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GMC Forum _ Collaborations _ Stormy Collaboration
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 2 2009, 10:55 PM
Here you can post the comments for the Stormy Monday Collab! 
Here's the http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=16480.
You can find all the necessary info about the collab in the http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=28614.
Posted by: skennington Jul 6 2009, 03:02 AM
Guess I'll be the first Ivan. It's got a bit of drive to it but I hope you like... Thanks for this backing man, I had a lot of fun putting this take together.
Posted by: Deadevil Jul 6 2009, 04:12 PM
Ok, here's my take on the collab, i'm a bit late but i've been quite busy lately 
hope you like it and btw great backing 
.
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 6 2009, 04:50 PM
Wow, that was fast, thanks my friends!
skennington:
Rhythmically take was great - you really nailed the notes in right positions, accenting all the good moments of the backing. Syncopation is present and in just the right amount, and all the note duration values are used very tastefully and fluidly. In the beginning there is that second phrase (with pulloffs) that sounded that you kinda went on G and stayed there, but could develop it one or two notes more. Minor rhythmic misplacement if we relate it to it's function tied to phrases before and after it. Also in the second part couple of phrases were connected ahead of drum patterns, which gives impression that you are rushing things, but this is a minor issue that can easily be interpreted as moment of inspiration and syncopation as well. Worth mentioning tho.
Melodically it was very good - there is a tendency in your playing for following the backing, and I like the fact that you developed phrases that will follow the chord progression. Thing that should be more focused on is connecting various phrases together to form some kind of a story that will make sense for the listener. There are many ways for phrases to be developed and to relate to each other using similar notes but changing the order a bit. The phrasing quality is something that comes with time, and I can see that there is room for improvement here. When finishing phrases it is always good to land them on strong notes as we know, but it is also good to connect all the ending notes of phrases so that they form a story on their own. If two phrases have the same landing note they will sound repetative no matter if the phrases were different or not. If the phrases were the same and have only the landing note different, this is already concerned better way to go, cause listener can grab to that last note and see the development - he/she will be interested to hear what comes after it if you know what I mean.
Phrasing effects were great - your bends and vibratos (that are usually weak spot in peoples playing) is pretty solid sounding to me. Some pinched are used as well (in the end I think), and in general all the techniques are nicely used, with taste, and on right places. Vibrating every longer note is recommended, and you did that and vibrato was even and solid.
Tone quality is good - as you mentioned yourself your tone could use some tweaking, towards cleaning up the preset from amount of gain. Although I could hear everything clearly, in the upper register there is always present certain amount of buzz that is probably created by unability for a digital modeler to actually produce the necessary harmonics. Short said - it sounds like overdrive solid state amp. I would prefer to hear your tone completely clean, possibly with some very gentle overdrive that will break the signal only on highest notes. Your playing has the necessary dynamics, now you have to find a preset that we display the dynamics in your playing to it's full extent. I recommend Fender emulation, but preferences are different of course and gear is different, so any tweaking time can be valuable spent time.
Deadevil:
Timing in your playing is excellent, and it has a very logical progression till the end of the take. Starting with slower notes, having the ability to stay on them, and making it more and more complex as the solo is progressing towards the end is something that is appreciated with any style, and blues as well. Good shuffle feel is very good as well, and you are using the backing's hihat hits to accent certain notes and in your phrasing which I find a very good thing to do. Nothing more to add here.
Phrasing development very good - Very cool and smooth take here with equal amount of dedication for phrasing as for rhythm. Starting with bending phrase, and going octave down, continuing there and using a small run to climb is a good progress within a solo, and although the first phrase was good, it is somehow left there all alone up on the treble strings, as you continue right away down on the bass. This alone phrase can sometimes leave the impression of unfinished idea or musical sentence so when using it you have to be careful that later in the part you somehow remember the listener of it, or it will be there with very little function on it's own. Afterwards, using those nice runs is a clever way of inserting effective smaller note durations in a solo. Even when runs are note to note in a scale, they are effective if placed properly rhythmically, so this is a good way to play. In the second part with changing the chord progression, you followed it nicely and used overdubbed takes to fill the solo with fresh sounds, which I think turned out good. Using common long notes is a good trick to use when you find yourself out of key and you cannot anticipate the next harmonic movement, and you used it well here.
Technically take was very solid - general impression could be put in two words basically - more vibrato. Everything else was very cool, very nice and smooth tone, and I have impression that you are playing these things with ease here. Also, when using those runs, it is wise to cut down the pauses between the notes as much as you can unless you want to play them staccato intentionally. Using legato slides, hammeron/pulloffs played a major role in adding flow to your solo.
Sound was pretty good - I really like it, smooth balanced tone, a bit buzzy, but in the lower part of the spectre and it turned out nice. Dynamics is good, and in overall I can only recommend to tweak your presets more and more to achieve better dynamics, possibly even with decreasing gain just for the sake of recording and testing. Overall tone color sounds very cool to me.
