Josh is a prime example of how much work self-employed folks have to put in order to not have a job. As a musical noob I thought the work was merely thousands of hours of practice to play all the right notes ,but I guess that only gets you half way there, which makes me twice as appreciative of all of Josh's videos.
To all those folks that are saying “…thought you were taking a break?”. He said in the break announcement that there was a least one more video coming. Do try to keep up! 😇 You don’t just sit down one afternoon and knock out these videos in a couple of hours; the quality of Josh’s videos take some time to create, including Kelly’s awesome video work! Thanks Josh, bookmarking this video for many rewatches!!!
I’ve been envious of your recorded acoustic guitar tone for a long time. Loved this. More ‘In the box’ tutorials alongside the usual content would be amazing!
3:22 I think the reason they played much louder in the past is because the noise floor of tape was so much higher than that of digital recording. So playing softly means that when you add extra gain in the mix the noise floor comes up significantly as well.
When you applied the 1Khz cut it tickled my ears in such a good way! I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and was transported back to 1970 (12 years before I was born). The tone you created with some *gentle* digital massage was so warm and comforting and it just hits that je ne sais quoi. It scratches the musical itch. Thwack on!
In late 1968 I asked Frank Zappa what his secret was, and after a contemplative drag on his Winston, he said, "The Strap: I soak it in Earl Grey Tea before I go on." He later added that if Hendrix (still with us at the time) knew about The Strap he might actually accomplish something. After that night, I started to REALLY listen. Carry on, lad, you're getting there!
As a total non-musician this is fascinating. The amazing sound Josh pulls off recording in the middle of a park or on a street corner is beginning to become clear to me now…. My impression he must either know magic or have the world’s most singularly expensive microphone was perhaps, uhm, overly simplistic. It’s just that his genius and scope of expertise are broader than I recognized. I’m obviously not the intended audience for this one, and some of what he said may as well have been in Aramaic to me, but it was cool to see some of the back end and fun to try to listen for the differences. It’s a window into a different perception of sound and music. Josh, if you happen to read this - many thanks for posting this video!
It's one of the thing my non-musician friends are usually surprised about. Unprocessed recording sounds nothing like the songs they heard on spotify and most musicians have a bit of know how in audio engineering, which just come with the job. After all, if a performance isn't recorded then it doesn't "exist" (to be heard again by others).
I think I've watched this 10 times by now what a resource this is. Thank you for doing this. I'd love to see your process for electric guitar that would be awesome!!
“…90s Sting. It’s not the vibe.” 😂 And how’s that recording break going? 🤣 Seriously, I love these recording geek out videos. So much art _and_ science to getting that perfect sound. That subtle reverb and chunky recording tape effect is just awesome. We hear the results, but we almost never get to see all that goes into it. I grew up on that vintage acoustic “thwack of yore” and I just love it! Thank you! 😃
I'm 76. I used a Vox AC 30 and a Gibson SG Junior (it only had one pickup) and I got a wahwah pedal (still have it- still have them all except the SG that fell and broke in the Marshall shop in Hanwell, London in the mid 60s) and I was rocking with my mates in the local community centre around Greenford and Ealing. Progress has left me behind over the horizon. I have been enjoying Josh music for years, and had no idea of the science behind what he did. Josh guitar music was all I thought - though, to be fair, I think that is what I am meant to think, just hear the music. Great work Josh, Reina, Toni and the others. Amazing work and dedication to the craft of making music.
Love your attention to detail in recording acoustic guitar tones, sounds so fine in all your recordings. Within the next few years plan to record an album and definitely want this awesome acoustic guitar tones you get, thanks for sharing all your recording tips.
Yes please share more of your wisdom! Your video about nick drake's guitar tone was also really helpful. I find modern acoustic guitar recordings sometimes even grading to listen to, but you always get the tone just right.
I love the thwack of yore! Being as I was born in 1972, and started recording as a young kid on casette tapes when I was not yet 10.. how far has home recording come! Its come so far that the term home recording seems silly now.. in the right hands its all pro level recording, and it can be done anywhere, and you, Josh, do it very well!
I've always loved playing guitar in smaller rooms with the ceiling fan on high. It gives you a little of that tape flutter-esque warble but live in the room
This is fascinating. What an excellent video. I have often wondered how you mix and process your recordings. Thanks for the peek. More videos like this would be excellent. And, of course, all the fantastic music videos.
