Runcie

The HNC at Aberdeen College is pretty good. The syllabus is pretty basic though and I learned more from casual chats with the lecturers, shadowing live engineers and reading up on recording technique than I did from the actual course. If you want to take sound engineering further though the HNC's the starting point, and you can learn loads if you ask the right questions. Plus you get to use a shit hot recording studio with an SSL desk!

The Dave Navarro chillis album had some ace tunes on it! I think they went down the shitter when "By the way" came out. Mine how that bass riff is Repeater by Fugazi but a wee bit quicker!!!!!!!! Fleas a right cunt!

I think this is an awesome idea and I don't think I'd be alone in saying I'd happily pay like 100 to record a few tunes on Balmedie beach or somewhere nice. Instead of dishing out free podcasts though, I'd probably try and release a best of sampler every 6 months or so for like 10. If decent bands get involved I reckon it'd sell well and bring in the money!! You could also look into putting on gigs at weird locations, getting a bus on the go and make money from tickets sales. I struggled a lot last year in my graded unit to try and make my studio financially viable and ended up having to put on gigs, do live recordings, turn my studio into a B&B for touring bands and run the studio to try and pay rent and loans for the gear I'd bought. If you chum up Tristan I'm sure he could show you a copy. I got an A in the end. Whoop!!

In "Under the Bridge" Frusciante uses a plectrum to play the root notes and picks the rest with his middle and ring finger. It's called "hybrid picking" and it's is pretty hard to get comfy with, but it frees you from dicking around with grabbing a plec if you need it for the rest of a tune as he does here. I'd learn that! Affa handy you must agree!!

I remember having a proper struggle trying to learn how to fingerpick. In the end I just sat down with the sheet music for hallelujah by Jeff Buckley and flew in amongst it like a hobo eating hot chips. Don't think what finger should be plucking what string, just practice and you'll get there. Good luck sir!!

Holy FUCK!!! James!! I'm totally heading now! Yaas!!

Hey guys. I just chucked all the recordings up on here so feel free to download away. Marionettes downloads

I didn't say that older guys lacked originality and apologise if that's how people read into my previous post. From past experience all I'm saying is that I've found that the crowd who turn up to watch cover bands generally don't seem too enthusiastic about seeing anything new. I could and might be wrong, but I certainly wouldn't jump through hoops (BOTB) to play a gig supporting a covers band and I'm sure I'm not alone?? I may have overstepped the mark with my AC/DC monkey comment though. AB/DC are a good cover band and decent musicians. Totally not my thing though. Tunk is entitled to his opinion of my sound engineering abilities. Out of interest though, which band of his have I mixed in the past??

I'll easy have a look at your tele for you. If it's like the switch in my one it might be an affa easy fix.

In my opinion there's a time and a place for "classic rock" covers bands, and 9 times out of 10 it's usually in pokey, shitty little local pubs to older guys who couldn't give a fuck about listening to new music. Some of the best gigs I've played have been for AGP, Teenage lust etc and it's because people attend these gigs to listen to new music and enjoy it. I'd rather play to 100 people who like listening to new music than 800 older guys who couldn't give a fuck. You've totally pissed me off by belittling the hard work of promoters in Aberdeen. They take a risk by booking out of town bands and I respect them to no-end for doing this because I get to listen to some amazing live music. If all promoters in Aberdeen played it safe and booked shite covers bands 100% of the time the scene would be affa lame. ps. AC/DC are shit and a trained monkey could play their tunes.

The kits/mics/rooms used in sample banks of BFD etc are generally awesome/expensive as fuck and far outwith the reach of us non studio owner types. i think a properly set up midi kit with a shit hot sample bank will give you a far better drum track than a mic'd up kit in a garage unless you spend a fucking fortune. I just got a new soundcard with midi in (Oh aye) so I'll see whether or not I'm being a dirty liar when we next record round mine. Oh and Underkills, if you get a computer/midi interface on the go give me a shout and I'll give you a hand setting it up.

Ha ha I just managed to listen to the tunes for the first time tonight. I can't wait for this gig at the tunnels, it'll be fucking ace!! Anyone up for comin round to my house and making some tie-die shutterspeed t-shirts for the occasion??

Yeah thats the best and most logical way to do it. I've got a 2 in 2 out soundcard and a 16 channel mixer with 4 aux sends. It's basic and totally limiting but gets the job done. I have my recording inputs hooked up from aux sends 1&2 on my desk and outboard effects on aux sends 3&4. To record in a reverbed part all I need to do is solo the part I want on my daw, send it to the effects unit (Aux3 or 4) then send the FX return channel to the interface through aux send 1 and/or 2. Saves me plugging stuff in and out.

This ends in a couple of days folks. It'd be affa handy if someone from Aberdeen bought it to save me the hell of going to the post office.

Yeah I'll be really sad to see it go. It is a weapon, I just can't justify having it when I hardly touch it anymore. Hopefully it'll find a better home and I can chuck some money in my new car savings fund!

Musicman Stingray on eBay (end time 02-Mar-10 14:15:09 GMT) If anyone fancies it give me a shout.

Easy Geldof. That's a pretty harsh post. Smokin catfish are ace, and it'd take a fair bit of time and effort to get like 11 people and gear to a venue. Fuck doing that for free when you can make a bit of money for it. I feel your pain about your posters though. :-(

Yeah I'd be well up fro recording you guys. My interface is shit so the drums'd have to be done on Roland V-drums. We got them sounding pretty fat though. Give us a shout.

Tunnels room 1 is has a pretty good setup and can handle fully mic'd up kits and various monitor setups with ease. Tunnels room 2 (where you guys played the other night) is a totally different affair, and trying to make blazing loud metal bands sound good with the limited gear available in that room can be tricky. We try our best though and if backline volume is kept at reasonable volume it can sound alright.

Leave Tim alone, he's REPRESENTIN yo. But yeah thanks for the nice comments guys. Like Daryl said we recorded this in my bedroom (Daniel Bedingfield style) and it took a fair bit of work to get them sounding alright. Any more feedback would be greatly appreciated. Cheers guys! ps aye I'd better change my logo thing too. Oi Oi!!!!

I'll be down for this. Findo Gask are amazingly ace!!

I can easy lend you a mic Adam. What you gonna be recording?

Carsol wells for the win like!! Affa tech!

Hey james, how much you looking for your amp on its own??

Oh dear it appears I forgot to make a fake username when firing up my previous post. Whoops! :-)