Before the Dawn

[musicturtle]

Happy New Year everyone! Here is the latest I have been working on. Just my take on an old Judas Priest song. Listen if you like. Comment if you will. Thanks

[rayc]

This is the best I've heard JP sound.
There's a little timing thing at 1.04 but taht's about all I can nit.
Nice job.

[musicturtle]

This is the best I've heard JP sound.
There's a little timing thing at 1.04 but taht's about all I can nit.
Nice job.

Thanks Ray,

I found it, my bass playing sometimes doesn't have the best meter.

[musicturtle]

This is the best I've heard JP sound.
There's a little timing thing at 1.04 but taht's about all I can nit.
Nice job.

Believe I fixed it up.

[JD01]

Really good sounds and good playing, although it sounds like you dropped a note on the guitar solo at 1:55 and some of the timing on the solo seems a bit wonky - I'm not familiar with the original though - and the tone is a bit harsh, could probably do with less Gain. The solo is so out front though it would be great if you could get it sounding really sweet.

Aside from that I would double track the acoustic and pan them either side, then you could sit the vocal back a bit more - that's just me though - I do that with everything and is more of a style thing that a criticism.

[Greg_L]

I'm not familiar with the original. I assume it's a metal song you've converted into an acoustic piece? I think it's okay. I agree with JD's comments on the solo. I think the vocals need work. I know it's a huge undertaking to do anything with a Rob Halford vocal, but they need to be better if you're gonna try IMO. I think they're pitchy and weak in spots. They sit small in the mix. They could use a more superhero presence in the mix.

[JD01]

I just listened to the original, it is an acoustic song. The acoustic is double tracked and gives the vocal much more space.

[musicturtle]

Really good sounds and good playing, although it sounds like you dropped a note on the guitar solo at 1:55 and some of the timing on the solo seems a bit wonky - I'm not familiar with the original though - and the tone is a bit harsh, could probably do with less Gain. The solo is so out front though it would be great if you could get it sounding really sweet.

Aside from that I would double track the acoustic and pan them either side, then you could sit the vocal back a bit more - that's just me though - I do that with everything and is more of a style thing that a criticism.

Good ideas, thanks for the comments. I will try the solo again and double the acoustic.

[musicturtle]

I'm not familiar with the original. I assume it's a metal song you've converted into an acoustic piece? I think it's okay. I agree with JD's comments on the solo. I think the vocals need work. I know it's a huge undertaking to do anything with a Rob Halford vocal, but they need to be better if you're gonna try IMO. I think they're pitchy and weak in spots. They sit small in the mix. They could use a more superhero presence in the mix.

Thanks for listening, it is originally an acoustic song. Another vocal session is probably a good idea, although I am sure I will never sound like old Rob. But on listening again I can hear I pussy footed around a little too much for sure.

[JD01]

Thanks for listening, it is originally an acoustic song. Another vocal session is probably a good idea, although I am sure I will never sound like old Rob. But on listening again I can hear I pussy footed around a little too much for sure.

I did listen to the original after listening to this to get a feel for it.
With the acoustics double tracked you'll be able to sit the vocal back a bit and it will sound better, but you also need to give it a bit more welly.
You're gonna have to be super-accurate double tracking the acoustics or they'll sound a bit messy.

[WhiskeyJack]

You're gonna have to be super-accurate double tracking the acoustics or they'll sound a bit messy.

Alternatively, you could just look at some of these dual mic set up's, track the performance once and keep the mix style you have hear and just pan each track a little left and little right to flank the vocals and still keep that vibe of a "a guy and his guitar covering priest" Unless of course you want to pay total homage to the original then do a double track performance as JD mentioned.

I have no other real nits as i am on ear buds at work.

[musicturtle]

Thanks for the ideas Jack and JD. The acoustic track is just using the Fishman condenser inside my Martin. I might try using that and a mic out front as well.

And yes I am really going more for "guy covering a Priest song" more than trying to sound exactly like the original, but of course I want it to sound good at the same time

[WhiskeyJack]

Thanks for the ideas Jack and JD. The acoustic track is just using the Fishman condenser inside my Martin. I might try using that and a mic out front as well.

And yes I am really going more for "guy covering a Priest song" more than trying to sound exactly like the original, but of course I want it to sound good at the same time

that is all anyone of us want and why come here and stuff.

