Tag: AmpliTube

Amp Sim

I just put two tracks of rhythm guitar onto RPM song #3. I used a third party amp sim. Amplitube 5, the free version. I’ve used amplitube mobile apps before, but this is the first time I’ve used the Mac version, and the first time I’ve used a third party amp sim in GarageBand for Mac.

Amplitube has a Fender amp version that costs money. If I’m going back to sims for this year’s project I could really go for a 4×10 Tweed Bassman. The version I installed yesterday has a bunch of in-app purchase options for simulations of real amps. I saw a Mesa Boogie Cali Tweed and I really want to buy it. I really want to buy a real Cali Tweed but I don’t want to spend the small fortune that would require.

Amps are fun.

Two Days in a Row?

I practiced again tonight.  That’s two nights in a row.  Oh.  My.  God.  Woah, wait a second… I was at a band practice on Sunday too so I actually practiced THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW!!!!

Last night I played the first set on our rough draft setlist and the first two songs on the second set.  My playlist for some reason skipped a song from set 1 though and I didn’t notice until later.  Tonight I started with the song I missed and then did the whole second set and the first song from the third set.

It wasn’t quite as thorough as last night.  Last night I played through the full rig I am planning on using at the gig, and I stood for the whole time and I didn’t take any breaks.  Tonight I didn’t have the house to myself so I played through an app on my iPad while listening to the playlist on my phone.  I also had to take a break when the love of my life came home and we had to shuffle the cars around and I sat down for a lot of it.

Still… I played for a solid hour for the second night in a row.  I am shocked.

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Yet Another App for Guitars

Back in February of 2012 I bought a thing called a Jam that let me plug my guitar, or microphone into my iPad. I’ve been using the hell out of it since April and in the last week it’s started acting kinda screwy. I found myself at the Apple store in Salem, NH yesterday so I bought a replacement.

It’s called a Sonic Port and it’s made by Line 6.

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The package mentioned that it can be used with a Line 6 Pod app. Oh the memories! Prior to figuring out GarageBand I used a Line 6 Pod for all of my recordings. All of those failed RPMs that I did on my ADAT used the Pod. Even that 2012 RPM I did on the iPad used it (only because I hadn’t taken the time to check into the amplifier simulations built into GarageBand). Most importantly, the Pod app interfaces with GarageBand the way the Amplitube apps do.

I hooked in and checked it out tonight. The 50/90 song currently known as Song #14 was written and recorded on it.

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I’m a little cheesed to see that it lacks an overdrive pedal. What’s the deal with that? Anyway, earlier this morning I noodled together Song #13 using the midi guitar sound built into GarageBand. When I recorded the real guitars tonight I figured I’d stay on the guitar app theme so I used the Amplitube Fender app. Just for schnitzengiggles.

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Late Night Music Post

Done. Sort of.

All 10 April songs are mixed and uploaded to alonetone.com.
All 10 March songs are mixed and uploaded to alonetone.com.
The cover song I threw onto the list on Sunday is mixed and uploaded to alonetone.com.
The 12-bar I threw onto the list yesterday is… not. I still need a vocal for that one, but that is absolutely all that’s left for what is now the March/April/May music project.

Here’s the cover song. I’ll post the rest of the stuff tomorrow… or someday.

This is Robin Trower’s “I Can’t Wait Much Longer”. I believe it was written by Trower and Frankie Miller, but something makes me think it was just Frankie Miller.

I used the Jimi Hendrix Amplitube app for all of the guitars. I hope Mr Trower approves of that decision. I should have tuned down a semitone or two. My voice is able to hit everything in the melody, but I have to sort of push hard to get up to some of the higher notes. This song needs a softer touch than my lame shouting. James Dewar I am not.

I have freakin’ loved this song for ages upon ages and I do not believe I did it justice. It was fun playing around with it though. I had to install an AU plugin to get the flanger onto the cymbals. I also had to learn how to install AU plugins. I am sure that Garageband 6 had a flanger. Didn’t it?

More April Music in May

Was sticking with Amplitube for all of the guitars on the 10 April songs a good idea? This one used the Jimi Hendrix bundle for all of the guitars. The rhythm is my Les Paul and the lead is my Strat. All of the other April songs used the Fender Twin for the rhythm and Hendrix for the leads.

It’s okay, I guess. If I put a ton of effects on during the mix it might be all right. I don’t know. Maybe if I did everything on the iPad it might feel better, and be a little less noisy. I don’t know. I’m torn.

The lyrics are one of many songs about how much I love my wife, and how happy she makes me. I expect the list of such songs to grow steadily for the rest of my life. I’m kinda nuts about her.

Sunday Morning Music

A new April song.

A song about cats.

No really. The lyrics are about cats. I am being 100% honest.

I need a lyricist, badly.

I wanted to keep this one simple but I ended up with all sorts of soupy sauce everywhere and I compressed the hell out of it. I also ended up duplicating tracks and splitting takes across multiple tracks to have effects on parts but not on others. I made a bit of a mess.

April Song #3

Another one about science denial. This time we have a denier questioning his belief but receiving a pep talk from a more faithful denier. Interesting, I know.

I was going to keep everything this month above 100 beats per minute. This one is 59 beats per minute. I can never keep to my own goals. It’s kind of pathetic, you know?

There might be issues linking to this alonetone file. They are having some performance/server issues tonight. Just be cool, the site is awesome even if the song is not.

http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/believedeceive.mp3%20

April Music – Song #2

I didn’t do any recording this weekend. I was too busy. I did sneak a second mix in tonight. I better share it quick before my battery dies.

http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/the-anti-vaxers-lament.mp3%20

This was the first idea I came up with this month. It’s actually two pairs of ideas. The original idea was to have it bounce back and forth between clean and distorted every eight or 16 bars. When I was piecing together the arrangement I decided to change it to be more like a suite with all of the distorted stuff in the middle section. I prefer it this way.

The lyrics were inspired by an article my wife shared on facebook that had something to do with the anti vaccine “movement” and how it was causing beaten diseases to make a come back. There is no scientific evidence to support the anything the anti vax people say, yet they keep saying it. I started to wonder what someone who does that would be thinking. It came down to no amount of facts and reason will stop them from thinking they’re right.

While I was at it, I remixed the song from Friday night.
http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/why-cant-you-be-cool-remix.mp3%20

Guitar Solo

I just put lead guitar onto a GarageBand file called April01. That’s two of 10 song finished. I hope to mix them tomorrow.

All of the guitars this month are using Amplitube apps. The leads are using the Jimi Hendrix app. Fuzz boxes and univibes for everyone!

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No Posts?

What do you mean I haven’t posted today?

I did a tiny bit of recording tonight. Just a little. Hey, did you know that the amp software I’m using for April is called AmpliTUBE, not AmpliTUDE.

Yeah, I’m a moron.

I hope to do more recording tomorrow, but I’ve been saying that a lot lately.

Speaking of Amplitube, they have a Jimi Hendrix package for $15 bucks. I’m using the Fender Twin for this month. Maybe next month I’ll impersonate Jimi for 10 songs. Robbie want.