BigWheeledWagon

Glad it got working for you! I love the recent activity in this forum! I'm total gear nut/guitar lover/recording enthusiast. It's awesome to see everyone's experience and helpfulness being used in our VC community.

I couldn't agree more. I post more in this forum than in any of the others. We've got a great group of helpful folks here with a variety of knowledge. I couldn't have built my custom strat without the help of the people who frequent this board, and it was fun to compare my progress on the guitar with the tele a.miller was building at the same time. Hell, without this forum, I probably wouldn't have decided to go all out with the complete rebuild:

Thanks to this board, I've also ended up with some great gear I otherwise might not have considered buying, and I've probably saved a little money along the way (though any savings would be completely negated by the amount of gear I've been inspired to buy).

In college, I used to work at a music store selling and working on guitars, but we spent most of the time just talking music/gear. This is like my virtual guitar/music store. Having become a "grown up" and no longer having many musician friends, it's great to know that whenever I run into a problem in the studio or when messing with my equipment, I can almost always find the answer here.

Do you guys think that there could be any hidden agenda behind all the smaller venues? I mean, maybe it's just because those things are way fun, but could they be filming more, or road testing new songs? Probably not, but you know, we always crave news around here.

That was the first thing that occurred to me as well. Hopefully, they will be road-testing new songs. I'm ready to see what this line-up will do next now that they have gotten the "just having fun being a band" album out of the way and can now return to making more conceptually unified albums with a little more focus on the songs than on the interplay and dynamics of the band (fingers crossed).

Can you swap externals with buddies that run the same Pro Tools format as you and open up sessions to over dub say drum tracks....ect.? In June and July my buddy and I are recording my first record, and I asumed you could just do this. I've pretty much just gone through and done demos for the past year and really wan't to make a polished copy of my/our songs and there will be days when one of us can't be around.

I would assume so. I've used an external to go back and forth between two different computers running the same version of SONAR.

Okay, I'm going with an internal drive -- turned out I had an extra SATA connection already wired for a second hard drive (but not an external e-SATA port). In fact, on my computer it couldn't be any easier to open her up and slide an extra hard drive into it. 500 more GB, here I come.

Hopefully this will put an end to my recent gear-purchasing spree.

I don't think I have any e-SATA ports -- I need to pull out the tower and check -- so if going the external route, I was planning on adding an expansion card. I think it would be worth it just to have the flexibility of an external drive. Plus, it seems like it would be easier to install the expansion card than to install an internal hard drive. Plus, I have some experience with installing expansion cards (firewire, etc.).

I'm probably aiming for a 500 Gb drive, but 250 would probably cut it.

This is a question for home computer studio guys and just general computer types.

So, the hard drive on my rig is getting pretty full. I have an external drive, but it's pretty sketchy. Plus, I want a hard drive on which I can record directly (the USB2 external dive won't really allow for this due to transfer rates). So, would an external hard drive with serial ATA allow for this, or do I need to install a second hard drive into my computer (the prospect of which makes me a little nervous)? There's not much of a difference in price b/w the two, and I like having an external drive for easy transfer when I upgrade computers, etc.

So here's the problem with this forum: here I am, all happy with my current studio set up. I've been happy with my mics -- SM57, SM58, and a so-so MXL condenser (the top end can be a little harsh/brittle, though it's still better than using the 58 on vocals, I guess). After this discussion, however, I am now thinking about upgrading as well. It would be nice to have a better condenser. This forum is becoming responsible for me spending way too much money on gear. Maybe I can find a deal on a used mic . . .

I despise the traditional recording process in general, so forgive my rant...my focus in music is in writing and live performance, and since there will never be a 'definitive' version or recording of any of my work, the nit picking involved in the 'quality' of recordings is unimportant

 

j

Having reached a period in my life where I no longer have the time to play music with others or play live, I have grown to love recording. I love exploring all the possible ways to put together a song, taking it apart, putting it back together, and finding it become something new and different. It's great when some throw-away bassline, guitar lick, keyboard vamp, or whatever I've put down suddenly becomes the heart of an entirely new version.

. . . which alters the audio file (it also alters audiophiles).

Well done, as puns go. Oh, and an excellent post as well.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear in my previous post. I'm not talking about the bit rate (though I did use the term "sample rate") -- those folks who have noted that 44 kbps is as much as a CD can play are correct; however, the bit depth is very important (again, in my humble opinion). If you're recording at 16 bit, I highly recommend stepping up to 24 despite the increased memory demands. Here's a good discussion of this issue (and a pretty good recording resource generally): 16 v. 24

Also note, the author of the article to which I linked specifically points out "Never refer to 16-bit or 24 bit audio as the 'bit rate.' Its properly called the bit depth and the pros will be so irked they'll have to correct you." I made that exact mistake in my previous post. Doh!

