Guitar-based cover of Jogeir Liljedahl's "Variations"

[BasicCoder]

Hi guys...

An incomplete cover of my one of my favourite Amiga tunes. Although it's meant to be WIP, I don't think I'll have the time to finish or improve it (and I lack the necessary physical coordination to properly pull it off). A cover of this tune by someone of, say, Mordi's calibre would doubtlessly sound awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUYfTqFe2P8

For those who haven't heard Jogeir's original version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdpPx2XuqXU


Regards,

David, UK.

[Mordi]

That's awesome. I'm a big fan of Jogeir's mods. You're a great guitar player. How are you recording your guitar? The tone sounds very good (although I'm currently listening on a crappy CD-player).
Would you be interested in doing a collaboration? Thanks for the name-drop btw.

[BasicCoder]

That's awesome.

Thanks I now notice (after releasing the video) that the intro part is poorly paced, but I think it's quite tricky to get right. I'll probably re-record it when I get the time.

I'm a big fan of Jogeir's mods.

Yes, I think Jogeir's influence is evident in quite a few of your tracks! I've listened to most of JL's MODs over the years, and many of them are outstanding and memorable. Some Amiga MOD-makers may perhaps have been more technically proficient, but I don't think anyone else could have made Variations, Guitar Slinger, Overture, Keys To Imagination, Face Another Day 1/2, etc. So talented.

How are you recording your guitar?

Straight into an M-Audio JamLab - a cheap USB-based sampler. No amplification of any kind, just recorded clean using Audacity (could barely hear myself play over the backing track!). I only really get to hear what it sounds like after I've loaded the WAV files into Renoise and put them through an "Amplitube 3" plugin.

(I love Amplitube 3)

The tone sounds very good (although I'm currently listening on a crappy CD-player).

And I'm just using a cheap pair of PC speakers, so I don't know what it sounds like on anything half-decent (I suspect it sounds rather 'boomy'?). The guitar, by the way, is a dirt-cheap Korean strat copy with badly worn frets (the ones I need for playing Variations!), fairly weak bashed-in passive pickups (incorrectly rewired by me a few years ago), a slightly distorted neck, damaged tone controls, and some other internal wiring fault that's causing pops and crackles (you can actually hear them in the video).

So , yeah, a great bit of kit.

Would you be interested in doing a collaboration?

I would be honoured, seriously, but crap/faulty equipment, a guitar that barely functions, lack of time (job hunting), and not being much good at music-making, no... best not to! But thanks for asking.

I'll be looking out for more of your musical releases, as I have been doing periodically for the last year or two.


David.
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[BasicCoder]

Incidentally, I uploaded a (partial) cover of Jogeir's "Living In A Dream" to my YouTube channel a few months ago. It's just me playing guitar over the original Amiga mod (with the solo parts removed in MilkyTracker). I certainly hope this isn't seen as disrespecting Jogeir and his original fine work - far from it, but if he were to object I would happily remove it from my channel without delay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp8FlYbd2So


David.
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[Mordi]

I see. Well, your guitar playing is very nice anyway, and it sounds good. Living in a Dream sounds great as well.

[BasicCoder]

I see. Well, your guitar playing is very nice anyway, and it sounds good. Living in a Dream sounds great as well.

Thanks again, Mordi.

Later this year I might attempt a cover of JL's Keys To Imagination, although it's going to be quite a challenge for me.

I think Keys... has amongst the best 'tracked' guitar solos I've ever heard in a 4-channel Amiga mod.


Regards,

David.
--

[Commie_User]

It sounds good. And for any fiddly bits, you can always cheat and overdub a rompler. There are even good free ones out, like DG FREE or something from Pettinhouse. Or even packs on the music magazines. They play logically, with the squeaks and all the right sounds where they should be with a real player.

I'll try this one next, though it's old now: https://yadi.sk/d/7w1N7K7pCyWNp



You can take it one stage further and use MIDITAR HERO to play a few select snips in from your game controller, assigning the notes you need. But that's not for everyone!



http://miditarhero.wordpress.com/

[BasicCoder]

It sounds good.

Thanks The final version (should it ever materialize) will be quite an improvement over the current WIP, one hopes.

And for any fiddly bits, you can always cheat and overdub a rompler.

Well, since I've already sampled every note on my guitar's fretboard, the temptation is there to track/sequence the whole thing. However, my past attempts at creating 'fake' guitar solos didn't really end too well. Here's an example (100% fake solo):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkJ9O3gKUu8

There are even good free ones out, like DG FREE or something from Pettinhouse. Or even packs on the music magazines. They play logically, with the squeaks and all the right sounds where they should be with a real player.

Thanks, I'll check them out. I watched/listened to this guy on YouTube playing a simulated electric guitar on a MIDI keyboard, and it was really awesome and sounded very authentic (although it nevertheless took considerable keyboard skill to pull off what that guy did). I've just spent the last few minutes trying to find it again on YT because it's worth watching. I'll share the link if I can find it.

You can take it one stage further and use MIDITAR HERO to play a few select snips in from your game controller, assigning the notes you need. But that's not for everyone!

Another one to check out. Thanks.


Regards,

David.
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[Commie_User]

That dummy guitar line's genuinely almost there. All it may need are better samples. And now I see you're interested, packages I know to be excellent are AcousticGuitarFREE, DirectBassFREE, ClassicFREE and HumbuckerFREE by Pettinhouse, Solo Acoustic Guitar by T.D. Samples, Nylon Guitar and Acoustic Guitar Strum by Efimov, plus Wavelore Pedal Steel Guitar.


Also try for a back issue of FutureMusic 280, with its Fender Strats on, plus others. These all run on Kontakt and do me the world of good.



I covered the MIDITAR a week or two ago. Here it is, plus my first instant results making me sound a real pro on the harp: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8070&p=96015#p95949

It works well with many orchestral samples and there's a universe of freebies and cheapos to fuel it. I really would use one.





So there you go, it's all here!

[AndyUK]

Basic Coder did the right thing.. If you want to play the guitar.. just learn to play the guitar.. Its one of those instruments that can be 'emulated' but never copied.. ( they just sound wrong ) .For that buddy you deserve all the credit we can give you.. it's hard work, you did that and pulled it off.. Really nice job

[Commie_User]

I'm not saying he did wrong, nor that he shouldn't play guitar. Just that we have some new tools here, for that extra helping hand or extension of the variety. And they are convincing, in a sound recording sense, when you find the right one and play it authentically, especially on a MIDI guitar. (Even myself, who can only daub and doodle on most instruments, can twang a nice sound on a real guitar, then take the approach for a more polished result with a rompler.)

That was a good bit of music and it always pays dividends if you have the real capability and talent. But if another glove fits, why not wear that too?