Question for Wanda

[Metallicat180]

Wanda, I was just reading this interview from Planet Bass...

What’s the biggest disaster you’ve ever had in the studio, and how did you cope with it?
It happened while the girls and I were recording our full-length tribute CD to Iron Maiden. Before recording, I would listen to the originals first on the studio speakers and found that I had learned and had been playing one song all wrong. I had to relearn it all right then and there and then record it the same day.


Just out of interest, which song was it that you had to re-learn?

 

[spideyjg]

Jenna, I just sent that same question to Wanda via E-mail Thursday.

We got a mind link or something. :Spin:

Jim

 

[RouxBodine]

Funny, I have been wondering the very same since reading that interview.


.

 

[Metallicat180]

Jenna, I just sent that same question to Wanda via E-mail Thursday.

We got a mind link or something. :Spin:

Jim

Woah, that's weird!!! Hopefully we'll get an answer eh?

I remember hearing something way back about recording Flight Of Icarus and not being able to go back and correct a couple of mistakes she'd made but that was way back when Jen was in the band.

 

[spideyjg]

I also asked in regard to,

"Debussy’s “Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun”? It’s a great tune to listen to but a total sleeper to play."

I asked what is the opposite orchestral piece that is very busy and the bass never gets much of a rest.

That interview seems to be the full conversation that is edited down on the bass girls site.

Jim

The interview below.....

http://www.planetbass.fsnet.co.uk/wandaortiz.html

 

[Steph Harris]

Wanda, I was just reading this interview from Planet Bass...

What’s the biggest disaster you’ve ever had in the studio, and how did you cope with it?
It happened while the girls and I were recording our full-length tribute CD to Iron Maiden. Before recording, I would listen to the originals first on the studio speakers and found that I had learned and had been playing one song all wrong. I had to relearn it all right then and there and then record it the same day.


Just out of interest, which song was it that you had to re-learn?

Hallowed. I actually had the right general idea but I was playing a different rhythm in the verses. This was mostly due to the fact that I had never heard the original bass line very clearly before we started the recording process; I had learned the song while listening to it on my home stereo which isn't very good. I've found that sometimes it's hard to hear exactly what's going on with the bass line unless you have a pretty decent sound system. Now I learn Maiden tunes in my truck because it has a better stereo in it.

 

[Steph Harris]

I also asked in regard to,

"Debussy’s “Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun”? It’s a great tune to listen to but a total sleeper to play."

I asked what is the opposite orchestral piece that is very busy and the bass never gets much of a rest.

That interview seems to be the full conversation that is edited down on the bass girls site.

Jim

The interview below.....

http://www.planetbass.fsnet.co.uk/wandaortiz.html

Hehe..there are actually quite a number of tunes where the bass gets to do something fun...Beethoven's 9th would be one.

 

[Steph Harris]

Woah, that's weird!!! Hopefully we'll get an answer eh?

I remember hearing something way back about recording Flight Of Icarus and not being able to go back and correct a couple of mistakes she'd made but that was way back when Jen was in the band.

That was a live demo that we recorded in one or maybe 2 takes. We all thought there were little imperfections here or there but we had to choose the best overall take. I remember there being one small thing at the end of a line that I'm told most people wouldn't notice...but to me, any mistake I notice on a recording seems really large and important. I really wanted to correct it but there was no time...(sigh)..

 

[Steph Harris]

Jenna, I just sent that same question to Wanda via E-mail Thursday.

We got a mind link or something. :Spin:

Jim

Hi Jim,
I just answered these questions for you in a previous response to this thread. Sorry for my delay in responding back to you ~ I've fallen really behind with e-mail and I can't seem to get caught up.
Wanda

 

[Rendclaw]

You're just that popular, Wanda.

I have heard that demo, and nothing against Jen (whom I believe was your previous lead singer), but I think that Aja fits in a lot better from a vocal standpoint.

I'm bummed out because I won't be coming out there after all... my friend fell off the face of the planet and I cannot find her.. its to the point where I hope nothing happened to her.. ::sighs::

I am going to make a show one of these days, just no idea when...

