Mick, just a vote of confidence and support from me! You are always very conscientious and careful to be inclusive, say the right thing, and be fair in all dealings. You always seem just a little overly concerned about how people perceive you and/or your playing. I just wanted to say you have nothing to worry about. You are extremely talented and we wouldn't be here along for the ride if we didn't enjoy your virtual company. Thanks for being inspiring and always pushing the boundaries of "no answers, only better questions."
Thank you J, I really appreciate that. Dan and I must be about a million comments down by this point and you do get a little over defensive about certain things. 99.7 per cent of people out there are very kind, take it for what it is and understand the limitations in which we work. The remaining tiny minority are just hateful people who want to reflect their own insecurity and unhappiness. That’s what we should tell ourselves in moments of robust mental health. In the other times, you think they’re telling the absolute truth and that you’re totally worthless. I know it doesn’t make any sense. The days of robust mental health are the ones Dan and I have been working on. To be at peace with the fact that somebody will always dislike you is the goal. We’re getting there..... partly by trying to put the ego down of wanting to be liked in the first place. And yet here we are on UA-cam. Hahahaha!!!! Thank you for the kind words, they are very greatly appreciated!
And I bet the music is fab! Seriously, all this crap never made good music - the only place that comes from is you. I miss that person in myself, but jobs and UA-cam laid out a different path. Now I make media, not music. Haha!
@@ThatPedalShow - And we are all grateful that you can share your journey with your music creation through the media. Music connects people with other people/places as it is a primitive emotion. How many of you remember where you were when 10CC released "I'm not in Love" or Hendrix released "Voodoo Chile".
I hate that you have to do this while stressing over what people will say in the comments. Thank you for doing this- it's a fun series to watch and reminds me to get back into it myself!
Absolutely agree, even with my own demos (that very few will see or hear) its hard finishing as mentioned here prior BUT doing it in public and having the inept, incapable and jealous minority making disparaging comments in public must be hard for anyones mental well being let alone ego.
Don't listen to any negative criticisms - please. You're putting all your heart into this project and it's like a "learning journey" for those of us who don't record their own music very often. Keep that fire burning - don't stop with just one tune (and do the next two or three in private, hehe). Cheers
I love the section on practice when you mention Paul Stacey. I like to use an axiom I read somewhere ... "Don't practice 'till you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong."
The other one I like is "Perfect Practice makes Perfect" ie, slow it down, play it right and then speed it up. Unlearning mistakes takes a lot of frustrating time. Cheers.
Mick, love you bringing us into your process including simple things like where you live and noise issues. Really puts things in perspective for me. Cheers!
Thank you for this! I'm loving these videos. In the U.S. it's the same situation. I recently went through a hospitalization last quarter and just when I was feeling like i was ready to start going outside, this "thing" happened. So yes keeping your mind busy is important. Thank you to everyone at That Pedal Show for what you do.
Love seeing your progress, Mick!! I really enjoy getting to watch your process and how you are approaching the different parts. Keep up the great work!
Soon! I’ve done the next Stratpisode.... but totally lost heart with this because of awful guitar tones. I’m back at it in a day or two. We’ll get there!
Bloody hell I want one of those Collings. Absolute dream guitar and sounds superb in your hands Mick. Keep up the good work, thanks for everything you do.
Just want to say thanks for everything you guys do. I have been watching and re watching that pedal shoe now for 2 weeks. Getting me through this from small town southern Ontario Canada. !!!!!!
I’ve really enjoyed watching both instalments of Mick’s song vlog. This song is coming along nicely and I can’t wait to hear it finished. Thanks a lot Mick for sharing this.
Hope you don´t get it wrong when I tell you: Welcome to reality Mick :-( At the end of 2019 I had to quit my last rehearsal room after 35 years. Until now I can not believe that this virtual amp and homestudio thing should be an alternative. But a honest voice from my heart said: Welcome to reality - Rob. I was privileged and never even appreciated it enough. I wish you all joy and success with your recording project - thanks for joyning us!
Thanks Rob. I’ve never been a fan of reality and I’ve since decided I have no interest in going there now. I’ll get into it in the next vlog. But nah, if I have to do direct that’s it for me I think - just back to acoustic and occasional electric. Over. My. Dead. Body. Hahahahah!!! All best to you sir!
Love that you're doing this Mick! Doing the same, targeting a 10 track album. Recording rough demos to share with friends/family, then picking the best received and producing them properly. Nice to have a focus during these strange times.
Hi Mick. I am loving this series so thank you. It’s a great song. Your videos have come at such a good time for me as I am putting my efforts into writing and recording too and, like you, have just transitioned from Logic Pro x to LUNA.
This is super fun to watch. I've got a little quarantine project of my own going right now, and i'm hitting some of the same challenges and also having TONS of fun.
This is great, Mick. I loving seeing the process and the progress, and I for one think the guitar parts are going to compliment each other very nicely, indeed. Keep 'em coming, Mick, and be well.
Wish the best Mick...Keep on making music for your mind, for our eyes and ears too...We all love that in that so strange period ! Kindest regards from a French hospital radiographer (so much anxious person too), but one the first fan of the pedal show...Take care 🥰
Hi Mick, thanks so much for this. I have some talent as a guitarist, but very little as an engineer, however this has given me confidence during this difficult time to just bang away at it. After all what have I got to loose. Cheers, stay home, stay safe. Love you guys.
