The Cowbell trick?

jimi_t2

Anyone hear of this?

http://www.mojopie.com/2008/12/cowbell-recording-trick.html

I'm trying to recreate the effect in my head but I'm coming up with something similar to side chain compression...

Clanket

Sounds like it's worth a shot. Will definately give it a go at some stage

Android 666

jimi_t2 wrote: »

Anyone hear of this?

http://www.mojopie.com/2008/12/cowbell-recording-trick.html

I'm trying to recreate the effect in my head but I'm coming up with something similar to side chain compression...

I think a side chain effect would be the opposite of what they are talking about here. I say that they are talking about the cowbell down in the mix so its just about audible and played a tiny bit before the beat to give the beat a bit of a lift.

Here is a tutorial in Reason doing something similar (I think) with the snare in a beat and playing a clap slightly ahead to fatten up the sound of the snare and make it a bit more dynamic:

http://www.youtube.com/user/luckydatevideos#p/u/18/kcdiqfeKcnw

Someone correct if I got it arse about face.

eeloe

No android, you have it 100% correct!

I'm at work and can't watch the video, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it's the video of Riley and durrant in their studio for computer music!?!?

Android 666

eeloe wrote: »

No android, you have it 100% correct!

I'm at work and can't watch the video, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it's the video of Riley and durrant in their studio for computer music!?!?

Nah, its some American fellah who has posted a load of tutorial videos for electro house tips for Reason. For some reason I thought of that video when I read through that cowbell trick article.

seannash

just stumbled across alot of cowbell samples so im gonna give this a bash.


think hes talking about something completely diffrent to the video android posted,i reckon its more like having a running hat going the whole time.


ill let you know how i get on:D

Android 666

seannash wrote: »

just stumbled across alot of cowbell samples so im gonna give this a bash.


think hes talking about something completely diffrent to the video android posted,i reckon its more like having a running hat going the whole time.


ill let you know how i get on:D

Its different to what I posted but I think the same principal applies. In it he says:

After every thing is recorded, you go back and record a cowbell playing straight quarter notes on an open track. You tell the player to push the beat slightly, roll off the bottom end a bit, and recorded it.


Straight quarter notes means four beats to the bar which I'm guessing you'd play on the kick beat and to push the beat slightly would be playing slightly ahead of the kick. So kind of the same principal I was trying to show with the clap played slightly before the snare to give an extra bit of lift.

Anyone else got a different interpretation or can shed light on it? Is this just a trick for rock music production or would it still apply to dance music production as well?

Neurojazz

Duplicate a bass drum line, reverse one, push it ahead of original, shorten it so it's only a 16th ahead on the main bass drum, make it fade in fast over the 16th - add some EQ shelving the bottom off and mix in subtly.

End result? - sucking, pumping bass drum... makes the bass drum sound like it's flopping onto the floor.

jtsuited

i presume this is like the closed hat on the quarter notes trick???? why the feck you'd use a cowbell for the same purpose is beyone me.

Android 666

jtsuited wrote: »

i presume this is like the closed hat on the quarter notes trick???? why the feck you'd use a cowbell for the same purpose is beyone me.

Because Cowbell is AWESOMENESS personified.

Please note that this the opinion of original poster and may not reflect industry standards. Awesomenes perception of cowbell may fall as well as well as rise and is regulated by a click track and LCD Soundsystem. For more information please log onto: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4royOLtvmQ