; best,
Ed

ORIGINAL: ed97643

You are recording piano and bass before DRUMS?

To each his own and (with all due respect), but despite how much you hate doing drums, this is most unorthodox, and maybe for a reason.

Hey, I've done it that way, too, but the song has never gelled (when done that way) as it has when everyone else tracked to the drums (even in midi land, with midi sequenced "drums") as it has when laying down the bass (etc.) to a recorded drum track. Tracking to a metronome & adding drums later... looses something.

HTH; best,
Ed

You're right, but Einstein couldn't dress himself? He was different, so am I, but different isn't always bad? I always do the drums last, ALWAYS! Drums are evil and must be destroyed…

I'm with Robby on this one--I always do drums last.

I do drums first...actually drums and guitar.
I think it give you more feel to play to drums than a click.
Basically I choose a midi file that is close to what I want in the verse/chorus sections.
Lay the guitar parts to that, add bass...scratch vocals, then its just a process of tweaking as you go along.
Yes, there is lots of editing for fills and such, but that's the beauty of using midi files and EZ or AD.

But I have no idea what the song is going to sound like until it's done!

ORIGINAL: Roflcopter

but the song has never gelled

I'm with Ed on this one. Rhythm commonly works bottom-up, not top-down.

This Ed is with the other Ed on this one too.

To each his own but I alomost always have an idea of the arrangement before I start laying things down. That does not mean that things don't change based upon someone's phrasing on an instrument (has happened a few times in the past).

The reality is, IMO, we all layer (unless it's a band situation). So, layering from rhythm up or melody down; it is all still layering.

I guess I could try to man up and play a drum track, at least well enough to get it in and then start editing?

At least set it up and practice...you never know you might enjoy it, as Jinga said "great therapy"!!!

Finally finished it and posted it last night :-) No recording this weekend!

http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=1661399