Another super video Mick. It's good to see you going through the same mental trauma as the rest of us as you balance what sounds good with the technology vs being an artist and delivering the essence of the song. These days I too have to record quietly and have reverted to an Iridium with an OCD and The Dane for shades of gain + reverbs and delay etc. Together or separately they sound nice but, as you know the Iridium is a bit dead without a nice drive pedal before it. However nice they sound, they don't move air so are not "amp" sounds but are perfectly acceptable for home recording IMHO. Looking forward to episode #3. Stay well.
Really enjoying both you and Dan’s recording journey. The part I identify so much with is being able to get out of your own way to get down what’s deep in the creative veins and bring it to life. The last couple years I’ve gathered gear, experimented with sounds, tweaked things until I’m bald, but it’s always in attempt to get down the ideas I pluck out of the ether into something people could hear. Of course still haven’t done it yet since I haven’t been able to get out of my own way 🤨 Great job Mick! Keep’em coming!
Sounding magical man! I love how you have taken a simple riff and applied all the layering to bring it all to life. IMO less is more sometimes to write a great song. Simple harmony but just really great tones and well thought out effects. Looking forward to hearing the finished result of this song : )
Hey Mick!! Here's an editing tip for your reverse guitars in the intro (I hope this makes sense without a visual).....once the audio is reversed: -Place the waveform/region to where the loudest part of it is generally over/on the downbeat where you want it to cut out, but ever so slightly past it, so that the pick attack noise is technically just after the point/downbeat/grid marker where you want it to cut out. -Cut the audio region on the downbeat, clearing the audio to the right of the downbeat, so it has a hard/dramatic cut on the downbeat, and also removes the pick attack that was further to the right. That way you don't have the pick attack noise, and also have an artificially hard cut, that usually sounds super cool, depending on what you want to hear. -Zoom in as close as you can and put the smallest fade you can over the cut point. That should prevent any clicks/pops. -You can also put a fade over most/all of the region, starting from the left side, so that the reversed guitar has more of a noticeable dynamic swell to it. -Lastly, if you want to put a verb or something on the track to make it wider, washier, etc, you can automate the mute function or volume of the track so that the output of the track gets cut on the downbeat, so that the verb tail doesn't hang over (if that's your preference). -That's how I tend to do it, your mileage may very. It's up to your ears, as always.
$7k recording rig $70k guitars/amp rig a familiar juxtaposition but we’re all equal once you print to track....plenty of the tracks we treasure as life changing art were tracked on suspect gear by broke or rich n broken artists alike. Magic stuff mick inspiring.
2 comments about the OX 1st - Are you using the digital OX output into your UA input? It sounds like you are and don't have the SR Convert (sample rate converter) turned on. The OX only outputs at 44.1 and if you are recording at 48 you need to turn on the Sample Rate Converter. There is a high pitch artifact on all of your playing through the OX. That can come from a sample rate mismatch. 2nd - You can still use your Amp Speakers when you play. Use the attenuator in OX to bring the level down to something your neighbors can live with. You can still turn the amp up to where you want it, you can still feel the air moving but the volume is what you need it to be. The only issue is that any effect you are using from OX to record is not played through to the speakers. Sounds Great! Thanks for sharing.
Good shout about the SR converter. Lemme check that. I’d just assumed that artefact is what I hear in all digital guitar tones... I’ll try it! As for the cab, yes I know that. But ANY house volume is too much it seems. :0)
@@ThatPedalShow I hope the SR Converter is the issue. I work at a commercial recording studio so I'm very used to hearing mic'd up amps. My OX doesn't sound exactly like them but it does sound really good. Sorry to hear that you have to do silent recording at home. Make the best out of it. - Again your progress thus far sounds really good.
Mick this sounds BRILLIANT! Speaking as someone who has also just gone into the world of DAWs and recording using Ableton Live 10, you're ahead of the curve. Really enjoying hearing some of the sounds you're getting a home. Really enjoyed that reversing trick, keep 'em coming and stay safe!
Did an EP over 20 years ago where my mate held the guitar and played it whilst I hit it in time with the drums. It had a shed load of delay and reverb. We then reversed it with reverse reverb by the truck load and hard panned the two tracks. It sounded aaaamazing. We just made it all up as we went along and hadn't ever really done any proper recording before. I was soooooooo pleased with the result.
Hi Mick, love the OX. Bought it within 30 minutes of watching your very first encounter with it way back on TPS. Couldn’t afford it at all, but knew it would change my world by being able to play my amps ‘fully cooked’ here in my little home studio, so took the plunge. The best ( and most expensive) bit of studio kit I’ve ever bought. Admire your patience on writing midi drums and they sound pretty good, not sure I could map them out so well. I’m lucky enough to have a Roland v drum kit and access to a tub thumper ‘ I think they call em drummers’, which is handy, quieter than a real kit, but gets me a real groove ( particularly if I track at least one of the guitars or bass in the same session). In the event of a World pandemic, I revert to ezdrummer2, which is pretty amazing at sourcing drum parts around your guitar takes. Now trying to justify splashing out on the Gladio as it’ll knock two of my current drives off the board and free up some space. Brew Up, stay put x
I’m an introvert and rarely ever leave home, anyway. So, for the most part, the pandemic just feels like a Tuesday. I work from home and music is the most important thing to me, so my office is the same space as my make-shift studio and I spend as much time as I can in there trying to write and record. Personally, I love the excuse to stay home, do what I love, and order groceries to my house. I’m loving doing my part to stop the spread.
