board77

I've been thinking about this for a while. I love the idea of collaborative efforts taking place between people who have never met. I finally got to thinking about the possibility of forming a virtual band. Many of you play an instrument or sing. I'm sure a lot of you have the required technical know-how to record into your computer.

What I'm suggesting is this. We pick a song. Something simple like, say "Wonderful Tonight". I record a basic "Click-Track" that each of the voluteers downloads. Each of you then record your instrument or vocal to that track. Then I (or someone with more expertise preferably) mix the tracks together and publish the finished song here.

Well, is anyone game? I'll accept volunteers for the tech aspects as well as musicians and vocalists.

For "Wonderful Tonight" we'll need at least:
Rhythm Guitar
Lead Guitar
Bass
Percussion
Vocal

Additionally, if possible:
Backing Vocals
Piano
Strings?

For myself, I can provide Semi-Acoustic 6 String Metal, Semi-Acoustic 12 String Metal and Semi-Acoustic 6 String Nylon guitar tracks, plus vocal or backing vocal.

Alatar

What a great idea!

I've never been in a band, so I'll just sit and watch for now. But, you know, if anybody's ever desperate for a mediocre pianist and doesn't mind sitting with me calmly for three days explaining how to record music files, then I'm up for it.

*~Pips~*

What's a Virual band?

Do they sneeze on the audience?

Dunno what you're talking about Lidless....

Alatar wrote:

I've been thinking about this for a while. I love the idea of collaborative efforts taking place between people who have never met. I finally got to thinking about the possibility of forming a virtual band. Many of you play an instrument or sing. I'm sure a lot of you have the required technical know-how to record into your computer.

Underlined by me.

Yes - I play the flute. Played is probably a more accurate description for as life changes I had to put it away for a number of years. But, I'm back into it and am enjoying it tremendously though I have no illusions I'd ever get back up to 'orchestra' level as once upon a time.
But how to record that into a computer ~ though given time, instructions and lots of fiddling with equipment I don't yet have (plug in a microphone I guess, get some recording software lol)... I do like the idea

Nin plays the flute, Areanor the piano and Earendil sings....

_______________
Resident witch

Well, there are a few options for recording. Goldwave is a pretty good Wave recorder. I use Cakewalk Home Studio for multi-track mixing, but I'm sure there are better alternatives out there. For most instruments a good microphone plugged into your soundcard will suffice. If you're looking at plugging your electric guitar into the card you may need a pre-amp.

Bear in mind, this is very much an experiment! If anyone has experience with multi-track recording, please speak up!

The trick to recording your track is to have the click-track playing on headphones while you sing or play along. This way you don't get bleedover from the click-track onto the recording.

Anyone else? Voronwe, how about percussion? Gimli, is that a Bass guitar I see in your avatar?

Alatar

not me, I think you mean Stormy.. I'm pretty sure he plays...

My musicly ability ends at playing the note I can operate a sound system, and can operate a keyboard and set up different tracks and everything on it and set it to record, but i cant play the notes..

I did buy an accoustic guitar recently though if anyone wants to give me lessons! I have a korg keyboard too I have all sorts of music stuff, for not playing a note pathetic huh

Yep, that's my bass you saw, Alatar. I've been a bass player for about ten years now, and am quite good if I do say so myself. I'm actually working on some Stu Hamm solos right now, if anyone is familiar. I also am an accomplished vocalist, who would be willing to do leads or bgv's.

This sounds like a lot of fun! I'll have to hook up with someone who has recording software on their computer (I don't, and I'm afraid to invest the $ into a computer as lousy as mine right now), but I'd definitely be game. Definitely.

Great idea, Alatar!

Add a vibroslap player and I'm in.

Great idea, Alatar, but I doubt that I'd be able to offer much. Beyond the fact that I don't really have the technical know-how (I'm pretty sure I could figure it out), the instruments that I play are not really condusive to this type of project.

Lets not start limiting ourselves Voronwe! If you can come up with an interesting rhythm pattern that will work with the song, do it and we'll see where it takes us. That's the whole idea of this virtual collaboration. Otherwise we'de just end up with a clone of the original which would hardly be worth the effort.

Alatar

I never say never. We'll see.

kams, I don't have any clips of our group available yet (though eventually I hope to post a short video clip), but here is a link to a clip of our teacher, Mamady Keita, and his group. Its the same music as we play, just better. The instruments that I play are the bass drums, which are collectively called dunun (individually called sangban, dununba, and kenkeni).

http://www.africanrhythmtraders.com/art ... drums2.mp3

Hmmmm...interesting idea and I'd be curious to see how it worked. I can play trumpet fairly well (make a living teaching it), can sing okay, and might could do some easy violin stuff. Could do harder string bass stuff, but I don't own one.

Can I just clap my hands and bob my head when you finish the music?

I have an enamel pot and a wooden spoon...

(I could offer my Tin Whistle skills but, um, no.)

I play Celtic harp and have done my own multi-track recording, but on a stand-alone digital recorder, not on computer. But I could possibly put the other tracks on a CD, take the CD to my recorder and input the tracks, then add mine over it, burn that onto CD and load it back onto the computer.

I also play a Kurzweil synthesizer and have access to a bunch of instruments that my husband and son mostly play: fiddle, electric and acoustic guitars, electric bass, djembes (African drums), bodhran (Irish drum), gong, mandolin, tin whistles and probably more that I'm forgetting.

I'm not sure how all this would work technically, but I'm willing to try.

*bangs on hobbits pot*

I like the drum music. Played it through three times.

We've got conga drums at home that we don't know how to play. I bop on them occasionally to hear their sound and get rid of some stress. I would only offer to play them if it kept gimli_axe_wielder here from pot-banging! Hey Gimli, if you've got enough for postage, I'll mail you the congas!