Posted by: Deadevil Jul 6 2009, 05:23 PM
Deadevil:
Timing in your playing is excellent, and it has a very logical progression till the end of the take. Starting with slower notes, having the ability to stay on them, and making it more and more complex as the solo is progressing towards the end is something that is appreciated with any style, and blues as well. Good shuffle feel is very good as well, and you are using the backing's hihat hits to accent certain notes and in your phrasing which I find a very good thing to do. Nothing more to add here.
Phrasing development very good - Very cool and smooth take here with equal amount of dedication for phrasing as for rhythm. Starting with bending phrase, and going octave down, continuing there and using a small run to climb is a good progress within a solo, and although the first phrase was good, it is somehow left there all alone up on the treble strings, as you continue right away down on the bass. This alone phrase can sometimes leave the impression of unfinished idea or musical sentence so when using it you have to be careful that later in the part you somehow remember the listener of it, or it will be there with very little function on it's own. Afterwards, using those nice runs is a clever way of inserting effective smaller note durations in a solo. Even when runs are note to note in a scale, they are effective if placed properly rhythmically, so this is a good way to play. In the second part with changing the chord progression, you followed it nicely and used overdubbed takes to fill the solo with fresh sounds, which I think turned out good. Using common long notes is a good trick to use when you find yourself out of key and you cannot anticipate the next harmonic movement, and you used it well here.
Technically take was very solid - general impression could be put in two words basically - more vibrato. Everything else was very cool, very nice and smooth tone, and I have impression that you are playing these things with ease here. Also, when using those runs, it is wise to cut down the pauses between the notes as much as you can unless you want to play them staccato intentionally. Using legato slides, hammeron/pulloffs played a major role in adding flow to your solo.
Sound was pretty good - I really like it, smooth balanced tone, a bit buzzy, but in the lower part of the spectre and it turned out nice. Dynamics is good, and in overall I can only recommend to tweak your presets more and more to achieve better dynamics, possibly even with decreasing gain just for the sake of recording and testing. Overall tone color sounds very cool to me.
Hey Ivan,
Thanks for the great (and fast) comment
I agree that there was a bit too much gain in the sound (probably because i used my "metal" guitar
).I did play the slow parts with ease, but i had some trouble nailing the faster runs.
Anyways, thanks for another great collab
Posted by: skennington Jul 6 2009, 06:12 PM
Thanks a lot for the detailed comment Ivan. Much appreciated. I will work more on question/answer type of phrasing and hopefully with time, be able to express myself a bit more. Also, more theory knowledge is needed for me to get a better understanding of what I want to say. Anyway, that's what these things are for and I really enjoy them, thanks again man and I look forward to hearing everyone's take here! 
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 6 2009, 09:36 PM
Thanks a lot my friends, I hope the comments were OK! See you on the next collab, will try to come up with something totally different for next time!
I might as well add that you can freely post another take if you feel like it, I will gladly comment it and compare.
Posted by: Berglmir Jul 8 2009, 07:35 PM
Hi Ivan!
Here´s my take on this great collab - I hope you are not too disappointed!? 
The "funny" thing about this is, whenever I start to come up with a new take or even take part at a collab I´m thinking about you in one of your video lessons where you say:
"You sound something like this...[plays rather badly], but you would rather sound like THAT...[plays heavenly].." - me?
I sound EXACTLY like you when you are playing badly !! 
Looking forward to the hundreds of hints you´ll give me to improve my take!
Cheers!!!
Posted by: Crazyfret Jul 8 2009, 08:58 PM
Hiya Ivan
Had a blast with your backing just hope my playing reflects this
Anyway I'll leave it to your expert opinion
Cheers
Craig
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 10 2009, 12:03 AM
Thanks for more great takes guys, I will get to them first thing tomorrow (with a fresh mind).
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 10 2009, 05:56 PM
Berglmir:
Rhythm playing: Syncopation and shuffled rhythms are something that comes naturally to you, you have a good feel for them. One thing that is part of your style are those short muted notes that you insert on the beat. In general you can maintain a good balance of fast and long notes, and from rhythm point of view there is very little I can suggest, sounded very interesting to me. One thing that you may need to work on here is making your notes a bit more defined and focused. It is good to use syncopation, but you have to know where every note needs to be just before you play them. One good way to do this is to actually imagine phrase just before you play it, and while you are playing it you imagine the next phrase and so forth. While imagining the phrase you don't need to know exactly how many notes will it have, main thing to know is beginning and start note, but one thing that you should keep in mind when improvising them is overall note durations in a lick/phrase, and try to maintain that pace with your fingers accordingly. This all happens in a split of a second, so it is important to back it up with some extensive workouts so you can really cover all the notes imagined properly, not letting any note in that is not needed, or letting the needed notes out.