Hi Mick, really enjoying this set of vlogs, I've been a home studio writer, engineer for far too many years (was a pro FoH sound engineer and session musician too far too long ago). One thing I'd say is remember Graham Coxon's (Honk) strategy with the solo to coffee and TV, sometimes it's good to go primal and instinctual. Over-thinking parts and overall structure can suck the life out of the music, "Recording A Song At Home #3" - where Mick has a few pints and plays as if his life depends upon it! ; ) Keep up the awesome work, matey.
Hey Mick. Pretty cool your board. Since you guys made that iconic video with before after delays and reverbs i changed the order on my board and put my Aqua puss first in the chain. Cheers Guys! Great videos! Very inspiring us to keep playing and find great tones.
OX sounds great! Different, but mostly in a "mic'd up differently" kind of way. The swooshy stuff really seems to fit well in the song. I can't wait to hear the final version!
This is really inspiring! Ive never done any recording and I really want to learn. So now I'm in trouble $$$$$$$$$$. Thanks Mick for sharing your heart and inspiration. Love you guys!
Well I have one advantage over you, Mick. I have a neighbor that I don't care much about, what little consideration I do have has led to the folded-horn architecture of my guitar shed. The open mouth is pointed toward said neighbor's house and all of the excessively loud tones are a bonus. Country Living. 🎸
What the EDM guys do is reverse it into the hit, then play the same clip forward after the hit. So try adding the power chord, played forward, at the top of the measure, after the reversing is done. Also try high passing it, or adding a reverse/forward cymbal hit. I think the EDM guys do it with cymbal hits a lot.
I just love the slightly offset look of the Collings and I think the Lollar Gold Foils are some of the best pickups. I use them as my “inspiration” sound. When everything else seems boring I pickup my guitar with lollars and am inspired by something just different enough. Filtertrons and goldfoils are a must for someone on the search for tone.
Cool! I really love this guitar, it’s totally unique. I should play it in the show more, but we tend to stick to things that are well known, sound wise. Cheers!
Really enjoying this Mick, it's a process that I've started many times but never had the patience of heart to ever finish. I spend hours over the smallest part then realise the track is naff. Bin. Especially enjoyed the solo, sounds fantastic. Keep going!
Man, those Collings are all great sounding guitars. I love the single-pickup one that you use on TPS a lot (well, more) and the white one with the gold foils is also killer.
Some of those tones.....especially with the collings guitar gave me goosebumps. Wonderfull playing Mick. I know I will be creating something today myself.
This is great Mick! I've watched both episodes and both times I've gone straight to record afterwards. It's very inspiring, your recordings sound polished already whereas my initial tracks always sound flat and lifeless. I use an Audient id4, a cheap condenser and get my guitar FX from plugins but I'm certain I can get better results with the right know how. Thanks again.
Hahaha!!! Yep. Never been hirsute unfortunately. That damn stuff sure comes out of the top of my head though. Back in the bad old days before we had respect for other humans, I wanted to start a ZZ Top ‘tribute’ band called ZZ Topless. You can fill in the details... it wasn’t rocket science but I bet the audiences would have been good.
@@ThatPedalShow A haw haw haw haw... for all the social-obnoxiousness of the latter-day ZZ Top "product" (brilliant marketing, whether intentional or not), I have always loved ZZ Top and the sound Billy Gibbons gets....would love to do a ZZ Top tribute band myself...
Don’t let anyone get you down about your recording skills or really anything with this process. I’m in college for audio engineering (been a bit hard with the whole COVID-19 thing) but one important thing I’ve learned is always finish a project. Even if you hate it in the end you will have gotten something out of it. So don’t let assholes make you second guess yourself.
Love the 360. I had mentioned last week that I had recently bought a Collings C10 and you mentioned you'd like one in dog hair. I never replied but my next guitar (whenever that might be) will be a Collings 360LTM in dog hair. Love that finish
I'm enjoying the strat-art on the wall too! I wonder if something like that would be appreciated in our house...Thanks Mick, good to have something to take us away from ourselves at the moment.
Cheers Matthew! I rather suspect it will be down as soon as lockdown is released and we can move the war room back to the studio. Special permissions at the mo. :0)
Great stuff again Mick. Very informative. I get the bit about not having the air moving from a speaker. Might have to investigate building an isolation box (weird in these times) as an oxbox is sadly not an option...
Good stuff, Mick! If you're going to persevere with the reverse power chord intro, then try adding a bass note, a crash cymbal and ideally a piano chord or bass note too. It will make all the difference!
Thanks, Mick. I so look forward to these. Your self isolation reminds me a bit of Desert Island Discs, with the 61 Strat (with amp) as your luxury item. These vlogs sort of tend towards the "why", with TPS tending towards the "how". I love it. Self recording is a tough business. Simultaneous left brain/right brain exercise. To routinize something, use biology and "sleep on it". Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at UC Berkeley, contains a fascinating explanation. Thanks, brother.
Very, very nice tune! I only "know" you from the show and never ever could I have pictured you putting down a song with this sort of vibe. Very nicely layered mate 👏
Loved ep02 Mick. From experience I’d say your approach to writing the guitars is pretty standard: sometimes you need to compile your scratch tracks first as it inevitably leads you to tweaking parts/completing parts in an inspired way you’d not previously considered. Keep going with the amazing work.
For someone who is not a "menu / button" bloke Mic, I'm amazed that you're as adept & focused with the DAW & OX. Those thing's are (probably self - imposed) barriers to entry for me. I just want a red light & a count in. Wearing all those hat's is hard. Sound's epic though; keep on keeping on!
