The Steel Guitar Forum

Okay guys.... I have the guitars; the amps;
years of pickin' experience; a computer; and, finally, BAND in a BOX Version 10.

What else do I need in order to become an instrumental recording star? Come on now, I really need this kinda expertise since I'm not a rocket scientist. PLEEEEEEEZ!

I'm a waitin'!!!!

Geez, Ray! There's only been two in the last decade, "Skinny G" and "Yo-Yo-Ma", (or is that "Yo-Momma"?) Anyhow, you gotta get one of them big Nashburg producer-fellas. They can make ANYONE a star!

If you'd tried to become a rocket scientist
for ten years, you probably would have been more succesfull. Instrumentals? For commercials perhaps, i don't know.....

<SMALL>What else do I need in order to become an instrumental recording star? </SMALL>

Why would you want to be one?
I think it would entail a willingness to subvert your talent and creativity and develop a bland, radio friendly, unobtrusive and prozac-inspired style of insipid pap. You might need a makeover to develop your 'look', depending on which market you intend to enter. You should also be doing a lot of situps to develop your stomach muscles, it will help your 'look' and give you the stamina for all the leg humping you will be doing.

You see, there I went and done it agin! It has to be the aging factor. Would that be it B.Seymour?

I didn't state my case quite accurately. I didn't really mean I needed details on how to become a star, but RATHER......

WHAT electronic equipment (specifically) do I need in order to get my sound from guitar pickup and amp, onto a recorded casette tape along with my Band in a Box? All blended together of course in a nice neat package.

I need a Microphone? I need some kind of mixer thing-a-ma-jig? What else?

I am serious about this guys. In my hectic playing days, this was all handled by the radio/tv station staff people. The rest of what you have today wasn't even invented yet.

So, please be kind enough to fill in the blanks for this aging, old man. What equip-ment do I need to purchase and what might the approximate cost be (new)?

By the way, just a side note: Is Col. Tom Parker still alive?

Ray, of course you're going to need a recorder. I would suggest at least an 8 track digital hard drive type. One Shure SM 58 and one SM 57 mic. The 57 is better for higher pitch sounds, but the 58 is the best all around mic you can get for the money.

You don't need to buy a power amp, just run it off a tape output on your home stero. 100 watts would be fine. You can also use the same speakers, to start with, latter you'll want some near field monitor speakers to use when you mix it down .

A pair of open air head phones. That's the kind that looks like foam rubber not like a pair of ear muffs. They let you hear your rhythm track you've already put down, because you now will have your recorder set in the cue position. The reason being, if you play what you've already put down through the speakers, the mike will pick it up and you'll re-record it. Not a very good sound.

You can either go straight into the recorder, or mike the amp. A person would think you would locate the mike at the center, but it sounds much better about 2" in from the outside of the speaker.

Now you just keep stacking tracks until you have what you want or run out of tracks. I'd put bass and some lead guitar at least.

Thats enough to get you in trouble er,ah started. E mail me if you want to. It took me a month or so to get my Tascam 4 track figured out.

BC.

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 27 November 2001 at 09:04 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 27 November 2001 at 09:08 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ray,

I've been having pretty good luck recording on the computer itself.

There are a number of other products out there, (Cakewalk, etc.) but I've been using a shareware one called "n-tracks studio". It's cheap, and it comes with a great reverb plug-in.
http://www.fasoft.com

You can use BIAB to build your rythyme tracks and then get it into wav format somehow. (You may have to create a midi file, and then convert that to a wav file).

You can then import the wav file into n-tracks and add as many overdubs as you want. (You could import the midi file directly into n-tracks also). You could even replace the BIAB instruments with real ones if you wish. Lot's of possibilities. You just plug your Steel directly into your sound card and set the levels. The soundcards input is stereo, so you can split it if you want with the steel on one side, and another instrument on the other as two totally seperate tracks. (You'll need a 1/4 to 1/8 stereo adapter).

I have recently upgraded my sound card to an eight in/ eight out one from Audiotrak for $200. Using it, and n-tracks, I can record eight different tracks at the same time, and then do it all again and again. Then I use a couple of different wav editors to doctor them up as necessary.

Now if I could just find someone who can actually play to record...oh well, can't have everything.

I plan to record to CD-R's the mix downs and peddle them at a local Jamboree I play on. Hey, everyone else does it!

Take care,

Les

Ray,

I've been having pretty good luck recording on the computer itself.

There are a number of other products out there, (Cakewalk, etc.) but I've been using a shareware one called "n-tracks studio". It's cheap, and it comes with a great reverb plug-in.
http://www.fasoft.com

You can use BIAB to build your rythyme tracks and then get it into wav format somehow. (You may have to create a midi file, and then convert that to a wav file).

