Hey people, here's a cover of Gary Moore's instrumental "The Loner".
Since playing this track at "Cafe d' Art" at my high school in 2017, I wanted to record a proper cover version at home, but I hadn't gotten around to it until this year, when I decided to record it while I was studying at TAFE.
This is the last track out of what was recorded this year at TAFE, and I wanted to save this one till last to release because it's the longest track, and it's probably the one I'm most proud of. This cover was based off of Gary Moore's live versions of The Loner, mainly the Isstadion Stockholm and Hammersmith Odeon live performances from 1987, where he would stretch the length from 5 minutes to 12 or more minutes with extended solos.
-----
All parts recorded at TAFE
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Electric Guitar: Homemade Guitar with EMG 89/SA/SA - Bass Guitar: Jackson Concert Professional EX
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18 - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
- Electric piano, synth strings: Roland XP-60 - Plucked synthesizer: Casio CZ-1000
- Overdrive: Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive - Delay: Boss DD-7 Digital Delay - Chorus: Boss CH-1 Super Chorus - EQ: Boss RGE-10 Graphic Equalizer (Micro Rack)
Hey people, here's a cover of Gary Moore's instrumental "The Loner".
Since playing this track at "Cafe d' Art" at my high school in 2017, I wanted to record a proper cover version at home, but I hadn't gotten around to it until this year, when I decided to record it while I was studying at TAFE.
This is the last track out of what was recorded this year at TAFE, and I wanted to save this one till last to release because it's the longest track, and it's probably the one I'm most proud of. This cover was based off of Gary Moore's live versions of The Loner, mainly the Isstadion Stockholm and Hammersmith Odeon live performances from 1987, where he would stretch the length from 5 minutes to 12 or more minutes with extended solos.
-----
All parts recorded at TAFE
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Electric Guitar: Homemade Guitar with EMG 89/SA/SA - Bass Guitar: Jackson Concert Professional EX
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18 - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
- Electric piano, synth strings: Roland XP-60 - Plucked synthesizer: Casio CZ-1000
- Overdrive: Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive - Delay: Boss DD-7 Digital Delay - Chorus: Boss CH-1 Super Chorus - EQ: Boss RGE-10 Graphic Equalizer (Micro Rack)
Homemade Guitar - E Standard (E-A-D-G-B-E) - Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky (9-46)
Jackson 1994 Concert Professional EX - E Standard (E-A-D-G) - Ernie Ball Extra Slinky Bass (40-95)
Twitter: twitter.com/ImAFutureGH Facebook: facebook.com/ImAFutureGuitarHeroJarrod Grgic ft. John Costello - The Green Manalishi (Fleetwood Mac Cover) (Music Video)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2022-12-23 | Coming soon on major streaming platforms Spotify: coming soon Apple Music: coming soon TIDAL: coming soon Amazon Music: coming soon Deezer: coming soon
Hey people, here's a cover of the Fleetwood Mac track "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)".
The first time I heard this song was as part of the Mick Fleetwood and Friends tribute concert for Peter Green, where this song was played with Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and Kirk Hammett (Metallica), and since seeing that I wanted to do a cover of it.
This was actually the first out of these covers at TAFE that I started working on (this was the first track I recorded drums for near the start of the year), and ironically it's the last track that was finished with recording, ending with recording John's solo at the end of the song.
-----
All parts except John's guitar solo recorded at TAFE John's guitar solo recorded at his home
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Electric Guitar (Jarrod): Homemade Guitar with EMG 89/SA/SA - Electric Guitar (John): Fender 60s Vintera Stratocaster - Bass Guitar: Fender Player Series Jazz Bass Fretless - Bass Guitar (Distorted): Jackson Concert Professional EX
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18 - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
Hey people, here's a cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", based on the version by John Mayer from the 2010 Crossroads Festival. I wanted to make this cover a bit more original, so it's done in a different key from John Mayer's version (F minor instead of G minor) and using a rotary simulator pedal throughout for a more Hendrix-y/SRV-esque style.
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Hey people, here's a cover of Starsailor's track "Love Is Here".
I arranged this cover to be more piano-based than the original track, a bit more like how if a band like Coldplay wrote the song (or at least early 2000s era Coldplay).
The drums in this are the only ones out of these covers (other than Come Together) not recorded with the same miking setup as the other tracks; I recorded the piano and guide vocals first and recorded other instruments on top, and the mics I had set up for the guitar amps happened to work well after some minor adjustments as a stereo pair of room mics for the drums.