Thanks Toni! In my working life I deal with pretty complex software. It doesn’t translate to guitar playing, weirdly. I need things simple in that world but I can and do use pretty complex stuff. This is the weird crossroads where the two things meet! When it comes to playing though I’m like you! If I have to think about tech, all that comes out is crap!
Loving this Vlog series, Mick! My home recording setup is super bare bones--just for cutting demos to share with my bandmates--but I'm fascinated by the various gear that exists for really good home recording. What I enjoy most about your Vlog series, though, is the song itself and your process of writing and developing it. "Simple and with conviction" is a motto any of us who write and record music should adopt. The simple part isn't hard for me (no one would ever confuse me for an impressive guitarist), but I find if I stress too much about playing a part flawlessly, I can lose some of the conviction. Sometimes I have to remind myself that so much of the music I love isn't flawless (especially anything recorded pre-Pro Tools days), even with bands that had some virtuosos.
Really interesting Mick and questions were building up ( has he got a guide vocal, what about a guide track etc) and towards the end, they were answered. I generally liked to have the thing completely written back in the day but I kind of like the way you are going about it. I've just come up with a melody/chord sequence after watching part 1 but I have to knock it into shape and arrange it but I think the biggest challenge for me will be the lyrics. Years ago I used to write the lyrics first and often there would be a tune or rhythm in my head which would all but have evaporated by the time I finished them-I'd then stare at them until a tune came and it didn't, I'd grab another set of lyrics and it seemed to work quite well. This new one just appeared as a tune and I think it is a lot harder to write lyrics to fit a melody . Some months ago I stumbled upon a UA-cam video of the Beatles working on "Something"- George was saying he'd not finished the lyrics and I think that John suggested finding a word to get him by so as to maintain the writing momentum he suggested the words "a cauliflower" ( where he ended up with "no other lover" -I think I'll give that a spin see how I get on.
After recording 15 or so albums over the last 25 years, one thing Ive learned is that you shouldn’t get too hung up on parts and performances. Your first idea and take are usually the best. Dissecting and agonising will not help the song and you’ll end up taking so long you could find yourself disliking the process. Sounding excellent so far Mick.
Mick, just a vote of confidence and support from me! You are always very conscientious and careful to be inclusive, say the right thing, and be fair in all dealings. You always seem just a little overly concerned about how people perceive you and/or your playing. I just wanted to say you have nothing to worry about. You are extremely talented and we wouldn't be here along for the ride if we didn't enjoy your virtual company. Thanks for being inspiring and always pushing the boundaries of "no answers, only better questions."
Thank you J, I really appreciate that. Dan and I must be about a million comments down by this point and you do get a little over defensive about certain things. 99.7 per cent of people out there are very kind, take it for what it is and understand the limitations in which we work. The remaining tiny minority are just hateful people who want to reflect their own insecurity and unhappiness. That’s what we should tell ourselves in moments of robust mental health.
In the other times, you think they’re telling the absolute truth and that you’re totally worthless. I know it doesn’t make any sense. The days of robust mental health are the ones Dan and I have been working on. To be at peace with the fact that somebody will always dislike you is the goal. We’re getting there..... partly by trying to put the ego down of wanting to be liked in the first place. And yet here we are on UA-cam. Hahahaha!!!!
Thank you for the kind words, they are very greatly appreciated!
“Basic home recording setup” what a dream setup haha
Point taken. But my mate Gareth has 8 Neve 1073s. For starters. Real ones. Arrrrgghhh. It never ends!
For me it’s a squier Strat/ epiphone les Paul and audacity lol. but it’s all about the music!
And I bet the music is fab! Seriously, all this crap never made good music - the only place that comes from is you. I miss that person in myself, but jobs and UA-cam laid out a different path. Now I make media, not music. Haha!
That Pedal Show yea very true. However both yours and dans vlogs are sounding great and its really inspiring for me to start recording more :)
@@ThatPedalShow - And we are all grateful that you can share your journey with your music creation through the media. Music connects people with other people/places as it is a primitive emotion. How many of you remember where you were when 10CC released "I'm not in Love" or Hendrix released "Voodoo Chile".
I hate that you have to do this while stressing over what people will say in the comments. Thank you for doing this- it's a fun series to watch and reminds me to get back into it myself!
Amish Trivedi well said.
Yeah, you don’t need to worry about what d-bags think of you. This video is not for them. We all love you Mick!
Absolutely agree, even with my own demos (that very few will see or hear) its hard finishing as mentioned here prior BUT doing it in public and having the inept, incapable and jealous minority making disparaging comments in public must be hard for anyones mental well being let alone ego.
Don't listen to any negative criticisms - please. You're putting all your heart into this project and it's like a "learning journey" for those of us who don't record their own music very often. Keep that fire burning - don't stop with just one tune (and do the next two or three in private, hehe). Cheers
I love the section on practice when you mention Paul Stacey. I like to use an axiom I read somewhere ... "Don't practice 'till you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong."
Love that!
Word.
The other one I like is "Perfect Practice makes Perfect" ie, slow it down, play it right and then speed it up. Unlearning mistakes takes a lot of frustrating time. Cheers.
Wow Mick. This is a wonderful theme. I’m excited to watch your steps. Where ever you end with it, it just will be good.
Great! Really wonderful following along as you shake up your routine and dive in head first. Very enjoyable, Mick. Thx!
