Dark Moon in progress #4

After hearing Simon’s new parts for Dark Moon I decided I could be getting on with some extra tracks too and put down the tremolo and wahwah guitar tracks, fully expecting to edit most of it out again.  Still no Pete though.

Dark Moon in progress #3

We’re all working at different speeds. I’ve done the guitars parts for the ‘legacy version’, Simon has gone a bit further and added some extra guitar at the end, Pete has only just got back from New Zealand and not started yet.

D4 Drums

I’ve edited another version of the drum sequence for Dark Moon so that the 12/8 section has fills and dynamics.  It’s been recorded as audio using my Alesis D4 for sounds (the “You process ‘Em” kit, compressed but nothing else done to it).  The intro is sounding quite good now, just needs Pete.  The drums have got what sounds like a china cymbal that I don’t remember putting in though – did something weird happen transferring from Logic to Reaper, or is it the difference between the headphones I’m listening on now and the speakers I was working on?

Some editing – cover my mistakes

I’ve edited take 1 of my guitar part for the ‘legacy version’ of Dark Moon.  Most of the fluffs have been covered up now and I’ve split the take between two tracks in Reaper so it can have the clean and the distorted sections with me having to work out how Reaper does automation yet.  I’ve used Reaper VST effects (EQ, Compression, Delay) and this JesuScript (Chorus, Fuzz, Amp Simulation) and it doesn’t sound too bad (except for the delay emphasising a couple of fluffs!).  I will probably record the two parts again though, using real effects and amps.

First guitar track for Dark Moon

Well, I’ve just recorded the first take of my guitar part for Dark Moon in Reaper.  I’ve made a few mistakes – which can either be put down to hardly having played the song in 13 years, or having fat fingers and not cutting my nails.  I used my main guitar from those days, the red Fender (b-m,10,1,7), to be as ‘true to the legacy’ as possible (joke).  I DI’d via my general purpose pre-amp though (-20db,8,on,5,on,on,bypass,10), so no effects what so ever yet – not even distortion.  I’ll see how Reapers effects sound later, but if they’re no good I’ll re-record.