Cry Me A River....Arthur Hamilton 1953/Julie London 1955

[losthobos]

Ok Jerry...took your suggestion and recorded on Zoom R8 two foot from built in omnidirectional mics..you were right seems the closer i am the less the snuffling nose is picked up......will do for now...in fact will do for ages....should i ever get close to piotrs level of musicianship then ill consider splashing out on real mics....till then a notebooks good enough for my scribbling....

 

[JerryPH]

Haha! Love the creativity with the flowers! Yes, the sound was quite good considering the quality and limited versatility of those internal mics. I did not hear much if any mechanical clatter, no breathing sounds and really no external sounds.

As an interesting addendum, during my small research on the R8. I found out that it has drum sampling effects and that can make for some interesting possibilities in the future in terms of expanded sound dynamics in your songs should you ever decide to play in that direction.

Nice song, well played.

 

[Eddy Yates]

Great tune to learn! Nice balance between melody and chords. I think you’d find that a touch of reverb would add a lot.

 

[losthobos]

Cheers Jerry... I was quite happy given average quality of mics... I do have a gooseneck and piezo sort of set up I sometimes use when out but by time been through power pack output is one lead.. Balance by attenuation on power pack.. So I think zoom better for speed and simplicity
There are built in drum patterns but they tend to lean towards rock and sound a bit Ricky tricky bash your head against a wall to me... I would be really interested in some Latin conga samoles/rhythms if I could find some that didn't just sound like a hippy with a tupperware bowl... George Shearing used some lovely conga patterns.. Any ideas keep me posted..
Eddy... I had recorded in a small dry box room but wasn't sure about adding reverb even though the option was there.... Dangerous game given the accordion relies on its own resonation for its unique sound and didn't want to risk washing out... What sort of reverb would you have suggested and I may experiment a little... Also I will try and learn the next song before I try and record it too...
Best wishes and thanks for your time
Terry

 

[Eddy Yates]

Eddy... I had recorded in a small dry box room but wasnt sure about adding reverb even though the option was there.... Dangerous game given the accordion relies on its own resonation for its unique sound and didnt want to risk washing out... What sort of reverb would you have suggested and I may experiment a little... Also I will try and learn the next song before I try and record it too...
Best wishes and thanks for your time
Terry

Hey Terry,
The sound of an instrument is a combination of its own resonation, as you say, and the room it’s in. Even a little pub has its own sound, and of course, millions of dollars are spent trying to get the resonant cavity of a symphonic hall right. Humans don’t like anechoic chambers....I’m sure there is research about why. Of course , you’re right to be careful about how and what to add to your recording.
I’m unfamiliar with the Zoom R8. Is this the beast? https://www.zoom-na.com/products/pr...zoom-r8-recorder-interface-controller-sampler
Let me know and I’ll look at the manual so I can see what your possibilities are.
All the best,

 

[losthobos]

Wow thanks for your time Eddy... Yes that's the kiddie.. Though I use stand alone and not as interface to pc software...

 

[Eddy Yates]

Okay. Looks like you have a few choices in your fx section. Figure out which channel has the most melody ( since the built in mics are pretty close, there’s probably not much separation between treble and bass.)
Try adding a bit of the “hall” reverb to just that one channel. Keep adding until you don’t like it, then turn it back a notch. It should have the result of making the bass sound tighter and more separate, and making the melody a little smoother. You may have to remix the balance. If it sounds good, it is good.

 

[losthobos]

Thanks Eddy... My accordion is in for a tune up this week so once back I'll start a new project and use the tips as you've advised and pass on the results... Thanks again Terry