Does its sound like a pedal guitar?

[Crazy8lp]

Hi all,

In this track i'm using a telecaster and just turning the volume from 0 up to audible level, and then fading back (trying for a pedal steel effect). i can't tell if it sounds good or just cheezy.

Also, does anyone have advice for compressors on a master fader track? the ones i've tried (in the digirack) seem to make the whole track sound too compressed.

thanks for your bashing

D.

[fxe]

Originally Posted by Crazy8lp

Hi all,

In this track i'm using a telecaster and just turning the volume from 0 up to audible level, and then fading back (trying for a pedal steel effect). i can't tell if it sounds good or just cheezy.
D.

It sounds ok, but it sounds like regular volume swells. You might look into bending double stops that will help you get more of a sound of a steel guitar, Josh Zee from the mother truckers has some nice quick tutorials (youtube) on how to get the pedal steel sounds, check it out.

If you are just going to keep it done like that, try to get the tubes to help you out with some nice feedback.

nice song, by the way.

[TonyB]

Nice song. I don't really hear pedal steel coming out of it, but it's a nice touch in the song. I like it the way it is. To get more of the pedal steel sound you'll need to change pitch somehow, vice just changing volume.

Have you ever tried the B-Bender?

I've never been able to get a good simulated pedal steel (especially using my Line 6 PodLiveXT "Pedal Steel" patch). I'm fortunate enough to the access to the Alabama Steel Guitar Association (ASGA) just down the road.

[paul999]

Originally Posted by fxe

It sounds ok, but it sounds like regular volume swells. You might look into bending double stops that will help you get more of a sound of a steel guitar, Josh Zee from the mother truckers has some nice quick tutorials (youtube) on how to get the pedal steel sounds, check it out.

If you are just going to keep it done like that, try to get the tubes to help you out with some nice feedback.

nice song, by the way.

Good song!

Agreed it will sound like volume swells because that's what they are. You can buy a lap steel for under a hundred bucks. I hold the steel with my thumb and index finger. Then I bend the strings in stead of using pedals. For simple stuff like this it will sound exactly the same because there really is no difference. Once you get good you can bend two or three strings at once in tune.

For master buss comp there are a lot of threads you can look up with this. If you have a more specific question about limiting it is easier to help.

Cheers

[roysboy]

RE;Steel sounds . What you have going works fine as "atmosphere" which , I think , is what you are looking for from a steel guitar. I have also used a slide bar with volume swells about an octave higher than where you are working or , as another member noted , double stops with the swell are REALLY effective .

Having said that , I really like the song , the mood especially . And its not only a FINE vocal but the sound on the vocal is top notch to my ear . Can you shed some light on how THAT was achieved ...ie mic, preamp, comp ...??? I think its a superb job overall

roysboy

[Crazy8lp]

Originally Posted by paul999

Good song!

Agreed it will sound like volume swells because that's what they are. You can buy a lap steel for under a hundred bucks. I hold the steel with my thumb and index finger. Then I bend the strings in stead of using pedals. For simple stuff like this it will sound exactly the same because there really is no difference. Once you get good you can bend two or three strings at once in tune.

For master buss comp there are a lot of threads you can look up with this. If you have a more specific question about limiting it is easier to help.

Cheers

thanks a lot for the feedback! in RE to the comp item... this is exactly where my novice sound engineering hits a wall... see on my master fader track i have a limiter on there, but its really just so i can get a bit more gain... I don't know when to use a limiter vs. compressor...i'll look into the threads.. again much obliged!

[Crazy8lp]

Originally Posted by roysboy

RE;Steel sounds . What you have going works fine as "atmosphere" which , I think , is what you are looking for from a steel guitar. I have also used a slide bar with volume swells about an octave higher than where you are working or , as another member noted , double stops with the swell are REALLY effective .

Having said that , I really like the song , the mood especially . And its not only a FINE vocal but the sound on the vocal is top notch to my ear . Can you shed some light on how THAT was achieved ...ie mic, preamp, comp ...??? I think its a superb job overall

roysboy

Roysboy,

i appreciate your compliments on the vocal arrangement... its been a long three year, self taught experiment but i finally have a setup i like.

I recorded the vocal w/ a Shure KSM27 condensor mic, using a basic 7 EQ w/ high and low pass to cut off frequencies not needed

after recorded, i used a plug in compressor in protools, w/ the Digirack factory setting of "vocal levelor"... no adjustments made, just plug and play

third i have a DVerb plug in (also default protools setting), but w/ a mix ratio of about 10%... w/ about 50ms of predelay (a fine suggesstion by one of the community members here)

thats about it, i hope it helps, and thanks again.

[AswegoHomestead]

Really enjoyed the listen. I think you did a most excellent job on this tune. Vocals sound great, really like the lyrics!!! Thanks for the tune.

[drgonzoguitar]

Great song! I play pedal steel, so I can help you a bit. Try using a volume pedal with a slide in an open tuning. Do not use a pick and use the back of your hand to block the bridge so you can be very specific on the textural note choices you are wanting to use.

Sometimes a swelling guitar is cooler than a steel, but I won't admit that in public.

[garageband]

Have you ever tried the B-Bender?

I saw some tape from the '70s of a guy playing one of these and it was truly indistinguishable from a good quality steel player. I'll comment because when I'm in shape, I do alright on steel. A B-bender does require major Telecaster surgery, though.

As to the original question, it sound likes somebody sitting a guitar for the first time and is really afraid to do anything. The point of the volume pedal is to camouflage the pick attack. In order to not make all the notes sound late (which all they do), you have to pick/start the notes before the beat so the when it starts to ring on the fade-in is where the actual attack is so you can place the notes accordingly. The way it's done here is very annoying.

About the master bus question. Try to have the individual tracks better modulated so the bus compressor doesn't have to work so hard and produce less artifacts.

Yes, the vocal sound is top-notch.