Great, work I can imagine that fitting into the podcast perfectly.

Really nails the brief and great bass sound.

Great, work I can imagine that fitting into the podcast perfectly. Really nails the brief and great bass sound.

Love this - really fitting to what's its needed for. Love the swampy, but jolly harmonica!

Love this - really fitting to what's its needed for. Love the swampy, but jolly harmonica!

I think it fits the theme perfectly. Very well balanced demo and nice arrangement. I surely can picture "North American Highway" listening to this

Nice work! And best of luck with the Podcast experience

I think it fits the theme perfectly. Very well balanced demo and nice arrangement. I surely can picture "North American Highway" listening to this :) Nice work! And best of luck with the Podcast experience :)

Wow what a flex yeah I just felt like jamming on my upright bass and then also wailing some harmonica

Wow what a flex yeah I just felt like jamming on my upright bass and then also wailing some harmonica

crushed it, great work! and congrats 🤠

crushed it, great work! and congrats 🤠

Awesome!!! Congrats!!!

Awesome!!! Congrats!!!

Hey Paisley! I'm back again.

And per usual I have a gazillion notes for you...euh, no, I haven't. What a lovely little piece!

Suppose I could really nitpick and think of a few minor, minor things to mention. There are no deep basses in this. Maybe it doesn't really need it. As the track does feel nice and floaty, like a road trip should. But if you wanted to put in some accents it'd be a good way to do it. As you may very well know you could use a slightly distorted sine or triangle wave of an octave below the note you want to accent from your upright bass. Or some kind of big drum hit used no more than once or twice.

But yeah, that's what I have to offer this week. And I'm not even sure if it's relevant for you tune. Very well done!!

Hey Paisley! I'm back again. And per usual I have a gazillion notes for you...euh, no, I haven't. What a lovely little piece! Suppose I could really nitpick and think of a few minor, minor things to mention. There are no deep basses in this. Maybe it doesn't really need it. As the track does feel nice and floaty, like a road trip should. But if you wanted to put in some accents it'd be a good way to do it. As you may very well know you could use a slightly distorted sine or triangle wave of an octave below the note you want to accent from your upright bass. Or some kind of big drum hit used no more than once or twice. But yeah, that's what I have to offer this week. And I'm not even sure if it's relevant for you tune. Very well done!!

Thank you! I've struggled recording this bass in the past, I feel like it finally came across well in this recording

Oh thank you "Swampy but jolly" is an amazing descriptive.

Thanks! This was a lot of fun to put together. My laser focus goal was to get across "traveling"

Thank you My hobby as musician for the past 25 or so years has been learning instruments. I'm not particularly great at any of them, but it lets me record my ideas. Funny story - I know some of my instruments because someone asked if I would learn them for a band or a project. Harmonica was like that. At that point in my life, I had a 45 minute daily drive to work....and that's when I learned how to play harmonica. You can do it one-handed! I still remember where I was in the car when I learned how to bend notes

Thank you so much! Means a lot coming from such an amazing acoustic musician

Thank you!! And another amazing acoustic musician

Thank you so much! It's maybe a little fun keeping you guessing with genres.

The bass is perhaps a little light in this, but that's been my experience with bluegrass-ish recordings: not that heavy with the bass. That's a really good thought, to supplement the bass if necessary. Perhaps triggering some MIDI?

My main struggle with this bass in the past is that it comes across as FAR too boomy. It's a student grade plywood bass, not that awesome...but it exists and it's mine I actually saved it out of a middle school dumpster and repaired it. I've gigged with it for 15+ years. This is by far the best recording I've ever gotten from it - and in no small part because of the suggestions and feedback on mixing this year

I'd like to work on mic technique with it - perhaps pick up a bit more of the wood and not just the thump...but that's for another project