-----
All parts except backing vocals recorded at TAFE Backing vocals recorded at home
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Acoustic Guitar: Maton EM225C - Lead Guitar: Homemade Guitar with EMG 89/SA/SA - Bass Guitar: Fender Player Series Jazz Bass Fretless
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18 - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
- Grand Piano: Yamaha C5 - Harpsichord Synth: Korg M1 - Strings Synth: Nord Electro 4D SW61
Gear: - Guitar Amp: Fender Blues Junior (x2 in stereo)
- Tremolo: Boss PN-2 Tremolo/Pan - Compressor: Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer - Overdrive: Boss BD-2W Blues Driver - Distortion: Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal
Hey people, here's a cover of the Icehouse track "Great Southern Land".
This one proved somewhat difficult because of Iva's vocal style in the original -- there's no way I could replicate his delivery exactly while still hitting the same notes in the same key, so it's obviously sung in a style I'm more comfortable with. However as a result this track probably went through the most adjustments and mixes during mixing due to not quite being happy with the vocals. The final result is to a point that I'm mostly happy with, though I think the instrumental is the stronger point than the vocals with this cover.
This was the only track out of this set of covers recorded this year at TAFE where I recorded to a metronome/click track -- partly this was because the original would have been to a static drum machine, but also because I started recording this cover with the synth pad that goes throughout the track, as the main room with the drums was being used at the time.
-----
All parts except backing vocals recorded at TAFE Backing vocals recorded at home
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Lead Guitar: Homemade Guitar with EMG 89/SA/SA - Bass Guitar: Jackson 1994 Concert Professional EX
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18 - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
Hey people, here's a cover of John Fogerty's track "The Old Man Down The Road".
I decided to record this because this is one of the songs that I do in the covers band I play guitar in (and do vocals on some songs including this one). The mixing of the guitars on this is as close as possible to the original recording; there are at least four guitar tracks I could hear throughout the original track: - The two call and response tracks from the intro that continue throughout - The more jangly track playing low muted chords, which also plays the second half of the lead breaks - The guitar playing the first half of the lead breaks
-----
All parts recorded at TAFE
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Acoustic Guitar: Maton EM225C - Electric Guitar: Fender 1982 Stratocaster - Bass Guitar: Fender Standard Precision Bass
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Sabian XS20 Medium Thin Crash 16" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
Hey people, here's a cover of Al Stewart's track "One Stage Before". This one is one of my favourites from Al's catalogue.
I wanted to make my mix have the feel of Alan Parsons' original mix while making it fit the rest of the songs I recorded at TAFE, so the drums have no compression on them at all (only limiting on the final master bus) and the electric guitar was recorded only with a single condenser a foot or so away from the cabinet (instead of a dynamic shoved in front of the speaker cone).
I'm very proud of the synth sounds on this, as I managed to get them pretty close to the original with just the Korg M1, and also the ambient electric piano parts played throughout. Those parts are a combination of a very wet reverb sound and a single-repeat echo, the latter of which is modulated to give the "slowing down" effect (2:25 and 3:29).
-----
All parts except vocals recorded at TAFE Vocals recorded at home
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Acoustic Guitar: Maton EM225C - Electric Guitar: Fender 1982 Stratocaster - Bass Guitar: Fender Standard Precision Bass
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Sabian XS20 Medium Thin Crash 16" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
- Electric Piano: Nord Electro 4D SW61 - Synthesizer: Korg M1
Hey people, here's another David Bowie cover, this time of his track "Lazarus".
The original song is normally in A minor, and I could sing it in the original key, but I liked how it sounded when played a half-step down (A-flat minor), because I had done a short demo recording a while back (which I never released) of the intro of Lazarus in the style of 90's Metallica (Load/Reload era, tracks like "The Outlaw Torn"), and since Metallica tuned down to E-flat in that era I recorded that demo in E-flat tuning, and really liked how it sounded.
Similar to with Elephant, the super distorted guitar parts (like 0:42 and 1:12) in the original were hard to nail with just amp distortion, so a lot of the sounds there are from extra distortion added to those tracks in the DAW after recording.
-----
All parts except acoustic guitar recorded at TAFE Acoustic guitar recorded at home
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Acoustic Guitar: Livingstone FAG640CEQ - Lead Guitar: Homemade Guitar with EMG 89/SA/SA - Bass Guitar: Jackson 1994 Concert Professional EX
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
- Electric Piano: Nord Electro 4D SW61 - Synthesizer: Roland JP-8000
Hey people, here's a cover of "Song For The Dead" by Queens Of The Stone Age. I added this to my list of covers shortly after Mark Lanegan (who originally sang on this track) passed away earlier this year.
