Current Festivals

[Burtog]

64, can you clarify the rules for recording Bass for the UnpluggedFest.

I also understand I can use electric guitar as long as they get an acoustic sound??

[64Guitars]

64, can you clarify the rules for recording Bass for the UnpluggedFest.

I suppose an electric bass is acceptable as long as it doesn't have a lot of effects on it. A keyboard may be acceptable too with an acoustic bass patch. For example, my Yamaha keyboard has some bass patches (UprightBass and Aco.Bass) that sound more acoustic than my electric bass. Likewise, you could use a guitar synth with an acoustic bass patch.

But, in keeping with the spirit of the festival, I think the best approach might be to record the bass lines on an acoustic guitar, then drop them an octave in Audacity or some other software. I did this in my cover of I'll Find My Way Home and I think the result was pretty good. Although, I didn't have an actual acoustic guitar so I recorded the bass on my Godin electric using its piezo bridge transducers and the BR-864's acoustic processor effect. Then I dropped it an octave in Audacity.

So any of these techniques are acceptable. Use whatever you have that gives you the most acoustic-sounding bass.

I also understand I can use electric guitar as long as they get an acoustic sound??

Correct. Most BRs have effects for simulating an acoustic guitar with an electric. Some also have an acoustic processor effect that works great with piezo bridge transducers if you've got them. Try anything similar you can think of to make it sound less electric and more acoustic. I'm sure you can get some great acoustic sounds from your GR-55 guitar synth.

And it doesn't just have to be acoustic guitar. Other acoustic instruments can be used too (or instead), such as acoustic piano, flute, clarinet, harmonica, recorder, tambourine, drums, etc. Any of them can be real or simulated with a synth (guitar or keyboard). As long as the end result sounds like it could have been played entirely with real acoustic instruments, it doesn't matter whether the instruments used were actually acoustic or electric.

[64Guitars]

Well, it's one month till Christmas and I had to brush a couple inches of snow off my car today before I went out. Then I found an excellent Christmas parody posted by Bruno. So I think it's time to declare YuleFest 2012 officially started.

So have some rum & egg nog and some fruitcake and start recording some new Christmas tunes everybody. They can be covers or originals, as long as there's an obvious Christmas theme to the song.

[kenny mac]

Yahhhhhhhhhhhhh merry Christmas ,,let the Yuletide begin 

[Burtog]

So what are the options for Jan/Feb 2013?

Kinda missed out doin much for the last ones.

[64Guitars]

So what are the options for Jan/Feb 2013?

Kinda missed out doin much for the last ones.

Unfortunately, the festival voting for Jan/Feb slipped my mind until cuthbert reminded me last night. So we're a bit late. But the admin team is putting together the choices now. We're just waiting for Flash Harry to login and give us his choices, then I'll post the polls. Since we're late, I think we'll reduce the time for voting to 3 days instead of the usual 5. That way, the festivals could start on Wed, Jan 2.

[Burtog]

Cool, thanks!!

[64Guitars]

Voting is closed for the January/February 2013 festivals. The winners are:

70sFest

Covers of songs released in the 1970s. Many of us here grew up in the seventies and probably already know how to play a lot of seventies songs. But I think we should resist the temptation to do songs we already know. Instead, learn a seventies song that you've never tried before, preferably in a different genre than you usually play. For example, if you're a rocker, you might want to try a seventies soul classic or some country. Or cover a band or artist whose songs you've never played before. Our festivals should be about taking a risk and trying something new rather than always falling back on the safe, familiar, comfortable music we've been playing all our lives.

and

Home Made Fest

To quote Flash Harry:
"Home Made Fest - All instruments have to be constructed from things lying around the home. Professional manufacturing where it relates to a musical instrument is not permitted.

Permitted - Pots and pans and bottle top shakers, tea chest basses, wine glasses with water in for tuning, home made stringed instruments. Obviously vocals, home made pipes (permitted are brass instrument mouth pieces just coz I value my lips). All instruments have to be described and justified."

You can also record samples of sounds from around the house, then modify them with software and loop them to create your song. But you can't sample musical instruments; only everyday household sounds. See the following post for more info: https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=16709.msg208914#msg208914

[Burtog]

Great that the 70s fest has come through, gotta be one of the most bizarre decades of music!

[Greeny]

Did someone mention the 70's ?!