Melody&Phrasing: Melodies and phrases you used here are good and have a nice and steady progression towards the end, I like the connection between the licks and their function. Licks are put in right places, and I don;t get a strong impression of a lick-by-lick solo. Stacking licks is not what needs to be done anywhere, they need to function together and tell a story, and in overall I think 80% your take is functioning in that way. In the beginning there is that first unfinished phrase that ends up on the bended D note on the G string. I kinda felt that this phrase was ended a bit unnecessary there but it's a minor detail.
Phrasing effects: Very good use of many different effects, vibrato, bends, pinched. I think the thing that you should work more on is vibrato. It is fast, shallow and uncontrolled, and you should make it exactly opposite: slow, deep and controlled. This way you will achieve full control over it. It comes with time, but try with metronome and practice only vibrato for 2-3 weeks. You will be amazed how much your overall bending/vibrato technique AND your TONE will improve because of the better feel of the grip on the strings.
Sound: Good sound but I have a feeling of classic overuse here. Your take would blend with this backing very nicely with less overdrive, less delay, less reverb and less treble on the EQ. All this said, when I say less, I talk in very small increments. One component of the sound affects another so it is important to remember this when shaping the tone for recording. Start dry, and make a useful overdriven sound, but not too much. Then add space and see how it now sounds. Chances are if you put too much space your guitar will loose definition and get lost in the mix. Be extra careful with the amount of stuff you put in, as always less goes a long way.
Crazyfret:
Rhythm: Rhtythm is nicelt fitted with the backing, good use of all the note durations, and very balanced. In the second part of the solo the note durations become a bit longer which is note following the natural progression of the solo and the rhythmic balance of the solo becomes a bit unstable, as it forces the end of the backing too soon. In the end however, there is a nice faster sequence that solves the problem, but it happened a bit too late. This kind of detail is important to focus on, and usually what player does is think too much about his next move without having something to fill in the gaps. If you do experience an improvisation block which is common and can happen to anyone apply some of your good known repetitive notes/licks that will hold the attention of the listener, having in mind of the rhythmic placements and timing. If you started to progress your solo towards more notes, keep it that way, just simplify the lick a bit and get it to loop around until you come up with the next phrase.
Melody&Phrasing: I liked the licks you used in this solo, very melodic and executed in a solid way. Starting with the first lick in Gary Moore style and progressing with some bluesy licks involving lots of whole step bends. Unfortunately as I said for rhythm it goes here as well - phrasing in the middle and second part of the solo is insuficient and too many notes are played, some of the licks just slowed down a lot and repeated. This solution for this just as for rhythm - find a good lick that you know and hold it a bit while you think up something and then use it straight away. Good idea would be to analyze the backing a bit and see what chords are there so you can define your phrases based on strong notes, and build them around them as centers.
Phrasing effects: Bending technique very good, bends need to be a bit more sharper and tighter. Same goes for vibrato, and I would like to hear more of it. Spending couple of months focusing on vibrato 15-20 mins per day to achieve professional level is my rough estimation.
Sound: Good sound, a bit too much overdrive is what I would say. I think your take would sound better clean but some overdrive cannot hurt. Your tone has a nice middly vintage spice to it, and it is in-your-face one with just right amount of reverb on it. Reverb is much nicer space effect to use on this kind of track than delay, and your sound is in overall more of a vintage tone. What I would like to hear is less overdrive, and more control from the fingers giving your take more dynamics. This would really shine out in my opinion. Other than less overdrive, no complatins, sounds great.
Posted by: Berglmir Jul 10 2009, 06:26 PM
WOW!! - thanx for this great and detailed feedback. I can relate to and understand everything you have said - to put those tips into reality might be more difficult though!
It´s only the second collab I joined, but my first feedback I get (David is working on it I think) so this is something very special for me!
Thanks for taking some much time and effort (especially as you have written it TWICE )
One thing about tone I like to say here is that I KNOW that my recording skills are very limited and I envy everyone who can get so much more out of their gear.
But I will practice all aspects of my play and looking forward to your feedback on this effort:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=28620
CHEERS MATE!
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 10 2009, 11:59 PM
Thanks for your honest and kind words man, I really appreciate it as well. If you ever need some tips or anything I'll be here to help you out if you want and if I can. I'll give you feedback on that other collab tomorrow first thing. Cheers mate
Posted by: UncleSkillet Jul 11 2009, 05:11 AM
Hi Ivan, so ok I wouldn’t ever really post something this ruff.
You’re the first, so don’t be too harsh.
If you have been following my MTP thread with Steve (Skenny) then you will understand this post. We are learning how to approach a collab and work on phrasing.
I played through this really slow with tone in mind. I went for a Robben Ford kind of thing.
What do you think? It still needs a lot of work (licks and chops) but, what do you think about the new way I am recording and the mix? I'm going dry into the computer and using VST plugin effect.
I hope I can do another take bro? This isn't over yet
Thanks for your time and no need for a big comment
Cheers
Skillet
Stormy_Blues___Ruff_3___ABR.mp3 ( 1.33MB )
: 194
Posted by: jdriver Jul 11 2009, 06:52 AM
You’re the first, so don’t be too harsh.
