The Smiley Smile Message Board

As you may have noticed, I haven't done much lately--I'm just not writing. This morning and early afternoon I decided to record "The Night Was So Young," just to convince myself I'm not entirely useless. So here is that recording, including a newly arranged outro you might enjoy. EDIT: This is the second mix, slightly better than the first one but still not exactly great... http://www.sendspace.com/file/m86aik

Liked it a lot, including your new outro. What did you use to make those sounds in the left and right channels, after the "slide guitar" thing?

First, the "slide guitar" thing was just electric guitar with me bending the notes. But the two different sounds panned hard are actually different instruments. The one on the left is just another electric guitar, while the one on the right is a banjo. I put them both through a filter to spice things up a little.

Second mix. http://www.sendspace.com/file/m86aik

Luther dear boy, would you ever consider recording yourself reading one of your lengthier posts?

You should cover I'll Bet He's Nice if you haven't yet, and if you have, send me a link nigguh

Of course. When I was doing reviews, I once recorded myself reading a co-worker's overly geek-praise review in an ubergeek voice. So that would be up my alley. Obviously I like to hear myself speak (or read myself write).
I did, about 8 or 9 years ago, which was also when I first recorded The Night Was So Young. The latter, obviously I just redid. The former, not. But here it is, an aging "I'll Bet He's Nice," fully Lutherized. http://www.sendspace.com/file/051se1

Damnit, I just responded to a now-banned troll, didn't I... Awfuck.

It was amusing that you did..!  :lol

I enjoyed 'Night was so young', nice tag. I always enjoy covers of this era.

Great version Luther! Really digging that tag!

Thanks.

Beautiful.

Thank you.

Hi Luther,

beautiful - the tempo could be a little slower, but you sang it real beautiful, specially the chorus with the choir. Did you sang the vocals yourself or did you have a little programm to help you? :)


This is one of my favorite beach boys songs and I know the story behind the song :)

Thanks. I think the original drags, so I did pick up the pace a little. I did all the vocals myself: nothing sampled or pitch-corrected, if that's what you're asking. (I have nothing against those things, but it's easier to just do it myself in my opinion.)

Wow, that´s good.

A friend of mine (btw, he co-wrote a song with Andrew Gold for his upcomming album) has such a little programm/mashine. He just press(es) one button and he can sing in 4-part-harmonis. I thought he have used this as well. Wow, you sound amazing in the choir. I have singing in harmonies as well (with myself) but I´m always having problem in mixing the harmonies. They ALWAYS sound out of tune. Even when the notes were sung correct, they sound wrong.

The funny thing is - many years ago I used real cheap recording equipment, and I did not had this problem back then. Now I am using "better" stuff and it´s driving me nuts...

Huh, interesting. I don't know what your problem might be regarding things sounding out of tune. I wonder if certain parts are just slightly out of tune so they sound fine alone, with the problem only coming out when harmonized? And maybe the better equipment picks up the finer (or in this case not finer) points of the sound? As for the technology you mention, I have never liked harmonizers because they don't write arrangements--they just follow you diatonically (or through perfect intervals, or whatever) as opposed to counterpoint parts).

Hi - yeah, it is said that a bad mix can ruin the whole song. The funny thing is, when you listen to a song with bad mix with your headphones, it sounds fantastic. But listen to a song with bad mix with your lousy PC Boxes or in a car - the song can sound completely wrong. Acutally this problem does occure to many people - the more techniqe you use, the easier it is to make a song unlistenable :).


So, I am blown away by your voice. May I ask you, what do you use for recording?

Thank you. My setup is very simple, and my recording technique is lazy and sloppy! (For that matter, so are most of my performances...) But I record with Digital Performer software, onto a Macbook Pro, through a Motu 8pre interface. I have a few decent--but nowhere near high end--condenser mics I use and some SM57s and 58s. A Martin acoustic, a Strat electric, a cheap imported Fender Jazz bass, and my Acrosonic piano.