The drum track I originally recorded was very sloppy (that's what I get for trying to cover a Dave Grohl drum part), so it's the only one of these covers that I recorded while at TAFE where I went back and re-recorded a more consistent drum track on top after doing the rest of the instruments. While most of the rest of these covers have a relatively similar drum mic setup, this was the first one where I tried a different set of mics for the toms (AKG C418 microphones). They're not being made anymore from what I can tell, but they have a naturally boosted top end that works well for dense mixes like this one.
-----
All parts except whispered vocals recorded at TAFE Whispered vocals recorded at home
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Left Electric Guitar: ESP LTD Snakebyte - Right Electric Guitar: Ibanez RG370DXZ - Bass Guitar: Jackson 1994 Concert Professional EX
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
Hey people, here's a cover of Atlanta Rhythm Section's version of "Spooky". I recorded this earlier this year along with my other recent covers, and I figured it would be fitting to release it now since it's technically a "Halloween" song (or at least according to Wikipedia it is).
I would have been probably 5 or so when I first heard this song, along with a few other MP3s that my dad had of Atlanta Rhythm Section (most likely downloaded from Napster when that was still a thing), and this song, along with Imaginary Lover and Sky High were and are still some of my favourites of ARS's.
Because keyboards/piano are not my forte, I did something like 10 takes of the electric piano solo, but I found that it sounded kinda cool with the two last takes playing together as a double-tracked solo, which is not how it was on the original, but I think it works well for adding extra width to the keyboard solo.
-----
All parts recorded at TAFE
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Lead Guitar: Homemade Guitar with EMG 89/SA/SA - Rhythm Guitar: Fender 1982 Stratocaster - Bass Guitar: Fender Standard Precision Bass
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
- Electric Piano: Nord Electro 4D SW61
Gear: - Lead Guitar Amp: Marshall JMP 2203 - Lead Guitar Cabinet: Homemade 4x12 with Celestion Greenbacks - Rhythm Guitar Amp: Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
- Lead Overdrive: Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive - Rhythm Overdrive: Boss BD-2W Blues Driver
Hey people, here's a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic". The drums for this were recorded on the same day as the drums for my cover of "Jealous Guy". The solos in the original Hendrix version were over a static chord, however in this version I changed it to a standard 12-bar blues progression to make it more interesting.
This cover is the first time I tried recording an amp being used solely as a preamp into another amplifier acting as a power amp, in this case my Marshall running into the FX return of my JC-120 (using the JC-120's power amp and speakers).
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Lead Guitar: Fender 1982 Stratocaster - Rhythm Guitar: ESP LTD Snakebyte - Bass Guitar: Jackson 1994 Concert Professional EX
Hey people, here's a cover of Tame Impala's "Elephant". The guitar tone on this was hard to try and dial in with just amp and pedal fuzz/distortion, and a lot of the sound is actually from feeding the recorded sound through extra distortion plug-ins in Logic. It's actually interesting how different these two guitars sound even through this much distortion -- the LTD is noticeably brighter due to the active pickups.
-----
All parts except vocals recorded at TAFE Vocals recorded at home
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Left Electric Guitar: ESP LTD Snakebyte - Right Electric Guitar: Ibanez RG370DXZ - Bass Guitar: Fender Standard Precision Bass
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
- Organ: Nord Electro 4D SW61 - Synthesizer 1: Roland JP-8000 - Synthesizer 2: Korg M1
Hey people, here's a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World". This was recorded during my 2022 course at TAFE. The mix for this was based on the 2020 remix by Tony Visconti, which was a huge step up from the original 1971 stereo mix.
I also wanted to make a callback to the 1982 Midge Ure version (which was the first version of the song I heard) with the motif/melody featured in that version in the outro of my cover.
-----
All parts recorded at TAFE
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 DAW (Drums): Pro Tools HD 10 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Electric Guitar: Fender 1982 Stratocaster - Acoustic Guitar: Maton EM225C - Bass Guitar: Fender Player Series Jazz Bass Fretless
- Drums: Pearl 4-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18"
- Organ, Mellotron, Strings: Nord Electro 4D SW61
Gear: - Guitar Amp: Fender Blues Junior
- Guitar Overdrive: Boss BD-2W Blues Driver Waza Craft - Guitar Distortion: Boss DS-1 Distortion
Hey people, here's a cover of "Come Together" by The Beatles. I came up with an arrangement for this song a while ago for solo acoustic guitar in an open D minor tuning, and toyed with ideas for recording it, but I decided to take it further when I ended up recording it this year at TAFE. My friend @joey.lmusic9103 heard it while I was working on it and asked if he could add some drums to it. I already had toms and kick drum recorded, and was going to leave it at that, but he added cymbals and snare and it really completes the track.