If you have been following my MTP thread with Steve (Skenny) then you will understand this post. We are learning how to appreciate a collab and work on phrasing.
I played through this really slow with tone in mind. I went for a Robben Ford kind of thing.
Wow, what a nice tone. If you think that's rough, please teach me how to be rough.
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 11 2009, 11:43 AM
@UncleSkillet
I definitely recommend and encourage you to do more takes if you want, this makes progressing better and more can be learned. PLease feel free to do so. Here are the comments for your first take:
Rhythm: Very good syncopation and good feel for the track. The main impression I got from this take is that although your timing is good, you have to work a bit on two things. First on is connecting the licks in a more natural rhythmical way, and second being progressing with note durations as the improvisation develops. Both things require some practice and possibly focusing and analyzing your playing a bit, but in essence, following some well established rules like starting the solo slowly, then going faster, and louder, and in the end doing more smaller note durations is something that you should definitely do to make it sound even more interesting for the listener.
Phrasing&Melody: Similar things can apply as for rhythm, cause your playing consists of many very nicely and tasty licks played with a good feeling in mind, but they are not connected fluidly. This is mainly cause you made variations in the first part but forgot to change the landing note, so in 3-4 licks you finish on the same root note, which will definitely make it sound repetitive. Landing on root octave higher, or other string note is something to do here. You can notice the solo started to sound fun as soon as you went up scale.
Phrasing effects: very good use of ghost notes and dynamics. One thing that you should work on are your bends, they can sometimes be not exactly on pitch so try to keep them as precise and tight as you can. A bit practicing on the, couple of days usually solves this problem for a while.
Sound: Great preset you made, and I suggest you record all your takes using similar method - it definitely works. Good smooth tone, good control over the tone from the fingers, and good dynamics makes your playing shine. If you like this kind of a more mellow, almost jazzy type of tone color, definitely use it, cause you nailed a good preset. Don't forget to save it for the future, and tweak it even more, perhaps you find some other combinations around it that will work even better.
Posted by: Crazyfret Jul 13 2009, 08:42 AM
Hey Ivan thanks for the comments
Been busy all weekend so only just seen them this morning.
I will try and incorporate your suggestions at making my solos better prob go through your course of lessons on the blues will help.
I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the participants as there have been a wide range of styles and interpretations which is really cool
Posted by: sted Jul 13 2009, 04:00 PM
Ok Mr M!
Another storming collab! (No pun intended), I ripped into this good style, one take and that was it, no holds barred, as I always say I like to play completely off the cuff and see how it comes out, warts and all!!
So here be my take, Ive been concentrating on Mixolydian a lot lately and I hope this has worked out with the track.
stormy_collab.mp3 ( 920.33K )
: 166
stormy_collabNBT.mp3 ( 920.33K )
: 156
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 14 2009, 09:01 PM
Been busy all weekend so only just seen them this morning.
I will try and incorporate your suggestions at making my solos better prob go through your course of lessons on the blues will help.
I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the participants as there have been a wide range of styles and interpretations which is really cool
Anytime my friend. If you feel like it, you can record another take with some of the suggestions in focus, I will be glad to comment on that as well. Cheers mate
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 16 2009, 11:17 PM
sted:
Rhythm: you showed good feel for the use of longer note durations between faster passages to keep things interesting, just like in the other collab, but one thing that your rhythmic abilities lack and you should pay more attention to is dynamics of the rhythm as in the other collab. In general it is always to first follow to basic rule of solo dynamic buildup which says that it is good to start with bigger and end with more frequent smaller note durations. If you examine your solo you will hear that you started right away with familiar rhythmical sequences, and continue to use them right until the end of the solo. They do sound good, but spending more time in really developing the rhythmical sentences with more care is something that can raise your playing to a whole new level. You know when to stop, you gotta focus to learn how to build rhythm better.
Phrasing: As before, too many phrases are ended on the root, and it is the same root in the same octave. The use of Mixolydian mode here is noticeable and it definitely sounds interesting, but when using it, you have to handle it with care, cause pure mixolydian cannot work standalone in blues and create a nice bluesy effect. My suggestion here would be to mix two patters together. I've made a lesson on mixing the patterns that will come out any day now, so I suggest you check it out when it does. It's about mixing major and minor patterns in blues in order to create different feels. If you would wanted to apply it to your phrasing structure/style, you could use one mixolydian voiced riff with major 3rd and minor 7th and then introduce a nice blues minor pentatonic lick as a response. Then continue again over mixo mode, than use major penta, and so on. Various combos can be achieve and always keep it simple if you are just starting to experiment with new scales. This way you have more time to hear, focus, and get yourself familiar with all the notes you play.
Phrasing effects & technique: Very good playing throughout, using some nice faster legato sequences, and cool bends. All this needs some polishing, bends could be more tighter, and legato could be more cleaner. In essence, technique and effect elements used are good but could need more work. Also, more vibrato use would raise the quality level by a big step.
