Playing the saxophone Cafe members Christmas Quartet?

[ESJohn]

My audio setup was to use the microphone (USB attached) as the recording device. For the playback, I used the external computer speakers. I used my earphones (USB attached) to listen to the click track. I used the "duplicate" feature of Audacity to open another track of only the first two bars of the click track. Those appeared directly below the first two bars of the full track. I then opened up a third track to record my playing, which I began once the first eight clicks were completed. Before I sent it over to Audio.com, I deleted the full click track and listened to what was left. If it was successful, then it was probably the most difficult way in the world to achieve success.
To me, it sounded in sync, and I have checked it a few times since. I'm hoping that it sounds that way to Digger and yourself. I am sending you the recording and would appreciate your expert opinion.
If not, then I can work on it some more.
I'd like to have it sound more musical. If I get a chance to record part 1, maybe I can get closer to that goal with it.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I'm hoping that it sounds that way to Digger and yourself. I am sending you the recording and would appreciate your expert opinion.

It’s impossible to know from just listening, so anyone compiling from takes needs to know that there is a foolproof way to synchronise, not just by ear.

 

[h4yn0nnym0u5e]

When it turns up in the Google Drive and I’ve had a chance to look at it, I’ll let y’all know what I think (about ease of sync … not going to criticise any aspect of musicality 🙂 I’m living in a glass house here).

 

[Digger2054]

@ESJohn can you upload the MP3 to something like drop box, as I can't fathom how to download it.

I can create another a click that just does the count in, so you can play with a full click, then turn that off leaving the 'count in' click track audible?

 

[mizmar]

If you're recording in Audacity with the click-track playing in Audacity; given your computer is sufficiently powerful, you're not using Bluetooth etc. and the recording is in sync with what you heard...

... Why not swing the click track to one stereo channel, take one channel of sax and put that on the other stereo channel. Then, whoever is mixing it can align to the click track and then delete it?

Alternatively; select all the click track you don't want and delete it; then export.

 

[Hoosierken]

Jeff Moyer did this on his Facebook group. I played two parts with my Holton C melody. He provided the backing track, assigned all of the parts and did the mixing. It came out sounding really nice.
Sorry, the Cafe will not allow me to attach it as media.
Lean on Me Collab.

 

[Pete Thomas]

... Why not swing the click track to one stereo channel, take one channel of sax and put that on the other stereo channel. Then, whoever is mixing it can align to the click track and then delete it?

Alternatively; select all the click track you don't want and delete it; then export.

Simplest thing. Duplicate the click track exacty, select the fist two bars of the duplicate (or just the first click), then trim the audio outside selection.

Play the saxophone, mute the original click but not the truncated one and export.

 

[mizmar]

Why duplicate? Surely simpler to just delete the bit of the click track you don't want after you're done recording.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Why duplicate?

Because you have a safety in case you want to redo it? But yes, you could have one click track and just remove the bit you don’t want

 

[Taragot]

Sorry, this is not for this nice collaboration project - but here's a link to a recording I did 2 years ago. It's my favourite german Christmas Song arranged for Sno, S, A, T, Bar.

View: https://youtu.be/eDztirhUMNk

 

[Digger2054]

Right... Now the wife's back at work I've finally had chance to sit down and export some clips to Google Drive.

Soprano, alto 2, and Tenor/Bari.

Also dropped a mix of the 3 together in there.

Annnnd I've realised i've not saved the right files!

 

[Targa]

Right... Now the wife's back at work I've finally had chance to sit down and export some clips to Google Drive.

Soprano, alto 2, and Tenor/Bari.

Also dropped a mix of the 3 together in there.

Annnnd I've realised i've not saved the right files!

See, if your wife was there she'd have made sure you did it right.

 

[Digger2054]

See, if your wife was there she'd have made sure you did it right.

Wife is not here, and I am hastily recording the parts 😂 that is my excuse and I am sticking to it 😂

 

[ESJohn]

I've been listening to the parts. We are all going to be very busy when we go on tour in a few weeks! Any TV appearances scheduled?

 

[Digger2054]

I've re-recorded the correct parts and uploaded.

I've also added another folder for 'mixes'

Mixing isn't my forte (some would saying playing a saxophone isn't either)

However, @h4yn0nnym0u5e is playing the Contra + Soprano, and @ESJohn you're on there too. I just chucked some reverb on. Listen here

Take a bow It works

 

[ESJohn]

Awesome work, Digger! It was a great learning experience!

 

[Digger2054]

Awesome work, Digger! It was a great learning experience!

People can still add recordings, or download them and do a mix with them.

I'm quite impressed, considering how we kind of cobbled it together!

 

[Ivan]

Great to watch this thread and see the real life ups and downs of getting it together

Looking forward to hearing the sonic fruit of your labours

 

[h4yn0nnym0u5e]

I’m aiming to upload a mix tomorrow at some point. Unless someone else wants to contribute … so far we have 14 tracks uploaded by 3 people 😀

 

[h4yn0nnym0u5e]

Two mixes uploaded to the DropBox I shared with @Digger2054 and @Pete Thomas. I don't have write access to any part of the shared Google Drive...

There's a 14-part one with all contributed parts, and a 10-part one where I removed my SABB contributions, because they're covered by others. That still leaves Sop+Alto, 2x Alto2, 2x Tenor, Tenor+Bari+Contra, plus Soprano on descant in verse 3 only. The 14-part one is thus (S[v3])(SSA)(AAA)(TT)(TBBBC).

I definitely need to work on my mixing skills. I've done a few tweaks to some of the timing, but not touched tuning at all. I need to figure out how to do effects routing properly in Reaper, though.