Joseph also decided to make a "stripped back" mix of the track which removes all the electric instruments to highlight the acoustic performance, while I also made a "soloist mix" that keeps only the lead vocal and acoustic guitar. Both of those versions are in the following links. - Stripped Back Mix: youtube.com/watch?v=uPor5wrFq4o - Soloist Mix: youtube.com/watch?v=Hmo0u4t4rjY
This cover is dedicated to Curtis Saxton Angier, may he rest in peace.
-----
All parts except electric guitar and bass guitar recorded at TAFE Electric guitar and bass guitar recorded at home
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Electric Guitar: Ibanez RG370DXZ - Acoustic Guitar: Maton EM225C - Bass Guitar: Fender Player Series Jazz Bass Fretless
- Drums: Pearl 5-Piece Vision SST Birch - Snare: Pearl SensiTone Steel 14x5.5 - Hi-Hats: Zildjian "A" New Beat 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian "A" Medium Thin 18" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian "A" Sweet Ride 21" - Ride Cymbal: Sabian "AA" Medium 18
Hey people, here's a cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" I've been working on for the last week. I've been busy at TAFE for the last semester recording a whole bunch of covers, so I'm looking at releasing those throughout the year. I've also been recording some things at home since finishing this semester of TAFE, starting with this cover.
I wanted to make a mix of the different versions I like of this track; The arrangement is based on a mix of the 1971 John Lennon version and the 1981 Roxy Music version, but the vocals are based more on the 2006 Starsailor live version (more belted instead of head voice).
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Electric Guitar: Fender 1982 Stratocaster - Bass Guitar: Fender Player Series Jazz Bass Fretless
Tracklist: 0:00 - Red Desert Sun 4:48 - 5꞉55 10:43 - Rain 16:56 - To Live Is To Die (Metallica Cover) 26:11 - Reach
Tracks 1, 2, 3 and 5 written by Jarrod Grgic
Track 4 - To Live Is To Die By Clifford Burton, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich Copyright Creeping Death Music
Special thanks: My parents - for the help and support, and getting me interested in music from the beginning TAFE Nirimba - for giving me the knowledge and the opportunity to record an EP John Costello at Maxx Music - for lending a great acoustic guitar to help make the EP possible Joseph Lizzio - for helping with mastering and being a good mate Chris Jonsson - RIP - without his generosity there probably wouldn't be an acoustic drum kit on the EPJarrod Grgic - Reach (Music Video)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2022-01-30 | From my EP "The Lockdown Sessions", available to listen and buy on Bandcamp: jarrodgrgic.bandcamp.com/album/the-lockdown-sessions Available now on major streaming platforms: - Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/0OSi408K7iBsTNJbjM7YiG - Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/album/the-lockdown-sessions/1606352015 - TIDAL: tidal.com/browse/album/230738968 - Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com.au/albums/B09QT6PVBV - Deezer: https://deezer.page.link/WwR24yoYgt9vQqit6
-----
The fifth and final track of the EP was the first one I wrote in 2021, but for a while I wasn't sure if it would work because it was written for 7-string guitar, and I wasn't really happy with how my 7-string sounded. No matter what amp I ran it through or what pedals were used, it always sounded muddy and lacked clarity. I decided to try swapping out the pickups for a set of DiMarzio Crunch Lab 7 and LiquiFire 7 pickups, and honestly, it's easily ten times better sounding than it ever has been.
The fade out into piano at the end was inspired by the way the track "Epic" by Faith No More ends, where the band fades out and the song ends with a piano playing the guitar chord progression.
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
The criteria for the EP assessment was to have at least four original tracks, which the EP meets, but I also decided to record a cover along with the originals, and since all my originals are instrumental I went with an instrumental Metallica song, "To Live Is To Die".
When learning the song, I found out I had to write my own tabs for the intro/outro, as all the tabs I found online showed it arranged for one classical/acoustic guitar, but when listening closely to the track (and the acoustic intro rough mix from the AJFA box set), it sounds like there's at least two or three guitars in the intro and outro, and from what I can tell it sounds like there's two guitars playing a single part (double tracked) and a third guitar playing a counterpoint melody that fills out the arrangement.
On the topic of double tracking, it seems that whatever Metallica was on in the 80s, it was working, because other than the lead guitar solos, electric guitars are at the very least double tracked in the original recording.
