I started to record lead parts last night, and ran into system resources limitations. So the scattered tracks that had comprised the Trains rhythm guitar part were mixed into one. I did extensive experimenting to come out with a final I liked, which involved adjusting out levels a few times (re-mixing once) and apllying various effects. I ended up using a band pass filter, which essentially tightened up the dynamic range, and in particular took some off the bottom so as not to compete with the bass.

Tonight, I’m going to mix the rhythm track for Lines. I went for a different tonal feel for the backing guitar on Lines, so I may need to play around with effects again. But seeing as there’s only one guitar part, I won’t have to spend a lot of time on levels. I also want to bang out as much of the Lines solo parts as I can. The basic riff from Lines was written a few years ago when I played in a few rock bands here in NYC. I had gotten my rock legs back under me, and decided to find a talented singer with some material to play and help develop it. The Lines riff is Zep inspired, for sure. The orignial contained quite a bit of dissonance too– Page wasn’t afraid to write a theme around a dissonant interval. He used the tritone at times like Four Sticks in a decidedly blues-jazz manner.

I find it interesting how much I go back to blues and rock in this project. Those are the standards after all, and I never wanted the eletronic production to overwhelm the songwriting. I shoot for any of my songs to be playable by a bunch of 14 year-olds in a garage. The Lines riff(s) will have a lot of the same feel as the Trains ones, I imagine, seeing as how they’re being developed at the same points in time. My guitar rig is completely untouched through all of this, on purpose, so I can capture the same sonic characteristics.

I’m also becoming aware of the challenges of a good rock solo. I did some free jamming on Trains last night, recording each take to see what if anything was usable. And I didn’t keep any of it, although I did find the register and basic patterns I think I’ll use. I really love how Gibson guitars sound in the upper registers. They’re almost horn-like. It’s also fascinating how the guitarist can find so many variations as he works his way down the neck– there’s a real growl in the mid-registers, and then the clangy, clanky brashness of the open ones. Lines was written down there. But now, it’s kind of all over the neck.