Late night jam...

This is just a 2 minute clip of a backing track I was jamming to last night... so, to be clear, I didn't play any of the backing track itself, just lead guitar part:

https://app.box.com/s/n6tqs8zbvxvrg27skf9b

I was interested in checking this out. It is asking me to log in. Do I need a box account to get to the file?

Sorry about that! I think I needed to use a special share link, which I've done in the updated OP. Give it a try and let me know if it works... it should take you right to the file where you should be able to click "play" to listen to it. There is no log in or account sign up required at all, so if you get that message again, it means I screwed up... hopefully its right though. Thanks Maggior!

Just grabbed a listen. That was really awesome! Great tone and a great phrasing. What gear were you using as far as guitar and effects?

What method did you use to improvise - scales or chord tone soloing? Your solo fit well in with the chords...unlike something I would do which is just the good old pentatonic scale.

I really enjoyed listening to it...I think I'll listen again :-). Very nicely done...you are a talented player.

Thanks Maggior! Its all done through the BOSS JS 10, including the effects. So the backing track is an MP3, and then the guitar runs through the processor section. What's nice is just being able to hit "record" (one button) and the unit records whatever is being played... backing track and any inputs. No mixing option though, so I have to gauge the guitar level.

I'd jammed with the tune earlier, and then later felt a bit inspired so I just hit record so I could listen back. To improvise, I'm basing everything off an A Minor scale. I'm not really thinking too much about positions, or chord tones. I really use my ear more than anything else, but I have practiced that scale a fair bit, so its not just the physical position that guides me, but also the sound of the scale itself. There are things that creep in... there's a tiny legato lick I did about midway, and I wasn't thinking that at all... it just came out as I was playing. I always like it when things like that happen... thanks for checking it out!

Huh, that BOSS unit looks pretty cool. I've never run across that before.

What guitar are you playing on it? Just a great tone and sound.

Yeah, it's always great when something comes spontaneously out of your playing that makes you go "hmmm, that's pretty cool - where did that come from!?!?". When that happens to me, it usually start out as a "mistake" where I didn't hit what I intended to...yet it sounds good and I'll continue with it.

Hey Slippin... I love it.! Glad it was at the beginning of the forum today. I replayed it through the rest of my forum read.. I did miss an outro on the first listen.
Thanks for posting

Thanks Compart.. I didn't really do an "outro" as much as I just felt "eh, that's enough...." and just stopped playing as I was just winging it... the loop would go on forever if I wanted it to!

Maggior, the guitar is a American Standard Strat that I bought back in the 90's... so its just your normal Strat with single coils... I'm on the bridge pickup. The JS10 is cool.. but pricey and not without its flaws. It doesn't sound that great through the built-in speakers, but does sound really nice through the headphones. The big plus with it is the plug/play/record simplicity. Its great for jamming to backing tracks. One touch record. Turn the unit off, go away, come back, turn it on, it remembers the song and patch you were on. I was very lucky to find one used for $200 as they sell for $469 new. I use mine pretty much every practice session. I have a DR880 which I use a fair bit too, which is very different in that it can't play backing tracks, but has excellent built-in drum & bass sounds and can be programed. With the JS10, you can slow a song down, but the audio quality goes out the window. With the DR880, you can set any tempo you want, and the audio quality is unaffected. I do like the A/B function on the JS10, which allows you to set in point "A" and out point "B", and then it just repeats that section over and over. Great for working on a specific section of a song.

You might want to check out the BOSS BR 80 which is like the JS10, but without speakers. The BR80 also has a built-in four track, and is not quite half the price of the JS10.

For just something to jam to, another really cheap option would be one of Korg's Pandora units... the link is to the Pandora Mini, but you can also get the PX4 on Ebay for under $100, or the new PX5... I believe all of them have a an input, so if you have backing tracks that you can play on your computer, you could plug your computer into the Pandora and then jam along with it. Fun stuff!

Great stuff man :) You have a good sence of melody.

Originally Posted by: SebastBergGreat stuff man :) You have a good sence of melody.

