The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey Guys!

Some time ago I had the audacity, with my limited experience, to post a link to some new music that I've recorded (i.e. written, played and recorded/produced).
Admittingly it is not all country. Well, one of the pieces is actually quite "country'ish" though not in the traditional sense.

I had hoped for some constructive criticism, having seen how a lot of other forumites posts links to clips of their playing, and have responses (most recently Dag Wolf), but my original posting just went down and down on the page without the slightest reaction from the forum.

That leads me to ask myself if people find my developing style of playing so corny (or a-b'ish, or "uncountry'ish") that they just ignore it, thinking that if one doesn't have anything positive to say they'd rather shut up, or what.......

I know I probably asked for it, but I would like your responses, even if they are critical. Just please be constructive

The steel-pieces are HERE. All marked as "new" (except the video-clip, which is a slap bass solo you probably wouldn't like .

All the very best wishes....

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Klaus Caprani

MCI RangeXpander S-10 3x4
www.klauscaprani.com

To be honest, I didn't notice your first post. Sorry.

Your pedal steel sounds in tune and it adds another texture to the song's palette. Most producers would be happy to have steel parts like yours on their tracks. Flashy steel licks aren't required to add "that pedal steel sound" to a song.

Well, Klaus, I just listened to all of your song clips, and I think you did very well. The guitar sounds good, you have good intonation, you play tastefully, to complement the singer and the song. As a personal preference (and some of my colleagues here may hate me for this comment!), I would actually mix the steel a little Lower in the mix. But that's personal preference and certainly doesn't reflect on your playing, which I think is very good. Well done!

Klaus, you're doing some far-out stuff there! There's nothing wrong with it, but you must remember that most participants here on the forum aren't really into the types of music you're doing. I'm hearing some rock, alt-rock, techno rock, disco, and funk stylings. It's all pretty cool, but I noticed nothing among the dozen-or-so clips that I listened to that I would call "memorable". If you want a critique on a specific song, e-mail me, and I'll give you my own candid opinion.

Just remember, what "we" think isn't really important. If you love what you're doing, keep right on doing it!

Hey Klaus - Is it you again!
I can’t smell you from here - and I’m pretty close, right in your backyard, nor am I scared by the "heavy-rock-dude" photos on your website I was actually at your site some time ago when you first advertised your clips; just couldnt download and get it to work, maybe others had the same problem? BUT thanks for reminding - it sounds great, man! Nice backing, good atmosphere. Jeppe

double post

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HookMoore.com
Allen Moore


<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Hook Moore on 15 March 2005 at 02:48 PM.]</p></FONT>

Klaus I echo the other comments plus I offer an apology for my tardiness.
Hook

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HookMoore.com
Allen Moore

Hey Klaus, I too don't recall seeing any post with clips. I generally try to listen to all posts that have clips and add positive comments.


There have been times I have also posted some clips with minimal reposnes but I don't take it personel. Folks are busy and if they are like me if the post is down below the browser view sometimes I just move on..

anyway, your tunes and playing are very fine and your website layout is also very cool.

good stuff

t

Hey Klaus,
Cool steel playing. Your tasty playing added a lot to all of the songs that I heard. Listening to your steel is kind of like sitting by a mountain stream under a tree. At least that's the image it put in my head. Keep it coming.
Duncan

I applaud your courage to post your work here and ask for opinions, so I will oblige as a courtesy to you.

The bass video is cool but been done before by a million other bass players. Nice, but a style that is now about 25 years old and getting boring to hear, even when done well.

The songs sound like demos--which they are, so you have accomplished what you started out to do.

The steel playing on the demos sounds like the most basic of E9 stuff that you might play on a demo---very generic. I found myself wanting to hear the steel edged more toward the rock thing rather than hearing the E9 country slant on top of the more rock oriented groove, vox style and the drum track. You do get a gold star on your forehead for using the pedal guitar though!

I don't think that the non response to your first post was because anyone thinks your music or your playing is not any good, just very basic demo stuff that might not stir up much for a critique.

