Losing one's solo..

[Goddess <thefates@earthlink.net>]

  Hi all, the idea of losing one's solo in the mix under various conditions
has come up lately.  I just wanted to send a quick note with some thoughts
on this.  
  FFirst off, aside from the obvious volume considerations, whether in mono
or stereo, in my opinion, it's  always a good idea to work with sounds
which don't completely occupy the same frequency bands, within reason of
course.  This not only can help with a cleaner mix a bit, but can make for
a more interesting piece in my opinion, and can also add alot of color.  So
in  essence,  you're viewing your live performance as an engineer would, a
project they're mixing.  Does this make sense?  
  To do this, you may have to use sounds which may not necessarily sound
good by themselves, but when placed within a larger and more complex mix of
textures, will accent them, and also be easier to hear, standing out from
the mix, if that's what you desire.  
  In mono situations, musical complexity may be an issue as well.  In other
words,  put simply, if you have a  very busy and complicated loop playing,
it may be a bit difficult to have your solo stand out.  <smile>  -that is
of course, unless your solo is very sparce and sustaining.  Does this make
sense?  
  Panning and stereo  effects or ambience can also come into play here as
well.  If you're using a mono looper, and you are playing over a current
loop, in stereo, the loop  will be in mono, while your solo will be in
stereo.  This can also help to bring out the solo from the background loop
a bit.  
  Finally, note choices and the  music itself  can help distinguish a solo
from a background.  -Which also gets back to frequency a bit.  -But in this
case, style can also be an issue.  You might play chords for a background,
and then layer single-note playing  over it, or accent a certain mode for a
background or sounscape, and then solo using a completely  different but
complimentary mode, thus not only lending diversity to the piece musically,
but also again bringing out the solo from the background soundscape.  Does
this make sense?... 
  anyway, <smile>  -just my thoughts on this.  -Hope it helps.  -Hope yer'
all havin' a wonderful day.  Talk with ya soon...  

Smiles,

G-Girl




---

  "The only things I really think are important, are love, and eachother.
-Then, anything is possible..."  

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