recording with bongo :)

[tiffles]

hey guys and girls things have been going wonderfully well music wise in the last few weeks... last wed i played in front of 5000 people at the opener for Hillsong Conference Europe at the Excel Centre... a few pics...

Picasa Web Albums - Tiffles - Hillsong Conf...

Picasa Web Albums - Tiffles - Hillsong Conf...

(the pics werent showing when i put them in as images have i done something wrong? normally i just copy paste the link into the image bracket things and it shows up in the post...)

a friend and i also played morning and evening for the kids part of conference which was awesome fun. it was such an encouraging week. part of that encouragement was being asked to play on my friend's new solo album, we are recording this weekend and its my first time!!! im very excited though cause it should be lots of fun... just thought id ask if all of you experienced ones had any tips for me? im so excited about taking the bongo and the sounds it will make LOOOOOOVE my bongo.

 

[Oldtoe]

Cool, Tiff!

Big hugs to you, sweetie!

 

[mynan]

That Bongo is huge!...

Glad to hear things are going well for you. Congrats.

 

[bovinehost]

Biggest.
Bongo.

EVER.

 

[Beth]

WOW Tiffles, you're a star! You weren't kidding back in June when you said you were going to take this music thing seriously. Congratulations! That big ol bass doesn't look the least bit upset about being overpowered by you.

C'mon, Jackie. Your name is "Lord Bongo", you've got to have some better tips for Tiff than that! I've got one.. ripped straight off from BP -- start with all the knobs at center detante and mix to your liking, song per song.

Cheers!
-Beth

 

[MrMusashi]

hmm.. that bongo must have been designed by the ancestors of the bmw designworks way back in the 16th century

MrM

 

[Aussie Mark]

we are recording this weekend and its my first time!!! im very excited though cause it should be lots of fun... just thought id ask if all of you experienced ones had any tips for me?

Tiff, a few tips from an old fart -

Don't fall into the trap of putting brand new strings on just because you're recording. You want the strings to feel and sound the way you're used to.

Don't dime the gain on the bass - let the engineer take care of the signal chain.

Don't be shy about asking to redo a part multiple times if you're not happy with the first take. Digital recording these days makes it so easy to replace a couple of bars without having to re-record the entire song.

Don't worry about fluffing something on the first take. The other people in the band will almost certainly require more than one take for their tracks as well.

Bring spare batteries, instrument cable etc.

Bring your favourite beverage/s and snacks - you will be there longer than you expect.

Listen to the engineer - they generally have more experience than you and know their stuff.

If you normally play standing up, record your parts standing up. The aim is to replicate your normal playing style, so the recording session feels just like a gig or band practice.

Most importantly - relax and have fun!

 

[Oldtoe]

I think I've just figured Mark Deayton out!

He gives us Merkins, Poms, Swedes, Krauts, Scots, Frogs, Poles, Russkies, Czechs, Messicans, Spaniards, Canucks, Brazilians and everyone else snide remarks, but will give constructive advice to fellow Aussies.

 

[Russel]

Tiff, a few tips from an old fart -

Don't fall into the trap of putting brand new strings on just because you're recording. You want the strings to feel and sound the way you're used to.

Don't dime the gain on the bass - let the engineer take care of the signal chain.

Don't be shy about asking to redo a part multiple times if you're not happy with the first take. Digital recording these days makes it so easy to replace a couple of bars without having to re-record the entire song.

Don't worry about fluffing something on the first take. The other people in the band will almost certainly require more than one take for their tracks as well.

Bring spare batteries, instrument cable etc.

Bring your favourite beverage/s and snacks - you will be there longer than you expect.

Listen to the engineer - they generally have more experience than you and know their stuff.

If you normally play standing up, record your parts standing up. The aim is to replicate your normal playing style, so the recording session feels just like a gig or band practice.

Most importantly - relax and have fun!

Can I print this out and quote you? It has the ring of good advice.

 

[Psychicpet]

Tiff!!! Way to go!!! and way to keep EBMM part of the Hillsong sound

a couple of years ago when Hillsong Utd. were at an event i was playing at as well, the bassist had a great SR5 so it's good to see the EBMM imprint still there


as for Mark's advice absolutely!.... except for the gain part. I always have the vol(s) full on any and all basses I'm tracking with as when it comes time to do different passes or punch ins, there's no worry about if I've inadvertently touched the volume knob and levels aren't quite the same, also, better gain staging and headroom to have the vol. wide open on the bass, if they need to throw a 15 or 20 db pad on it then fine, the more/best gain from the source keeps things happy down the line.

 

[Psychicpet]

mmmkay.... just bothered to look at the pics and not just read the post

hehehe, ah well, I still stand behind my full gain rant

 

[strummer]

Sounds very cool, tiff
I'm with Ben on the Mark thing, and I'll just add that your own headphones can be a good idea to use, even if they aren't "studio approved".
Good luck with the music!

 

[philthygeezer]

I love the atmosphere of those pics.

 

[DTG]

sound advice from Mark,mind you i keep my volume full also.go there with your home work done and just paly and enjoy !!

 

[oddjob]

Great stuff Tiff. Enjoy it all and keep us posted!!!

 

[oddjob]

That Bongo is huge!...

Glad to hear things are going well for you. Congrats.

If I stare at it a bit and let my eyes relax I think I do see the toilet seat thing people are always talking about - or maybe it was the beer from the show last night?!?!?!?

 

[SharonG]

Awesome pics, Tiffles!

Marks' advice pretty much sums it up. I'll just reinforce the Listen-to-the-sound-engineeer bit. It worked for me, and I was totally jazzed by the sound on the bongo in the recordings! You'll have a blast.

 

[tiffles]

ok well the update is super late but it was so much fun. so so challenging aswell... 6 hours of straight playing!!!!

i hadn't received the song i was playing so i learnt it while some vocal tracks were being laid down... we got to do some great stuff but my brain and fingers decided after 4 hours that they had had enough lol.
im so in love with nate our sound engineer who made all my 4-hour-mark boo boos go away

the album launch is on the 29th of nov so looking forward to that.... cant wait to hear the finished track

thanks so much for all your hints guys, its been so helpful... cant wait to do it all again

 

[dmarotta]

Here are some recording tips I have been using with the Bongo.
Record with a direct signal as well as an amp. You can blend the two later while mixing.
Lately I have been using a tubeworks direct box and a Markbass cmd112 combo amp miked with a Neuman uL 47 mic and an old LA2 compressor..The bongo sounds great direct but when you add the amp the sound is incredible.Very focused but at the same time there is an incredible warmth brought in with the amp. Bottom line is to record with the best DI and amp you have available to you.I add just a touch of lows on the bass but otherwise I leave it flat.
Good luck and please post some sound bytes when you are finished recording.