Shortly before Christmas I made two cajons, one for my kid and one for our drummer (who supplied the snares free of charge). They turned out really well and were relatively simple to make, but unfortunately I didn't make any recordings with them before I moved them on.
I've decided to make another, seeing as I still have plenty of materials to go at. I'll probably do a build thread separately, then post some recordings back here. This time I'm going to make it with an adjustable tension snare and a slightly bigger (bassier) front head.
Have any of you lot recorded a cajon before? I think it could be quite a good challenge.
Bubba wrote:Shortly before Christmas I made two cajons, one for my kid and one for our drummer (who supplied the snares free of charge). They turned out really well and were relatively simple to make, but unfortunately I didn't make any recordings with them before I moved them on.
I've decided to make another, seeing as I still have plenty of materials to go at. I'll probably do a build thread separately, then post some recordings back here. This time I'm going to make it with an adjustable tension snare and a slightly bigger (bassier) front head.
Have any of you lot recorded a cajon before? I think it could be quite a good challenge.
The drummer I of the band I was in a year ago played the Cajon on a few songs live and on one really small gig (tiny tent at Bestival - just three of us) she played the cajon for the whole thing. They're actually a pretty handy way of getting a decent beat without a drum-kit. I wouldn't have thought they're much use to you with your setlist though, mate!
Bubba wrote:The drummer I of the band I was in a year ago played the Cajon on a few songs live and on one really small gig (tiny tent at Bestival - just three of us) she played the cajon for the whole thing. They're actually a pretty handy way of getting a decent beat without a drum-kit. I wouldn't have thought they're much use to you with your setlist though, mate!
LOL, no. Frank uses his cajon at acoustic open mic nights and he loves it. I can't see us doing Holiday in Cambodia unplugged any time soon!
Do you remember that acoustic country/mariachi-style Frank Black cover we did last year? I want to add a cajon track to that.
JD01 wrote:The drummer I of the band I was in a year ago played the Cajon on a few songs live and on one really small gig (tiny tent at Bestival - just three of us) she played the cajon for the whole thing. They're actually a pretty handy way of getting a decent beat without a drum-kit. I wouldn't have thought they're much use to you with your setlist though, mate!
LOL, no. Frank uses his cajon at acoustic open mic nights and he loves it. I can't see us doing Holiday in Cambodia unplugged any time soon!
Do you remember that acoustic country/mariachi-style Frank Black cover we did last year? I want to add a cajon track to that.
Yeah, that would sound good. Watching Emma's (my drummer friend) video of her Cajon record, she appears to have just stuck a condenser about a metre away and pressed record.
JD01 wrote:
Yeah, that would sound good. Watching Emma's (my drummer friend) video of her Cajon record, she appears to have just stuck a condenser about a metre away and pressed record.
I'll be doing that, too. I may close-mic the corner(s). They're not screwed down flat, so the tiny gap makes a sharp "clack" if you hit it right. I'm going to put a kick mic on the sound hole at the back, too.
I'll try and find Emma's video of her cajon playing later. I'm on my way to a meeting at the moment. Cajon playing seems to really be all about the feel.
JD01 wrote:I'll try and find Emma's video of her cajon playing later. I'm on my way to a meeting at the moment. Cajon playing seems to really be all about the feel.
You're absolutely right. When my lad hits it, it sounds like an instrument. When I play it, it sounds like a wooden box full of rice.
JD01 wrote:I'll try and find Emma's video of her cajon playing later. I'm on my way to a meeting at the moment. Cajon playing seems to really be all about the feel.
You're absolutely right. When my lad hits it, it sounds like an instrument. When I play it, it sounds like a wooden box full of rice.
Yeah, exactly. That's how I felt playing Emma's cajon
Great - take it to PM when you're ready to do something and we can thrash out how we're gonna go about arrangement/style and divvying up the instruments. Frank will no doubt visit home in a few weeks so I can grab him for the Cajon track then - unless you want to get your mate to do it, of course. Or both tracks could be used.
I can feel my recording mojo coming back since I came here. HR became so stifling and such an uninspiring and depressing place to be I haven't recorded anything in months.
Cool. I've got another couple of collabs on at the moment, but I'm just donating guitar parts so they won't take much of my time.
I'll give it some thought on Thursday night and pitch an idea to you. I've been itching to use that Martin on a recording as I've barely done it so far.
Frank uses his cajon at acoustic open mic nights and he loves it. I can't see us doing Holiday in Cambodia unplugged any time soon!
