BOTM BOTM April 2017: P.S. I Love You

[nigeld]

OK, if the bell points to the mic, you get a sound that's quite far from the real. The mic should point to your G#, usually about 50 cm (20" or a couple of feet or 0.000269978 nautical miles) away.
Worth experimenting with positioning to prevent sonic frustration.

So I tried some experiments with various microphone positions.
Here is a summary of the results. All recorded with a Zoom H2N in a fairly dead room. No effects added.
1. Microphone at desk height pointing upwards towards the saxophone. Saxophone head on - pointing directly at the microphone.
2. Mic at desk height pointing upwards towards the saxophone. Sax pointing 20 degrees to the right of the mic.
3. Mic at head height pointing downwards towards the sax. Sax head on.
4. Mic at head height pointing downwards towards the sax. Sax pointing 20 degrees to the right of the mic.

Recorded one after another with the same saxophone, mouthpiece and reed.
The difference between 1 and 3 is very marked.

 

[aldevis]

So I tried some experiments with various microphone positions.
Here is a summary of the results. All recorded with a Zoom H2N in a fairly dead room. No effects added.
1. Microphone at desk height pointing upwards towards the saxophone. Saxophone head on - pointing directly at the microphone.
2. Mic at desk height pointing upwards towards the saxophone. Sax pointing 20 degrees to the right of the mic.
3. Mic at head height pointing downwards towards the sax. Sax head on.
4. Mic at head height pointing downwards towards the sax. Sax pointing 20 degrees to the right of the mic.

The difference between 1 and 3 is very marked.

3 sounds like the best starting point. I'd put the mic higher (bookshelf?) and further away.

 

[nigeld]

3 sounds like the best starting point. I'd put the mic higher (bookshelf?) and further away.

I tried putting the microphone higher.
1. Microphone at head height
2. One shelf higher.
I adjusted the volume to try to get them more or less the same. I'm not sure there is much difference.
I also tried even higher, but it sounded the same to me.

 

[aldevis]

I tried putting the microphone higher.
1. Microphone at head height
2. One shelf higher.
I adjusted the volume to try to get them more or less the same. I'm not sure there is much difference.
I also tried even higher, but it sounded the same to me.

It does sound quite similar, but slightly better. Assuming that you are not using "auto level" (=never do it), try a lower recording level.

 

[nigeld]

It does sound quite similar, but slightly better. Assuming that you are not using "auto level" (=never do it), try a lower recording level.

I have tried playing with the recording level and one notch down does sound a little better.
Two notches down feels a bit thin.
Many thanks for the advice.

 

[StageFright]

This is my first attempt at playing anything for anyone other than my instructor. So just dipping my toes into the water so to speak. Really just the melody a couple times through. First attempt at recording anything as well so a lot to learn there as well. Recorded with a Zoom H1 recorder as a USB mic into Audacity with some ear buds to monitor the backing track. I used the Audacity tutorial provided by Jeanette elsewhere on the site to get started.

PS I Love You.mp3 - Box

 

[Jeanette]

This is my first attempt at playing anything for anyone other than my instructor. So just dipping my toes into the water so to speak. Really just the melody a couple times through. First attempt at recording anything as well so a lot to learn there as well. Recorded with a Zoom H1 recorder as a USB mic into Audacity with some ear buds to monitor the backing track. I used the Audacity tutorial provided by Jeanette elsewhere on the site to get started.

PS I Love You.mp3 - Box

Bit scary first time isn't it? lovely recording though, let's have more now 🙂

Jx

 

[Tiberius]

This is my first attempt at playing anything for anyone other than my instructor.

Well it's way better than my first attempt on here 🙂 Moving on, having a month to do something I find a good discipline, it's certainly been responsible for a big improvement in my playing. Keep it up.

Some months are easier than others, and some months have styles that you're more interested in than others, but as a general task for the month, I've found has helped me over the past year or so.

 

[nigeld]

This is my first attempt at playing anything for anyone other than my instructor. So just dipping my toes into the water so to speak. Really just the melody a couple times through. First attempt at recording anything as well so a lot to learn there as well. Recorded with a Zoom H1 recorder as a USB mic into Audacity with some ear buds to monitor the backing track. I used the Audacity tutorial provided by Jeanette elsewhere on the site to get started.

PS I Love You.mp3 - Box

Well done! That sounds good.

When I first recorded myself I hated the process, and was disappointed with the result, but I decided I would try to post a recording each month. I'm still not happy doing recordings, but it is getting easier, and each month I notice some aspect of my playing that I can work on. So I can recommend doing regular recordings and posting them.