Keep at it. The fact that you have complete songs finished is something to be proud of. Getting musicians to give you opinions of your music is pretty useless---go ask some teenagers, they buy most of the music these days. That's who the industry litmus testers ask.

Don't feel bad man, I posted some clips from my new record featuring hall of famer JayDee Maness and I only got a handful of posts, I would have thought it would have had more legs but thats the way it goes.

never take anything personally on the web

-jesse

Klaus, my forum friend,
I'm no real critic by a long shot. I just know what sounds right to me. After many years under the "cans", playing music on the radio, my terms may not be very technical but they are honest to the best of my ability. My comments pertain to the sound.The music is leaning toward the pleasing side, altho I agree with Jimbeux to an extent. The steel needs to be farther down in the mix since it seems to overpower the vocals. If the steel were slightly lower in places it would complement the singer much more. The sound seems to be TOO big overall. By that I mean the recording level seems too high. By explanation, It's as if the sound sort of attacks the ears a little too blatantly, where I think this type music should rather entice your senses more subtly, and drawing your attention less noticably.(Ihope my explanation is understandable, I'm a redneck you know) The musical style is very good and the steel is tasteful and in place so to speak. I hope my comments do not sound too harsh but it is my honest appraisal. Also it's good that you are bold enough to step out and try something different.
GOOD LUCK

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JUST 'CAUSE I STEEL, DON'T MAKE ME A THIEF www.geocities.com/squire592001/jason.html



<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by John P.Phillips on 15 March 2005 at 07:51 PM.]</p></FONT>

Well! I certainly asked for it, didn't I

Ofcourse I'm aware of people being busy (aren't we all, at least sometimes), but I'm happy about you responses. A couple of you really have some interesting points and observations, besides the encouragement which lies in, that people I tend to regard as capacities within steel playing actually thinks that my work is at least all right.

I have to sneak in a remark about Bill Hatchers observation on the bass-video (which wasn't even on topic really). It's actually an excerpt filmed on a stadium sized gig with my cover band, and it's a feature in our rendition of (something like 25 years old ,) "Play That Funky Music".
Your observation is right. Definetely old school, but even so hits home (also with the teenage audiences) every time.

Furthermore I find your remark, and I quote:

<SMALL>I found myself wanting to hear the steel edged more toward the rock thing rather than hearing the E9 country slant on top of the more rock oriented groove</SMALL>

....very interesting. A band I play with (a rock band) wants some steel on a piece which we're taking to the studio soon. I have great difficulties thinking out a steel line which doesn't "turn ev'rything country" purely because of the instruments generic characteristics (and my limited abilities). Thanks for heightening my awareness about this issue.

Jim Cohen and John P. Phillips has some very useful insights too I think. Though players themselves they have the overhead to actually wish the steel further back in the mix to compliment the vocals better.
It was a quite hard task to get all this together all on my own (And I even had to fight people wanting me to pull the steel further in front, simply because they liked the sound of it
Thanks a lot for your viewpoints.

John even has some more input regarding the position of the steel in the songs, and I must say that I think he hits it spot on (especially in the tunes where I'm doing the vocals myself - I'm easily overpowered).

The most interesting (well - They're all interesting) point is, and I quote:

<SMALL>The sound seems to be TOO big overall. By that I mean the recording level seems too high. By explanation, It's as if the sound sort of attacks the ears a little too blatantly, where I think this type music should rather entice your senses more subtly, and drawing your attention less noticably.(Ihope my explanation is understandable, I'm a redneck you know)</SMALL>

Thats a very useful observation and something that ev'rybody trying to bring out good mixes has to fight each time. The industry misconception that "Louder is better", also known as "The perceived loudness issue".

Nobody wants to have their CD being the faintest sounding in the CD-changer, as the general public (including record company excecutives) has a tendency to associate the first impression with quality of sound (instead of just nudging the volume button on their hi-fi a little bit up and starting the piece again).