You can then import the wav file into n-tracks and add as many overdubs as you want. (You could import the midi file directly into n-tracks also). You could even replace the BIAB instruments with real ones if you wish. Lot's of possibilities. You just plug your Steel directly into your sound card and set the levels. The soundcards input is stereo, so you can split it if you want with the steel on one side, and another instrument on the other as two totally seperate tracks. (You'll need a 1/4 to 1/8 stereo adapter).

I have recently upgraded my sound card to an eight in/ eight out one from Audiotrak for $200. Using it, and n-tracks, I can record eight different tracks at the same time, and then do it all again and again. Then I use a couple of different wav editors to doctor them up as necessary.

Now if I could just find someone who can actually play to record...oh well, can't have everything.

I plan to record to CD-R's the mix downs and peddle them at a local Jamboree I play on. Hey, everyone else does it!

Take care,

Les

Chas Smith...you are one funny, and,
accurate man. You got the bead.
AND...Ray....you are one funny cat, too.

Let's not loose r hedz.

Love ya guys...ChipsAhoy

Ray, just about everything that you have will enable you to create tunes with steel on them. Create the backup tracks on BIAB, then create a steel track to go along with it. You'll need a preamp of some kind to go from the volume pedal to the soundcard of your computer. I use a Mackie 1202 mixer that handles all of my recording routing using a phone/mini jack cord (Radio Shack) to enter the computer. Then using the recorder on the computer and BIAB, it'll convert it into a WAV file which you could burn to a CD. From there, go out of the computer (line out) backwards into the 1202 input and route it to a cassetter recorder. You should be able to buy a used 1202 for a few hundred dollars. These are very cool handy units that are indispensible in my home studio. Of course, the sky's the limit in mixers but this unit is very clean and affordable. Email me if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help.
John.

110 V, inspiration and transpiration....

You forgot perspiration!

a understanding wife or girlfriend, huh or both lol

------------------
carter single 10

Ray
In reply to your question on this thread. I may have the answer.

At my request fellows,I have asked Ray to send me a tape back a few months ago.

I received that tape and posted a thread ,,,something to the effect...that there is An Imposter Among Us.

I heard Rays tape and the great group he performed with and I just sat and listened as he and the group played things I have not heard done so well for many years.

The instrumentals were flawless,,,,the musicianship second to none,,,the vocals were
absolutly great.

Today I received a second tape that I requested months ago. I once again listened
to what I would say was probably the best music I have not heard for a long long time.

I cannot give the song titles here as I have the tape in my car,,,Ray played great and his "familiar Bigby guitar" stood out.

His tone,,,his quality of execution makes me wonder "where were these people back then?"

They are absolutly GREAT. The accordianist is every bit as good as the "great Pedro De Paul"
as well as George Bamley..another great accordinanist. The only other two I knew in this class other than the above mentioned were two fellows I played with years ago....Johnny Newton,,and Lou Apparetti.

Ray...I would like for you if you would,,,,,place the names of the people who performed on that tape as well as a list of tunes you all "or better "ya'll did.

And one more thing Ray.....stop with the "old man routine" you played GREAT my friend,,,tell,me something,,,,,,I wonder if Noel Boggs,,,Speedy, Jerry Byrd,,Herb Remington etc etc ever heard you play? any of those great players would agree with me.

Stop now with that "routine" of the old guy stuff....that "old guy stuff you play" sounds
better than some of this "new guy stuff I hear today..

One more thing Ray.....Give Me a Break...the other steel player who also makes "light" of his great talent is my friend GENE JONES,....
He is another of my favorite steel players as well as a wonderful human being.

I always had special respect for Boggs,,Murphey, Speedy, Remington, Mc Auliffe
Byrd etc,,,,and Gene Jones and Ray Montee are now in that category of my favorites.

PS NO you cant have a tape of me,Ray,,not after what I heard you play.....wanna give an old guy some lessons???

Post the tunes and names of the people on that tape Ray ,,please,,I want you to give them the recognition on this Forum that they rightfully deserve.....yourself included.

If you dont...I'll never e mail you again

Ole Guy Stuff "YEAH RIGHT" then sock it to me and send more "old guy stuff", Boggs,Speedy
Remington, Byrd, Joaquin, etc play Ole Guy Stuff,,,,maybe we need more old guys.

I think Bobbe Seymore qualifies as another Old Guy with the Good stuff too,,,,,dont all
of you agree?????