Sound: As on the other collab, it is a bit buzzy in the higher register, mainly due to overuse of distortion. I would keep the distortion down, turn on slight overdrive, and overdrive the amp before the actuall pedal. Use pedal as a booster, and use something like tubescreamer more than anything else. Also I think there is a bit too much space added, deep reverb that eats away the definition of your playing so during a play I get an impression that you play "behind" the track in a way. Try to use less drive and less space, and you will hear more defined and more dynamic sound definitely.
Posted by: sted Jul 17 2009, 12:15 PM
Rhythm: you showed good feel for the use of longer note durations between faster passages to keep things interesting, just like in the other collab, but one thing that your rhythmic abilities lack and you should pay more attention to is dynamics of the rhythm as in the other collab. In general it is always to first follow to basic rule of solo dynamic buildup which says that it is good to start with bigger and end with more frequent smaller note durations. If you examine your solo you will hear that you started right away with familiar rhythmical sequences, and continue to use them right until the end of the solo. They do sound good, but spending more time in really developing the rhythmical sentences with more care is something that can raise your playing to a whole new level. You know when to stop, you gotta focus to learn how to build rhythm better.
Phrasing: As before, too many phrases are ended on the root, and it is the same root in the same octave. The use of Mixolydian mode here is noticeable and it definitely sounds interesting, but when using it, you have to handle it with care, cause pure mixolydian cannot work standalone in blues and create a nice bluesy effect. My suggestion here would be to mix two patters together. I've made a lesson on mixing the patterns that will come out any day now, so I suggest you check it out when it does. It's about mixing major and minor patterns in blues in order to create different feels. If you would wanted to apply it to your phrasing structure/style, you could use one mixolydian voiced riff with major 3rd and minor 7th and then introduce a nice blues minor pentatonic lick as a response. Then continue again over mixo mode, than use major penta, and so on. Various combos can be achieve and always keep it simple if you are just starting to experiment with new scales. This way you have more time to hear, focus, and get yourself familiar with all the notes you play.
Phrasing effects & technique: Very good playing throughout, using some nice faster legato sequences, and cool bends. All this needs some polishing, bends could be more tighter, and legato could be more cleaner. In essence, technique and effect elements used are good but could need more work. Also, more vibrato use would raise the quality level by a big step.
Sound: As on the other collab, it is a bit buzzy in the higher register, mainly due to overuse of distortion. I would keep the distortion down, turn on slight overdrive, and overdrive the amp before the actuall pedal. Use pedal as a booster, and use something like tubescreamer more than anything else. Also I think there is a bit too much space added, deep reverb that eats away the definition of your playing so during a play I get an impression that you play "behind" the track in a way. Try to use less drive and less space, and you will hear more defined and more dynamic sound definitely.
Thanks mate, really useful stuff in there, i will check out the new lesson on mixing the modes into standard penta licks for sure as introducing the modes is all new and exciting territory for me. My ultimate goal is effective phrasing and tone and hopefully the new lesson will open a few musical doors for me! As for tone I think I have an issue with the software Im using, the ux2 is severely limited in what programs it will operate and I am fast finding the limits of the pod farm package, I plan on upgrading the interface to something else though I havent got a clue what atm!
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 17 2009, 09:31 PM
Great to hear that man, and just take it step by step. It will all come into place if you play and practice, nothing other than that. This new lesson will be part 1 of a bigger series, and it will have 5 parts, for each pentatonic box pattern.
As for hardware if I can help you with your choice let me know. I used UX1 before and stopped using it because although it is good for POD Farm/Gearbox, it cannot be used with other modelers properly. If you have a budget or something let me know and I'll recommend something.
Posted by: sted Jul 18 2009, 10:43 AM
As for hardware if I can help you with your choice let me know. I used UX1 before and stopped using it because although it is good for POD Farm/Gearbox, it cannot be used with other modelers properly. If you have a budget or something let me know and I'll recommend something.
thanks man, dont want to hijack the thread too much but any piece of kit you could recommend would be great! It needs to have guitar and mic inputs (at least one of each, or would I be better off with seperate mic pre-amp?) be a stand alone unit similar to the ux2, outputs for my powered monitors (TRS i think?) but most of all needs to run things like amplitube fender without noticable latency. As for budget, well I would splash for something that will fulfil all my needs for the future, maybe a limit of 4-500 sterling?
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 18 2009, 02:39 PM
For 400-500 pounds you can get pretty good system, possibly even an overkill. If you need USB interface that already narrowes it down a lot. There are only a few of external USB interfaces that would fullfill your needs:
For starters let me recommend the cheapest option that I think it is quite enough actually, and it goes around 150 pounds:
EMU 0404USB:
This device has 2/2 analog IO configuration. Both inputs are Hi impendance inputs suitable for instruments, and also both inputs have great mix preamps. It has balanced outputs of course, and in overall it's a great interface. If I would compare a toneport with these, toneport would be a toy, despite the fact toneport is a hi-priced package for other reasons.
