CCR's Suzie Q from scratch

MarcV

Blues Junior
Neither will I. :X3: Actually it is electronic drum set that I picked up and trying to do just basic rock beats as back up. Unfortunately, as Papa pointed out, this one is more complicated than basic rock beat. Playing steady off beat: can barely do that on gtr. and I’ve been playing that a lot longer(y).
 

glynnd

Blues Newbie
Are you sure you don't have a latency issue? To check simply use your mike to record the click track. When you play back the recorded track over the click track it should line up, you can hear it and see it on the waveform. If it doesn't then you will have to follow the software instructions to adjust the latency settings and keep fine tuning until they line up perfectly. Are you hearing the tracks you have already laid down as you record additional tracks or are you just hearing a click track? Much easier to stay in time if you can hear the "band" instead of a click.
Hope that helps.
 

MarcV

Blues Junior
Are you sure you don't have a latency issue? To check simply use your mike to record the click track. When you play back the recorded track over the click track it should line up, you can hear it and see it on the waveform. If it doesn't then you will have to follow the software instructions to adjust the latency settings and keep fine tuning until they line up perfectly. Are you hearing the tracks you have already laid down as you record additional tracks or are you just hearing a click track? Much easier to stay in time if you can hear the "band" instead of a click.
Hope that helps.
Interesting idea. Will definitely check it out. I actually listen to both the click track and the “band” when recording new track. I think that it is just my playing on the rhythm tracks that is the limiting factor
 

CaptainMoto

Blues Voyager
I was gonna suggest that there might be a latency issue to.
Maybe, maybe not. :confused:

I think the drum track is more in line with the original recording. (y)

It's hard to separate everything else though.
Something is making this out of sync.

I'm not smart enough to figure our what it is.:unsure:

I'll say it again:
I think you've captured the tone and vibe of the original but, there's a quirk somewhere that's preventing this from achieving it's full potential.

Stop wracking your brain over this one and find a new challenge .
 

MarcV

Blues Junior
I was gonna suggest that there might be a latency issue to.
Maybe, maybe not. :confused:

I think the drum track is more in line with the original recording. (y)

It's hard to separate everything else though.
Something is making this out of sync.

I'm not smart enough to figure our what it is.:unsure:

I'll say it again:
I think you've captured the tone and vibe of the original but, there's a quirk somewhere that's preventing this from achieving it's full potential.

Stop wracking your brain over this one and find a new challenge .
Thanks again Cap'n (and everyone else who provided feedback).
Don't worry. I am so done with this song.(y)(y)(y)(y)
 

CaptainMoto

Blues Voyager
Thanks again Cap'n (and everyone else who provided feedback).
Don't worry. I am so done with this song.(y)(y)(y)(y)

This is a learning site, that was a damn good effort and a learning experience, I'm sure.

I know I've occasionally been called to try my hand at doing a cover and it's always a great chance to expand my skills.
It's more then learning the riffs, It's capturing the vibe, the tone and pulling all the parts together in a way that does justice to a classic.

It aint easy but, It's fun.

We'll be waiting for the next installment.

:Beer:
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
Thanks again Cap'n (and everyone else who provided feedback).
Don't worry. I am so done with this song.(y)(y)(y)(y)
Man, I feel your pain. I was inspired by your taking on Susie-Q, so I decided to try something by CCR. Except I don't play drums and all percussion goes in either from my MIDI controller or via piano roll entry. Honestly, if I played drums it would be much easier to play along with the original tune and not worry about a click track. Since I'm doing it via the computer, I have to use a click track. Against the original recording, the click is almost useless, as CCR sped up and slowed down at least half a dozen times in a three minute recording. Toss in the fact that in at least three places I've found so far, they stuck in a two beat measure and suddenly it's a 12 bar pattern that's actually 12 and a half bars.

Just for grins, since you took on Susie-Q, listen to the drum intro and then go to the end and listen to the drum outro. I haven't measured it, but the ending sounds at least 5 bpm faster than the beginning, maybe more.

I always do the drum track first, so I know my time base is correct, but man what a pain going back and forth between the original recording and a measured click track! I have software that's supposed to read the tempo and can supposedly take out the ups and downs, but the more complex the audio, the less accurate it is. It hasn't been of any help on this one. Once I get the drum track finished and can play a scratch guitar track and vocals over it, the rest is relatively simple. And I do this for fun!
 

MarcV

Blues Junior
Thats great. Good luck!. I never even would have thought of that (uneven tempo in original) .Actually just for grins have gone back and doing the entire rhytm section for Suzie Q in MIDI. The only thing that will be me is lead solo guitar and vocal. Just curious on what that will sound like.
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
Actually just for grins have gone back and doing the entire rhytm section for Suzie Q in MIDI
I did that, but thought better of doing the same tune someone else had already worked on. From what I heard and did, the MIDI track should be pretty easy.
If you like, I'll gladly make my MIDI drum track available to you, although I would have to check to make sure everything is on the proper General MIDI note assignments. I build a large kit with a bunch of stuff to work on my ATOM MIDI controller and I arranged most of the drum locations for convenience and not to conform to GM standard.
 

MarcV

Blues Junior
I did that, but thought better of doing the same tune someone else had already worked on. From what I heard and did, the MIDI track should be pretty easy.
If you like, I'll gladly make my MIDI drum track available to you, although I would have to check to make sure everything is on the proper General MIDI note assignments. I build a large kit with a bunch of stuff to work on my ATOM MIDI controller and I arranged most of the drum locations for convenience and not to conform to GM standard.
Sure, that would be great if it is easy for you.

Just for grins, here is my remix with all MIDI rhythm parts. Time to work on something else(y)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sm6ijh2k6rl5jjs/Suzi Q MIDI.mp3?dl=0
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
Sure, that would be great if it is easy for you.

Just for grins, here is my remix with all MIDI rhythm parts. Time to work on something else(y)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sm6ijh2k6rl5jjs/Suzi Q MIDI.mp3?dl=0

Your rhythm parts seem right on. Unfortunately, they are MIDI instruments and not the real thing, but it would be a cool practice tool to get the rhythm guitar stabs to match what you rendered on the MIDI.
One thing I noticed (not MIDI) is you are pushing the vocals ahead of the beat. But hey, you're singing, so you have my admiration for that. I still cringe when I stand in front of a mic and expect musical things to come out.

I started working with try to do scratch recordings as a learning tool, so whether I'm happy with the final product or not, there is always something I can take away from it. Like anything else, the more you work with it, the more you'll get out of it. I'm sure you're probably completely over this. Working with MIDI can make it really tedious.

What DAW software are you running?

I'll be happy to share the MIDI drum track. I need a little time to clean it up so it will work to the appropriate General MIDI drum assignments, so you won't end up hearing a slide whistle where a ride cymbal should be.
 

MarcV

Blues Junior
Sounds good. I am in Studio One V5 artist. Thanks.
I am going to continue look for MIDI sounds that are more realistic. So for example the gtr backbeat instrument is listed as "Strat Guitar" in the software but sounds totally fake.
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
Sounds good. I am in Studio One V5 artist. Thanks.
I am going to continue look for MIDI sounds that are more realistic. So for example the gtr backbeat instrument is listed as "Strat Guitar" in the software but sounds totally fake.
Other then drums and keys, I haven't explored much in the MIDI instrument collection within S1. I ended up assembling my own drum kit samples from an old Alesis D4 drum machine and other assorted files I've found along the way. I really like how easy it is to build a kit using Impact XT.
 
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