Mick, love you bringing us into your process including simple things like where you live and noise issues. Really puts things in perspective for me. Cheers!
You should do a under 10 min room rundown and the studio gear tour. The tones you’re getting are great.
I just want to say how much I enjoy Mick's playing, in any setting. Always melodic and with feeling. Bravo, Mick!
Thank you for this! I'm loving these videos. In the U.S. it's the same situation. I recently went through a hospitalization last quarter and just when I was feeling like i was ready to start going outside, this "thing" happened. So yes keeping your mind busy is important. Thank you to everyone at That Pedal Show for what you do.
All best to you Hobby. Sorry to hear about your journey. Tomorrow is another step. Sending you the best!
Love seeing your progress, Mick!! I really enjoy getting to watch your process and how you are approaching the different parts. Keep up the great work!
Come on Mick!!! Release episode 3! Can’t wait!
Soon! I’ve done the next Stratpisode.... but totally lost heart with this because of awful guitar tones. I’m back at it in a day or two. We’ll get there!
@@ThatPedalShow Thanks dude. Really stoked to get a reply. I love what you and Dan do for us all. It is so inspirational.
Bloody hell I want one of those Collings. Absolute dream guitar and sounds superb in your hands Mick. Keep up the good work, thanks for everything you do.
Just want to say thanks for everything you guys do. I have been watching and re watching that pedal shoe now for 2 weeks. Getting me through this from small town southern Ontario Canada. !!!!!!
Oh sure . Mick just start off with a brand spanking new Mesa Tweed You really know how to kickstart the Gas Have a great week. Stay safe Mick!
I’ve really enjoyed watching both instalments of Mick’s song vlog. This song is coming along nicely and I can’t wait to hear it finished. Thanks a lot Mick for sharing this.
Hope you don´t get it wrong when I tell you: Welcome to reality Mick :-( At the end of 2019 I had to quit my last rehearsal room after 35 years. Until now I can not believe that this virtual amp and homestudio thing should be an alternative. But a honest voice from my heart said: Welcome to reality - Rob. I was privileged and never even appreciated it enough. I wish you all joy and success with your recording project - thanks for joyning us!
Thanks Rob. I’ve never been a fan of reality and I’ve since decided I have no interest in going there now. I’ll get into it in the next vlog. But nah, if I have to do direct that’s it for me I think - just back to acoustic and occasional electric.
Over. My. Dead. Body. Hahahahah!!! All best to you sir!
Great one, Mick! Really loving these vlogs! Can't wait for the next one! Cheers
Well done Mick! Great work! It’s not easy airing your soul to the world through our own musical creations! 😎
Love that you're doing this Mick! Doing the same, targeting a 10 track album. Recording rough demos to share with friends/family, then picking the best received and producing them properly. Nice to have a focus during these strange times.
Hi Mick. I am loving this series so thank you. It’s a great song. Your videos have come at such a good time for me as I am putting my efforts into writing and recording too and, like you, have just transitioned from Logic Pro x to LUNA.
This is super fun to watch. I've got a little quarantine project of my own going right now, and i'm hitting some of the same challenges and also having TONS of fun.
This is great, Mick. I loving seeing the process and the progress, and I for one think the guitar parts are going to compliment each other very nicely, indeed. Keep 'em coming, Mick, and be well.
This track is starting to sound bloody glorious! Cant wait to hear the finished article. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks John!
Fantastic Mick. Really enjoying this (and Dan's) Vlogs on home recording. Finding them very informative and inspirational.
Wish the best Mick...Keep on making music for your mind, for our eyes and ears too...We all love that in that so strange period ! Kindest regards from a French hospital radiographer (so much anxious person too), but one the first fan of the pedal show...Take care 🥰
Thank you for your work Belo!
That Pedal Show , normal work but yes, so hard times now !!!! Wish the best to all your fans , friends families ! Hope the world to change after 🙏.
Hi Mick, thanks so much for this. I have some talent as a guitarist, but very little as an engineer, however this has given me confidence during this difficult time to just bang away at it. After all what have I got to loose. Cheers, stay home, stay safe. Love you guys.
Exactly! Do it Andrew!
Another super video Mick. It's good to see you going through the same mental trauma as the rest of us as you balance what sounds good with the technology vs being an artist and delivering the essence of the song. These days I too have to record quietly and have reverted to an Iridium with an OCD and The Dane for shades of gain + reverbs and delay etc. Together or separately they sound nice but, as you know the Iridium is a bit dead without a nice drive pedal before it. However nice they sound, they don't move air so are not "amp" sounds but are perfectly acceptable for home recording IMHO. Looking forward to episode #3. Stay well.
10 minutes in. Thank you for inviting us in your wonderful home, Mick.
Really enjoying both you and Dan’s recording journey. The part I identify so much with is being able to get out of your own way to get down what’s deep in the creative veins and bring it to life. The last couple years I’ve gathered gear, experimented with sounds, tweaked things until I’m bald, but it’s always in attempt to get down the ideas I pluck out of the ether into something people could hear. Of course still haven’t done it yet since I haven’t been able to get out of my own way 🤨 Great job Mick! Keep’em coming!
Sounding magical man! I love how you have taken a simple riff and applied all the layering to bring it all to life. IMO less is more sometimes to write a great song. Simple harmony but just really great tones and well thought out effects. Looking forward to hearing the finished result of this song : )
Hey Mick!! Here's an editing tip for your reverse guitars in the intro (I hope this makes sense without a visual).....once the audio is reversed:
-Place the waveform/region to where the loudest part of it is generally over/on the downbeat where you want it to cut out, but ever so slightly past it, so that the pick attack noise is technically just after the point/downbeat/grid marker where you want it to cut out.