YOU BET YOU DO,,,,,Im long winded as some say
and they are right...but I do have something to say when I say it. I would not have taken precious space and time on this thread if it were not for my wanting to acknowledge and praise Ray Montee, Gene Jones
Bobbe Seymour and all the so called "Old Guy
players" YEAH RIGHT...old guys my "foot"

please dont let this post
disappear...it is my last,,,let it be, please
nothing personal....Thank you..." a charter member of the "old guys club" I know I have said that before,,,,but Im too old to post any longer..I have run out of "wind" and profilic ..and boring stories of the "old days" well if thats the case......give me the old days back,,when women were women and men were men,, and old guys played GREAT. & still do.PS speaking old "old guys" if you classify Smiley Roberts as "an old guy" he is another of the GREAT ONE's,,there should be other "old guys on this Forum",,,,maybe we could all learn a thing or two.

BTW,,,,,,what does "profilic" mean..someone reffered to me as being "profilic" I dont have a great profile,,,but I didnt think I looked that bad...Mmmmmmmm wonder what he meant???,,,,,he was not a old guy,,,guess he was not up to speed....a good guy however,,,
I like these smiling faces,,,often wondered how Ya did them...Now I know and Im Smiling as much as "Smiley Roberts"

Fondest Best Wishes
From a "Long Winded Boring,,,,OLD GUY........My Best To You,, all Of YOU.
Happy Holidays. Ray forget the "gimmicks"
" Do It Your Way" & give me a break today & not at McDonalds either....
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 29 November 2001 at 10:08 PM.]</p></FONT>

Well Gal & Guy Forumites......I'm indeed humbled by the many, unsolicited accolades presented here by Jody Carver. He has to be some kind of wonderful guy.
The mid-60's live TV show from which the tunes were lifted...ran 3 years, in living color and was on the NBC affiliate here in Portland, OR.
The Circle-8 Hoedown featured Heck Harper and the Wagonmasters. Heck was the leader. hosted the show, played rythmn guitar and did truly great vocals. Heck passed away a few years back. Don Butarri (sp?)was our accordianist and primary arranger; full time musician and teacher. John Fuhrman was on fiddle, had a degree in music, could sight read like mad and did a lot of the harmony work with the accordian and steel. Steve Malnachuck, doghouse bass, was a local school teacher/vocalist. Carla Rowe was our female vocalist and was truly great to work with. Our drummer Ernie Cutshall, was a law enforcement officer and a great guy....and even used brushes when the mood of the song called for it.
We used Don Helms' "Corn Crib" as our theme song. On the tape Jody was kind enough to mention, we did Little Spanish Town, Speedin' West, Stainless Steel, One Rose, Cherokee Steel Guitar, Opus #1, and the list goes on and on. You've all done this stuff I know.
My quad Bigsby was my instrument with an old Fender 4x10 Bassman amp.
Well, I hope I've provided all that Jody has asked for. Again Jody, many thanks for your kind words. And Forumites, Jody does get emotional from time to time....if I was really as great as he so enthusiastically states, I too, would have been on the Grand Ole Opry, my lifetime dream.

Jody what can I say in response to your compliments....just to be mentioned in the same context as those great players is humbling.....thank you my friend......Gene

Gene & Ray
Thank both of you for giving me the enthusiasm to comment as I did. I could have
e mailed you both with my comments which I have already done.I received the enthusiasm by listening to both of you.

I wanted those on this Forum to be aware of your playing ability.

I always played by the seat of my pants,,sometimes I wore my pants out trying so hard.

I always spoke right from my heart,,I dont put on "what Iam not" what you see is what you get,,,good or bad depending on a persons
opinion. I have always maintained that philosophy,,,dont ask why,,its just the way it is.

When I was a salesman,,I was told by other salesman,,I could have been more sucsessful by doing what many sucessful salesman have done,,,and still do. I could NOT meet the requirements. I just did the best I could with what I had to work with.

A person didnt have to oversell a Fender product even during the very early years,,a good salesman is only as good as the product he or she sells. I wont go into the Fender history of my life here. I have done that a few times before and have been called down for it.

I dont have to sell the ability that both of you possess,,I just want people to be aware
of "who and what you are" and what you have done.

My comment that this will be my last post on the Forum,is such, that recently my wife went through many tests for physical problems. The doctor's are going to biopsy what they refer to as "suspicious" abnormalities.

You are all aware Im sure of that old saying
"A family that prays together stays together"
Well I have found that to be true,,we have been married 47 years going on 48 years this February.

We do most everything together,,,(she does most I have to admit) we pray together and have had tough times together and we just seem to get through life doing what most of us do,,,,take it day by day.

Right after my wife's exam and cat scan etc etc,,,I went in for my annual exam as well.

The doctor who is a young man and very competant examined me etc and said Mr. Carver
I would like to look further as I see something "suspicious",,,thats the same thing another doctor told my wife.

I said to the doctor,,,Doc if you are looking for the "Big "C" you dont have to look further,,,he looked startled at my comment and replied,,what do you mean??.

