Sound of Silence

My newest guitar build inspired me to start getting more active in sharing practice videos to the AV0YP (I hope :roll_eyes:). Warning: Ever since I heard the cover by Disturbed, I can’t seem to play it without overdoing the reverb. Sound of Silence (Cover)

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Liked it a lot Mark!! Well done :clap:
I am one of very few that actually like Disturbed’s version better than the original :flushed:

So i liked your version a lot!
Thanks…

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Thanks Trond, we actually agree. As much as I have always loved the original, the power that Disturbed put into it is incredible.

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Yep… i think the two of us are almost alone with that opinion though :rofl::rofl::rofl:

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Just back from a lovely dinner in a boisterous restaurant Mark and this was a lovely contrast!!

Can’t wait for more in this section from you, I enjoyed that a lot, thank you! Kind of agree on the reverb level, but as everything went on it felt more suitable.

Bravo :clap:

Thanks Mark! It 's funny, I tried to turn the reverb down to a ‘normal’ level, but I just didn’t like it as much. :thinking: So I gave in. :sunglasses:

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Ah the temptation of reverb (and delay too for me!!) :joy::wink::grin:

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Interesting that the title apparently changed over time for some reason. I always knew it as “Sounds of Silence,” but Wikipedia lists it as “Sound of Silence (originally Sounds of Silence)” I wonder why.

Nice performance Mark. Good job.

Beautiful Mark. Really lovely sound from that guitar and what an achievement on crafting such a beautiful instrument. Your vocals were also really well suited to this song. Great work!

Hi Mark,
It is an absolutely live performance-worthy song that you play and sing :clap: :sunglasses: :clap:, but then you have to adjust the reverb … small effort, great pleasure :sunglasses:
Greetings

I had never picked up on this before. :thinking: I found this investigative article about it on the internet. It does not come to a firm conclusion, but it was interesting history that I did not know. https://www.ratherrarerecords.com/sounds-of-silence/

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@Willsie01 Thanks John!

@Eddie_09 Thanks Eddie, I had never played a steel string with a cedar top before. The information I saw looked positive, so I decided to give it a try. It has a very different sound, warmer with more overtones due to the Indian rosewood.

@roger_holland Thanks Rogier! Have reverb, will travel! :sunglasses:

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Really enjoyed that, Mark. I am partial to both versions.

I hear you on the reverb. Though maybe if your vocal was a little louder in the mix then the heavier reverb would be less of an issue? I think for recording purposes when the guitar is via mic then you probably need a second dynamic mic. Alternatively experiment with mic placement. You could try inverting, raising it to mouth level and in a little closer. A slight angle towards the guitar and you may get a more balanced result.

That aside, great sound on the guitar and a fine performance

Thanks David! I played with a number of different positions without being happy with any of them. I was a little more interested in capturing the guitar this time and leaned in that direction. I do have a second condenser mic, but it felt like it would be a bit crowded. I have thought about a dynamic mic (or two), but haven’t released the funds yet. :moneybag::wink:

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:rofl:

I would suggest a single dynamic, Mark. I have found that the condensors are so sensitive that to get a decent two track recording without excessive bleed so that you can balance guitar and vocal can be a challenge. I have got decent results with a relatively budget-friendly dynamic, the AKG D5.

Could be fun to try and use the two condensors to record the guitar. I’ve never tried that. I think you have to be quite careful with mic placement to get a good result. I seem to think that @J.W.C has some experience recording that way.

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Yes, that’s my preferred approach if the piece doesn’t have too many instruments, so usually for something like solo guitar or just guitar and vocal (although I might record the vocal separately if I have two mics on the guitar). With two condensers I position one near the neck/body joint and one near the bridge. Keep them about the same distance from the guitar and it should be fine. In the DAW I pan one hard left and one hard right. The hard right track gets its reverb panned hard left, and the hard left track gets its reverb panned hard right. Makes it sound really “big.”

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I will play with the 2 condenser mics. Looks like it is time to look at the G.A.S. account again. :smile:

Well done Mark. Sounds great ! I shared it with my mom who love that song.

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Thanks Mathieu!