With these device you will be able to run Amplitube Fender or Guitar Rig with latency less then 10ms which is enough to play without any noticeable latency. Latency may increase if you use more plugins, but it is safe to say that they will work with no problem at all.
Another good thing about this card is that it has more I/O ports, 2 pairs, and they are covered via digital connection. This means that if in the future you want to get more inputs and outputs (for example you want to get outboard effect processor and put it in digital FX loop or just record 4 mics at the same time) you can upgrade the device easily but getting external device that you may need. I find this kind of modular approach very practical because you can get the devices you need, and use them for different purposes.
This is not the end of the story, for the end take a look what you get with this device for free as an icing on the cake:
E-MU Production Tools Software Bundle CD-ROM (Windows)
- Cakewalk SONAR LE
- Steinberg Cubase LE
- Steinberg Wavelab Lite
- Celemony Melodyne essential
- IK Multimedia AmpliTube LE
- SFX Machine LT
- Minnetonka diskWelder BRONZE (trial)
- E-MU Proteus® VX CD-ROM - over 1000 sounds included (Windows)
- Ableton Live Lite 4 for E-MU CD-ROM (Windows/Macintosh)
For 150 pounds you will get a great deal, and still save enough money to buy other interesting stuff that you may need as well.
Another interesting device with a bit more features and a bit more expensive (around 200pounds) is M-Audio Fasttrack Ultra 8x8
Downside of this product is that it's software bundle is very slim, but upside is that you can do some very interesting things with available inputs and outputs, for example:
1. You can use one free I/O path for reamping the clean guitar track in your DAW by using your Blackstar head. send the signal to blackstart and return it via DI out to Fasttrack and DAW. This way you will hear overdrive from your head.
2. Use all your external pedal or rack effects in the same send/return combinations as outboard gear for hardware effect processing purposes.
This card can enable this, and it is probably a fast one, so I would say this is a good choice as well. It can be upgradable for 8 I/O paths which is quite enough and it has 4 I/O analog combo out of the box (2 of inputs being HiZ).
Posted by: Sensible Jones Jul 18 2009, 03:38 PM
Here's mine, it's not as 'polished' as I'd like but I had do it in a bit of a rush before I go away next week!!
[attachment=16666:Sensible...tion_wbt.mp3]
[attachment=16667:Sensible...tion_nbt.mp3]
Posted by: sted Jul 18 2009, 03:48 PM
wow! thx mate, they both look great and the first one is same price as the UX2? I dont understand that at all, guess i fell for the marketing blurb!
I dont actually have an amp atm but I am looking at some nice effects, I am assuming I can run my effects as a front end into the card and record into my DAW?
Also I would assume that this needs to be run in a DAW and use a third party software such as amplitube as a vst?
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 18 2009, 04:20 PM
UX2 is definitely overpriced unit and I would never recommending getting one now. Optimal choice with Line 6 gear is only UX1 or GX if you really don't have any money. The thing that keeps the price with Line 6 gear is the fact it is more guitar player oriented, and it's plug& play abilities, but they are in essence poor interfaces with big latency and weak to run any third party software. With Line 6 it's all about proper marketing, and they do a good job, but in terms of quality product for the price, UX2 is one of the (if not the) worst in it's price range.
I thought you have Blackstar stack based on your signature, sorry..
Yes you can run any effects you want in front of your system, but some effects like reverb or delay work best after the modeling, so their place is in insert or loop return connection.
With 0404 USB you get PatchMix, great patching software by EMU. It is a bit hard to understand at beginning but if you read the manual it's failry easy. I can give suggestions here as well I've learned it so far. This patchmix is sort of a virtual mixing desk for managing all I/O connections and other important audio paths.
Yes you need to run third party VST plugin inside DAW to process the guitar sound. This works best if you record clean guitar and use plugs later to model the sound. You can monitor the modeled sound while you play of course, these cards have low latency for that. With 0404USB you will get Cubase LE and Amplitube LE so you can start doing some tests right away and see how it goes.
I can tell you that when I changed from Toneport to EMU I changed completely all the hardware and VST plugs so this will require some time adapting and you will probably feel frustrated and not being able to dial in the tones you liked so much with POD Farm, but rest assure those troubles are short termed and you will quickly be very happy with the speed and audio quality of this device. EMU has great quality build, better than M-Audio, everything is rock solid and made for extensive use. Definitely a keeper. I also suggest you switch ti Cubase LE if you aren't using it now, because it is a LOT better than Reaper, and easier too once you get used to it.
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 18 2009, 10:03 PM
[attachment=16666:Sensible...tion_wbt.mp3]
[attachment=16667:Sensible...tion_nbt.mp3]
Jones:
Rhythm: great feeling for the blues rhythm and this track in overall. I like how you progressed with note values from start to end. In some places there are notes that could possibly be left out, but I think the rhythm was good nonetheless. One thing that I could possibly suggest is tightening up the rhythm and note execution a bit. In the first part everything is nice and solid, but in the second part and towards the end I would like to hear more defined notes. I like the staccato style in the first part and all the notes had a nice borders between each other, but in the second part it kinds muddies here and there, specially on the faster sequences. So this would be something to practice a bit with a metronome.