I have had a lot of success with using a Rode NT-1 on acoustic guitars and vocals. It's a pretty good all-around large diaphragm condenser mic. With the rest of your budget, I'd pick up a Shure Sm-57, which is the industry standard for many miking applications. It's perfect for miking guitar amps, tops of snare drums, guitars, etc...and it's pretty cheap.

 

I think a preamp like this one would suit your needs, with phantom power, etc.

 

Another good investment, if you're going to be recording bass is a good DI (direct input) box. You could omit this and just use the preamp....but a good DI box is a really sound investment.

 

Hope that is of some help.

Once again, we are in agreement -- this is pretty much exactly what I would recommend.

The SM-58 is pretty much just the 57 with a windscreen, so you're all set there. As for the ART, it may not cost all that much, but it gets the job done. With computer recording, I've found that I've gotten much better sound by bumping up my sampling rate by getting a dedicated computer that can handle the load. This had made every bit as big a difference as improving mics and preamps. I know a lot of folks really push buying $500 mics for a home studio and will rant and rave about the difference -- I don't buy it, especially if you're system isn't taking advantage of these expensive mics. Plenty of professional studios use the 57 for instruments. The difference you hear between a bad home recording and the studio is what the mic is running into, not the mic . . . in my humble opinion, of course.

As for upgrading the tubes in single channel pre-amps, I think you hear about it less b/c the tubes probably don't matter as much in that you're not trying to get them to break up like in an amp so you have fewer concerns about natural harmonics, etc.

Dave Willis (co-creator of Aqua Teen Hunger Force) discusses the contents of his iPod and laments the "dad rock" label while still managing to insult Wilco just a little bit when "Via Chicago" comes around on shuffle:

Random Rules

I'm usually a bit of a forum stickler, but I can't see a problem with this, unless there is some sort of general prohbition against selling stuff on the board. Otherwise, this is a gear forum, and your post is no doubt gear-related. If posts about jamming together before Wilco shows are appropriate for SST (why do I always envision some sort of giant hippie drum circle?), I think you'll be just fine with offering up what gear you are trying to unload.

And to ease your stress of damaging the guitar, the cable doesn't hang out of the sound hole on either model. It plugs into a jack where your button for your strap goes. If someone dumb trips over your cord they won't rip out your sound hole. It does require drilling a slightly larger hole where the strap button goes, but if you're scared to do that you can just give a guitar luthier forty bucks to do it, in exchange for a guarantee not to mess up your guitar.

So does the cable just run through a replacement strap button or is this a new hole? Either way, I would be uncomfortable modifying my acoustic in any way, even if it only involves drilling out the pre-existing buttonhole (and of course I prefer the miked sound anyway). I've got a '67 Gibson Dove with sentimental value, though, so it's important to me to keep it original. Otherwise, I would have replaced the adjustable bridge years ago. I'm sure that seemed like a brilliant idea to Gibson at the time, but it aggravates the hell out of me (except when I'm setting the action or intonation -- much easier in that case). Speaking of sentimental value, that's the only real reason I cherish the thing so much. For as much talk as there is out there about vintage Gibsons, the going rate for a 60's Dove isn't any better than a brand new one.

I am currently looking at getting either the L.R. Baggs M1 Active or Passive pick-up on my Santa Cruz 000-12. Do any of you have any experience with one or the other, or can you offer an opinion on which way to go? As I understand it, the active pick-up has its own preamp and volume control whereas the passive has no preamp. I am looking for a mic'd sound -- i.e. no effects but a close representation of the guitar played acoustically. I guess with the passive it could still be played through a PA or through an amplifier, but it would sound better going through a preamp as well -- is this right? Sorry for my inexperience and thanks in advance for any advice.

I know a lot of folks around here swear by the L.R. Baggs pickups for acoustics, but if you're looking for a miked sound, I've found the only way to really accomplish this is to use an actual mic. I've yet to hear a pickup that sounds like a miked acoustic to me. I realize there are quite a few who would differ with me (hell, I think Jeff would probably disagree), but that's just how it sounds to my ear. I realize that the pickup is very convenient for performance purposes, but I would still recommend just miking your acoustic. Also, I would offer you the following cautionary tale: when I was a teenager, I had a pickup in my acoustic, and this idiot I was in a band with tripped over the cord and really messed up the soundhole by yanking the pickup out at a weird angle.