You Sir, are a legend. I mean, in 19 different ways, but this way was right in my happiness wheelhouse. 8) We await the opening of the new channel too - "ProTools vintage ASMR with Josh". I haven't listened so closely to a youtube video for some time. Glad I did! Now I'm going to harang my metal-head friends with it so they can sound more like my favorite acoustic outtake of Tangled Up in Blue and less like an angry silicon diode.
Utterly fascinating !! I've been following since your 1st youtube videos as a teenager, and wondered where this career would go. You go man ,, you go !! All the very best !!
When I have the chance of using two mics, I try to point them at different spots of the guitar. Pointing at your right hand to hear the pick hitting the strings is often a good idea. Also, you can pan the mics left and right to get a wide stereo sound. Just make sure both mics are at the same distance from the guitar to avoid phase issues.
This was fun! Super interesting, too. I thought you were on break, but glad you made this video! First pass listen on just laptop speakers (M1 MacBook Pro) the phasing that comes from the two different mics is 99% of the good stuff. You could really forget the rest and it sounds awesome! (Maybe an SSL buss compressor on the entire mix when you're done?) I wonder how many people these days know the power of two mics on a guitar? This is a fantasic demonstration of that technique. A hint for viewers -- a ribbon mic plus a Shure 57 creates magic just like this for electirc guitar cabinets, too!
Terrific video. I could not hear much difference A/B with each added effect, BUT the A/B of the start to the finish was great. And then the two guitars really made it.
You nailed it nailed it nailed it. I wanted to get a time machine so I could go to 1978 and buy this album! Also, I learned so much during your DAW session that technicians were never able to explain to me. (f.i. what pre delay does on a reverb.) Much to be said for a technically inclined musician pointing these things out. It's all MUSIC, including the mixing and EQing and compressing and reverbing. Sounds like these disciplines didn't always use to be as separated as they are today.
Josh, I love this video!!! Thank you so much! I'm always amazed by the quality of your audio (and videos) and I've always wondered how you do it. More of these videos please!!
I really like this video, especially your Ferris Bueller personality…you kinda look like Mathew Broderick too, good job from a guitar veteran of 56 years of playing.
The "wow" you added at the end made me laugh. I remember hearing tapes the 70's that had too much wow. I did not know it was called that, but I remember that.
Nice!!! Reminds me of myself in my early recordings doing these experiments endlessly with different/old strings/rental mics/positioning/plugins.. Very nice video!
Josh, I love your work! This post is fun and I would like to add a couple of comments. If you 'thunk', you have to hit the strings. Tommy Emmanuel, Billie Strings, Rodrigo & Gabriella hit the strings! My favorite recording practice is a plugged in acoustic electric + a small diameter condenser about 8" from the 12th fret. I can send you a song I engineered if you're interested. Also I recommend recording clean with the best gear possible. Then it's possible to bring the sound to Old School with EQ, Compression, etc. I listened to the samples you published with some very good monitors and I came away thinking your work is interesting, but only a small piece of the possible spectrum.
To me, you wanna get the acoustic sound you really crave, it starts with a quality guitar that offers good warmth and projection. And experimenting until you find the best strings and gauge for that specific guitar. I've spent years exploring string options - I even keep a diary of first impressions of a new string type as well as after they have settled down from their brighter "newness."
When I was starting out playing (60s and 70s) the only kind of acoustic strings I could get in my little town were Gibson Monel. Monel was a nickel blend. I'm pretty sure phosphor bronze wasn't available back then. The nickel strings don't have the bright shiny sound when you put them on. They also sound cooler the deader they get! I use a set Martin makes now called Retro that are nickel wound and during the pandemic I left a set on one of my guitars for over a year. The more dead they got, the more I could hear the sound of the 60s recorded acoustic guitar sounds I grew up on. Try those out (if you haven't already).
I wish we could still record like we did back then, it was so much easier without all the digital DAW computer programs. Just a couple mics a nice reel to reel & go for it.