That Fishman of yours sounds pretty good. I looked at one once for an old Epiphone Texan i have but i just stuck to micing it just for practice and stuff.

I have never ever had any luck getting a good sound out of my onboard acoustic pick ups. I have a fender POS and that sounded horrible. Just thing and one dimensional. yours sounds really good. I haven't even bothered testing out the one on the Taylor i bought a year or two ago. I should try it for fun.

[JD01]

Thanks for the ideas Jack and JD. The acoustic track is just using the Fishman condenser inside my Martin. I might try using that and a mic out front as well.

And yes I am really going more for "guy covering a Priest song" more than trying to sound exactly like the original, but of course I want it to sound good at the same time

that is all anyone of us want and why come here and stuff.

That Fishman of yours sounds pretty good. I looked at one once for an old Epiphone Texan i have but i just stuck to micing it just for practice and stuff.

I have never ever had any luck getting a good sound out of my onboard acoustic pick ups. I have a fender POS and that sounded horrible. Just thing and one dimensional. yours sounds really good. I haven't even bothered testing out the one on the Taylor i bought a year or two ago. I should try it for fun.

I've got a pretty nice Martin and I found that sounds shit with any blend of the internal mic or piezo.. so I just mic it.

[WhiskeyJack]

that is all anyone of us want and why come here and stuff.

That Fishman of yours sounds pretty good. I looked at one once for an old Epiphone Texan i have but i just stuck to micing it just for practice and stuff.

I have never ever had any luck getting a good sound out of my onboard acoustic pick ups. I have a fender POS and that sounded horrible. Just thing and one dimensional. yours sounds really good. I haven't even bothered testing out the one on the Taylor i bought a year or two ago. I should try it for fun.

I've got a pretty nice Martin and I found that sounds shit with any blend of the internal mic or piezo.. so I just mic it.

Pretty much. having the pick up in the guitar wasn't a big sell feature for me. it just happened to be there.

it also just happens i never used it. it might be different with the Taylor though. That guitar is a dream to play and the feel and quality of it is nothing like i have ever played before. perhaps the internal electronics are actually ok along with everything else? I should look into further haha.

[musicturtle]

I've got a pretty nice Martin and I found that sounds shit with any blend of the internal mic or piezo.. so I just mic it.

Pretty much. having the pick up in the guitar wasn't a big sell feature for me. it just happened to be there.

it also just happens i never used it. it might be different with the Taylor though. That guitar is a dream to play and the feel and quality of it is nothing like i have ever played before. perhaps the internal electronics are actually ok along with everything else? I should look into further haha.

When I bought the guitar 15 years ago I used it for live performance so I needed a pick up, this one has the piezo under the bridge and condenser inside. Playing live with it all those years helped me get a good sound through trial and error. When I record with it I only use the mic. The plastic piezo sound is not good for recording in a any way to me. Funny thing is, I was going to use an external mic this time but it was too damn cold to record in the garage(where there are no air vents to make noise) and my family wasn't keen on me turning off the heat for noise purposes. So I gave it a shot and it sounded pretty good so I went with it.

[Armistice]

You can actually get a very usable sound if you plug a piezo acoustic into a clean, preferably tube, electric guitar amp and mic the amp.

Now it's probably not something you're going to use on its own, but I used to (when I was recording acoustic instrumental stuff) use it as a "blend" track with the main miked acoustic track. Worth a try some time.

[WhiskeyJack]

So I gave it a shot and it sounded pretty good so I went with it.

it does for sure sure. I was really surprised to hear that it was captured in the way you did.

[musicturtle]

You can actually get a very usable sound if you plug a piezo acoustic into a clean, preferably tube, electric guitar amp and mic the amp.

Now it's probably not something you're going to use on its own, but I used to (when I was recording acoustic instrumental stuff) use it as a "blend" track with the main miked acoustic track. Worth a try some time.

Sort of like wine I guess. The are grapes used for blending in a fine Bordeaux that most probably wouldn't drink alone.

[musicturtle]

Got a new mix in OP.
Doubled and panned the acoustic and backed off the drive on the solo and re-tracked it.
Gonna wait til next weekend to do the vocal again, hopefully be over this damn head cold by then.

Thanks for again for the feedback and the listens.