http://www.jamesbisset.com The ongoing tale of a fifty year old man trying to build a guitar, write some songs and record an album in his spare time Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:47:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Podcasting on electric guitars, songwriting and recording The ongoing tale of a fifty year old man trying to build a guitar, write some songs and record an album in his spare time James Bisset http://www.jamesbisset.com/files/pics/50th-anniversary-edition.jpghttp://www.jamesbisset.com James,Bisset no James Bisset james@bisset.com http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/recording/old-enough-to-know-better http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/recording/old-enough-to-know-better#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:27:10 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/?p=693

I’m back – flat on my back…

]]> http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/recording/old-enough-to-know-better/feed 0 <p>Caedmon has been rehearsing around once every three months as we prepare for potential gigs in the spring and a follow on studio session to record the new album.</p> <p>I have a small problem with this: at my age, I can’t remember from one rehearsal to the next what i’m supposed to be playing and worse, I can’t even remember how my own songs are supposed to [...] In an effort to remember what I'm supposed to be playing for Caedmon's Return, I've taken to arranging and recording demos in my own studio. And here's 'Old Enough to Know Better'. Related [...] http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/progress/the-mysterious-art-of-beat-mapping-in-logic http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/progress/the-mysterious-art-of-beat-mapping-in-logic#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:14:30 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/?p=325 http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/progress/the-mysterious-art-of-beat-mapping-in-logic/feed 18 <p>So, for my sins (and because I have one studio more that everyone else) I’ve been given the job of doing the early stage mixing of six new Caedmon tracks.</p> <p>When we first started recording, we decided to work to a click track because it would make everything much simpler when it came to drop ins and edits and loops and the rest. By the time we came to the second [...] At last, almost four years after my first attempt at making a click track follow a live performance, I've finally sussed out how to do it in Logic. And here's how you can do it too! No related posts. http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/clarity-and-sparkle-show-episode-2 http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/clarity-and-sparkle-show-episode-2#comments Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:58:51 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/clarity-and-sparkle-show-episode-2/

The Clarity and Sparkle Show

]]> http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/clarity-and-sparkle-show-episode-2/feed 2 <p>As you will know, I entered Fergus, my custom built ‘Strat’ style guitar into the <a href="http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/">Clarity and Sparkle Show</a> a few months back. The results were disastrous.</p> <p>Fergus and I retreated to a health farm and slowly rebuilt our confidence and our wiring. But the [...] Fergus gets his chance to show what he's made of (wood, mostly) in a return match at The Clarity and Sparkle Show. Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show' [...] http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/speaker-simulation-in-logic http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/speaker-simulation-in-logic#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2007 03:27:00 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/speaker-simulation-in-logic/

The mysterious art of beat mapping in Logic

I’m back – flat on my back…

]]> http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/speaker-simulation-in-logic/feed 0 <p>A while ago, I delighted in the fact that my little <a href="http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/epiphone-valve-junior-vs-marshall-4140/">Epiphone Valve Junior 5 watt practice amp</a> had been modded to include a line feed from the output transformer. As aficionados will know, this means that I can get all the tone that a simple valve amp creates, but [...] A while ago, I delighted in the fact that my little Epiphone Valve Junior 5 watt practice amp had been modded to include a line feed from the output transformer. As aficionados will know, this means that I can get… Related [...] http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:46:47 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/

Clarity and Sparkle Show – episode 2

Epiphone Valve Junior vs Marshall 4140 (2)

]]> http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/feed 3 <p>Last time I blogged, I noted that my guitar sounded strangely muffled compared to the stock Telecaster with which I tested my modded EVJ (Epiphone Valve Junior) combo. At the time, I put it down to the fact that Telecasters are often wired with a ‘bleed’ capacitor, which leaks treble frequencies when the guitar volume is turned down in order to keep that Telecaster [...] A podcast in which 4 electric guitars face up to the challenge of competing on the Clarity and Sparkle Game Show. Who will be the lucky winner! Related posts:<ol><li><a [...] http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/epiphone-valve-junior-vs-marshall-4140-2 http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/epiphone-valve-junior-vs-marshall-4140-2#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2007 01:11:56 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/epiphone-valve-junior-vs-marshall-4140-2/