Josh's music and production is wonderful, but I think there are two things worth throwing out there to others who watched this... Lots of folks producing music at home these days are either using Reaper, Ableton, or FL Studio. I don't know 'Heat' well enough to suggest an alternative but I'm sure there are cheap or free VST plugins that can accomplish the same thing or something similar without needing ProTools. Your A/B comparisons starting at 10:18 aren't volume-matched, so of course your compressed one sounds 'better' once you pushed the output +3dB. Klanghelm does have volume matching on some of their plugins but it looks like not on this one.
Fair points! I wish I was conversant in more DAWs than Pro Tools, but at least now Pro Tools First makes the majority of these features available to a lot of people. I’m sure there are similar things to Heat within other DAWs. I pushed the output gain there just to compensate for the gain reduction from the compression. That was a seat of the pants call and I might not have level matched perfectly!
Agree, and great video content., but what about the bridge or the nut? You can buy a couple of blanks (bone) for under $15 and really improve the resonance of the guitar. Yeah, do my own tech work, and it really helps hold down the overpriced repairs that so many shops charge today, and most tech work is honestly pretty easy.
Glad this one was still in the pipe. Sounded awesome though I think the strings were to new! I’ve an Eko dreadnaught I bought in 1976 and I swear it loves old strings, but they have to be genuinely old. Chapstick feels like insulting my guitar’s intelligence.
Very nice to see and hear the differences. In the end though, overall sound and feel can be subjective, but nonetheless, I like the direction and overall feel you are going for in this video. 👍
Josh I love how your guitars and I am sure you like Willie Nelson’s trigger! Trigger sounds awesome! But to be honest your guitars sound always good as well! Thank you sooo much for instructing us so well!✌️👏
Josh is a prime example of how much work self-employed folks have to put in order to not have a job. As a musical noob I thought the work was merely thousands of hours of practice to play all the right notes ,but I guess that only gets you half way there, which makes me twice as appreciative of all of Josh's videos.
Yeah, there's just no end to it, and the amount of stuff he knows for his age.. I just stand in awe.
To all those folks that are saying “…thought you were taking a break?”. He said in the break announcement that there was a least one more video coming. Do try to keep up! 😇
You don’t just sit down one afternoon and knock out these videos in a couple of hours; the quality of Josh’s videos take some time to create, including Kelly’s awesome video work! Thanks Josh, bookmarking this video for many rewatches!!!
Sorry 😔
@@DiederikAms No worries, mate, just trying to add to the fun that Josh’s videos provide. Take care…
Technical skills on the guitar, recording engineer skills, vocals, arrangements, and musicianship -- the entire package!
I’ve always been amazed at the recording quality you get, especially with that Zoom recorder! This was a great insight to your technique.
Josh and Carson should have lifetime sponsorship from them for sure for all the sales they've likely inspired.
@@freejulianassange3143 lol, I bought one because of them 😂
I’ve been envious of your recorded acoustic guitar tone for a long time. Loved this. More ‘In the box’ tutorials alongside the usual content would be amazing!
3:22 I think the reason they played much louder in the past is because the noise floor of tape was so much higher than that of digital recording. So playing softly means that when you add extra gain in the mix the noise floor comes up significantly as well.
Definitely! There was a real “if you want it louder, hit it harder” approach back then
Josh, please, please make more videos like this. Your covers and originals are my favorite thing on RUclips, but this is also just great.
When you applied the 1Khz cut it tickled my ears in such a good way! I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and was transported back to 1970 (12 years before I was born).
The tone you created with some *gentle* digital massage was so warm and comforting and it just hits that je ne sais quoi. It scratches the musical itch.
Thwack on!
In late 1968 I asked Frank Zappa what his secret was, and after a contemplative drag on his Winston, he said, "The Strap: I soak it in Earl Grey Tea before I go on." He later added that if Hendrix (still with us at the time) knew about The Strap he might actually accomplish something. After that night, I started to REALLY listen. Carry on, lad, you're getting there!
You say this as if you yourself are “there”
As a total non-musician this is fascinating. The amazing sound Josh pulls off recording in the middle of a park or on a street corner is beginning to become clear to me now…. My impression he must either know magic or have the world’s most singularly expensive microphone was perhaps, uhm, overly simplistic. It’s just that his genius and scope of expertise are broader than I recognized.
I’m obviously not the intended audience for this one, and some of what he said may as well have been in Aramaic to me, but it was cool to see some of the back end and fun to try to listen for the differences. It’s a window into a different perception of sound and music.