[quote=NickLong]Great, work I can imagine that fitting into the podcast perfectly. Really nails the brief and great bass sound.[/quote] Thank you! I've struggled recording this bass in the past, I feel like it finally came across well in this recording :) [quote=Jackmsimpson]Love this - really fitting to what's its needed for. Love the swampy, but jolly harmonica! [/quote] Oh thank you <3 "Swampy but jolly" is an amazing descriptive. [quote=laguna]I think it fits the theme perfectly. Very well balanced demo and nice arrangement. I surely can picture "North American Highway" listening to this :) Nice work! And best of luck with the Podcast experience :)[/quote] Thanks! This was a lot of fun to put together. My laser focus goal was to get across "traveling" :) [quote=prophisee]Wow what a flex yeah I just felt like jamming on my upright bass and then also wailing some harmonica[/quote] Thank you :) My hobby as musician for the past 25 or so years has been learning instruments. I'm not particularly great at any of them, but it lets me record my ideas. Funny story - I know some of my instruments because someone asked if I would learn them for a band or a project. Harmonica was like that. At that point in my life, I had a 45 minute daily drive to work....and that's when I learned how to play harmonica. You can do it one-handed! I still remember where I was in the car when I learned how to bend notes :) [quote=jwh]crushed it, great work! and congrats 🤠[/quote] Thank you so much! Means a lot coming from such an amazing acoustic musician <3 [quote=fetalface]Awesome!!! Congrats!!![/quote] Thank you!! And another amazing acoustic musician <3 [quote=electronic_tiger]Hey Paisley! I'm back again. And per usual I have a gazillion notes for you...euh, no, I haven't. What a lovely little piece! Suppose I could really nitpick and think of a few minor, minor things to mention. There are no deep basses in this. Maybe it doesn't really need it. As the track does feel nice and floaty, like a road trip should. But if you wanted to put in some accents it'd be a good way to do it. As you may very well know you could use a slightly distorted sine or triangle wave of an octave below the note you want to accent from your upright bass. Or some kind of big drum hit used no more than once or twice. But yeah, that's what I have to offer this week. And I'm not even sure if it's relevant for you tune. Very well done!! [/quote] Thank you so much! It's maybe a little fun keeping you guessing with genres. The bass is perhaps a little light in this, but that's been my experience with bluegrass-ish recordings: not that heavy with the bass. That's a really good thought, to supplement the bass if necessary. Perhaps triggering some MIDI? My main struggle with this bass in the past is that it comes across as FAR too boomy. It's a student grade plywood bass, not that awesome...but it exists and it's mine :) I actually saved it out of a middle school dumpster and repaired it. I've gigged with it for 15+ years. This is by far the best recording I've ever gotten from it - and in no small part because of the suggestions and feedback on mixing this year :) I'd like to work on mic technique with it - perhaps pick up a bit more of the wood and not just the thump...but that's for another project :)

Micing acoustic instruments like a bass is hard for sure. Because there is so much at play. The sound of the bass, the way it's being played. The microphone(s) that are used to capture it. The placement of said microphones. And the acoustics of the room you're playing in. That's a lot of variables!

You may very well be doing this already but... If you can get DrFrog, or anyone else to play the bass while you walk around the room listening for where the bass sounds best. And try putting the mic in those positions. Or walk around with a microphone and headphones on until it sounds like you want it to.

If you keep on getting a boomy sound you may need to use a different microphone. But don't be afraid of EQ either. Cut as much as you need to make it sound good. Regardless of what the number says. If it requires a 20dB cut to make it sound the way you want, then it requires a 20dB cut. Same with boosting. Don't be afraid of the numbers. Trust your ears. If it sounds good, it is good.

If you have multiple microphones you can position them so they pick up different aspects/characteristics of the bass' sound. And if you have a contact mic it can be nice to softly blend that one in among the other microphones. You can easily DIY contacts mics. But even buying them isn't' all that expensive, usually.

Yup, just layering in a midi note. If you have lot of notes you want to augment with a sub you can also convert the audio to midi data. And manually  lean that up. Resonant filters that emphasize the frequency you want to hear more of are also a powerful tool. But your millage may vary on what is the best/fastest approach.

Don't be afraid to manually adjust the volume of individual notes either. If you need am accent somewhere, just select that note in the waveform and boost that region. Or lower it in volume if it needs that. You can get away with so much there.

Anyway, I hope this is useful to you!

Micing acoustic instruments like a bass is hard for sure. Because there is so much at play. The sound of the bass, the way it's being played. The microphone(s) that are used to capture it. The placement of said microphones. And the acoustics of the room you're playing in. That's a lot of variables! You may very well be doing this already but... If you can get DrFrog, or anyone else to play the bass while you walk around the room listening for where the bass sounds best. And try putting the mic in those positions. Or walk around with a microphone and headphones on until it sounds like you want it to. If you keep on getting a boomy sound you may need to use a different microphone. But don't be afraid of EQ either. Cut as much as you need to make it sound good. Regardless of what the number says. If it requires a 20dB cut to make it sound the way you want, then it requires a 20dB cut. Same with boosting. Don't be afraid of the numbers. Trust your ears. If it sounds good, it is good. If you have multiple microphones you can position them so they pick up different aspects/characteristics of the bass' sound. And if you have a contact mic it can be nice to softly blend that one in among the other microphones. You can easily DIY contacts mics. But even buying them isn't' all that expensive, usually. Yup, just layering in a midi note. If you have lot of notes you want to augment with a sub you can also convert the audio to midi data. And manually lean that up. Resonant filters that emphasize the frequency you want to hear more of are also a powerful tool. But your millage may vary on what is the best/fastest approach. Don't be afraid to manually adjust the volume of individual notes either. If you need am accent somewhere, just select that note in the waveform and boost that region. Or lower it in volume if it needs that. You can get away with so much there. Anyway, I hope this is useful to you!

Yeah, mikeing an upright is a pain. Sound from the back, sound from the f-hole, placement near the bridge or the fingerboard. It's no wonder I've frequently just gone the software route.

That said - EXCELLENT suggestions. I have a contact pickup, I'll try that on the bass and see if I can get some different texture out of it. Playing with positioning sounds like an excellent Saturday afternoon project. Musical science!

My mic options are limited (an SM58, an AT2020, and a few low end dynamics), but it'll be fun playing on blending the sounds and seeing what I might be able to get. Especially with the contact mic! My studio is not treated AT ALL (my house was built on the foundation of a barn built in 1875), but I think blending and mixing will get me a long way.

