1 - Y'Know What I Mean

[Marc JX8P]

Cool track! Great vocals and very nice guitars, great mix. The end doesn't really work for me as a stand alone track but I take it that it works better when fading into the next track.

[Wyatt]

yes, it's certainly not a straight up Dylanesque tune. What i took from listening to Dylan was mostly the idea to try and wrote a song in this form. It was a nice change from the usual ABAB type songs I do and it still rocked so that was important to me. I do try to make everything that I do my own.

Right on with that..make it your own..if I hadn't read Dylanesque or something, while I was downloading, I probably wouldn't have thought it..and he was one of my first influences in the 60s..not too long after I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan that first time.

The ending is sort of a surprise. The next song starts very suddenly after this one ends so that was the reason for it.

Thanks for explaining that..whew

It was really difficult to get a harmonica sound that i liked. This was the first time i really spent any time trying to record harmonica parts. I ended using a comdo of condenser about a foot away and then a dynamic in hand that ran into a guitar amp with some slight overdrive with a 57 on the guitar amp. It was by far the most time consuming track for me in this song. You wouldnt have any harmonica recording tips would you? I dont use one alot, but I'm sure i'll pick it up again at some point in the not too distant future.

OK..keep in mind that it's early, and this is off the top of my head..in no particular order..

I had one hard time mic'ing harps..I don't much like condensor mic's, but i may be a minority of one on that score..I have demo'ed them, and the only recording I liked was done side by side, along with a Shure PG-58..when I turned my head it sounded dimensionally moving..other than that, condensors made my harps sound too small..so I got rid of them.

I use a Shaker Harmonica Microphone..[dynamic]. I move a lot when I play, so its in the hand..gotta be. This sucker amps like a monster..I mean blow the roof off type of monster..bigger than my Strat..huge huge sound. Never been able to bring that sound back alive, but then, I haven't tried mic'ing the amp yet..not just duh, but I have gotten a sound I like..it's on my list to capture that huge huge sound, but offhand I don't know where Id put it.

I think if you like your sound better you might grab the harp sooner..

..so..hmm..I used to feel that even the best harp playerz didn't get showcased in the mix..well, worse than that..it used to sound like the band was onstage and the harp player was back in the bathroom..soo..

..what kind of sound are you looking for?

..what is it you don't like about yours?

Thanks for the kind words about the mix. I do work on them a good deal. I've gotten much better than I was when I first started posting at the old Audtorium. i got alot of good help.

I did get pretty experimental with micing techniques when I was making this batch of songs. Alot of times it was really muddy and unusable, but after a while you start to know your mics and your room and then you really start to have fun with it.

 Thanks for the great comments Wyatt

..hope this helps you get closer to the sound you want..

Hmm..I want to try something..fasten your seatbelt, and check your messages.

Wyatt

[one]

Hi VG

Rockin Tune Dude!

Hey you could breath more if your stuck to 45 to 60 BPM tempos like yers truly

I like the sound alot..


1

[Van Greco]

@ Marc - Thanks man. I'm not sure if the transition will work for others, but it works for me. The abrupt ending to this one and the sudden stat to the second track amused me.

@ One - Thanks for chacking it out man. I guess the breathing could be a little distracting, but I didnt mind it so much. I could have taken it out, but oh well. Too late now. Fast songs are much harder for me, but I like them so much. I have to change it up or I get bored with myself.

@ Wyatt - I ended up getting what i wanted out of the harp tracks. It's just that i had to use two tracks to do it. The rest of the mix is pretty busy so it was tough to fit it in there for me. Most of the tone you can hear is actually from the amp, but I found that when I added the condenser track in that it cut through better. The condenser track on it's own was pretty horrible. It sounded just like someone playing a harmonica in a room and it was pretty wimpy compared to the rest of the track. It did more realisticly capture the high end though. It's very low in the mix, but it makes a big difference if it's not there.

I think that really what keeps me from recording the harmonica more often is the fact that I cant really play it all that well. I came up with this part while playing along to my guitar using a harp holder and when it came time o record it i found that I couldnt play it how I wanted unless i strapped on the guitar and went through the motions of playing it without hitting any strings and played the harp from the holder.

[one]

Hey VG

@ One - Thanks for chacking it out man. I guess the breathing could be a little distracting, but I didnt mind it so much. I could have taken it out, but oh well. Too late now. Fast songs are much harder for me, but I like them so much. I have to change it up or I get bored with myself.

Naw Dude I meant yer breathing in reference to the comment that emptysound made. I was kidding! Er to the winny smiley


Personally I'm really lazy about that stuff myself I leave it all in, breathing, nose whistles all of it


1

[Van Greco]

Hey VG

@ One - Thanks for chacking it out man. I guess the breathing could be a little distracting, but I didnt mind it so much. I could have taken it out, but oh well. Too late now. Fast songs are much harder for me, but I like them so much. I have to change it up or I get bored with myself.

Naw Dude I meant yer breathing in reference to the comment that emptysound made. I was kidding! Er to the winny smiley


Personally I'm really lazy about that stuff myself I leave it all in, breathing, nose whistles all of it


1

Yeah, I knew you were just kidding man. I guess I was just talking. I do that too much probably. I leave the breating in sometimes and sometimes I dont. I'm right there with you on the laziness. I dont know about these nose whistles you speak of. They sound frightening. Thanks again one. 

Also, we need better smilies.....pleeeease?

[Oren]

For me, the vocal made the song. Urgent, breathy, intent. Then ending on such a slope. Vintage Van Greco.

Oren.

[kara]

A very strong song.
I like the lyrics but allso the way the song has been constructed. It's not often that you hear a song in this style without the typical AB construction.
And a good strong bridge. Perhaps you should buy one of those yamaha wx windcontroller to play the harmonica ?
I was a tiny bit disappointed about the end, doesn't realy honnor a song like this.

Anyway, a great track ! Thanks for sharing this here

Kara

[Fred S]

Hey VG! Its rockin!

Really has a great live feel. Your recording techniques seem to work quite well. And, of course, the vocals and guitars are great.

[magmavander]

Hi VG,

yeah, a solid and top level classic from you! I really enjoyed it, all is good here, guitars, harmonica, drums,the rest and, of course, this unique vocal!

Argh!! You kill me with your ending 

Must be the sixth time I listen to it in loop 

Thanks!

bye

mag