Dad3353

Here is my contribution to the June 2020 Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by a picture chosen by the previous winner: Leonard Smalls..! It started off as a search for inspiration, as I had no 'handle' on it. As a bit of a change, I turned on my keyboard, dialled away the 'acoustic piano' I usually play, and stumbled upon an 'electric guitar' setting. Using this, I picked out a riff I had in my head. Hmm... Potential, maybe, but my piano is in my modelling 'den', and not connected to my PC. No worries, I have a Fostex hard-disk 8-track recorder; I'll dig that out. Once I'd worked out again how it works (s'been a long time, and I'm old..!), I got the riff down. No click, metronome nor beat, just raw keys. Downstairs to my pica-studio, to export the result into Reaper. Hmm... It's a bit 'ropey', compared to the metronome. I spend some time fiddling about with the files, chopping bits up here and there, but decide, eventually, to ask Our Eldest to play the riff instead. Once I'd set up the gear required to do that, I thought to try it out to get the sound I wanted. Might as well record it, whilst I'm at it. Three takes later (one track, doubled track and one 'extras' track...), no need to trouble the lad; it's done and dusted. Stick a bass on (well, two, while I'm in the mood...) and a drum track, scrub the original 'keys' guitar and it's finished..! Drums programmed with Superior 3, two mystery basses and three 'live' takes of my Xavier guitar, through a Boss compressor pedal, Boss Fender Deluxe pedal and a Germanium Big Muff pedal. All mixed in Reaper, with the usual post-production mastering with Ozone. I'm not sure if my 'inspiration' hits the spot, but it was more fun to do than I'd thought at first, so... Result..! Thanks for listening, if you already have; if you're about to, enjoy. Edit : Best played rather on the 'loud' end of the phonic spectrum, but not so much as to damage your hearing, please. Good speakers (monitors...) are preferable; ear-buds probably less good, unless they're super-duper ones.

It's free to download from powerdrumkit.com..., so not a factor in choosing a DAW. It's very worthy (and free...), with a few 'grooves' that are easy to pull into the DAW. The sounds are convincing; although there's only one kit, so it fits the composition or it doesn't. A good choice for those inexperienced in drum VST stuff, and well worth its price. One very nice feature is the ability to send the mixer output to separate tracks in the DAW, which allows specific Fx, for instance; many 'simple' kits can't do that, so, if a 'slap-back' is wanted on the snare alone, or a light phaser on the cymbals, this is a Good Choice even amongst the free kits out there. I have several VST drums (I'm a drummer, so...), which I use extensively, but this one is useful as a 'plug'n'play' kit when I just want to hear what the beat sound like. I'd choose another (expensive...) VST if I want to dive in further, but this one does a Good Job just the same. Can't go wrong for the price; it's a 'no-brainer'.

It's free to download from powerdrumkit.com..., so not a factor in choosing a DAW. It's very worthy (and free...), with a few 'grooves' that are easy to pull into the DAW. The sounds are convincing; although there's only one kit, so it fits the composition or it doesn't. A good choice for those inexperienced in drum VST stuff, and well worth its price. One very nice feature is the ability to send the mixer output to separate tracks in the DAW, which allows specific Fx, for instance; many 'simple' kits can't do that, so, if a 'slap-back' is wanted on the snare alone, or a light phaser on the cymbals, this is a Good Choice even amongst the free kits out there. I have several VST drums (I'm a drummer, so...), which I use extensively, but this one is useful as a 'plug'n'play' kit when I just want to hear what the beat sound like. I'd choose another (expensive...) VST if I want to dive in further, but this one does a Good Job just the same. Can't go wrong for the price.

Good evening, Conor, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, Djptek, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Gordy, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Harry, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Phil, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good morning, Mark, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

There are troll-bots that seem to have access to stuff otherwise 'private'; I have, typically, a dozen each time I post something on Soundcloud, offering me heaps of 'hits', or 'likes' or whatever these things are, and a world-wide audience of followers. I am a cynical old goat, and am little inclined to believe any of their waffle, so I ignore it all. I suppose that's why I'm not in the Rock Star Hall Of Fame. I think that there must be some sort of 'bot that picks up links, such as those posted on BC, and automatically sends out 'love and kisses' messages. If the song has been posted as 'Private', there should be no-one accessing who has not access to the link, and as I only ever post links here, on BC, I suppose that's where it gets picked up from. On the other hand, maybe you compose better stuff than I, and folks really do listen to it and like it..!

Good evening, Mike, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Danny, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, Gonzo, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, DL, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, Snags, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. Your 'other story' might find its place on our sister site, GuitarChat... Just sayin'.

Good morning, Sieb, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Why two guitars, or two (or more...) singers..? Why so many fiddles in orchestras..? Some bands have one too many drummers, though (Cream, anyone..?)..!

Trick o'the light, Sir; a mere trick o'the light. As 'excuse', I would refer to an apt work from Mr Carroll ... "You are old, Father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head— Do you think, at your age, it is right..?" "In my youth," Father William replied to his son, "I feared it might injure the brain; But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again." "You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before, And have grown most uncommonly fat; Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door— Pray, what is the reason of that..?" "In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his grey locks, "I kept all my limbs very supple By the use of this ointment (one shilling the box...) Allow me to sell you a couple." "You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak— Pray, how did you manage to do it..?" "In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, And argued each case with my wife; And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw, Has lasted the rest of my life." "You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose That your eye was as steady as ever; Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose— What made you so awfully clever..?" "I have answered three questions, and that is enough," Said his father; "don't give yourself airs..! Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff..? Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs..!" ... with apologies to the worthy Lenny (who now has two certificates; a 'First' ...).

And the winner is... Leonard Smalls..! Here, then, is your Winner's Certificate (download and save as pdf file, then proudly print and frame...) ... BC_Chal_Cert_2020_05.pdf ... which looks like this (but bigger, of course..!)…

Good evening, Alo, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Several of us here use Reaper, and would be willing to help out with any initial 'teething troubles'. It works well on a system such as yours, and no more complicated not difficult than any other DAW. They all need a certain amount of 'grey cell use', but once into the swing of things, it's a doddle, really, to do exactly what you're projecting. It's free to use for the first few months, then a modest purchase price if you decide to adopt it. Worth a look..?