Bubba's Cajon build

[Bubba]

I've just been experimenting with micing this cajon, with a view to supplying you all with a sound sample but it's harder than it looks to play it!

It's easy to bash out a rhythm on it. The hard part is learning how to get the various kick, snare and click tones, playing them cleanly and consistently and melding them into a convincing groove. Really quite tricky! Apart from the kick and snare sounds, you need the fill-in notes that stand in for the hi-hat, which are ghost notes played gently on the top edge of the drum. The kick is played with the meat of the hand, the snare and taps with the fingers. It's rather like rubbing your stomach, patting your head and doing something improbable with your thumb at the same time.

The wife goes back to work tomorrow so I'll get working on my hand technique.


Then I'll record a bit of cajon for you all to listen to.

[JD01]

Did you watch that video of my mate doing it? She's even touching the fucking thing with her heal to deaden in on certain beats.

[Bubba]

Did you watch that video of my mate doing it? She's even touching the fucking thing with her heal to deaden in on certain beats.

Yeah, pressing the tapa and moving the heel can make a tuning effect, sort of a subtle "booop" sound.

[Greg_L]

Awesome. Looking forward to some sounds!

[Bubba]

Ok, this is not a demonstration of cajon playing, except by a spastic. It does give a quick demo of the recorded tone, though.

Cajon.mp3

Front: Rode NT1-A condenser mic, 10" from the face of the cajon, 3/4 of the way up

Rear: Red5 Audio kick drum mic placed just into the sound hole.


The phase had to be flipped in the DAW, it was exactly opposite. I did a little bass enhancement on the kick and a little bass cut on the front, for better separation.

[JD01]

Ok, this is not a demonstration of cajon playing, except by a spastic. It does give a quick demo of the recorded tone, though.Cajon.mp3

The Cajon sounds good, mate. Sounds like your missing Frank!

[Bubba]

Ok, this is not a demonstration of cajon playing, except by a spastic. It does give a quick demo of the recorded tone, though.Cajon.mp3

The Cajon sounds good, mate. Sounds like your missing Frank!

I most certainly am. He's no expert at the cajon but at least he doesn't sound dyspraxic. It's so hard to play the tones cleanly and convincingly!

[liv_rong]

Wow, nice work man! Sounds pretty good too. I should get me one of those for something I dont know what yet.

[Bubba]

Wow, nice work man! Sounds pretty good too. I should get me one of those for something I dont know what yet.

Thanks, Liv I'm thinking of other designs, now. I've made three now, all very similar, but for some reason the second one seems to have deeper bass than the other two. And they're all identical dimensions and materials.

[Greg_L]

That sounds good Bubba. Nice work.

[muttley]

Just picked up on the sound clips because I've been away for a week. Sounds good man...

I'd be interested in your snare fixing thoughts... just because....

[Bubba]

Just picked up on the sound clips because I've been away for a week. Sounds good man...

I'd be interested in your snare fixing thoughts... just because....

Thanks. What do you wanna know?

[muttley]

Well I'm not really sure if it's the recording or your snare fixing but others I have heard have had a little more sparkle in the snare. Not good or bad just that if I was to build one which I may well for the kids I would want a brighter snare.... Earlier in the thread you said there are various ways, what are they?

[rayc]

The audio is R%$EALLY quiet on my end. I can't comment unless & crank up an EQ or something whcih would then alter the sound - I'll assume all is good on your end though.

[Roman]

Looks cool. Are the snare wires just attached at that one point?

Having just messed around with one and being unable to get anything musical out of it, I always assumed it was just a box.

Now I discover there's actually snare wires in there. Hmm, learn something new every day.

But it would seem they'd need to be connected at both ends????

Or do they just rest against the screw on face?

[WhiskeyJack]

Dude that sounds really freaking good man. hats off.

[Bubba]

Thanks, guys. I'm not up to answering questions just at the minute owing to a recurrence of my long-term depressive illness, but here's a louder rendering with a bit better EQing for you all. The playing's still cack, though.

Muttley, a better player would get more prominent snare, I think. One of the arrangements is to use a complete set of snare wires (12") and place it so that it's in contact with the front head, like a snare drum. I haven't used that arrangement myself.

Cajon.mp3

[JD01]

Thanks, guys. I'm not up to answering questions just at the minute owing to a recurrence of my long-term depressive illnees, but here's a louder rendering with a bit better EQing for you all. The playing's still cack, though. Muttley, a better player would get more prominent snare, I think. One of the arrangements is to use a complete set of snare wires (12") and place it so that it's in contact with the front head, like a snare drum. I haven't used that arrangement myself.

Cajon.mp3

Shit, mate. I hope you're ok. That's fucking crap.

Cajon sounds great though, amazing variety of percussion from one box!

[Bubba]

Thanks, guys. I'm not up to answering questions just at the minute owing to a recurrence of my long-term depressive illnees, but here's a louder rendering with a bit better EQing for you all. The playing's still cack, though. Muttley, a better player would get more prominent snare, I think. One of the arrangements is to use a complete set of snare wires (12") and place it so that it's in contact with the front head, like a snare drum. I haven't used that arrangement myself.

Cajon.mp3

Shit, mate. I hope you're ok. That's fucking crap.

Cajon sounds great though, amazing variety of percussion from one box!

Thanks, James. I've been here before, but there's never been a maniac in charge of the US nuclear arsenal before.

[rayc]

Thanks, guys. I'm not up to answering questions just at the minute owing to a recurrence of my long-term depressive illness...

Bob,
hopefully its a brief episode and not completely tied to the change in circumstances.
If you've meds I hope you're using them & they kick in soon.
I live with a BP2 spouse and whilst the meds "work" to some degree on a day to day basis they need adjustments when circumstances change and then take time to get going properly. Even then functioning is difficult for her.
I'll be thinking of, and hoping for, you.