As always, thank you for all the comments and suggestions!

[quote=electronic_tiger] Anyway, I hope this is useful to you! [/quote] Yeah, mikeing an upright is a pain. Sound from the back, sound from the f-hole, placement near the bridge or the fingerboard. It's no wonder I've frequently just gone the software route. :) That said - EXCELLENT suggestions. I have a contact pickup, I'll try that on the bass and see if I can get some different texture out of it. Playing with positioning sounds like an excellent Saturday afternoon project. Musical science! My mic options are limited (an SM58, an AT2020, and a few low end dynamics), but it'll be fun playing on blending the sounds and seeing what I might be able to get. Especially with the contact mic! My studio is not treated AT ALL (my house was built on the foundation of a barn built in 1875), but I think blending and mixing will get me a long way. :) As always, thank you for all the comments and suggestions!

This is the perfect tune to get hyped for a road trip and learn about history. Amazing work, really impresseve that you play all those instruments!

My instinct would be SM58 on the neck for the twang, AT2020 near the body for low-end, add the contact mic if it's nice. Depending on how much bass you need, a bit more distance and compressing harder to pick up some natural reverb can add a ton of character, even if the room is untreated.

This is the perfect tune to get hyped for a road trip and learn about history. Amazing work, really impresseve that you play all those instruments! [quote=Paisleyfrog]My mic options are limited (an SM58, an AT2020, and a few low end dynamics), but it'll be fun playing on blending the sounds and seeing what I might be able to get. Especially with the contact mic! My studio is not treated AT ALL (my house was built on the foundation of a barn built in 1875), but I think blending and mixing will get me a long way. :)[/quote] My instinct would be SM58 on the neck for the twang, AT2020 near the body for low-end, add the contact mic if it's nice. Depending on how much bass you need, a bit more distance and compressing harder to pick up some natural reverb can add a ton of character, even if the room is untreated.

WeeklyBeats and PaisleyFrog Do Americana? 🙃

This totally nails the sound you’re going for! That podcast is lucky to have you on the job. It’s been awesome to hear you flex your chops in all kinds of different genres this year!

WeeklyBeats and PaisleyFrog Do Americana? 🙃 This totally nails the sound you’re going for! That podcast is lucky to have you on the job. It’s been awesome to hear you flex your chops in all kinds of different genres this year!

I GOT MAH TRAILMIX AND MAH COFFEE AND MAH TUNES AND I AM REDY 2 GOOOOOOO

I GOT MAH TRAILMIX AND MAH COFFEE AND MAH TUNES AND I AM REDY 2 GOOOOOOO

Love the harmonica! I need more after that

Love the harmonica! I need more after that

This game out so so so fucking good. This is a soundtrack to a roadtrip for sure. Nailed that so hard.

This game out so so so fucking good. This is a soundtrack to a roadtrip for sure. Nailed that so hard.

I'mmmmmm ready I'mmmm ready! The harmonica sounds awesome! Soundtrack to the open road!

I'mmmmmm ready I'mmmm ready! The harmonica sounds awesome! Soundtrack to the open road!

Aww, thank you! One of the best things I learned in '24 is that I'm happiest as a creator when I'm jumping from style to style. After YEARS (decades?) of trying to fit myself into a stylistic box, it was awesome to break out and lean into the craziness. So happy to have found Weekly Beats and have a place to experiment and learn with the best music community in the world

EL OH FUCKING EL

Now pass the pork rinds.

Thanks! There will be more harmonica this year I need to find other styles in which to use it, I'm typically playing it with stuff like this or blues...I should try it with a solo acoustic guitar.

Thank you! In another life I went to a lot of family gatherings like this. Everyone pulls out instruments and we'd jam for hours

[quote=levelcapybara]WeeklyBeats and PaisleyFrog Do Americana? 🙃 This totally nails the sound you’re going for! That podcast is lucky to have you on the job. It’s been awesome to hear you flex your chops in all kinds of different genres this year![/quote] Aww, thank you! One of the best things I learned in '24 is that I'm happiest as a creator when I'm jumping from style to style. After YEARS (decades?) of trying to fit myself into a stylistic box, it was awesome to break out and lean into the craziness. So happy to have found Weekly Beats and have a place to experiment and learn with the best music community in the world <3 [quote=neon liminal]I GOT MAH TRAILMIX AND MAH COFFEE AND MAH TUNES AND I AM REDY 2 GOOOOOOO[/quote] EL OH FUCKING EL Now pass the pork rinds. [quote=b bro]Love the harmonica! I need more after that[/quote] Thanks! There will be more harmonica this year :) I need to find other styles in which to use it, I'm typically playing it with stuff like this or blues...I should try it with a solo acoustic guitar. [quote=BarristerPlong]This game out so so so fucking good. This is a soundtrack to a roadtrip for sure. Nailed that so hard.[/quote] Thank you! In another life I went to a lot of family gatherings like this. Everyone pulls out instruments and we'd jam for hours :)