Josh, if you happen to read this - many thanks for posting this video!
It's one of the thing my non-musician friends are usually surprised about. Unprocessed recording sounds nothing like the songs they heard on spotify and most musicians have a bit of know how in audio engineering, which just come with the job. After all, if a performance isn't recorded then it doesn't "exist" (to be heard again by others).
Yes. Even in the middle of the park! this guy....
I think I've watched this 10 times by now what a resource this is. Thank you for doing this. I'd love to see your process for electric guitar that would be awesome!!
Your feline sidekick is remarkably chill as you perfect the thwack.
“…90s Sting. It’s not the vibe.” 😂 And how’s that recording break going? 🤣 Seriously, I love these recording geek out videos. So much art _and_ science to getting that perfect sound. That subtle reverb and chunky recording tape effect is just awesome. We hear the results, but we almost never get to see all that goes into it. I grew up on that vintage acoustic “thwack of yore” and I just love it! Thank you! 😃
Wow, now I appreciate your work and sharing on YT even more. Impressive skills not only on guitar but also producing. You're a legend Josh!
I'm 76. I used a Vox AC 30 and a Gibson SG Junior (it only had one pickup) and I got a wahwah pedal (still have it- still have them all except the SG that fell and broke in the Marshall shop in Hanwell, London in the mid 60s) and I was rocking with my mates in the local community centre around Greenford and Ealing. Progress has left me behind over the horizon. I have been enjoying Josh music for years, and had no idea of the science behind what he did. Josh guitar music was all I thought - though, to be fair, I think that is what I am meant to think, just hear the music. Great work Josh, Reina, Toni and the others. Amazing work and dedication to the craft of making music.
Valhalla Verbs and J37, can't go wrong with those. Great video man!
Thankyou! I love these types of videos. Forever striving to get more 70's flavours in my mixes.
Love content like this, your production is always something I’ve admired about your work
Please do more content like this! What a great video!
I've been looking for someone who understood this, the thwack, for yars and years! God, thank you.
Josh Turner: Singer, songwriter, guitarist, Producer. I'm giving my age away but I actually remember recording in studios with that vintage equipment.
Love your attention to detail in recording acoustic guitar tones, sounds so fine in all your recordings. Within the next few years plan to record an album and definitely want this awesome acoustic guitar tones you get, thanks for sharing all your recording tips.
Yes please share more of your wisdom! Your video about nick drake's guitar tone was also really helpful. I find modern acoustic guitar recordings sometimes even grading to listen to, but you always get the tone just right.
I've been wanting to record some thwack of yore recently, so this came at just the right time. Thanks for your wisdom, Mr. Turner.
I love the thwack of yore!
Being as I was born in 1972, and started recording as a young kid on casette tapes when I was not yet 10.. how far has home recording come! Its come so far that the term home recording seems silly now.. in the right hands its all pro level recording, and it can be done anywhere, and you, Josh, do it very well!
I've always loved playing guitar in smaller rooms with the ceiling fan on high. It gives you a little of that tape flutter-esque warble but live in the room
That was brilliant Josh. Thanks.
This is fascinating. What an excellent video. I have often wondered how you mix and process your recordings. Thanks for the peek. More videos like this would be excellent. And, of course, all the fantastic music videos.
Apart from the depth of knowledge that explains how you get such great sounds, I just love the irony - and the cat which just sleeps through it all.
Awesome Josh. You are awesome dude.
Like most of your work, the Thwack is there! And very kind of you to help your musical siblings row our little boats too.
Hope you're enjoying time off Josh. I know nearly nothing about guitars and sound production, and I enjoyed this so much.
Wonderful thank you for taking the time to share this you are a true gem and one of a kind.
Can you make this a series? That 90s Sting sound needs representation
Felt like even as a beginner, i could follow along to this. Would be amazing to get more insight into your process Josh. Loved the video, thank you!
The additive effect of small subtle changes makes so much difference.
Thwack on!
Thanks again for continually working on quality content for us to learn and enjoy
You Sir, are a legend. I mean, in 19 different ways, but this way was right in my happiness wheelhouse. 8) We await the opening of the new channel too - "ProTools vintage ASMR with Josh". I haven't listened so closely to a youtube video for some time. Glad I did! Now I'm going to harang my metal-head friends with it so they can sound more like my favorite acoustic outtake of Tangled Up in Blue and less like an angry silicon diode.