Thanks Sebastian!

Originally Posted by: Slipin LizardThis is just a 2 minute clip of a backing track I was jamming to last night... so, to be clear, I didn't play any of the backing track itself, just lead guitar part:

https://app.box.com/s/n6tqs8zbvxvrg27skf9b

that was great,how do u get that lead tone,i really dig it...good job.

Thanks Axe! The sound is all from the BOSS JS10. As mentioned before, it really doesn't sound that great through its speakers, but really nice with headphones and records pretty well. For what its worth, I'm using the "VO Lead" (I believe its stands for a VOX amp model) amp tone. I made my own custom preset right away, essentially copying the settings I had on my BOSS DR880.

The gain & level are around half way, and there's some chorus and delay in there too, and I think some reverb as well.

Dang... That sounds awesome. I'd wish I could play like that... How is the EQ dialed for that tune?

Nice post Slip- very worthwhile listening. I agree that recovering from a "mistake" can lead to some really interesting stuff- especially if you're NOT recording and NO ONE is listening. If someone is listening to me and I have a "rough landing" ... it usually leads to a full blown crash. ugh.

Originally Posted by: fretsmithNice post Slip- very worthwhile listening. I agree that recovering from a "mistake" can lead to some really interesting stuff- especially if you're NOT recording and NO ONE is listening. If someone is listening to me and I have a "rough landing" ... it usually leads to a full blown crash. ugh.

This made me laugh! Having an audience you can understand, but recording...nothing's really different :-). Yet it happens to me all of the time. I can't tell you how many times I'll go to record something I've played through flawlessly numerous times and then once I hit "record", you'd think I just started cold and totally flub it up.

Years ago we had a spontaneous jam at a friend's summer party. I was setting up my gear and was playing through the Comfortably Numb solos to warm up. It was fine until I became aware of the keyboard player starting to play behind me. Once I became aware of that, my hands just plain forgot what to do and it was a full blown crash.

There's something to be said for practicing with a band with regularity...if you can.

Thanks Kasperow & Fretsmith for the positive feedback! Kasperow, so its all going through the JS10... Vox Amp model, Tube Screamer model, then a little delay & chorus. The EQ is nothing special... just a little more mid & treble than bass.

Maggior, I too have had that "record button" phobia... as wacky as it sounds, it seemed like the more complicated the process to restart the recording process, the more nervous I would get, leading to more mistakes, which meant more re-takes, which made me more nervous... yaaaaaaahhhh!!!

What's seemed to help a great deal are two things: keeping the recording process simple, and recording often. Seems like the more you do it, after a while, the nerves start to fade and you can just focus on the music. I recently got a little 4 track TASCAM Pocket Studio that is great for spontaneous recording sessions, and it was on sale for $99!

Originally Posted by: Slipin LizardMaggior, I too have had that "record button" phobia... as wacky as it sounds, it seemed like the more complicated the process to restart the recording process, the more nervous I would get, leading to more mistakes, which meant more re-takes, which made me more nervous... yaaaaaaahhhh!!!

What's seemed to help a great deal are two things: keeping the recording process simple, and recording often. Seems like the more you do it, after a while, the nerves start to fade and you can just focus on the music.

That what I figured - if you do it more often, it will become routine. If I can get into a groove like I plan, I'll be doing just that. Playing to an audience is the same way. When I played with our church choir years ago, I was a bundle of nerves in the beginning. After a few weeks, it was pretty routine.

I use Adobe Audition on my computer. The initial setup takes a little work, but once it's going, it's really easy to kick off another recording. It's also easy to keep each run through so I can compare afterwards. With the PC, you basically have an infinite number of tracks available.

When I was looking into recording equipment, I almost bought one of those 4 track tascam portastudios. It's quite a bit different from the Tascam cassette based 4 track portastudio I used to have :-). Technology in recording has come soooooo far!

I have a Tascam handheld recorder I bought to use for my daughter's piano recitals. It's come in handy for spontaneous recording.