My answer was,,,well I have always had
C"-ondsideration & "C"-ompassion for people
and if that is what you are looking for,,,you will find it.

However,,I dont want any of it removed,,that would be a refurbishing job and I want to stay as original as I am....my value would de-preciate if you were to alter my original
parts in any way. No need for refinishing here.

Ray,,,,you are very accurate on my being emotional from time to time,,but I dont think
it varies from "time to time"....its always
there.

Iam not ashamed of that. Iam blessed with that quality and I have God to thank for that
and if I were a player of the stature of Buddy Emmons,,Lloyd Green etc etc and paid the compliments that I did to both of you people would pay attention.

I was born with a talent for knowing the good
from the bad,,,,the good from the best,,and
you can rest assured, I speak right from my heart,,,,this is not a sales pitch,I think both of you highly "underestimate" yourselves
as to your playing ability.

I dont have to sell Bobbe or Smiley to anyone
we all know how great they play. But they as well are very much underated in my opinion..
even though all of us are aware of their great playing ability,,,I wanted to give them a well deserved "slap on the back" as well,,if they are among the "old guy community,,,btw....who classifies and what does an "old guy" have to do with a talented
musician???.

Most old guys I knew and have known were great.

My doctor is young,,I dont beleive he comes across many people these day with the Big "C"
C-ompassion-C-onsideration,,,,I will show him what "old guys" are made of.

I will be back after I show this young doctor
what "an original" is made of,,,no parts or refinishing needed,,,,,Im a natural " even' my underwear is made of "Fender Tweed".

Just hope this doctor isn't a Gibson enthusiast,,,we may run into a problem.

Ray the reason you sounded so good on that two ton Bigsby is because ,,,you were running it through a Fender 4x10 bassman,,otherwise you wouldn't have sounded
so hot. Gene was playing a Fender 1000,,,so you see,,I may not be a great player,,but I do have good ears.

Be well and I'll be thinking of you when I straighten that young doctor out, and my wife and myself will return home again.

Dont thank me guys,,,I only spoke of your ability,,,you have had that,,,,you didnt need me to prove it. I just like to write long posts,,hey have a little C-onsideration
and C-ompassion to those of you who think my posts are too long,,,,Im just "old guy" trying
to survive.

I like many of you can listen to a steel player and hear little things, such as the way he or she picks the strings,,,you know what I mean. The use of the bar so far as vibrato etc,,,you can always tell from the very beginning if the steel player is playing the guitar or if it is the other way around.You can tell by the "touch a player has or has not. You have IT..

I know iam going to get hell for writing such a long drawn out post,,,but it dont bother me at all,,,,what can they do????
Fire Me?? delete me?? I'll turn up the volume
if that happens.

Be well,,,,I will be in touch "old guys".
Old Guys Never Die,,,,they just wind up making long stories about other "great old
guys.

For those who dont like this post,,,,give your self a break today ,go to Mc Donalds,,,you deserve a break today,,send the check
to Ray,,,Drive thru ONLY...no super size fries either. This post should be long enough to last you a lifetime,,and maybe it will have to do just that...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,,and to
all a "goodnite" one for each of you,,,,old guys,,,"YEAH RIGHT" UH OH here comes the Sheriff again..... Santa Claus
carries a big bag full of "goodies and toys"
I carry a big bag full of words,,,,you can always return the goodies and toys,,,but you
cant return the words I wrote..
They are "written in stone" ever try to return a stone??? think about it. I even think this is a long post.

I hope the doctor has a shorter "post",,,,
like Dave Van Allen says,,,Its "Fender Of Course" God Bless the Old Guys,,thats the one we need the most,,,not the critics.
Ray,,,,you not being on the Opry was their loss,,,,You Da Man....do a CD of those tunes
and let em hear what you are all about.

Your friend and fan

Jody C'mon Ray list all the tunes,,,,,like Nike"s slogan "JUST DO IT" <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 30 November 2001 at 03:47 PM.]</p></FONT>

Jody, I for one was glad to hear from you again. And I'll be praying with you for you and your wife.

Now If I can figure out what to do with that Ray guy!!!!. Me telling him how to record something.

BC.

Thanks Jody! Not that I am deserving of all your kind words.....but I'll accept them as they have come few and far in between during my lifetime. THANK YOU very much.
And a big thank you to each of you that were thoughtful and caring enough to send along your suggestions to help guide me into
the right steps to take, in order to get my computer, Band in the Box, and my guitars all into sink. I've had several contributions, suggestions and all, and am very grateful and appreciative of each and every one of them.
From the bottom of my heart, thanks so much to each of you.
My prayers are with you Jody and your wonderful, loving wife. Best wishes....to the both of you.