Anyway, I realize that this post in no way answers your question, but I'm sure that somone on this board can give you their thoughts on those two products. I just thought I'd throw in my two cents. Good luck.

Not sure if this counts because I'm not sure if he actually wrote it & someone else was singing it, but the song "thirteen" that Jeff sings solo sometimes was just on How I Met Your Mother, which Britney Spears guest starred on....never thought I'd experience Britney & Jeff in such close proximity!

Ah, but it was the original Big Star version, not one of the numerous cover versions -- not sure that puts Jeff and Ms. Spears in all that close proximity. It is nice to hear Big Star on a prime-time network show. As previously discussed, though, "How I Met Your Mother" had an earlier episode where an unnamed Wilco CD played a role in the plot, and "Passenger Side" ended up on the show. As sitcoms go, HIMYM is a pretty good show, and it's nice to see someone involved in its production is a Wilco fan.

Thought I'd check back in with y'all and let you know how things turned out. After some real hands-on time at the local music store playing the various models, I came home with a Fender Blues Jr. NOS in tweed. I did in fact play the 5w Fender Champion 600, but it just didn't seem to have enough oomph (for lack of a suitable word) and after trying the Blues Jr. I couldn't turn back.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions! Boy, I'm glad I didn't end up going with the GA-5. I think it would have been a bad purchase— I got so much more bang for the buck with this little beauty:

 

Congrats -- that's a great amp. I had a feeling 5 watts wasn't going to be enough -- it really is only good for recording and quiet practice time. When you want "oomph," you have to call in the big boys -- I plug in my Fender Bassman 10 in those situations.

A few more thoughts:

No advice anyone here gives you can beat testing out amps for yourself. Just head on down to your local music store with your SG, plug her in, and see what sounds good to you.

Also, 5 watts is, as you noted, "plenty loud" . . . depending on what you need. It's loud enough for recording, and it's great for practice. It's not loud enough to play gigs (unless maybe you miked it into a PA), and it's not even really loud enough to practice with a band (at least not with a drummer involved). My champ at full volume doesn't really bother my wife watching tv a few hundred feet away if the door to the studio is closed (which is one of the reasons I got it).

If you're looking for a small, simple tube amp, I'd recommend the Fender Champ (as most regulars around SST know) -- also 5 watts and around $200. I've got one that I use for recording, and I have been surprised at how great it sounds. It breaks up well when cranked and generally has a great tube tone. It also only has one knob. I don't know much about that specific Gibson amp, but Gibson is not really known as a great manufacturer of amps like Fender (though there's a movement afoot of people who really appreciate some older model Gibson amps for their "unique" tones).

I sold a signed poster but only because I didn't get it signed in person (contest winnings) and already have in-person signed stuff. I hated to let it go, but I was strapped for Christmas cash.

I don't think anyone would fault you for that -- it's the folks who pose as Wilco fans to get autographs from the band and then turn around and profit from the band's kindness that aggravate people around here.

Works for me. Thanks!

I can't speak to the logistics of attempting this (though I suspect that 12-strings have wider necks to accomodate the extra strings, and I doubt the headstock would accomodate extra tuners), but 12-strings are built to to handle the increased tension on the neck resulting from the additional strings. So, I imagine that, at the very least, a modification would require an entirely new neck and possibly some sort of reinforcement where the neck bolts on to the body. I'm not sure about pickps, but I believe your biggest problem would be the dramatic increase in string tension.

Add one more vote for Fender. I've yet to have a bad experience with a Fender amp. Hell, even their lowest priced tube amp has met with my approval -- I got a little 5 watt Champ for recording only, and it has yielded some amazing tones without having to shake the entire house. If you don't want to lay down the extra cash to get the Pro Jr., and you're only looking for an amp for practice and recording, I'd recommend the Champ. If you're looking for something to play out with, the Pro Jr. would be a good choice and well worth the extra money, but then again, you might want more than 15W. Another option would be to look around for an old used Fender amp -- my first tube amp was an old Fender Bassman Ten combo, and I managed to come by it for less than $300. Sure, it was a bit beat-up looking, but it gave it character, and it sounded great.

wasn't there an article where Tweedy mentioned his son even reading that article and Tweedy had to talk to him about all his personal information available? that's pretty scary stuff for a father to have to do that kind of damage control the instant your son can read the computer.

I recall reading that as well. You make a good point -- it's easy to forget that Jeff and the guys in the band have to deal with having their most private details (not to mention the occasional baseless rumor) broadcast to anyone with an internet connection (including their families).

No interview, but my wife and I got filmed at the Ryman show while we were looking for our seats. Thankfully, I can't imagine that they will use that footage.