Phrasing: Good phrases and good licks throughout. First two phrases are ended on the root, and I would like to see the other phrase resolve on some other note than the root to keep it more interesting. After that you inserted a nice Phrygian moment in there, which sounds very good to me. Right up until the end there are several very cool licks. What I would like to hear in the second part is possibly more logic, structure and connection between all those nice licks to form a story. You did nice syncopation and went to various places with the landing notes which sounded cool, but somehow I was getting the impression that you need to work a bit more on analyzing the phrases and using them as whole. Just a though to pay more attention on.
Phrasing techniques & Technique: I really like the fact that you used vibrato throughout the solo, but my impression is that it should be even more tighter, wider and more even. You do it fast, and vibrato should be a bit slower and in sync with the backing. Good way to vibrate the string is using 3 consecutive bends during one click, which means vibrating using eight note triplets. On this kind of slow backing using fast vibrato could be achieved using sixteen note triplets, so pay more attention on that synchronization is my advice here.
Sound: Very interesting sound, has a bit of a throaty character that can be found sometimes when using wah pedal. I like the tone color, but the overall quality of the preset could be better in terms of dynamics and buzzing in the higher register. These are minor problems, and I think both can be fixed with some EQing and compression. In general amount of overdrive is just about enough.
Posted by: Sensible Jones Jul 19 2009, 11:38 AM
Thanks Ivan, some very useful points there! Unfortunately I had takes where the 2nd half was clearer but the 1st half wasn't so good, so this was kind of the best 'average' one!
I have been working on my Vibrato, I'm getting there. Slowly!!
I know the sound wasn't very good either, I'm having to record by using my 'Live Rig' into the Mic Line and using Audacity, so unfortunately there's not too much scope for EQ and Compression with this set up! 
I may do another take when I get back (in about 10 days) if that's OK with you? I'm working at the http://womad.org/festivals/charlton-park/ festival on Tuesday for about a week or so!
Posted by: Dexxter Jul 22 2009, 08:43 PM
Here's my first take.. improvised
[attachment=16781:Dexxter_...my_Take1.mp3]
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 24 2009, 01:36 AM
I have been working on my Vibrato, I'm getting there. Slowly!!
I know the sound wasn't very good either, I'm having to record by using my 'Live Rig' into the Mic Line and using Audacity, so unfortunately there's not too much scope for EQ and Compression with this set up!
I may do another take when I get back (in about 10 days) if that's OK with you? I'm working at the http://womad.org/festivals/charlton-park/ festival on Tuesday for about a week or so!
I would very much like to hear more takes on this one if you find the time. It will be fun to comment and compare the takes. I will get into more detail with comparisons when I hear the take. Thanks man!
Posted by: leedbreak Jul 26 2009, 05:07 AM
Just in time
Leedbreak_Stormy_BT.mp3 ( 439.7K )
: 126
Leedbreak_Stormy_NBT.mp3 ( 439.7K )
: 113
On this one I did like 10 takes and put up the best one.
For Fun, heres one that did not make the cut, I kinda went "happy" on this one.
Leedbreak_New_wave_Fun_take.mp3 ( 482.76K )
: 124
<<Whoops, I named the file New Wave, but it is stormy LOLOL
Posted by: jdriver Jul 27 2009, 09:23 PM
Ivan I am sorry, I'm going to have to drop out. I injured my picking hand and I have not been able to practice more than few minutes each day. I had an x-ray today, hopefully find out what is the problem.
Posted by: Staffy Jul 28 2009, 12:36 PM
Hi Ivan, here's mine.... I have been busy with the competition, so excuse me for the delay...
I've done this about half an hour until i got a take that was decent....
Mexican Strat straight to my Marshall 2203, added a little delay & reverb +
mastered with TC X3. Thats it.....
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 30 2009, 06:26 PM
Dexxter:
Rhythm: Very good ideas, and tasty rhythmical figures, sounds very good to my ears. There are only couple of notes that have timing issues in the beginning and at the end, but these mistakes are mostly small - just notes that are not exactly on the beat. Other than that I think you really have a nice feel for the note durations and syncopation, specially those long bends. I like the fact you used shorter note durations towards the end. Focus more on those shaky notes in the beginning and end and it should be perfect.
Phrasing & Structure: You started to develop well the first part of the solo, and the second part as well, but towards the end phrases kinda loose touch with one another. Problem with the last couple of phrases is choosing good ending notes to round them up like logical musical sentences. All the phrases should correlate with one another and form a sort of a story. With a minimalistic approach that you used here it is relatively hard to achieve that cause every note carries more heaviness and function to itself. I would advise spending more time on focusing developing question&answer phrasing pairs to really get the feel for them. Other than that I really like the licks and the bends, they really fit nicely.