 

[jbtsax]

This is my first attempt at playing anything for anyone other than my instructor. So just dipping my toes into the water so to speak. Really just the melody a couple times through. First attempt at recording anything as well so a lot to learn there as well. Recorded with a Zoom H1 recorder as a USB mic into Audacity with some ear buds to monitor the backing track. I used the Audacity tutorial provided by Jeanette elsewhere on the site to get started.

PS I Love You.mp3 - Box

Very well done---especially for your first time. Your time was right on which is more difficult at slower tempose. The intonation was quite good as well. You might want to check the 4th line D's for sharpness which is a common trait of most saxes. Opening the teeth a bit on that note usually solves that problem.

 

[StageFright]

Thank you all for the kind words.

Bit scary first time isn't it? lovely Jx

Scary. Yes indeed. I chose the name StageFright for a reason

Well it's way better than my first attempt on here .

Thank you Tiberius. Truth be told you were my inspiration for attempting this; I saw you jump in after just a few months of playing time and have followed your progression with interest (very nice). I've been at this for a year and a half now and your enthusiasm led me to finally give it a whirl.

Well done! That sounds good.

When I first recorded myself I hated the process, and was disappointed with the result, but I decided I would try to post a recording each month. I'm still not happy doing recordings, but it is getting easier, and each month I notice some aspect of my playing that I can work on. So I can recommend doing regular recordings and posting them.

I feel the same way about the process. I played this for my instructor before I posted it here. He asked me how I felt about it and I told him I thought I sounded like someone was murdering a goose, or playing the bagpipes...badly. He gave me some suggestion to work on and try to post again before the end of the month.

Very well done---especially for your first time. Your time was right on which is more difficult at slower tempose. The intonation was quite good as well. You might want to check the 4th line D's for sharpness which is a common trait of most saxes. Opening the teeth a bit on that note usually solves that problem.

Thank you. I really appreciate the feedback. My instructor thinks my timing was off a bit in a few places, but that I caught myself and got back on track. I agree. I particularly appreciate the feedback on the D's. I struggle with these consistently. For clarification when you recommend opening the teeth a bit may I assume you mean to drop the lower jaw a bit?

 

[jbtsax]

For clarification when you recommend opening the teeth a bit may I assume you mean to drop the lower jaw a bit?

Yes. I find that more effective than telling a student to "lip down" because it also opens the oral cavity which helps lower the pitch without the tone going "flabby".

 

[StageFright]

Yes. I find that more effective than telling a student to "lip down" because it also opens the oral cavity which helps lower the pitch without the tone going "flabby".

Thank you for the clarification.

 

[Tiberius]

Weather finally improving a bit, so been a bit busy past few days doing stuff on the house, finally thought I'd have another go at this, some bits ok, others not.

PS I Love You170419.mp3 - Box

 

[StageFright]

.........thought I'd have another go at this, some bits ok, others not.

I liked when you moved into the upper register around the 2 minute mark. I've been toying with that with out much success thus far. It always seems to shrill, but now you given me some ideas to try. Thanks.

 

[Tiberius]

... upper register around the 2 minute mark. I've been toying with that with out much success thus far.

I'd been trying it without any success for a couple of weeks 🙂

Still nowhere near what I want, but that's the story ever since I started playing...

 

[Jazzaferri]

Hi All Heidi Woods (vocal) and I recorded this last summer and it sits unmixed in Limbo. Guitar is scratch track....I am undecided as to acoustic or electric. I am struggling with where to go with all of it. Hoping that some comments will trigger something that will open the door to completion. Sop starts at :52 with fills... solo at 1:45.

https://soundcloud.com/user-896066788%2Fps-i-love-you-1

View: https://soundcloud.com/user-896066788/ps-i-love-you-1

 

[rhysonsax]

@Jeanette anyone HELP rofl. Never done this before

https://soundcloud.com/user-896066788%2Fps-i-love-you

View: https://soundcloud.com/user-896066788/ps-i-love-you

View: https://soundcloud.com/user-896066788/ps-i-love-you


Hi All Heidi Woods (vocal) and I recorded this last summer and it sits unmixed in Limbo. Guitar is scratch track. I am struggling with where to go with it. Hoping that some comments will trigger something that will open the door to completion. Sop starts at :52 with fills... solo at 1:45.

I would love to listen to it, but the links don't seem to work, at least for me.

Rhys

 

[Jazzaferri]

Wheeeee It works Finally. What a technopeasant

 

[Jeanette]

@Jazzaferri you need to ensure it is fully loaded on SoundCloud and make sure it is set to public.

You should then be able to copy and paste the link into a post 🙂

Jx