My latest

[b1j]

At long last, here is my transcription for acoustic guitar and electric bass of Beethoven's piano sonata #8, second movement, in A flat, named Pathétique.

Only the hardy will sit through a 6:20 piece, but, if you do, I'd welcome your comments.

This project started out as a test of how well I could record my acoustics if I made sound absorption panels. I'm pleased to report that flutter echo is a thing of the past.

https://soundcloud.com/user-66415095...social_sharing

[Doug Young]

Sounds very nice to me! Very creative idea. Here it is embedded so people can listen more easily:

[Glennwillow]

Very nice b1j! What a sweet piece! And the sound quality is excellent! Well done on all fronts!

- Glenn

[b1j]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Very nice b1j! What a sweet piece! And the sound quality is excellent! Well done on all fronts!

- Glenn

Thanks, Glenn! Coming from you, that's high praise.

[rick-slo]

Well done and thought out. Like balance of instruments and way it builds gradually in tempo and intensity over time. Reverb works well.

[Acousticado]

That was really pretty! I’ve only listened on my iPad, but it’s clear that your efforts have helped you realize your goals. Bravo, you should be proud! I’ll listen again later on my stereo system while also listening to Crystal Voice for comparison. As I’m at the beginning of following your path, I can only hope to achieve such quality.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Well done and thought out. Like balance of instruments and way it builds gradually in tempo and intensity over time. Reverb works well.

Rick, thank you for the kind words. I chose a vehicle that didn't require me to have the performance chops of someone like you. Thanks for pointing out a few of features that were among my primary goals.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

That was really pretty! I’ve only listened on my iPad, but it’s clear that your efforts have helped you realize your goals. Bravo, you should be proud! I’ll listen again later on my stereo system while also listening to Crystal Voice for comparison. As I’m at the beginning of following your path, I can only hope to achieve such quality.

Nice to hear your comments, Tom. I've read that mastering is supposed to make a song sound good on any playback device, but you'll pick up some seismic bass, and maybe a little sparkle at the top, when you cue it up on home speakers.

You're right: my central goal has been met. When I embarked on the saga of making absorption panels, it was a leap of faith: would all that effort be enough to cross over into genuinely acceptable acoustic guitar recordings? Folks here like Doug Young, KevWind, and Jim-1960 assured me that it would. With that, I put my head down and barreled forward.

They were right. This won't come out on Deutsche Grammophon, but I now have a system that's balanced for my modest home-studio needs: decent SDCs, decent "+" interface, a great full-feature DAW, good-enough 3" panels that tame down to about 150 Hz or so. All that gear plays up to the level of my guitars, which for my purposes are outstanding instruments. Now it's off to the rest of my journey: trying to play well enough to hold up my end.

Oh, and then there's singing (ouch) and song writing (meh) to keep me humble. Such a fine hobby.

[TheGITM]

Lovely piece of music, excellent playing, and really fine mix! I'm curious about any discussion/thoughts you had about instrument tracks and their placement in the aural space? The instrument tracks appear to have been placed in 3D space intentionally, and I'm curious if that was a conscious design.

When I listen to music like this (with headphones) the instruments are in a spatial location as if I were watching a performance. The main higher-frequency melodies are in the top right/center right; the lower baritone and bass are in the bottom left and left/center. There is a small amount of panning between sides but it is very tastefully done and not overly evident in the mix.

Really superb job. Well done!

[keith.rogers]

Impressive undertaking - really like it! Thanks.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

Lovely piece of music, excellent playing, and really fine mix! I'm curious about any discussion/thoughts you had about instrument tracks and their placement in the aural space? The instrument tracks appear to have been placed in 3D space intentionally, and I'm curious if that was a conscious design.

When I listen to music like this (with headphones) the instruments are in a spatial location as if I were watching a performance. The main higher-frequency melodies are in the top right/center right; the lower baritone and bass are in the bottom left and left/center. There is a small amount of panning between sides but it is very tastefully done and not overly evident in the mix.

Really superb job. Well done!

Thanks, TheGITM.

Regarding the use of the stereo field, I treated this piece of music as a pure idea rather than a simulation of a live performance. My goal was to have a clear sonic distinction for each of the two accompanying rhythmic voices behind the leads. The lead lines –– one an octave above the other –– are actually stereo tracks played on my two rosewood guitars. There are lots of harmonics and overtones in them. The rhythmic backing lines are mono tracks on the mahogany guitars to promote the fundamental notes and ground the harmony.

The stereo parts are actually skewed right. That's because in my initial takes I leaned closer to one mic than the other in a spaced pair setup. That meant I either had to retrack them or just go with the flow for the rest of the recording. The backing tracks are sent 62L and 62R, and the bass is right up the middle.

So, unlike with, say, a string quartet that runs high to low from left to right, or a close-mic'd piano in stereo, my recording is just an abstraction of the music that allows the listener to discern the individual parts separately, or just to hear them all together if desired. I haven't played it in mono on our Bose unit, but I don't think there's any phase issue.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by keith.rogers

Impressive undertaking - really like it! Thanks.

Keith, I'm so glad you enjoyed the piece, and thanks for the like on SoundCloud. It's almost as if I have followers. Hah.

It was a labor of love on my part. Now I'm on to the next one, which may take a while because I'll be writing melody and chords over an established foundational bass figure from 1741 and using lyrics from 1895. Ask me about it in, oh, I'd say November...

Or maybe I'll try to cover a McCartney song?

[alohachris]

Aloha B1j,

Excellent playing & creative approach to that piano classic," Pathetique." A very clear recording that was lively & engaging cross the entire 6:20.

The use of your two rosewood guitars, one of which was high-tuned for emphasis, used for a stereo parts approach & interesting dynamic change was really cool.

I know a lot about classical music in general, but only played a handful of classical pieces (mostly Bach) when I was still gigging. I actually prefer the sound of steel strings on many classical guitar standards because it provides more life-force. That's what I found ireally works n your double-guitar approach here. Bravo!

Looking forward to more examples of how your creative energy applies to music. Thanks, b1j! I like the way you think!

Mahalo a nui,

alohachris

[b1j]

Originally Posted by alohachris

Aloha B1j,

Excellent playing & creative approach to that piano classic," Pathetique." A very clear recording that was lively & engaging cross the entire 6:20.

The use of your two rosewood guitars, one of which was high-tuned for emphasis, used for a stereo parts approach & interesting dynamic change was really cool.

I know a lot about classical music in general, but only played a handful of classical pieces (mostly Bach) when I was still gigging. I actually prefer the sound of steel strings on many classical guitar standards because it provides more life-force. That's what I found ireally works n your double-guitar approach here. Bravo!

Looking forward to more examples of how your creative energy applies to music. Thanks, b1j! I like the way you think!

Mahalo a nui,

alohachris

Chris, you flatter me too much. I'm basking in the glow of your words. It does feel good to see my efforts land like this.

[rémy64]

Very nice work and really well recorded.
Well done 👏