-Cut the audio region on the downbeat, clearing the audio to the right of the downbeat, so it has a hard/dramatic cut on the downbeat, and also removes the pick attack that was further to the right. That way you don't have the pick attack noise, and also have an artificially hard cut, that usually sounds super cool, depending on what you want to hear.
-Zoom in as close as you can and put the smallest fade you can over the cut point. That should prevent any clicks/pops.
-You can also put a fade over most/all of the region, starting from the left side, so that the reversed guitar has more of a noticeable dynamic swell to it.
-Lastly, if you want to put a verb or something on the track to make it wider, washier, etc, you can automate the mute function or volume of the track so that the output of the track gets cut on the downbeat, so that the verb tail doesn't hang over (if that's your preference).
-That's how I tend to do it, your mileage may very. It's up to your ears, as always.
Sweeeet! Totally going to try this, thank you for typing all that out!
@@ThatPedalShow Happy to help!
$7k recording rig $70k guitars/amp rig a familiar juxtaposition but we’re all equal once you print to track....plenty of the tracks we treasure as life changing art were tracked on suspect gear by broke or rich n broken artists alike. Magic stuff mick inspiring.
Totally. It’s all for nothing without some heart in there. That’s the bit we’re all trying to uncover, gear or no gear!
That Pedal Show ideals aside it does sound f@cking amazing 🤣🤣
2 comments about the OX
1st - Are you using the digital OX output into your UA input? It sounds like you are and don't have the SR Convert (sample rate converter) turned on. The OX only outputs at 44.1 and if you are recording at 48 you need to turn on the Sample Rate Converter. There is a high pitch artifact on all of your playing through the OX. That can come from a sample rate mismatch.
2nd - You can still use your Amp Speakers when you play. Use the attenuator in OX to bring the level down to something your neighbors can live with. You can still turn the amp up to where you want it, you can still feel the air moving but the volume is what you need it to be. The only issue is that any effect you are using from OX to record is not played through to the speakers.
Sounds Great! Thanks for sharing.
Will McPhaul I heard this too! I hope he sees this one.
Good shout about the SR converter. Lemme check that. I’d just assumed that artefact is what I hear in all digital guitar tones... I’ll try it!
As for the cab, yes I know that. But ANY house volume is too much it seems. :0)
@@ThatPedalShow I hope the SR Converter is the issue. I work at a commercial recording studio so I'm very used to hearing mic'd up amps. My OX doesn't sound exactly like them but it does sound really good.
Sorry to hear that you have to do silent recording at home. Make the best out of it. - Again your progress thus far sounds really good.
This kind of video is really inspiring, Mick. Keep on going! Thank you for this good content!
Thanks for sharing your journey, Mick.
Really nice Mick! Love seeing this process, and the rig rundown. The track sound great and I love the solo so far.
Mick this sounds BRILLIANT! Speaking as someone who has also just gone into the world of DAWs and recording using Ableton Live 10, you're ahead of the curve. Really enjoying hearing some of the sounds you're getting a home. Really enjoyed that reversing trick, keep 'em coming and stay safe!
All of Micks Vlogs are just lovely
Thank you!
Did an EP over 20 years ago where my mate held the guitar and played it whilst I hit it in time with the drums. It had a shed load of delay and reverb. We then reversed it with reverse reverb by the truck load and hard panned the two tracks. It sounded aaaamazing. We just made it all up as we went along and hadn't ever really done any proper recording before. I was soooooooo pleased with the result.
Sounds great ! Dig the honesty in the process. Now I really want to start recording again. Great inspiration! Thanks Mick!!
Hi Mick, love the OX. Bought it within 30 minutes of watching your very first encounter with it way back on TPS. Couldn’t afford it at all, but knew it would change my world by being able to play my amps ‘fully cooked’ here in my little home studio, so took the plunge. The best ( and most expensive) bit of studio kit I’ve ever bought. Admire your patience on writing midi drums and they sound pretty good, not sure I could map them out so well. I’m lucky enough to have a Roland v drum kit and access to a tub thumper ‘ I think they call em drummers’, which is handy, quieter than a real kit, but gets me a real groove ( particularly if I track at least one of the guitars or bass in the same session). In the event of a World pandemic, I revert to ezdrummer2, which is pretty amazing at sourcing drum parts around your guitar takes. Now trying to justify splashing out on the Gladio as it’ll knock two of my current drives off the board and free up some space. Brew Up, stay put x
I’m an introvert and rarely ever leave home, anyway. So, for the most part, the pandemic just feels like a Tuesday. I work from home and music is the most important thing to me, so my office is the same space as my make-shift studio and I spend as much time as I can in there trying to write and record. Personally, I love the excuse to stay home, do what I love, and order groceries to my house. I’m loving doing my part to stop the spread.
I'm exactly like you lol. Except I'm a misanthrope
Thanks for Sharing your work Mick ! It's awesome !
When you played that B chord at 6:51 I audibly gasped. That's some killer tone, man.
Woah, thank you!
