Easy audio mastering for SoundCloud or YouTube using free software
Mastering audio for YouTube or SoundCloud use is easy when you know how it's done.
I use a ZOOM R8 to record my music with. A feature the R8 lacks is any way to normalize the audio in a master recording. This is fine because I can do that using the Audacity software. Audacity is free for Windows, Mac and Linux. Search it on Google and you'll find it easily.
Assuming you are happy with the recording you have in your standalone recorder and just want to get the levels and volume right, there are only three things you have to do in Audacity to get a properly mastered file. Hard Limiter, Amplify and then generate 2 seconds of silence at the front and tail of the audio file.
Hard Limiter
For the music I do, which is guitar-driven, setting a Hard Limit of -6dB works for me. You will have to experiment with this to see what setting works best for you, but -6dB is the "sweet spot" that works for my recordings.
Amplify
The Amplify effect is used to bring the audio level back up. Since I use -6dB, Audacity auto-calculates that +6dB is needed to get back to 0dB, which is correct. However, I can get away with adding in an extra 1dB. This makes the audio very-slightly overdriven, but it's acceptable.
Silence Generator
I add 2 seconds of silent audio at the front and tail to avoid sound being "chopped off." It is typical that on upload to sites like YouTube and SoundCloud that a small part of the audio will get chopped off due to the site's recompression process. Adding 2 seconds of silent audio at the front and tail adds in a buffer, meaning in the event audio does get chopped off, it's no big deal since it is only the silent parts that are affected.
The sleazy 1970s guitar sound
I posted a new song What Year Is This?. It was an experiment with a specific type of tone shaping to see if it would work or not. Did it?
Yes, it did.
The guitar used was the Jazzmaster, but the experimental part was simply this: How little overdrive could I get away with?
Like many guitar players, I used to be one that used way too much distortion/overdrive. It's just a thing you do when you don't know any better. This of course was before I discovered compression.
For this song however, I decided to turn down the overdrive as much as I could, then after that recorded a second guitar playing the mostly-same riff on another track, then panned each guitar track away from each other and see how it would turn out. The end result was actually pretty good.
The doubling-up of guitars on two separate tracks really brings a nice fullness to the overall recorded sound, so even with just a very small amount of overdrive, things sound "big."
Although the intent wasn't to sound like 1970s sleaze guitar at first, that's what it ended up being. I was okay with that. :)
Cheap guitar of the week #16 - ESP LTD EC-50
Being I mentioned hardtail guitars recently, this is one many players would enjoy because it gets several things right, but it also gets something wrong.
The ESP LTD EC-50 is cheap to buy, and comes in cool colors like red and silverburst.
I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first. There is only one problem with this guitar. It's a 24.75-inch scale length with 24 frets on it. Why is that a problem? Because compared to a 25.5-inch scale with 24 frets, you start running out of space real fast for your fingers to go after the 20th fret. If you rarely play solos after the 20th fret, this won't be a problem. But if you do, you have to be fairly precise with your fingers. If you ever wondered what a Les Paul would be like if it did have 24 frets on it with a thin "U" shape neck, this guitar is worth buying just to find out. The EC-50 may be that "fast" Les Paul you've been looking for at a very nice price.
Okay, now on to the good stuff.
LTD has hits and misses with its cheaper guitars. This one is a hit because it does several things very well.
Electronics
One volume knob for each pickup, one master tone. For many Les Paul players, this is exactly what they prefer instead of volume + tone for both pickups. There's no fussing about with the way the knobs are set up and it's really easy to know where you are at any given time.
Also, given there are two volume controls, you can do that pseudo-killswitch thing where you turn the front (neck) pickup all the way down, rear (bridge) pickup all the way up, then rapid-toggle back and forth the selector switch for a stutter type sound.
Looks expensive
The EC-50 definitely looks far more expensive than it is. The 12th fret inlay has some class to it, along with the smaller dot inlays usually only seen on far more expensive models. The body shape has nice contours to it, giving it an exotic appearance. The minimalist headstock design also gives the guitar a classy look. The lack of "poker chip" plastic on the 3-way selector also has a nice minimalist look to it as well.
In other words, unless someone were very familiar with LTD's line up, the EC-50 could easily pass as an expensive guitar, even though it's priced low.
Woods
Basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. What this tells you is that the guitar will have a correct weight to it and not be a backbreaker weight some Les Pauls are known for. The maple neck in particular means the neck will have less flex compared to mahogany, which in this case is a good thing because with little setup, this guitar could be gig-ready fairly easily.
Shape
Very easy on the player, particularly because of the beveled cut at the top of the body. You can rest your strumming forearm there right where the bevel is. If the traditional Les Paul body shape bothers you where you wish there was a cut that didn't make your forearm feel uncomfortable, the EC-50 is definitely for you.