The Clarity and Sparkle Show

]]> http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/epiphone-valve-junior-vs-marshall-4140-2/feed 1 <p>I said I would post a recording of the real thing, and it’s taken only a week longer than I’d planned, but I’m guessing you’re used to that by now.</p> <p>Anyway, without further ado, and with only a discreet fanfare of trumpets, here’s another podcast – for guitar and guitar amp enthusiasts only – comparing my new (and heavily modded by <a [...] I said I would post a recording of the real thing, and it’s taken only a week longer than I’d planned, but I’m guessing you’re used to that by now. Anyway, without further ado, and with only a discreet fanfare… Related [...] http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/freshman-fa400fbj-versus-yamaha-fg200 http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/freshman-fa400fbj-versus-yamaha-fg200#comments Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:19:57 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/podcasts/freshman-fa400fbj-versus-yamaha-fg200/

Basswood versus Alder

Speaker simulation in Logic

A/B those drums

]]> http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/freshman-fa400fbj-versus-yamaha-fg200/feed 0 <p>OK, I know it’s not a fair contest.</p> <p>The Yamaha FG200 is from another millennium, when budget guitars were made from plywood (sorry, laminated tonewoods ) and the Freshman is made of solid woods throughout, 21st century and designed to improve through the years. But I thought it was worth giving you, readers and listeners, the opportunity to decide for [...] OK, I know it’s not a fair contest. The Yamaha FG200 is from another millennium, when budget guitars were made from plywood (sorry, laminated tonewoods ) and the Freshman is made of solid woods throughout, 21st century and designed [...] http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/to-do-list/at-last-an-audio-player-on-site http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/to-do-list/at-last-an-audio-player-on-site#comments Sun, 26 Mar 2006 10:22:04 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/to-do-list/at-last-an-audio-player-on-site/ http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/to-do-list/at-last-an-audio-player-on-site/feed 0 <p>It’s always been on my to do list to have an audio player on the site, so that as well as having links to audio files, there would be some way of listening to the tunes or podcasts without readers having to fire up a third party plugin or app to download and listen.</p> <p>I’ve fiddled around with a few Flash players, but I couldn’t find anything that ‘just [...] It’s always been on my to do list to have an audio player on the site, so that as well as having links to audio files, there would be some way of listening to the tunes or podcasts without readers… No related posts. http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/basswood-versus-alder http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/basswood-versus-alder#comments Sat, 04 Mar 2006 01:30:58 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/basswood-versus-alder/

Freshman FA400FBJ versus Yamaha FG200

The Clarity and Sparkle Show

]]> http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/basswood-versus-alder/feed 10 <p>Yup. I got around to it.</p> <p>I threatened in the last post to supply some audio files which would help to illustrate the process of building the James Bisset 50th Anniversary Strat. And hey Ma! I done it!</p> <p>I’ve also been working on WURK until around 3am every day this week, so tonight, in an attempt to blast it out of my system before having a [...] Yup. I got around to it. I threatened in the last post to supply some audio files which would help to illustrate the process of building the James Bisset 50th Anniversary Strat. And hey Ma! I done it! I’ve also… Related [...] http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/wee-sma-hours/monitors-production-and-sigh http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/wee-sma-hours/monitors-production-and-sigh#comments Sat, 25 Feb 2006 03:20:43 +0000 Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/wee-sma-hours/monitors-production-and-sigh/

A/B those drums

]]> http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/wee-sma-hours/monitors-production-and-sigh/feed 2 <p>I continue to be snowed under with work. This would be a good thing if I made any money out of it, but as I’ve explained before, I’m so busy trying to be good at my job that I’ve no time to be a good business man. If I was a good business man, I wouldn’t give a hoot about clean code, quality design or accessibility.</p> <p>Still, the 50th Anniversary Edition is [...] I continue to be snowed under with work. This would be a good thing if I made any money out of it, but as I’ve explained before, I’m so busy trying to be good at my job that I’ve no… Related posts:<ol><li><a [...]