The interlude where the song drops to a single guitar that sounds like its coming out of a small radio could have been achieved with just an EQ in post, but I decided to go further by running the audio through an FM transmitter and recording the result back into the DAW while slightly adjusting the radio tuning knob to introduce radio static into the signal.
Instead of copy-pasting the intro to use as the outro like was done in the original Metallica track, I re-recorded the outro slightly differently, and added to it to make it more original.
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Electric Rhythm Guitar: ESP LTD Snakebyte - Electric Lead Guitar: Homemade JBG-6 - Bass Guitar: Jackson 1994 Concert Professional EX - Classical Guitar: Fernandez FG-130 - Acoustic Guitar (6-String): Takamine EN-20S - Acoustic Guitar (12-String): Fender DG-16E-12 - Drums: Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage 5-Piece - Hi-Hats: Paiste 402 Medium 14" - Crash Cymbal 1: Zildjian Edge Razor Crash 16" - Crash Cymbal 2: Zildjian 15” Crash - China Cymbal: Meinl Classics Custom 18”
Gear: - Guitar Amp 1: Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus - Guitar Amp 2: Marshall JMP 2203 100W - Guitar Cab (Amp 2): Homemade 4x12 with Celestion Greenbacks - Bass Amp: Kustom II 1x15 Combo
- Guitar Distortion (Amp 1): AmpTweaker Tight Metal Pro - Guitar Compressor (Amp 1): MXR Dyna Comp Mini - Guitar Tremolo (Amp 1): Boss PN-2 Tremolo/Pan - Guitar Overdrive (Amp 2): Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
Track 3 of "The Lockdown Sessions" is a track called "Rain", which is kind of ironic because I had decided on the name when I originally wrote it many months before recording it for the EP, but it just so happened that the period that I dedicated to recording most of the tracks, including this one, were during a period of nearly non-stop pissing weather (including some large hailstones). To tie the title to the track even more, the rain noise in the background of the track is a phone recording of the actual rainstorm that happened during recording.
"Rain" originally started as a Portishead-inspired track using VST instruments, lo-fi drum samples and a very loop-based structure, with the only real instrument being reverb-drenched guitar. To make it fit better with the other tracks on the EP, I rearranged it with live drums and bass, but I also experimented with the drum setup and bass sound.
The drums were rearranged to have a cymbal stack for a more percussive sound during the "chorus" sections, and the bass guitar was run through a sub-octave pedal to make it sound more like a synth bass line while still being a live instrument.
The guitar was recorded differently from all the other tracks on the EP -- I put the guitar amp in a bathroom and recorded a mix of direct miking and a stereo pair of mics for the room, and combined with the spring reverb in the amp the result was this haunting spaghetti-western-like guitar sound that I think really works for the track.
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
5:55 is track 2 from my new EP "The Lockdown Sessions". The inspiration for this came from listening to post-Britpop music such as Coldplay and Starsailor, where the main instruments tend to be acoustic, such as acoustic guitar and piano, but still with some prominent electric instruments. It was my first attempt at writing something in an odd meter, and to make it more interesting, the track modulates between 5/4 and 6/4 throughout, and this was also the basis for the name of the track (5/4 to 6/4, 5 to 6, 5:55).
This was probably the first time I actually bought an instrument for the purpose of using on a track, as I wanted a fretless bass sound if possible, and no-one I knew had one that I could borrow for recording with. I purchased a Fender Player Fretless Jazz Bass, and what you hear in this track is that bass without any additional setup or different strings, basically exactly as it came out of the box.
The piano in this track is the one set up at the Nirimba TAFE NSW campus, along with the mics used to record it. I love that I was able to make this EP extra live sounding with real drums and not recording to a click track, and the real grand piano makes it that much more organic sounding. The KRONOS piano sound is great, and I don't have anything to complain about with it, but even when you compare that level of piano modelling to a real miked grand piano, nothing really comes close.
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Would you look at that, a surprise VGM cover for the start of 2022. This is a relatively short cover compared to most of my previous ones, but this is one I've wanted to do for a little while now, and C418's music from the Minecraft soundtrack absolutely invokes a certain nostalgic quality that I wanted to try and capture here.
The only instruments used in this track are electric and bass guitar; in the words of 1970's Queen, "No synthesizers!". The "strings" are comprised of 3 voices, with each voice triple tracked for extra width. To me the clean sound I got here is *the* Jazz Chorus sound -- crystal clean, compressed enough so that every note is even without being obviously squashed -- and of course with the signature Roland stereo chorus.
I experimented in this cover with modulating between mono and stereo to bring emphasis to certain parts of the track -- the "strings" in the intro start in mono through the Dm, Em and Em/G chords, but when it goes to F, where in the original that chord is noticeably louder, in this it also widens for that moment to a partly stereo image.
