50's style surf rock - killer fender tones with the help of the editor :)

  • Hi , here is a new track in a typical 50's & 60's feel , surf & western influences.


    Surfin fifties


    i took lots of time to shape the guitar sounds with the editor, spring reverbs, ice picking fender tones , cab swapping, trem tweaks ...


    But I eventually made it , I also changed my usual way of playing to adapt to the feel.


    Let me know your thoughts about the 50's or 60's tone, I also spent lots of time in my DAW to achieve the sound of a studio session.


    I'm testing a new platform as I' m getting closer and closer to professional results, I'd love to license this one to a movie, so don't be shy on the critics.

  • Wow, impressive one. Very good! I am not an expert in 50s and 60s sounds - far away from that. But the vibe fits to movies indeed. Which one do you have in mind? New Tarantine? He'd love it!


    Hard to critize anything this time. I really like the balance of Drums, Bass and Guitars in the mix as well as the stereo panning. Very cool. Maybe the lead guitar starting at ~1:10 and ~2:00 is a little too loud or in the foreground when it kicks in. You can even see this a bit on the waveform. But no big deal and does not lower the joy of listening to the tune.


    Great job man, well done. Lovely guitar sounds. The "twang" with the trem is outstanding cool... :thumbup:8)

  • Great stuff, man! You absolutely nailed the tremelo vibe.


    The only minor tweak I could come up with would be the tone of the solo line. Through my reference monitors it sounds just a touch bright / thin / edgy. I think if the tone was rounded out ever so slightly by bringing some of the mids back it might sound a bit fuller without sacrificing the cool bite of a surf guitar that you have going. Mind you I'm comparing it to my memory of surf stuff so certainly not a scientific observation.


    Now I'm going to have the James Bond theme going through my head for the rest of the day... :P

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • You nailed it Renaud! I had to slick my hair back and light a cigarette before the ending

    ahah killer quote Mud ' I really appreciate the picture ;)

    Which one do you have in mind? New Tarantine? He'd love it!

    I'm really open , I hope some producers will come & fetch me , but a tarantino only in my dreams man , I'd be happy with a soap commercial ;)

    The only minor tweak I could come up with would be the tone of the solo line.

    . Maybe the lead guitar starting at ~1:10 and ~2:00 is a little too loud or in the foreground when it kicks in


    You're both right guys , this is partly intended as I listened a whole lotta 50 & 60's recording , and lots of flaws make these recordings so authentic.


    I had to make some flaws in my track too, and to mimic an excited guitarist jumping with too much enthusiasm on his volume pot...


    Attention to details was critical on this one, I'm tired but happy :)

  • I had to make some flaws in my track too, and to mimic an excited guitarist jumping with too much enthusiasm on his volume pot...

    Cool approach. And pretty well done. Actually the perfection of modern tracks and production is not always appealing to me. Ane those who go for lo-fi probably see it similar sometimes :)


    Attention to details was critical on this one, I'm tired but happy :)

    Well done and now well deserved :thumbup:

  • Nice tremolo! I used to play in a surf band (technically still do, though we haven’t played a gig in y e a r s. Check out OK Kings on Spotify, if you like) and you’ve got the sound of the rhythm guitars spot on. I agree with Chris, though. The lead is a bit too shrill, and a bit too gainy to be genre spot on, for my taste. As for the drums, for me, I always start with just the room mics and only use close mics to support the kick and snare if they get too washed out, though I use them subtly. You’re very close, though :thumbup:

  • Hi Renaud,


    This is top notch. You really got that spring reverb and trem thing down pat. My only comment is that the lead is a bit thin and with too much gain to be period correct.


    I've yet to find a Fender profile that sounds and feels fat on the thin e and b strings.


    Cheers,


    Mats N

  • Check out OK Kings on Spotify

    Yeah, great stuff Sam , you went much heavier on the spring verb than me , the tones are more rounded too, more modern.


    I was really aiming for raw 50's tone, Thanks for the hint on the drums, but that's EZ2 not a real drummer this time.

    My only comment is that the lead is a bit thin and with too much gain to be period correct.

    Yeah I wonder how they could achieve such high distortion with just a clean fender tube amp, but I think it's realistic, as far as I could experiment with real tube amps. It's a bit icy , but I like this acidity in that particular context.

  • Yeah, great stuff Sam , you went much heavier on the spring verb than me , the tones are more rounded too, more modern.


    I was really aiming for raw 50's tone, Thanks for the hint on the drums, but that's EZ2 not a real drummer this time.

    The OK Kings record was recorded before Kemper, and the amps we used were original mid-late 60’s Fenders recorded with ribbon mics from the same period (guitars, too). We were really going for authentic, but I guess the mix engineer dragged us back up to date, haha!

    I think the drums you programmed are great, but just a tad too punchy to be 50’s/60’s, which is why I suggested just using room mics.

    It still sounds good on second listen :thumbup:

  • Not using Choon anymore, Renaud?


    Not sure exactly which lead sound the others were talking about, but the one that comes in at 35s stands out as being too-harsh IMHO. Grainy, piercing, thin... just too-harsh, man... IMHO of course.


    Other than that, great job IMHO, Renaud! 8)

  • Not using choons anymore, Renaud?

    Sadly Choon is dead , migrating to emanate , a new platform ... Too bad because Choon interface was really good vs soundcloud.



    the one that comes in at 35s stands out as being too-harsh IMHO. Grainy, piercing, thin... just too-harsh, man... IMHO of course.

    I love this one , all my other leads are very smooth most of the time, as I said earlier I kept this one acid & in the foreground . Most of the listeners complain about it , but that was part of the purpose , to have an aggressive rock'n roll tone.