Utterly fascinating !! I've been following since your 1st youtube videos as a teenager, and wondered where this career would go.
You go man ,, you go !!
All the very best !!
OMG. I never cataloged those subtle differences before. I graduated high school in 1972 and you're giving me flashbacks ! ❤️
When I have the chance of using two mics, I try to point them at different spots of the guitar. Pointing at your right hand to hear the pick hitting the strings is often a good idea. Also, you can pan the mics left and right to get a wide stereo sound. Just make sure both mics are at the same distance from the guitar to avoid phase issues.
Accurate video, especially about the dead strings...a must for that 60's/70's sound!
This was fun! Super interesting, too. I thought you were on break, but glad you made this video! First pass listen on just laptop speakers (M1 MacBook Pro) the phasing that comes from the two different mics is 99% of the good stuff. You could really forget the rest and it sounds awesome! (Maybe an SSL buss compressor on the entire mix when you're done?) I wonder how many people these days know the power of two mics on a guitar? This is a fantasic demonstration of that technique. A hint for viewers -- a ribbon mic plus a Shure 57 creates magic just like this for electirc guitar cabinets, too!
Terrific video. I could not hear much difference A/B with each added effect, BUT the A/B of the start to the finish was great. And then the two guitars really made it.
You nailed it nailed it nailed it. I wanted to get a time machine so I could go to 1978 and buy this album! Also, I learned so much during your DAW session that technicians were never able to explain to me. (f.i. what pre delay does on a reverb.) Much to be said for a technically inclined musician pointing these things out. It's all MUSIC, including the mixing and EQing and compressing and reverbing. Sounds like these disciplines didn't always use to be as separated as they are today.
Super!!! The process of doubling guitars rocks!!!
Josh, I love this video!!! Thank you so much! I'm always amazed by the quality of your audio (and videos) and I've always wondered how you do it. More of these videos please!!
I really like this video, especially your Ferris Bueller personality…you kinda look like Mathew Broderick too, good job from a guitar veteran of 56 years of playing.
Super interesting video thank you! Looking forward to when you get back but don't rush and enjoy the break.
THIS was a ton o' fun Josh. Thanks so much and have a relaxing respite.
The "wow" you added at the end made me laugh. I remember hearing tapes the 70's that had too much wow. I did not know it was called that, but I remember that.
Nice!!! Reminds me of myself in my early recordings doing these experiments endlessly with different/old strings/rental mics/positioning/plugins.. Very nice video!
How does this kid not have 3M subscribers yet?
Josh, I love your work!
This post is fun and I would like to add a couple of comments.
If you 'thunk', you have to hit the strings. Tommy Emmanuel, Billie Strings, Rodrigo & Gabriella hit the strings! My favorite recording practice is a plugged in acoustic electric + a small diameter condenser about 8" from the 12th fret. I can send you a song I engineered if you're interested. Also I recommend recording clean with the best gear possible. Then it's possible to bring the sound to Old School with EQ, Compression, etc. I listened to the samples you published with some very good monitors and I came away thinking your work is interesting, but only a small piece of the possible spectrum.
I once used a microphone from a "dictaphone" recorder. It was surprisingly good for piccolos, oboes and fifes.
So first i see your second arrangement cover and now this? Your channel is awesome!
To me, you wanna get the acoustic sound you really crave, it starts with a quality guitar that offers good warmth and projection. And experimenting until you find the best strings and gauge for that specific guitar. I've spent years exploring string options - I even keep a diary of first impressions of a new string type as well as after they have settled down from their brighter "newness."
You're a mad genius man.. A maaaaad genius
One of the most useful tone videos I’ve ever seen. Thank you!
When I was starting out playing (60s and 70s) the only kind of acoustic strings I could get in my little town were Gibson Monel. Monel was a nickel blend. I'm pretty sure phosphor bronze wasn't available back then. The nickel strings don't have the bright shiny sound when you put them on. They also sound cooler the deader they get! I use a set Martin makes now called Retro that are nickel wound and during the pandemic I left a set on one of my guitars for over a year. The more dead they got, the more I could hear the sound of the 60s recorded acoustic guitar sounds I grew up on. Try those out (if you haven't already).