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Lead Guitar 1: Homemade JBG-6 (w/ EMG 89/SA/SA) - Lead Guitar 2: Fender 1982 Stratocaster - Strings Guitar: ESP LTD Snakebyte - Bass Guitar: Fender Player Jazz Bass Fretless
Amps: - Lead Guitar Amp: Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus - Strings Guitar Amp: Marshall JMP 2203 100W - Strings Guitar Cab: Homemade 4x12 with Celestion Greenbacks - Bass Amp: Kustom II 1x15 Combo
Pedals: - Lead/Bass Compressor: Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer - Lead Delay: TC Electronic Flashback X4 - Strings Delay: Hofner Analog Delay - Bass Preamp: Tech 21 NYC SansAmp YYZ - Bass Octave: Boss OC-5 Octave - Bass Splitter: Boss TU-3 Tuner
This is track 1 from the EP, and I had written it with inspiration from some of Deep Purple's music, and because it ended up sounding kind of desert rock-y in places (especially with the guitar tuning used), I decided to call it "Red Desert Sun".
The guitar I used for this was one that my older brother owned, and I had used it at the end of Year 5 in primary school for a school performance where I played Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water, so it's only fitting that I used that same guitar here for recording an original song that was inspired by Deep Purple's/Ritchie Blackmore's songwriting style.
-----
Programs used: DAW: Logic Pro 10.6.3 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Hey people, it's been a while again. So this is something a little bit different. Over the past year I was focusing on studies as I was taking a course at TAFE NSW for Diploma of Sound Production. The major project for the course was to produce and engineer an EP of at least four original tracks, and this is the result of that work. Most of everything was recorded at home due to the second wave of NSW lockdowns, which also allowed me to spend more time on it as I was stuck at home the whole time. After a few months of work, I think it's ready to share to the world.
The EP is fully instrumental, and a bit of a hodgepodge of musical styles, varying from alternative rock to hard rock and metal, which is reflective of my musical tastes. The recording of the EP definitely helped to expand my knowledge of recording and mixing, and I hope that you all enjoy it when it releases as much as I did while making it.
The music videos for each will go up on a weekly basis starting from the day after this trailer's release: - 2/1/2022 - 9/1/2022 - 16/1/2022 - 23/1/2022 - 30/1/2022
Special Thanks: - My parents - for the help and support, and getting me interested in music from the beginning - TAFE Nirimba - for giving me the knowledge and the opportunity to record an EP - John Costello at Maxx Music - for lending a great acoustic guitar to help make the EP possible - Joseph Lizzio - for helping with mastering and being a good mate - Chris Jonsson - RIP - without his generosity there probably wouldn't be an acoustic drum kit on the EP
Still not dead. Here's a cover I recorded over a year ago but only just got released because the album it was recorded for was delayed until now. Deku Palace but it sounds like '86 era Metallica, lol. I had a lot of fun with this cover as I had arranged it heavily based on Metallica's "Battery", even down to the arbitrary time signature changes throughout, and it was a proper chance to use my (now only relatively new) ESP LTD Snakebyte guitar for that style of music.
-----
Programs used: DAW: Acid Pro 9 DAW (Acoustic guitars): Presonus Studio One Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Instruments: - Rhythm Guitar: ESP LTD Snakebyte - Lead Guitar: Homemade JBG-6 - Bass Guitar: 1994 Jackson Professional Concert EX - Classical Guitar: Fernandez FG-130 - Drums: Yamaha DTX-450K
Gear and Plug-ins: - Microphones: - Behringer XM1800s (Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar) - sE Electronics sE2200a (Rhythm Guitar, Bass Guitar) - Rode NTK (Classical Guitar) - Guitar Amplifier: Orbitek Rackmount - Guitar Cabinet: Homemade 4x12 - Bass Amplifier: Kustom II 115 Combo - Guitar Distortion: Amptweaker Tight Metal Pro - Bass Distortion: Boss DS-1 - Drum Plugins: - Sonoma Wire Works KitCore - Manda Audio MT Power Drum Kit 2 - Other Effects - Sony Acid Pro Plug-ins - Camera - Canon EOS 1300D - Lens - Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 18-55mm
Yo. It's a new VGM cover. After only nearly 3 years since the last one.
I recorded and finished this back in January, but there were some delays with releasing it as the guy behind Pixel Mixers (the group who organized the FF7 album this is featured on) took a break from everything for a while due to personal health issues. Nonetheless, we're happy to announce the Final Fantasy 7 tribute cover album by Pixel Mixers, "Beneath A Stolen Sky"!