Sound
Pickups are ESP Designed LH-150 rear and LH-150 front and get the job done. For most players there should be no need to change the pickups. But if you want to, it's easy enough to do since the passive electronics are simple to work with.
Conclusion
Great hardtail for the money, both for beginners and experts alike that want a nice, simple hardtail Les Paul where you just plug in and go. The only thing you have to get used to is the thin neck with the 24 frets, but for some, that's exactly what they're looking for.
What is the best hardtail guitar?
Hardtail probably doesn't mean what you think it does.
What does "hardtail" mean?
There is some debate as to what hardtail actually means.
Hardtail in strict definition means a guitar where the strings are anchored at or directly behind the bridge.
This would mean a Les Paul is a real-deal hardtail.
This would also mean the Fender Standard Telecaster is not a hardtail because the strings go through the body, meaning not anchored directly at the bridge. The anchoring point is where the strings are held in the ferrules.
However, a top-loader Telecaster, such as the Squier Affinity Telecaster, is a hardtail because the string anchoring point is at the bridge itself...
...but for all intents and purposes, everyone calls a Telecaster a hardtail guitar anyway, regardless if it's a top-loader or string-through-body design, even though string-through-body isn't technically a hardtail.
One thing that hardtail absolutely does mean is "no vibrato system present" (or "no tremolo system present" when stated incorrectly.)
An example of a string-through-body where it's really obvious is any Schecter C-1 model without a vibrato system on it. You'll see the ferrules behind the bridge in plain sight where the strings go through the body.
What are the best hardtail guitars?
Personally, I think the Telecaster is the best you can get for a no-nonsense, no-vibrato guitar. Telecaster is my #1 pick. Again, I know it's technically not a hardtail, but like I said, everyone calls the Tele a hardtail anyway.
A good follow-up to the Telecaster is the SG. I specifically like the Epiphone G-400 PRO. It's a genuinely nice guitar and absolutely a real-deal hardtail. All the classic design cues are there, plus a few extra electronics goodies. The look is spot-on as well.
Yeah, I'm mentioning the ES-339 again. Can't say enough good things about this guitar. I love the Telecaster, but I love this one too. Great example of a hardtail that really gets the job done in fine style.
Do you need a hardtail guitar?
It can arguably be said that hardtails are the best player's guitars, because that type of instrument forces you to concentrate on play and not fumbling about with the vibrato system.
A vibrato system is something most guitar players don't even like that much, if at all. I personally like it, but only only the "slow" type such as on a Jazzmaster or something like a Gretsch with a Bigsby on it.
In other words, if you're the type of player who thinks, "Vibrato is nice, but I never use it," then go ahead get a guitar that has no vibrato on it at all. Get a Telecaster, SG, Les Paul or whatever you like. Skip the vibrato entirely with your next guitar, and it might be the best you ever own.
Cheap import guitar of the week #15 - Dean EVO XM
This particular cheap guitar is something I call a "handyman's special".
The Dean EVO XM is so cheap in price that it would make most people say that for a guitar this low in cost, something must be wrong with it.
Before I get into that, if it were a choice between the EVO XM and, say, a Squier Affinity Stratocaster HSS, I'd go with the Squier even though it's almost 70 dollars more. Why? Because it basically needs nothing.
However, there are a few things about the EVO XM that make it desirable as a dirt cheap guitar.
First is the weight. Some have reported this guitar to be very lightweight. One reviewer even said it weighs just 5.75lbs (2.6kg). That's a featherweight, to be sure, and a selling point because that makes the guitar good for both kids and older adults with age-related back and/or leg issues.
Second is the look. The guitar, even though dirt cheap, looks fancy. The blackout hardware goes nicely with the satin natural finish. It would be nicer if the inlays were blocks instead of dots, but then again you really can't complain for a guitar this low in price.
Third, it's a hardtail, meaning no vibrato system to deal with. And there are a lot of players who like a cheap hardtail guitar they can thrash around.
What needs upgrading/fixing?
Fortunately, this list is real short.
A new nut and a fret leveling will basically make the guitar play perfectly. If you want to replace the pickups, machine heads and so on, you can do that later. First and foremost is getting the neck right.
You can perform a fret leveling yourself with a kit, if you want to give that a go. And there are plenty of videos on YouTube showing how to install a nut, which is a fairly painless process.
You can make the EVO XM a great player if you're willing to put a little work into it; this is why I call the guitar a handyman's special.
If you want a guitar that needs nothing except basic setup, get the Squier. But if you like the featherweight EVO XM hardtail, get that instead as long as you know up front it needs a little work to make it play like it's supposed to.
Why buy a guitar that needs a little work? Because that small amount of work saves money, both now and for future guitar purchases. Once you know how to work on guitars, you can make just about any cheap solid-body play like a dream.