We Started Working On a Fun Song Project:

Inspector #20

Inspector #20

Ambassador of Tone
Fallen Star
Country flag
We (my colleague and i) have been busy with PSA's and telephone switchboard menu announcements, so this morning we tossed around ideas for a new cover. My vote was Shakin' by Eddie Money and his was Take It On The Run by REO Speedwagon.

I lost the coin toss.

I laid down the acoustic on my oldest son's Harmonia acoustic/electric and then we laid down the drums and bass.

I started working on the solo first, completing about half of it before sidelining the project for "real projects."

My focus of late is to do less and less 'polished' work and more of a 'ragged' kind of live bar band sound...as opposed to my usual, notoriously over-produced efforts.

Hope you all are doing well.

I'll post up some tracks later...
 
Ok,

I decided to give you a little bit different perspective of this song. Rather than just posting the completed work, I thought I would upload the isolated solo guitar tracks first.

The first harmonized solo phrases are ALL played on my Jackson Adrian Smith.

The second half of the solo is played on my black Faux Paul

This is simply guitars straight into my Blackstar ID-Core 100 with no pedals or effects other than light reverb and delay added at mixdown.

Enjoy!!!

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Drobert-h-herndon%252Freo-speedwagon-take-it-on-the-run-isolated-solo%3Btrack_id%3D803597878
 
Ok,

As always, I put a few "Easter Eggs" in here for you guys to enjoy. This song is really ind of basic without a lot of production. The rhythm guitars are recorded in one take, on two separate tracks, with different EQ settings, so one channel has a thick, fat tone and the other channel has a more mid-range biased tone. I used the actual amp's reverb for the rhythm and nothing was added at mixdown. That's it as far as rhythm guitars are concerned.

This song also affords me the opportunity to use my trademark, C-Clamp 'G' chord, which has this lovely, yet sinister tone to it.

The first half of the harmonized guitar solo is layered, with 5 tracks panned 70%, 40%, 10% and Center.

The second half of the solo is much more simple and direct. The first track was recorded in a single take and panned 50% left with a very aggressive mid-range EQ. A second track was then 'doubled,' in a single take, and panned 50% right with a thicker EQ. Only the amp's reverb was used on these two tracks.

Two more tracks were also doubled and panned 100% left and right. To these tracks, I added delay from the Audacity program. The extreme panning gives a kind of spatial effect and the delay signatures can be heard separate from the main solo.

The last note in the solo is really wild. It's a HUGE bend on the high 'e' (Ernie Ball Hybrids .009" x .046") that was just done 'in the moment,' so I can't tell you what it is exactly, but it's got to be something like two full steps and without a broken string or any tuning issues. You will hear this note singing above the others in the solo's gran finale.

Vocals are being worked on, but are not ready just yet.

Hope you guys enjoy this... :)

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Drobert-h-herndon%252Ftake-it-on-the-run-reo-speedwagon-cover-unfinished-draft%3Btrack_id%3D804565969
 
Love this song. Nice work Robert! This was the first song where I learned the solo,20 years ago. I thought he used a 24 fret guitar and that last note in the solo was a bend at the 24th fret on the high e. Hence your really big bend :dood:

The first part of the solo is what I use as part of my finger warmup drills.
 
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Don O said:
Love this song. Nice work Robert! This was the first song I where I learned the solo. I thought he used a 24 fret guitar and that last note in the solo was a bend at the 24th fret on the high e. Hence your really big bend :dood:
Click to expand...

Thanks, man...

I think you are correct. I have seen them play live and Gary Ricrath was using a Les Paul and the end of the solo changed from the album version. I bent my high 'e' as far as it would go up to pitch and the E/A/D were literally getting shoved off the fretboard.
 
Guys,

I am greatly interested in your collective opinions on the overall production and (initial) mix, since this is one of my "minimalist" productions. I am always trying to strike a balance between polish and spontaneity.
 
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