That MESA... I haven't heard an amp for years that lit up my ears like that. Expensive taste apparently
Hi Mick, really enjoying this set of vlogs, I've been a home studio writer, engineer for far too many years (was a pro FoH sound engineer and session musician too far too long ago). One thing I'd say is remember Graham Coxon's (Honk) strategy with the solo to coffee and TV, sometimes it's good to go primal and instinctual. Over-thinking parts and overall structure can suck the life out of the music, "Recording A Song At Home #3" - where Mick has a few pints and plays as if his life depends upon it! ; ) Keep up the awesome work, matey.
I hear you Dean!
I never fail to be impressed how musical your impromptu noodling sounds.
Hey Mick. Pretty cool your board. Since you guys made that iconic video with before after delays and reverbs i changed the order on my board and put my Aqua puss first in the chain. Cheers Guys! Great videos! Very inspiring us to keep playing and find great tones.
These Vlogs are great! Super enjoyable to watch!
Can’t wait to hear the final on this. Please put out an entire album. I will add it to my playlist with Joey, Ariel, and The Bro’s.
Ah man, thank you! Those guys are SERIOUS dudes!
That Pedal Show So are you man.
The trick with the drop d and capo on 2nd fret was an eye opener! Inspired me to try it - Thanks! 🙂
Capos are awesome when recording. Different set of harmonics etc.....
That collings, especially in the context when yi first picked it up, phenomenal
OX sounds great! Different, but mostly in a "mic'd up differently" kind of way. The swooshy stuff really seems to fit well in the song. I can't wait to hear the final version!
Sounds absolutely fantastic, I really appreciate how much work has gone into this too
Can't fathom getting better sounds than this, different yes, but better, no. That Mesa sounds spectacular, like the tweed of tweeds!
Really, really, REALLY enjoying these vlogs. Thanks guys for sharing
The tone with that Belle 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻🔥🔥💥💥
Really enjoying these vlogs Mick, your song is sounding great! Hope you're keeping well mate and congrats on keeping the demons away!
This is really inspiring! Ive never done any recording and I really want to learn. So now I'm in trouble $$$$$$$$$$. Thanks Mick for sharing your heart and inspiration. Love you guys!
I wish I could listen to the whole song. The guitar tone is awesome!
Hey, Mick. If you haven’t already, you should use that riff at 10:15- 10:45 for something. Sounds great.
Well I have one advantage over you, Mick. I have a neighbor that I don't care much about, what little consideration I do have has led to the folded-horn architecture of my guitar shed. The open mouth is pointed toward said neighbor's house and all of the excessively loud tones are a bonus.
Country Living. 🎸
What the EDM guys do is reverse it into the hit, then play the same clip forward after the hit. So try adding the power chord, played forward, at the top of the measure, after the reversing is done. Also try high passing it, or adding a reverse/forward cymbal hit. I think the EDM guys do it with cymbal hits a lot.
I just love the slightly offset look of the Collings and I think the Lollar Gold Foils are some of the best pickups. I use them as my “inspiration” sound. When everything else seems boring I pickup my guitar with lollars and am inspired by something just different enough.
Filtertrons and goldfoils are a must for someone on the search for tone.
Cool! I really love this guitar, it’s totally unique. I should play it in the show more, but we tend to stick to things that are well known, sound wise. Cheers!
Dont feel the need to show all your settings and stuff .. its really enjoyable to watch whatever you do ...thanks for sharing this with us
That 'scratch' solo is actually pretty dope.
Really enjoying this Mick, it's a process that I've started many times but never had the patience of heart to ever finish. I spend hours over the smallest part then realise the track is naff. Bin. Especially enjoyed the solo, sounds fantastic. Keep going!
Come on Mick - I was really enjoying this series. Episode three???
Almost! A bunch of stuff got in the way, but I’m on it!
Man, those Collings are all great sounding guitars. I love the single-pickup one that you use on TPS a lot (well, more) and the white one with the gold foils is also killer.
Some of those tones.....especially with the collings guitar gave me goosebumps. Wonderfull playing Mick. I know I will be creating something today myself.
Thank you! Such a cool guitar huh?
This is great Mick! I've watched both episodes and both times I've gone straight to record afterwards. It's very inspiring, your recordings sound polished already whereas my initial tracks always sound flat and lifeless. I use an Audient id4, a cheap condenser and get my guitar FX from plugins but I'm certain I can get better results with the right know how. Thanks again.
Again a great Episode! Look forward to Episode III
Mick: I’m not shaving anymore
Also Mick: still looks about 12 😀
Everyone else in lockdown: Starting ZZ Top tribute band
Hahaha!!! Yep. Never been hirsute unfortunately. That damn stuff sure comes out of the top of my head though.
Back in the bad old days before we had respect for other humans, I wanted to start a ZZ Top ‘tribute’ band called ZZ Topless. You can fill in the details... it wasn’t rocket science but I bet the audiences would have been good.
@@ThatPedalShow A haw haw haw haw... for all the social-obnoxiousness of the latter-day ZZ Top "product" (brilliant marketing, whether intentional or not), I have always loved ZZ Top and the sound Billy Gibbons gets....would love to do a ZZ Top tribute band myself...
Keep em coming Mick....enjoying these Vlogs!!
Don’t let anyone get you down about your recording skills or really anything with this process. I’m in college for audio engineering (been a bit hard with the whole COVID-19 thing) but one important thing I’ve learned is always finish a project. Even if you hate it in the end you will have gotten something out of it. So don’t let assholes make you second guess yourself.
Getting a Foo Fighters "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" vibe. Dig it!
