ubertar ribbon mic-- sneak preview of new version on page 23

norsehorse · Post by **norsehorse** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:23 pm

Take your time. Merry Christmas!

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 5:22 pm

FWIW, & YFMMV, I note that all electric guitars on the 6 songs herein are recorded with what I have dubbed, "The Uber Ribbon":
The Fecund 24 Hour EP.

ubertar · Post by **ubertar** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 5:52 pm

Nice work.

Looking at your titles, I'm reminded of Sesame Street: "This album was brought to you by the letter M". Was that planned, or coincidence?

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 8:02 pm

Ha! I was wondering if that would be noticed quickly; you exceeded my expectations!

I was kinda drunk in bed Thursnight (alone, unfortunately), and being alone, I was playing word games to go to sleep and came across the "mis" prefix ...

That said, I admit to being inspired here by two things:

1. the cabinetpin.com write-a-song-on-the-20th-of-the-month - why can't I do a EP in 24 hours?; and,

2. the UberRibbon!

I mean, the kinda time/performance pressure (very inspirational!), and the mic, give the work a time and place, a context, if you will, ...

... or won't.

ubertar · Post by **ubertar** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:01 am

That's a good idea. I've been doing something similar as far as outside pressures/constraints go: on a microtonal music messageboard, I've been asking for submissions for microtonal scales for me to compose in, on a new instrument, the eleutherotonal guitar. I've gotten a few suggestions so far, which I wouldn't have come up with on my own, and it's been really inspiring. Unfortunately, I've been sick this whole past week... I was hoping to get more done, on these pieces, and the mics, and a number of other projects, but instead I've mainly been stuck in bed eating soup and watching "the Prisoner" episodes online. "I am not a number; I am a free man"! But I have still managed to write a piece in Wendy Carlos' "gamma" scale, and just before I asked for submissions, wrote pieces in 15 tone equal temperament (tet) and 7 tet. I have no idea what I'm going to do with this stuff when it's done. Maybe start playing live again...

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:20 am

That composing thing sounds intense (as does your illness - feel better!); would you be playing microtonal pieces live, with the eleutherotonal guitar?

Please post some o' that.

Oh, and use the UberRibbon to record it!

ubertar · Post by **ubertar** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:33 am

That's the idea.

Here's a sketch I did a few weeks ago of a piece in 15 tet, recorded with the uber-ribbon. The piece has come along a bit since then, with some new parts added, different arrangement, etc., but I haven't recorded a new version yet.

http://www.ubertar.com/15tet_eleuthero1.MP3

ubertar · Post by **ubertar** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:37 am

And this is a sketch of a piece in Wendy Carlos' gamma:
http://www.ubertar.com/gamma1.MP3

That also has new parts and arrangement, and both these sketches are pretty sloppy execution-wise, but they'll give you some idea.

The 7 tet piece isn't recorded yet at all, and it's on acoustic eleutherotonal guitar.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:44 am

Wow! Not what I expected - the first one rocks more than I would have predicted.

I'm put some in mind of both Chris Whitley and Ulmer, and then Shankar, and then Page ...

Very cool!

Doya have a picture of your instrument?

I mean the eleutherotonal guitar.

As far as the recording, I do hear some of the self-noise. FWIW, I record with CEP, what has a very good noise reduction function that deals very well with things like self-noise (which tends to be un-varying). I use it withe UberRibbon with good results - I also use it with stuff like a noisy dbx163X compressor, and also when using whatever to record my Silver Jubilee when it's on a "blow-their-balls-off" setting.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:49 am

Aiight, re the WC piece (there are a number of bad jokes waiting there

), the chord and drone parts really have a Page-y vibe.

That said, that's some unique stuff! I like it!

Better recording, too.

ubertar · Post by **ubertar** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:58 am

Thanks. I'm a huge Zep-head, and I'm sure that comes through in my stuff, whether I want it to or not.

The WC gamma one is with an EV V2, not the uber. I have good noise reduction software too, but prefer not to use it if possible. The next generation of uber-mics won't need it nearly as much.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:11 am

Yep, the Zep thing does come through mebbe just a little. I mean, only mentioned it twice ...

Excellent news on the Gen. 2!

FWIW, the XLR jack on my UberRibbon Gen. 1 has come loose (lotsa use!) from the screen. I'm gonna rig a fix (I'm thinking Panduit-strap it to the frame and WD40 the jack so the cable slides off EZier), no prob, but just wanted to mention that as a mebbe sompin' to know.

ubertar · Post by **ubertar** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:18 am

Yeah, that's something I'm working on for G2. I've found that even though the mesh screen is metal, and the xlr is plastic, wood glue works very well. Little strips of paper soaked in wood glue everywhere where the xlr meets the mesh should make for a secure fit that doesn't move around when plugging/unplugging. One other thing I've suggested before is just dedicating a cable to it and leaving it plugged in, if one has a cable to spare.

Judas Jetski · Post by **Judas Jetski** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 1:01 pm

You guys are wildmen.

I still haven't re-glued my capsule mount to the metal screen yet. (In my defense, I have a recording project on-deck, and two half-finished guitars to complete before my "free time" is freed up enough).

But vvv, I like what I'm hearing. Very industrious.

And ube, I totally dig the microtonal stuff.

I'd love to use just the ?berribbon for a recording. We've been kicking around the idea of writing & recording a hardcore punk album in a weekend, or something like that. I don't want to bury myself in self-imposed work... but this is starting to sound like a funny idea.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 1:35 pm

I'm thinking, well, if it takes a whole weekend, izzit really punk?

And thanks for the listen and comments!

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ubertar ribbon mic-- sneak preview of new version on page 23

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