This cover is the first time I've tried recording acoustic drums at home for a VGM cover, and for having been recorded with 2 mics (and a decent amount of processing and mixing) it sounds pretty good in a mix. I got a cassette deck in December last year, and I thought about using it in a cool way in a cover. I decided to try and replicate some of the vibe of the drums in Kashmir (Led Zeppelin), by having a "real" flanging/phasing effect on the drums in parts of the song. I think it really helps make the drums stand out in the cover.
Stay tuned for next month, as there is another cover that will be featured in an upcoming Pixel Mixers tribute album, it's gonna be a good one :D -----
Programs used: DAW: Acid Pro 7 Video Editing: Vegas Pro 15
Song: Crying In The Shadows Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 587 (Guitar), 375 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassGary Moore - Johnny Boy (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-09-05 | Chart pack download: drive.google.com/open?id=1dD2Z4TrruekfhsqiS0CPo1et8R_nJQgr
Song: Johnny Boy Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 244 (Guitar), 49 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassIbanez S7420 7 String Guitar - Quick DemoJarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-08-03 | Decided to make a quick demo of my 7 string Ibanez guitar as at the time of making it I was going to be selling it to someone who was interested in buying it, however that sale never came to be. The guitar has been upgraded since recording this video with DiMarzio Crunch Lab 7 and LiquiFire 7 pickups, and sounds miles better than with the stock pickups in this video.
Guitar is tuned 1/2 step lower from standard: Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb
Excerpts played: 0:00 Clean - "The Edge Of The World" by Dragonforce 1:18 Dirty - "Panic Attack" by Dream Theater
Guitar: Ibanez S7420 Amplifier: Orbitek Prototype Distortion Pedal: Amptweaker Tight Metal Pro Microphones: 2x Behringer XM1800S Dynamic Microphones
Song: Thunder Rising Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 1644 (Guitar), 1112 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassGary Moore - Strangers In The Darkness (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-07-21 | Chart pack download: drive.google.com/open?id=1dD2Z4TrruekfhsqiS0CPo1et8R_nJQgr
Song: Strangers In The Darkness Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 462 (Guitar), 725 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassGary Moore - Friday On My Mind (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-07-20 | Chart pack download: drive.google.com/open?id=1dD2Z4TrruekfhsqiS0CPo1et8R_nJQgr
UPDATE 21/7/2020: Adjusted sustain gaps for consecutive notes, and some chart refinement.
Song: Friday On My Mind Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 1040 (Guitar), 1191 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassGruppa Krovi (Blood Type) by Kino - Instrumental CoverJarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-04-22 | FLAC/MP3: mega.nz/folder/UolziaaR#XDDkQGgbzVV0eBFtHTC2Kg
Yo. Still not dead.
I recorded this as part of a demo of a Yamaha RA100 rotary amplifier that my father repaired recently, in which I recorded a bunch of riffs that either originally used or sounded good with a rotary speaker. Everything in this cover (except for the drums obviously) were recorded using the rotary speaker. Maybe at some point in the future I'll record a full-length cover of this with synths and vocals, idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Song: Gruppa Krovi (Blood Type) Artist: Kino Album: Gruppa Krovi Year: 1988 Genre: Soviet Rock Notes: 909 (Lead Guitar), 941 (Bass Guitar) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Lead Guitar, Bass GuitarGary Moore - The Loner (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-03-21 | Chart pack download: drive.google.com/open?id=1dD2Z4TrruekfhsqiS0CPo1et8R_nJQgr
UPDATE 21/7/2020: Adjusted sustain gaps for consecutive notes, and some chart refinement.
Song: The Loner Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 702 (Guitar), 264 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassGary Moore - Take A Little Time (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-03-21 | Chart pack download: drive.google.com/open?id=1dD2Z4TrruekfhsqiS0CPo1et8R_nJQgr
UPDATE 21/7/2020: Adjusted sustain gaps for consecutive notes, and some chart refinement.
Song: Take A Little Time Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 875 (Guitar), 1166 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassGary Moore - Wild Frontier (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-03-08 | Chart pack download: drive.google.com/open?id=1dD2Z4TrruekfhsqiS0CPo1et8R_nJQgr
UPDATE 21/7/2020: Adjusted sustain gaps for consecutive notes, and some chart refinement.
Song: Wild Frontier Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 904 (Guitar), 536 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassGary Moore - Over The Hills And Far Away (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2020-02-21 | Chart pack download: drive.google.com/open?id=1dD2Z4TrruekfhsqiS0CPo1et8R_nJQgr
UPDATE 21/7/2020: Adjusted sustain gaps for consecutive notes, and some chart refinement.