 

[Metallicat180]

Thanks for answering all those questions Wanda!! I think it's hilarious that you learn the songs in your truck!! Hahaha!! Hopefully not whilst it's moving!!

 

[spideyjg]

I had learned the song while listening to it on my home stereo which isn't very good. I've found that sometimes it's hard to hear exactly what's going on with the bass line unless you have a pretty decent sound system. Now I learn Maiden tunes in my truck because it has a better stereo in it.

OK Wanda, I can just picture you sitting in the passenger seat with your bass trying to work the stereo and lean a song.

I highly recommend the Tascam bass trainer. You can slow the song down up to 50% and still be in tune, you can set it to loop over and over on a section that is tough.
The only drawback is they need an adapter otherwise they eat batteries like candy.

I'm not learning songs right now so mine is sitting unused. If you want to try it I can bring it up Saturday and let you borrow it.

It is wintertime and you need to be able to practice inside. :Spin:

Jim

 

[RoboCaster]

My old Tascam finally died, so I got a new one, it’s a little better and I can hear myself a bit better after employing other tricks, to make it sound better, but the Marshall Tube amp is much nicer, if you want to accurately hear your notes, but one thing about the Tascam Guitar Trainer that is.., is that you can hear the song your trying to play better then you can hear it on a stereo, so then you can turn it down from there. But on the stereo, I just try hear the drums and rhythm as much as possible and play by memory, because with every instrument coming out of the same speakers, it just loses distinction, on my stereo that is…But crap the tascam is good for learning to hear the song, and the amp is best to hear your own patterns and then just throw rhythm over it. Can’t say about the Tascam Bass trainer though, it’s not in my bag.

 

[Rendclaw]

*puts a tascam trainer on his wishlist*

That's how I try to learn songs myself, though I find I hit a wall if certain passages are too fast or intricate for me to play through, even if I have the tab right in front of me. This could help me learn faster and better.

 

[spideyjg]

For bass it works great and every player I know that has tried one found it very useful.

For the meedle-meedly-meedly-meedly-meedly-meedly-meedly-meedly-WEEEEEEEEEEEE! geetar stuff I don't know how well one would work.

Seriously Wanda, say the word and it is yours until spring when y'all hit San Diego again. It just sits in the closet right now as I have fundamentals to work on and will not need it for a while.

Jim

 

[RoboCaster]

Do yourself a favor, don’t use those cheap walkman headphones with the Tascasm; at least get a pair of Grado sr60’s, the sound quality will be twice as good.

 

[spideyjg]

I have AKG 240's or a Sennheiser that I can't recall the # at the moment 835 I think.
Never tried walkman types but I will now, just to see how bad it is since you mention it.

Jim

 

[RoboCaster]

Yea those little $10, $20 headphones really suck, they sound thin, but the thin wire also gives out and you can't mend it, but my Grado was only $65, and some reviews have compared them to $200 models, they say, but you can re-solder the wire if you need to, in fact, I've change the wire to heavy gauge speaker wire and soldered it in, because it can take all the abuse I give it by lugging it around all the time.

 

[Steph Harris]

OK Wanda, I can just picture you sitting in the passenger seat with your bass trying to work the stereo and lean a song.

I highly recommend the Tascam bass trainer. You can slow the song down up to 50% and still be in tune, you can set it to loop over and over on a section that is tough.
The only drawback is they need an adapter otherwise they eat batteries like candy.

I'm not learning songs right now so mine is sitting unused. If you want to try it I can bring it up Saturday and let you borrow it.

It is wintertime and you need to be able to practice inside. :Spin:

Jim

That's so sweet of you Jim...but I don't want to impose. I think I will check into this though...I may buy one for myself.

 

[spideyjg]

It would not be an imposition at all Wanda. You can always ship it back to me.

I'll see if I can hook it up to record some samples of slowed down bits so you can hear it. The more you slow it the more artifacts get put in but the fundamental is good enough to work with.

Any particular riff you would like to hear looped and slowed?

I'm not sure how well it may work for orchestral music but you probably work off the score for that anyhow right?
I can't imagine you lug the upright into the truck to practice. The SB-2 would be a tight enough fit.

Jim