We start a new track today! How exciting? This song is called Seven Shades, it’s been around forever, and as always, we start by getting the structure of the song in place with a scratch track. Let’s do this!
Seven Shades scratch track: rig run down
- Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone
- IK Multimedia iRig Pre audio interface
- BandLab Link Analog audio interface
- Beyerdynamic DT-100 headphones
- MXL V67G microphone
- Pig Hog 10ft XLR cable
- Gibson ES-335
- Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini
- Palmer BatPack 8000
- Pig Hog 10ft instrument cables
- Jim Dunlop Gator Grip 1.14mm picks
- Electric guitar strings: Ernie Ball Regular Slinky
- BandLab free, online, in-browser DAW, and companion app
And there you have it.
Recording the scratch track
Now, I was incredibly lazy in recording this. I recorded it exclusively from my Laz-E-Boy. But, more on that in a minute.
- Firstly, I set up my hardware in the usual way
- Secondly, I did the necessary admin, so created a new track in BandLab
- Thirdly, I recorded the scratch track!
As usual with a scratch track, I just did guitar and vocals. Now, to clarify, I did swap audio interfaces between guitars and vocals. I recorded guitar first with the Link.
Then, I recorded vocals with the iRig.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit, this vocal take was awful. Even by scratch track standards. However, I have nobody to blame but myself. Additionally, it wasn’t any easier, and for the sake of another minute setting up the mic stand, I should have just done that.
But, this is where we’re at.
Conclusion
To conclude, this’ll do. But seriously, remind me to never be so lazy about standing up, and recording vocals with a mic stand again!
So, I look forward to developing this song, just to move past that mess!
A note about Seven Shades
As I have noted, Seven Shades is an old song. I can’t remember the exact year. But, based on the lyrics, I’d place it around 2008. So, I guess that makes it 11 years old or so.
At this time, I was living in Birmingham, near a place called Cape Hill. Which wasn’t the nicest part of the city. It always seemed like there was a violent tension around the place.
For example, in Google:
In any case, the title derives from the expression “to beat/kick seven shades of shit out of someone,” in reference to that violent feeling around the place.
And no, nothing ever happened to me while I lived there. This is fiction.
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