Technique: Your technique is great, good clean playing, and well defined notes. Some bends are a bit shaky and not precise, but all in all good use of them, and also good use of vibratos.
Sound: Great sound that cuts well through the mix, in the mids and round. Little crunchy, exactly the amount that is needed. No mistakes here from what I can hear.
leedbreak:
Rhythm: Good start and good use of rhythmic phrases to develop the solo to the peak in the middle with some more shorter durations. Towards the end a slow turn again, and in the end a solid wrap up. I think you play very interestingly your rhythmical sentences, and they do form a structure that is very nice. The thing that I could recommend possibly is inserting more longer notes, for example longer bends and holding them, this would really add a new dimension to this take. Just a thought. The whole solo has a nice structure, intro, build up, climax, build down, outro, very nicely rounded, just need to work more on finesses like connecting them in a more natural way, which is heavily related to melodic phrases as well.
Phrasing: Good development and nice melodic all around in a solo, nice notes are used, and sounds pretty solid. The part that needs a bit more work is the second part. I have a feeling that there are some unfinished and undefined phrases in there that could could really represent the world difference.
Techniques: Several techniques used that are good, palm muting for one, that is executed successfully throughout, and then bends and vibrato. I would suggest a bit more work on bending. It has to be precisely in pitch every time.
Sound: Your sound is good but I think it lacked some dynamics and mids to really cut through the mix. I will raise the level a bit in the final mix so it comes out nicely, and this is just something I would modify here. Other than that, I believe that a smaller amount of gain would really define your tone even better than it is now.
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 30 2009, 07:21 PM
Staffy:
Rhythm: Just great, almost perfect, some timing issues that are strictly technical nature, but the sense of syncopation and rhythmic build up in your playing is just without any problems at all. Great job. Overall great take, really great sense for the blues.
Phrasing: Very tastefully used licks and phrases, that really have a nice development, every note is in it's place, very cool. In the middle there is that a bit odd arpeggio out of the bloom is good, but I have a feeling it is there more because of the habit of doing it instead of phrasing intentions. I like it, but could be a bit smoother I think, rhythmically as well.
Techniques: I beleive your tone control is very good and you are really playing these licks and phrases with a good deal of comfort. There is room for improvement since there are notes that are a bit loose, but it is not of major importance. Also noise could be a bit of an issue on several places, so try to keep your tone as tight as you can and only let the things you play to ring out.
Sound: Although the sound has just the right amount of drive, dynamics and space, I am finding that top end sizzle is a bit harsh on some high notes. Possibly smoothing out the presence range a bit with the EQ would really make it very nice. Not too much of course, so it doesn't loose the sparkle, just that spot with the harshness.
No problem man, and sorry to hear about that. I hope you get better soon man.
Posted by: leedbreak Jul 31 2009, 12:49 AM
Thanks for the great collab and interesting comments, I end up having to rush these out with life so busy. I need to fix that part for sure. 
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 31 2009, 12:55 AM
Thanks for participating mate, cheers
Posted by: Dexxter Jul 31 2009, 05:36 PM
Rhythm: Very good ideas, and tasty rhythmical figures, sounds very good to my ears. There are only couple of notes that have timing issues in the beginning and at the end, but these mistakes are mostly small - just notes that are not exactly on the beat. Other than that I think you really have a nice feel for the note durations and syncopation, specially those long bends. I like the fact you used shorter note durations towards the end. Focus more on those shaky notes in the beginning and end and it should be perfect.
Phrasing & Structure: You started to develop well the first part of the solo, and the second part as well, but towards the end phrases kinda loose touch with one another. Problem with the last couple of phrases is choosing good ending notes to round them up like logical musical sentences. All the phrases should correlate with one another and form a sort of a story. With a minimalistic approach that you used here it is relatively hard to achieve that cause every note carries more heaviness and function to itself. I would advise spending more time on focusing developing question&answer phrasing pairs to really get the feel for them. Other than that I really like the licks and the bends, they really fit nicely.
Technique: Your technique is great, good clean playing, and well defined notes. Some bends are a bit shaky and not precise, but all in all good use of them, and also good use of vibratos.
Sound: Great sound that cuts well through the mix, in the mids and round. Little crunchy, exactly the amount that is needed. No mistakes here from what I can hear.
Thanks a lot for the comment, Ivan! I agree on everything you said
I don't improvise too often I have to say, so a lot of the things you said maybe wouldn't apply if I would've composed a take. But don't get me wrong, I appreciate your comment A LOT! I think I simply need to improvise more, and that way become quicker in my mind and fingers Thanks again, Ivan, you boosted my motivation to start improvising more
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 31 2009, 07:57 PM
Thanks man, I appreciate your words. I really liked your take and playing and I think you have a great possibility to advance more. I'll keep an eye on your progress on the forum to be able to compare with this take in the future. Keep rocking!
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