Number four Beatles cover

[Arjan P]

OK, so here is the fourth Beatles project song in the row. This time one from the late Beatles days, and this one is Something. It certainly was something! Another challenging one for programming drums, but been there before and I do like a challenge. Not just drums, but also a very involved and melodic bass track, not to mention the string section and organs inthere. My guitarist would immediately say, 'you're forgetting the solo guitar'.. Ehm yeah, that too.

All recording and mixing was done through the DM-mixer into/from Cubase 11, mastering afterwards in Wavelab 11.1. Rhythm guitar (Fender Strat) and also the Epiphone Casino (solo guitars) were recorded through a Mesa Boogie V-twin tube preamp and then through a TL Audio C-5021 tube compressor. Solo guitar also had Overloud TH-4 and tube compressor plugins applied to it in Cubase. Bass guitar (Fender Precision Bass Special) went directly into the same C-5021 and then to the DM. Vocal mic used was my go-to mic, Neumann TLM-103, for my own vocal and also the backing vocal. Drums programmed in Cubase Groove Agent. Organs: Hammond from the Nord Electro 3, Farfisa from Cubase HALion, String Machine by the Waldorf Streichfett. All strings also done with HALion. All guitars including bass and backing vocals done by my partner in crime, the rest done by yours truly.

A YouTube version (meaning a still photo video) will come later, but on SoundCloud here it already is: https://soundcloud.com/soundbytestudio/something Hope you like it, and any comments are welcome again ofcourse!

 

[shredd]

Fabulous cover. Terrific arrangement, production, and musicianship. Kyx Azz.

Also gave me a change to re-listen to some of the others. H/T/E just crushed it.

 

[ButchA]

Wow.... Absolutely amazing! Excellent job, Arjan!!!

 

[-mjk-]

Arjan, I'm a vocal guy and I would like to personally thank you for not autotuning the vocals to death! I really appreciate the overall vocal tones and the background vocals are fantastic

HALion realism is uncanny.

 

[Arjan P]

Thanks guys, glad you like it!

@-mjk- I guess we're the same, I do use VariAudio (the Cubase included 'autotune') but very sparingly and only where I feel the tone is really off. A little off is fine, keeps things human.

The HALion strings are indeed fantastic sounding, but I did make use of a lot of volume automation for these tracks and also doubled a couple of sections in certain places. I'm quite happy with how it all turned out..

 

[-mjk-]

A little off is fine, keeps things human.

Thank you! Anything less and you may as well have AI sing it.

 

[BDolzani]

Wow. That was fantastic Arjan! Instruments are spot on, and vocals - sounds like Paul singing George. Great listen. I have no experience programming drums, and it's wild that those fills are not live drums.

 

[Arjan P]

Thanks for the compliments, @BDolzani!
And I knew this before this project, and now even more so from 'experience', but Ringo Starr is a very much underrated drummer indeed.

 

[-mjk-]

Ringo Starr is a very much underrated drummer indeed.

I came to that conclusion myself very recently, after I saw a YT video where the drummer in this band said that Ringo wasn't very good. So the guy challenged him to play one of their songs. The drummer admitted that he had misjudged Ringo. Holy cow, Ringo was really something!

 

[BazzBass]

I grew up thinking Ringo was not a good drummer, as John Bonham, Neil Peart etc played so much more.
But as I started learning the bass and listening to drummers with more knowledge of their role, I realised Ringo was a genius. She Said for instance is just brilliant, the way he holds off just a tad or whatever that technique is.
In fact I don't think too many drummers could've played with the Beatles and written such interesting drumming

 

[shredd]

YT video where the drummer in this band said that Ringo wasn't very good. So the guy challenged him to play one of their songs. The drummer admitted that he had misjudged Ringo

I saw that same video. VERY telling!
MODS: sorry if I'm turning this into a drummers-discussion, as opposed to the OP (@Arjan P 's terrific Beatles covers)...

But I have to agree. Ringo was a VASTLY underrated drummer...not surprising, when overshadowed by the stellar talents of J/P/G.
And, of course, the late 60's to mid-80's was an age of AMAZING drummers, most of which brought a pretty specific style/sound to their bands. Keith Moon. Bonzo. Peart. Bruford. Collins. Copeland. Manu Katche'. Cozy Powell. Even guys like Stevie Gadd, et al. I personally thought Phil Ehart of Kansas was pretty impressive.

And that's just rock n' roll drummers.
I could go on for pages. But the point is: SO many great drummers - even if not a glaring talent like Peart et al - bring something very specific and very special, and very often this particular ability brings an enormous contribution to their specific band - that whole "whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" thing. Try to imagine Zep w/o Bonzo, or RUSH w/o Peart, or even the Police w/o Stewart C. They're an integral part of what makes those bands what they are. If you don't believe me, just listen to the Who, pre- and post-Keith Moon.

And obviously, outside of bands that showcase their drummer (like RUSH, early Who, et al), they're often not the focus of the band's music, and it's easy for the average/casual listener to overlook their abilities/contributions.

 

[Arjan P]

So last weekend we shot some new photo's and my partner's conjured up a 'video' of it. Adds nothing to the music but at least you can see who were responsible...

 

[Stutz]

A great song Arjan. Well sung and performed and a great video.

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

wow! It's very beautiful... I really like the way the bass is recorded. It's warm as hell! Very very pleasant to listen to, and yet I am not a big fan of the Beatles. (although I respect these artists enormously of course) Everything is super well recorded and mixed in my opinion ; I really like the management of the pans. that said, I don't have your level so it's hard for me to judge you ! I really don't see what I could say to improve this. I should already be able to do the same! Frankly I think it's super pro. Thank you for bringing this sweetness into my living room. Bravo Arjan.

 

[Stutz]

A great Beatle song played, sang and produced brilliantly. Well done, enjoyed every second of it.

 

[Arjan P]

@BRADEL Christophe and @Stutz thanks so much for the compliments!

 

[musicianvw]

i thought this was for songs created only using tascam equipment not studio gear and daws

 

[musicianvw]

what are you talking about this is a tascam forum i thought it was strickly tascam products if you wanna use a daw post your songs on there forums

 

[musicianvw]

byeeeeee they dont reply to me

 

[-mjk-]

what are you talking about this is a tascam forum i thought it was strickly tascam products if you wanna use a daw post your songs on there forums

What are you talking about? Tascam makes consoles that are designed to be used with tape machines/DAWs. The song that this thread is about was made with a Tascam DM3200, a digital console. What the audio was recorded on is irrelevant.

Please leave the moderation of the forum to the moderators.