My First CruzTone Recording

[Kurt Kikendall]

I have recorded my first song with the CruzTone. I plugged it straight into the computer with no amp, no amp sim, no pre-amp, etc. The only effects are compession and reverb. I am trying to demonstrate the tone of the guitar virtually "raw".

This is not a perfect performance by any means. I have a few notes that are a bit "off", some pick clicks, and even a nasty bar drag at one point, but hey, I got all the way through the song and this is about the best I can do without lots of editing after the fact (which I don't like to do).

http://web.mac.com/retro68/iWeb/Site/Music/Music.html

This is the first steel guitar composition. I am not a professional... please be kind

Next I want to record a blues shuffle through the Blue Jr amp. This guitar sounds so cool with a little "grit".

[Roger Shackelton]

Hi Kurt,

I listened to your tune and you sound like a PRO to me. I hear nothing at all wrong with your performance.


Roger

[Keith Wells]

Beautiful tone on that guitar Kurt.

Your composition made me think of Christmas, not sure why. Maybe the Ionian mode took me there.

Nicely done.

[Jamie O'Connell]

Nice tune. Nice sounding steel. Congrats.

--Jamie

[Andy Sandoval]

Kurt, I don't get any sound when I click on "listen"

[Roy Thomson]

Same here Andy.
I guess we have to install QuickTime software?

That sure is a beauty of a guitar tho Kurt.
Congratulations.

Roy

[Kurt Kikendall]

Thanks for the kind words guys!

Sorry for those who couldn't listen. I have converted it to an MP3 and that can be heard here:

http://ezfolk.com/audio/play.php?mode=s ... g_id=11023

Kurt

[Andy Sandoval]

Sounds great Kurt, your intonation sounds right on to me.

[Todd Weger]

Hey Kurt -- I thought it sounded pretty darn good. Your intonation is spot on. Clean pickin', too!

Hard to believe that the tone is "no amp, no amp sim, no pre-amp, etc. The only effects are compession and reverb." Man, if that isn't "the" tone for use as a starting point, then I guess I don't know what is. The tone is very similar to my Ricky frypan p'ups.

Can't wait to hear what it sounds like with some grits.

[Earnest Bovine]

Kurt, you sound really beautiful on the Cruz Tone. But no pre-amp? I think that your computer's audio interface must have a pre-amp before the converter, in order to sound like that. What input did you plug in to?

[Kurt Kikendall]

Thanks guys!

Earnest: I guess there is probably an amp in the input itself. I wasn't thinking of that. I am using a Mackie Spike. When recording DI, I would normally use an amp sim (POD, etc), tube pre-amp, etc to get the signal hot enough into the input. I guess I was referring to the fact that there was nothing between the guitar and the Input except the guitar cable in this instance.

I am impressed with the signal/noise ratio of the pickup on the CruzTone. My Gold Tone sounds a lot more "down in the mud". I had to use full compression and full track volume slider to get the Gold Tone audible in Garage Band when plugging the guitar straight into the board like this, but there is plenty of head room with the CruzTone pickup.

Sorry if I mis-represented my setup... What I meant is that I plugged the guitar straight into the input on the board and pressed record... then I added compression and reverb in Garage Band.

Kurt

[Earnest Bovine]

You didn't mis-represent your setup. I just wondered where you plugged it in. I see here
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... ku=248150V
that Mackie Spike has "2 mic/line/instrument inputs with high-headroom Mackie mic preamps". A lot of interfaces have instrument inputs, and I think some sound good and some don't unless you run it thru another preamp first, such as Revelation. Yours sounds really good.

BTW I have a Cruz Tone too, with 2 pickups, and I am trying all sorts of ways to amplify it and record it direct.