I've made an album as well - Whipstaff

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: theleveller
Date: 22 Nov 11 - 04:32 AM

matt, that's a good idea - I'll try putting a mudcat tag on to see how it works. I must say, though, that I'm very impressed with Bandcamp - it's so easy even for a non-techy like me. I'd recommended to anyone wanting to get their music out there, no matter how small the audience.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 19 Nov 11 - 05:58 AM

One thing that keeps occurring to me about Bandcamp is that it's such a shame it doesn't have some kind of built-in "linking facility". With Myspace, I used to enjoy checking out the clickable "Friends" of a band I liked - it introduced me to lots more like-minded music.

Wouldn't it be good if you could follow similar trails with Bancamp? The only way I can think of approximating this on Bandcamp would be by using the Tags you are given to describe your music.

You get thirty per song, I believe. I respectfully suggest to anyone who posts their music/albums on Bandcamp that they make one of these 30 tags be "Mudcat".

That way, anyone who goes onto Bandcamp and types "Mudcat" into the search facility will immediately get a list of all the Mudcatter pages on Bandcamp.

(In fact, that would work if you just typed Bandcamp Mudcat into Google too)

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: theleveller
Date: 19 Nov 11 - 05:36 AM

Thanks a lot, GUEST.999 - much appreciated.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: GUEST,999
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 11:57 AM

"Well everyone else seems to be doing it (and, believe it or not, at least one person has asked for it) so I've put together an album for Whipstaff. It's some tracks we recorded in the spare bedroom on a 4-track, so don't expect too much in the way of quality."

If this is the kind of sound you get from 'the spare bedroom', I think you'll have lines waiting to record there.

Regarding sound quality: I have heard many studio-produced CDs/mp3s that did not have the quality of this work. I'm on the third listen to cut six (which I love, btw) and the sound of the voices is clear, unpretentious and up front. The guitar sound is awesome and the mix is as pro as it gets.

I'm about at about minute three/eight/ten of Reynardine and I have to say this: there is not a filler on the CD. The writing is both accomplished and professional. The voices very good and lacking all pretensions. The mix more than adequate, and the finished product one I will be telling people about. In the vernacular, ya done good. I hope you and your missus are proud of what you've accomplished. IMO, you should be.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 08:15 AM

Thanks Dickie - hope to see you soon.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: GUEST,dicky boy
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 07:18 AM

Lovely well done both of you hope to hear some of those songs at the nexts session i run..

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 03:27 AM

Thanks for the nice comments everyone.It's very encouraging.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: frogprince
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 07:36 PM

I need one of those little thumb-up things like on facebook right now. : ). Well done, and a nice variety of songs.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: Banjiman
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 06:17 PM

Like!

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well - Whipstaff
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 06:02 PM

I listened to the album this afternoon and really enjoyed it.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 04:25 PM

Cheers, Pete. Just downloaded a copy and looking forward to hearing it. Bandcamp is fab.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 12:08 PM

yeah - just been reading the site FAQ - sounds just right for anything I would want to do..

which I guess is entirely in accord with your ethos/approach to promotion & release..

ps.. your track 7 is also as good as if not better than any 'folk' I've enjoyed recently..

now to listen to the rest of your album..

cheers...

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well
From: theleveller
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 11:53 AM

Thanks folks. punkrocker, it was recorded on a Fostex MR-8 which converts stuff to WAV, then tweaked a bit on Audacity. Bandcamp insist that you download WAV files or similar - not mp3. The whole thing is an amateur exercise - we're not pros and we won't actually be selling the album.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 11:48 AM

oops.. should have read -

"I downloaded the flac version and as reasonable as it sounds on computer speakers,
the file tests as 89% probability mpeg...

- ie most likely converted mp3...???"

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 11:44 AM

just curious - that host site seems to becoming popular, it's fast & effective.

Did you convert your own wavs & upload all the different sound quality formats;
or did you only upload mp3s and their site system auto converts to the other formats:

in which case it's a waste of disc space downloading the 'higher quality' "lossless" formats - ie most likely converted mp3...???


I downloaded the flac version and as reasonable as it sounds on computer speakers,
the file tests as 89% probability mpeg...

[though wavs recorded at limited frequency range can and do fool analysis software into incorrect results..]

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well
From: Acorn4
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 11:22 AM

You can always pay a pro to do the final mastering - means you can take your time with the actual recording and use as many takes as you like, just still get a professional finish, EQ etc - a second pair of ears - worth considering.

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 11:21 AM

listening and enjoying track 4..

some of the best recordings, and most of my favourite bootlegs, are barebone work in progress demo tracks....


..and that's the optimum level of quality I aspire to in any thing i ever get round to inflicting on public ears..

Subject: RE: I've made an album as well
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 11:10 AM

Hey hey - everybody is doing it - and why not! Good stuff there - I always enjoy hearing new things and your songs were no exception. Where would we be without 4-track and 8-track portastudio thingies, eh?

A mate of mine and myself did an album around 1968 - paid for a studio for a day and did it all in one or two takes per track. The quality was crap. Now the whole business has been opened up and we can all have a go. There's no denying that full, modern-day studio quality is very impressive, but some great things have been done with comparatively low-level gear.

Subject: I've made an album as well
From: theleveller
Date: 17 Nov 11 - 10:44 AM

Well everyone else seems to be doing it (and, believe it or not, at least one person has asked for it) so I've put together an album for Whipstaff. It's some tracks we recorded in the spare bedroom on a 4-track, so don't expect too much in the way of quality.

The Curious Visions of Old Reynard