Will same! Was thinking Generator verses at points
Loving this journey Mick. Some great sounds there. I especially love the sound of that Collings 👌
Loving these vlogs from you and Dan. Very useful walk through, thanks. That Collings sounds epic btw.
That’s sounding really good Mick! Some really useful tips! I especially love that reverse power chord trick!
Nice Northern California amplification rig! I tried a CA TWEED about a month ago, and was impressed as a pedal platform.
Love the 360. I had mentioned last week that I had recently bought a Collings C10 and you mentioned you'd like one in dog hair. I never replied but my next guitar (whenever that might be) will be a Collings 360LTM in dog hair. Love that finish
Oooooof! Too cool! Good luck with that quest Gordon.
I'm enjoying the strat-art on the wall too! I wonder if something like that would be appreciated in our house...Thanks Mick, good to have something to take us away from ourselves at the moment.
Cheers Matthew! I rather suspect it will be down as soon as lockdown is released and we can move the war room back to the studio. Special permissions at the mo. :0)
I couldn’t keep my eyes off that piece of pickguard decoration when it was shown. I’m fascinated by it and was going to post/ask about it too.
Great stuff again Mick. Very informative. I get the bit about not having the air moving from a speaker. Might have to investigate building an isolation box (weird in these times) as an oxbox is sadly not an option...
I love where this track is going. Well done!
Good stuff, Mick! If you're going to persevere with the reverse power chord intro, then try adding a bass note, a crash cymbal and ideally a piano chord or bass note too. It will make all the difference!
Thanks, Mick. I so look forward to these. Your self isolation reminds me a bit of Desert Island Discs, with the 61 Strat (with amp) as your luxury item. These vlogs sort of tend towards the "why", with TPS tending towards the "how". I love it. Self recording is a tough business. Simultaneous left brain/right brain exercise. To routinize something, use biology and "sleep on it". Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at UC Berkeley, contains a fascinating explanation. Thanks, brother.
Ah, left brain right brain. So so true! Totally going to check that book out. Thanks G!
Very, very nice tune! I only "know" you from the show and never ever could I have pictured you putting down a song with this sort of vibe. Very nicely layered mate 👏
Thanks Dejan. Despite the endless blues noodling, songs are where my heart is!
And that's where everything that matters should be. Keep it real 👍
Loved ep02 Mick. From experience I’d say your approach to writing the guitars is pretty standard: sometimes you need to compile your scratch tracks first as it inevitably leads you to tweaking parts/completing parts in an inspired way you’d not previously considered. Keep going with the amazing work.
For someone who is not a "menu / button" bloke Mic, I'm amazed that you're as adept & focused with the DAW & OX.
Those thing's are (probably self - imposed) barriers to entry for me. I just want a red light & a count in. Wearing all those hat's is hard. Sound's epic though; keep on keeping on!
Thanks Toni! In my working life I deal with pretty complex software. It doesn’t translate to guitar playing, weirdly. I need things simple in that world but I can and do use pretty complex stuff. This is the weird crossroads where the two things meet! When it comes to playing though I’m like you! If I have to think about tech, all that comes out is crap!
Loving this Vlog series, Mick! My home recording setup is super bare bones--just for cutting demos to share with my bandmates--but I'm fascinated by the various gear that exists for really good home recording. What I enjoy most about your Vlog series, though, is the song itself and your process of writing and developing it. "Simple and with conviction" is a motto any of us who write and record music should adopt. The simple part isn't hard for me (no one would ever confuse me for an impressive guitarist), but I find if I stress too much about playing a part flawlessly, I can lose some of the conviction. Sometimes I have to remind myself that so much of the music I love isn't flawless (especially anything recorded pre-Pro Tools days), even with bands that had some virtuosos.
True dat Jason! That magic bit is where you’re playing confidently but not on auto pilot. That’s the line of all true art, probably?
Great tube tones man! This is sooo much better then plugin sounds. And probably always be.
Well done Mick! Thanks for sharing.
Really interesting Mick and questions were building up ( has he got a guide vocal, what about a guide track etc) and towards the end, they were answered. I generally liked to have the thing completely written back in the day but I kind of like the way you are going about it. I've just come up with a melody/chord sequence after watching part 1 but I have to knock it into shape and arrange it but I think the biggest challenge for me will be the lyrics. Years ago I used to write the lyrics first and often there would be a tune or rhythm in my head which would all but have evaporated by the time I finished them-I'd then stare at them until a tune came and it didn't, I'd grab another set of lyrics and it seemed to work quite well. This new one just appeared as a tune and I think it is a lot harder to write lyrics to fit a melody . Some months ago I stumbled upon a UA-cam video of the Beatles working on "Something"- George was saying he'd not finished the lyrics and I think that John suggested finding a word to get him by so as to maintain the writing momentum he suggested the words "a cauliflower" ( where he ended up with "no other lover" -I think I'll give that a spin see how I get on.
Great job Mick. Fabulous tones. Be proud.
Thanks Keith!
I like the dreamy quality you gave the melodic riff it fits well i think
After recording 15 or so albums over the last 25 years, one thing Ive learned is that you shouldn’t get too hung up on parts and performances. Your first idea and take are usually the best. Dissecting and agonising will not help the song and you’ll end up taking so long you could find yourself disliking the process. Sounding excellent so far Mick.
Thanks Lee. You’re echoing the sentiments of many of my more learned friends!
Man, so many uploads to watch today, and I haven't had my afternoon exercise yet. I'll come back to this in a bit. Cheers. 🤘😎👍
Sounds great Mick. Keep up the good work 👍