That leads to the everlasting competition to come out with CD's louder than anything previous, but has the undesired (or maybe not) sideeffect that peoples ears tires very quickly on these overcompressed/overlimited masterings. On a positive note (at least towards the record industry) that puts them in a position to come out with more CD's, which just may or may not be the point of the action
Pretty good observation for "a redneck" I'll say. Not to be underestimated!

Thanks a lot for your input guys. It's very useful

PS! For those of you who may have heard keyboards in the songs I can tell you that there are none. Anything perceived as organ or solo synth parts is actually all steel.



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Klaus Caprani

MCI RangeXpander S-10 3x4
www.klauscaprani.com

Klaus, with all due to respect to my Forum brethren, I think your playing is just right for the stuff. It is not too forward, and in fact is mixed at the same levels as the acoustic guitar. The steel in these songs is most definitely not being used as a "fill/lead" instrument but is totally orchestrated into the mix with the goal of creating a fat sound. It is played constantly as though it was a rhythm guitar. If Not Now is just an acoustic guitar and the steel and the sound is unique. I wouldn't touch anything. Artist Date is a fantastic song with a fantastic arrangement. The soaring harmonies and instrumentation are energizing to say the least. It's all opinions I realize, but you have something unique you're doing. If you want to play in a commerical country band, then that's a different path with different approaches. But you have a style that works for these progressive types of songs. All I would do is continue to develop more ideas that fit the style you have. It was a pleasure to listen to those recordings.

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Jeff's Jazz

Thank you so much for your reply Jeff.

I'm glad that you had pleasure from listening. As mainly a bassplayer I had some kind of kick out of creating a track without bass, as in "If Not Now".

The "Artist Date" was originally recorded in a very straight forward arrangement, with the steel part being done with layers upon layers of Stratocaster tuned to open E major, and played across my knees with an old gudgeon-pin from a Volvo

I remixed it an recorded some real steel as I finally got one, but left parts of the original "fake steel" track in there together with the steel to create a spacious sort of ambience on selected spots in the track. If you know it's there it's quite obvious. It sounds like some kind of lap steel with a lot of reverb and is especially present at the ending. It's panned to the left and the real pedal steel is right.
(As far as I remember)

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Klaus Caprani

MCI RangeXpander S-10 3x4
www.klauscaprani.com

Klaus-

These sound good. Intonation, considering there is not much vibrato, is very good. May I ask how you tune (you know what I mean, right? ET or JI, or a compromise between the two)

-dean-

Klaus,
I don't check in here often enough these days, so I missed your original post too - sorry 'bout that !

You did a GREAT job on those clips IMHO ! I really like your sound (or is that tone ? ,I like what you play and I like the way it's mixed !

Ole

Thank you so much for your replies Dean & Ole.
I know that Ole and I could speak Danish,but this is an international forum, sooo...

Actually I'm a bit confused about the lengthy treads about tuning here in the forum, but I'm using the build-in tuner in my Boss GT-6 efx processor, which as I understood it must be ET tuning. Am I right?
It wouldn't surprise me if I tweaked a string or two depending on what I played, which would make it a compromise, but my starting point is the tuner.

It appears to me that my instrument tunes very well, as intonation has never been quite as hard as I expected it to, when starting out almost a year ago by now.

I'm flattered about the compliments on tone actually, mainly because I feel that it's a thing that I'm actually able to offer, knowing that I'll never be a Buddy Emmons or Lloyd Green. I simply can't have 30+ years of experience right here when I want it.

Actually the steel is recorded line in through a combination of the digital compression of the GT-6 and a TL Audio 5050 tube compressor/preamp.
I'll definetely try to use my silverface Deluxe Reverb next time (I'm even wondering about "blackfacing" the channel without the effects in it).

I try hard to be a good engineer and producer too, so thanks ever so much for the encouragement on that department too.

All the very best......

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Klaus Caprani

MCI RangeXpander S-10 3x4
www.klauscaprani.com

Klaus,
I like your playing and what you are doing, anything that takes the steel guitar to a different audience has got to be good.