I charted the full album "Wild Frontier" by Gary Moore, and I tried to upload the preview video as the whole album in one video, but for some reason it got blocked worldwide (yet the songs separately are fine) so I've decided to upload the preview videos one at a time starting with this one. The full album chart pack is available to download above.
Song: Over The Hills And Far Away Artist: Gary Moore Album: Wild Frontier Year: 1987 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 1366 (Guitar), 1275 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassAsia - The Heat Goes On (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2019-11-11 | Chart download: drive.google.com/open?id=1Xuqzohg4yT_wJGyeb4NsOxMZMtB19hJo
Song: The Heat Goes On Artist: Asia Album: Alpha Year: 1983 Genre: Rock Notes: 969 (Lead Guitar), 930 (Bass Guitar) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Lead Guitar, Bass GuitarThe Pretenders - Private Life (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2019-11-10 | EDIT 10/11/2019: Fixed charting error at 5:57
Song: Private Life Artist: The Pretenders Album: Pretenders Year: 1980 Genre: New Wave Notes: 791(Lead Guitar), 1481 (Rhythm Guitar), 595 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Bass GuitarTrying out an ESP LTD Baritone Snakebyte guitarJarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2019-11-07 | Ha-hey. I'm not dead. Imagine that.
So I've decided to go and buy a new guitar, and I was tossing up between an Ormsby HypeGTR fanned fret or an ESP LTD Snakebyte (the James Hetfield signature model). I was thinking the Ormsby would win because I've tried fanned frets before and I liked how they felt when I did, and the fact that the Ormsby has things like coil splitting and stainless frets that the Snakebyte doesn't have, plus it comes with a case and it's ~$400 less than the Snakebyte. When I actually tried it in-store though (Guitar Factory Parramatta), I found that while it definitely sounds, plays and feels good to play, the fanned fret neck causes problems with my thumb-over-the-neck play style, especially if, for example, fretting the low E on the first fret with my thumb while holding a chord like an F, my thumb is close to the second fret, to the point of accidentally playing the second fret instead.
I then wanted to try the Snakebyte, but the only Snakebyte in the store was the baritone Snakebyte. I figured that would at least allow me to see how the guitar sounds and generally feels, so I gave it a try, and while I won't be purchasing this particular model (I'll still be getting the standard Snakebyte in Snow White), it sounds and looks incredible, and it's a shame that ESP/James Hetfield didn't release the standard Snakebyte in this finish, it looks so cool, especially in person. It also feels great to play, which I was pleasantly surprised by, being that I believe this is pretty much the first time I've tried an Explorer-shaped guitar.
If I already had a guitar with EMGs that was a standard scale length I would totally go for the baritone, but since this will be my first EMG loaded guitar I figure it would be most logical to make it a standard scale length so it's able to be used in more places. Baritones just make everything from a standard guitar sound 10x better, especially clean stuff, which I tried to show some of in this video as well.
Expect to see the Snakebyte guitar whenever I get off my ass and start making covers again; I'm working on a couple right now actually, so stay tuned for that.
Song: Diary Of An Unknown Soldier/The Lost Battalion Artist: Sabaton Album: The Last Stand Year: 2016 Genre: Power Metal Notes: 380 (Guitar), 820 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassRitchie Blackmores Rainbow - Ariel (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2018-12-12 | Chart download: drive.google.com/file/d/1bSDK5UNs4rNqCpvYADIn_EecZC4WNR-9/view?usp=sharing
Song: Ariel Artist: Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow Album: Stranger In Us All Year: 1995 Genre: Hard Rock Notes: 812 (Guitar), 654 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, BassTrivium - Unrepentant (Clone Hero Chart Preview)Jarrod G [ImAFutureGuitarHero]2018-10-17 | Chart download: drive.google.com/file/d/1MYKcyJaD9cR64oKCrzHVx1H7Ws30gEQn/view?usp=sharing EDIT: Fixed rhythm chart during choruses and solo.
Song: Mother Love Artist: Queen Album: Made In Heaven Year: 1995 Genre: Rock Notes: 360 (Guitar), 300 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, Bass
I made an alternate version of the ending that replaces the "montage" section with a refrain of the main riff and a fadeout.
Song: All Guns Blazing (Judas Priest Cover) Artist: Sabaton Album: The Last Stand Year: 2016 Genre: Power Metal Notes: 1107 (Guitar), 960 (Bass) Charted by ImAFutureGuitarHero Available difficulties: Expert Available instruments: Guitar, Bass