Quasi-Spanish style
This is a reworking of an old jam that I used to perform with a friend. In revisiting the song, I decided to change up the chord progression a little bit and add some harmonies and fills. It’s got a bit of a Spanish feel to it so I call it “Esplanadé,” which isn’t necessarily a Spanish word.
ksdb’s Esplanade (right click to download and save)
Hi;
Nice sound, and nice playing. It does sound sort of flamenco-y (a la John Mclaughlin or Al Dimeloa) - Esplanade fits nicely as a title.
At around :45 where the lead comes in you may want to add some type of quiet percussion (castanets or shakers sublty mixed) to give it more movement - just an idea. I can’t suggest anything about the guitars - love the sound and the mix!
Really sounds great man - I love that kind of stuff.
Dan
Thanks for the reply and suggestions Dan. I don’t have castanets and probably couldn’t play them live anyway. I’d probably have to use Fruity Loops to program the percussion track, which might be a challenge. Also, I didn’t use a click track when I recorded the song, so the timing might not be steady enough to sync up with a programmed percussion track. But it’s worth experimenting with.
nice song, skillfully recorded and performed.
if i were to change one thing, i would try to break it up some more - it sorta felt like one long jam. if that’s what yr going for, cool.
nice work,
andre
Hi Ksdb,
How were the guitars recorded ? They sound great 
Ted
Thanks for the listen and reply Ted. Some might consider it “cheating,” but I recorded direct-in with a Line 6 Variax 500 guitar. It digitally models many different types of guitars, both electric and acoustic. The acoustic simulation is rather convicing, IMO, it is very easy to record with. Since it’s direct, there’s no mic placement or background noise problems to worry about.
Nice playing and mix. Like the ambience. I’m a guitar freak, so loved this. The Variax is amazing. Beefy Steve used one on a song we did together, very convincing sound.
Good Stuff!!
Ian
Hi again ksdb,
I did a little research on the Variax, what a neat concept ! How are the Les Paul and Strat sounds ? are they fairly authentic ?
If i could find one of these babys inexpensively and if the sounds were all usable, it would be a wonderful addition to my studio for sure.
Thanks,
Ted
Eyup!
As Bruffie said, I’ve got a Variax. I think the sounds are close enough to the real thing to be able to fool most people. The trick is not to tell them it’s a Variax!
I’m less sure about the acoustic models though.
If you can find one at a decent price, buy it. As a general purpose guitar for bedroom recording it’s great.
BTW ksdb the acoustic models on your Variax certainly sound better than mine I think.
Steve
| Quote (Ted Roberts @ Aug. 28 2005,09:33) |
| Hi again ksdb, I did a little research on the Variax, what a neat concept ! How are the Les Paul and Strat sounds ? are they fairly authentic ? If i could find one of these babys inexpensively and if the sounds were all usable, it would be a wonderful addition to my studio for sure. Thanks, Ted |
I appreciate the questions and comments. I did a lot of research before deciding to buy a Variax. I was skeptical myself, but I’m very glad that I went ahead and bought it. There a few drawbacks and a trained ear can tell a difference, but for the most part, the sounds are all very convincing and very effective. I know a local guitarist who gigs exclusively with his through a POD XT Live.
Here’s another song featuring some electric and acoustic models, plus the banjo. The intro is the les paul and one of the electric rhythm parts is a strat.
Capitol of Power featuring Variax for all guitar parts
Here’s a link to a guy who’s sound samples made the difference in my decision to buy a Variax. BTW, Jeff Miller is a very fine guitarist.
Jeff Miller audio page - scroll down for Variax samples
Thanks KSDB,
Uh…Wow… Jeff is pretty d a m n talented, pardon my french. Thank you Ksdb for taking the time for the extended answer, I enjoyed all the clips, great stuff.
I think I am going to go and try the Variax out at a local store here in San Antonio. I called and they have one in stock.
Thanks,
Ted
Great work.
When I got my Taylor earlier this year I “announced” to my wife that I had enough guitars. Now I’ve heard this, it’s just not true anymore. Oh man, I need a variax.
Any of you guys use one live?