So, I recorded a version of "When You Come Back Down" on a $5 mic I got from a pawn shop several years ago. I used an electric guitar, piped into the computer and the cheapo mic for vocals. I knew even less about recording then and it turned out pretty awful. Mostly due to the mic recording sound quite terribly. I sound like David Allan Coe with a head cold.
Since then, I've wanted to take another shot at that song. I recorded a quick version last Friday night and then did some refining on it on Saturday morning but it came out very plain with just a guitar line, vocals and faint "shaker" in the background.
When my Great Grandfather (mom's mom's dad) passed away, his well-used mandolin went to my Grandma (mom's mom). Before she passed away last year I asked for the mandolin and claimed it after she was gone. In the months that have passed since then it has primarily been holding our piano down (that sucker is always trying to float away). I wanted to play it but it appeared to have significant structural damage and I was afraid it wouldn't take the strain of being tuned properly. I inquired with a few luthiers about repairs but they basically told me that it wasn't a very valuable (sentimentality excluded) instrument and not worth the considerable expense of fixing. I examined it more carefully and the main damage appears to be more cosmetic than structural.
So, I tuned up the ol' zither and looked up a the chords from "Come Back Down" in a mando book. I recorded some ham-fisted, mando strumming that was supposed to be very subtle in the background and quit working on it for the day. I intended to go back and adjust the volume and such (Wifey didn't like the mandolin so present in the song, especially since I can't really play it very well) but when I opened back up the source file it was corrupted and half the song was gone. Fortunately I had exported it as an mp3 but I can't go back and edit individual volume levels or other things now.
Being a geek, I did save the project in stages (meaning I have a v1, v2, v3...) but I would have to do about an hour's worth of tweaking to get back to where I was and re-record the mandolin parts if I still want them in the song. I'm already bored with this project so that ain't happening. You get the product as is, too-loud mandolin and all.
Oh, and there is also about 5 seconds of silence before the song starts. And the tempo is too slow. This is an amateur production folks, what did you expect? That dude from Nickel Creek, the one that sang this originally, would cry if he heard me butcher this tune.
Listen to the new AKoustic47's When You Come Back Down cover.
and just for kicks:
Listen to the old $5 mic version from several years back.
Come to think of it, I'm not sure the new version is any better. I like the harmony on the old version better but the audio quality is terrible.
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5 comments:
I turned it way up and listened for imperfections. I thought it was great. I really like the mandolin in the chorus. I think it's a great job. I like the old one too as it's a little faster but I don't like when they're too fast. Great job.
Once again, I'm sitting here at work, frustrated because I can read the whole story but not listen to the tune...which I so badly want to do. Maybe when I go to feed the baby at the store over lunch, I'll listen to it there...
Okay, the first time I posted this the URL didn't work right, reposting the comment:
Copy the URL from the song you want to hear (right click and choose "copy link location" or "copy shortcut" it depends on the browser that you're using).
Now go to http://www.google.com. Instead of doing a search, click the link that says "Language Tools."
On the part of the page where it says: "Translate a web page" paste the song URL (the link that you copied) into the box and click translate (the to/from language doesn't matter).
If your work firewall is not smart, it will be fooled by Google's redirects through their translation proxies, and will allow the file to be transferred.
I am not responsible if you get into trouble for this but you definitely can't damage the system this way. It will just look like you are translating a specific URL (which happens to end in .mp3) using Google.
-good luck
Yeah, it didn't work. It still gave me the block page. I did listen to it at the store though, and I like it. I think the mandolin sounds really cool, especially in the chorus. I really like your harmony in the older version, but it is still good in the new version and I like the music and stuff better on the new one. I didn't mind that it was a little slow...isn't that the point of doing a cover?...redoing a song how you want? I like it.
It made me homesick for you guys when I listened. I love it!!! More, more, more. Can't wait to hear Kristy singing with you. Beth
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