I wish we could still record like we did back then, it was so much easier without all the digital DAW computer programs. Just a couple mics a nice reel to reel & go for it.
This was awesome. Also, Josh is freaking hilarious.
I know these don't get as many views as covers but these videos have been immeasurably helpful.
Really dig your video and delivery style. Cheers brother.
Josh's music and production is wonderful, but I think there are two things worth throwing out there to others who watched this...
Lots of folks producing music at home these days are either using Reaper, Ableton, or FL Studio. I don't know 'Heat' well enough to suggest an alternative but I'm sure there are cheap or free VST plugins that can accomplish the same thing or something similar without needing ProTools.
Your A/B comparisons starting at 10:18 aren't volume-matched, so of course your compressed one sounds 'better' once you pushed the output +3dB. Klanghelm does have volume matching on some of their plugins but it looks like not on this one.
Fair points! I wish I was conversant in more DAWs than Pro Tools, but at least now Pro Tools First makes the majority of these features available to a lot of people. I’m sure there are similar things to Heat within other DAWs.
I pushed the output gain there just to compensate for the gain reduction from the compression. That was a seat of the pants call and I might not have level matched perfectly!
Very cool! I love the results, and it's really something to see how the butter is churned!
Awesome. This exactly where my ears lead me when mixing guitars too, usually go for J37 or Tape Mello-Fi depending 🔥
LOVE this video! Please do more recording and mixing tips!
I'm pretty sure the acoustic damping of the cat helps those vintage vibes.
First I was thinking you were gonna start playing Ten Thousands Words… I could hear the little lead runs in my head along with your playing…
great video! love the humor involved! there really has never been a time that you could not get vintage acoustic tones!
Such a great watch. I actually think you nailed it 👏
The best video I have watched in a while. Do more!
Agree, and great video content., but what about the bridge or the nut? You can buy a couple of blanks (bone) for under $15 and really improve the resonance of the guitar. Yeah, do my own tech work, and it really helps hold down the overpriced repairs that so many shops charge today, and most tech work is honestly pretty easy.
Saving this. It's exactly what I was looking for.
youtube gold. Thank you, Josh!
Thanks for couching all that information between your tongue and your cheek. I really enjoyed it.
Glad this one was still in the pipe. Sounded awesome though I think the strings were to new!
I’ve an Eko dreadnaught I bought in 1976 and I swear it loves old strings, but they have to be genuinely old. Chapstick feels like insulting my guitar’s intelligence.
You bring me joy
Nice twisting of the virtual knobs!
Nice Avett Brothers into riff
Amazing Josh! I think this could be a Series of videos with different tones and/or guitars! Cheers
Incredible teaching. Thanks Josh. Learned a lot here.
Wow, I always admired the sound of your recordings. Now I know why. Wery interesting.
For her imperturbable equanimity, Marie is an inspiration to us all.
Josh you young thwacker you, impressive understanding of engineering!
That's so convincing! Great work!
Very nice to see and hear the differences. In the end though, overall sound and feel can be subjective, but nonetheless, I like the direction and overall feel you are going for in this video. 👍
It's interesting, fast and friggin funny... Great work Josh!
Very interesting and entertainly Josh. Makes me want to dig out my Teac A2300S!
Excellent! Please keep doing these!
Hello Josh,
Would you like to tell us about your lifestyle? And food habits?
Also
What is your opinion on religion?❤
A-******-mazing job. You're basically throwing jewels at us.
Interesting and useful. Thanks. Chuckle on "...but too much and it starts to feel like a circus ride."
This was educational and FUN AS HELL! Thanks Josh!
Really digging these engineering videos. Super helpful
Josh I love how your guitars and I am sure you like Willie Nelson’s trigger! Trigger sounds awesome! But to be honest your guitars sound always good as well! Thank you sooo much for instructing us so well!✌️👏
This is prime content. Thank you and well done
John Martyn Bless the weather album. Best recorded acoustic tone I've ever heard.
Amazing video - easy to digest, and super helpful. Good concepts to keep in mind down the road. Thanks for this!
Ah, now I know how you got those great guitar sounds when mixing my album! :-)