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Author Topic:  Any advice about recording a lap steel album?
David DeLoach


From:
Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2021 4:02 am    
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Hey guys, I'm looking to record an album of solo lap steel in November. This will be an album of hymns played with a blues feel using Leavitt tuning.

I've got a good engineer who has a good studio.

Any advice from you guys who have done some recording before?
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Stefan Robertson


From:
Hertfordshire, UK
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2021 5:02 am    
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Backing track/full band - play it live no overdubs/punch ins start to finish and I wouldn't recommend using a click.

Plug in directly/use an amp entirely up to your preferred sound - subjective

Make sure you are in tune if/when slanting
Lubricate your strings to avoid over squeakiness/scrape of the bar
and just enjoy.
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Mark Mansueto


From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2021 6:19 am    
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It's kind of a wide open question. I could give a grocery list of things but would be nice if you could narrow down to what you're most interested in knowing.
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Bill McCloskey


From:
Nanuet, NY
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2021 9:10 am    
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I'd call up Mike Neer and pull on his coat.
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Steve Cunningham


From:
Atlanta, GA
Post  Posted 19 Oct 2021 9:45 am    
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I'd definitely recommend having several different sounds throughout the record, ie: using different instruments, amps, mics, mic placements, etc. For people who still listen to entire records, changing up the sonic characteristics can help keep listeners engaged, as opposed to hearing the same voice over and over...especially for a solo instrumental album. Best of luck to you David!
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Peter Funk


From:
Germany
Post  Posted 26 Oct 2021 11:20 pm    
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Stefan Robertson wrote:

Lubricate your strings to avoid over squeakiness/scrape of the bar
???
Never heard of lubricating the strings. What oil are you using?
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Chris Templeton


From:
The Green Mountain State
Post  Posted 27 Oct 2021 7:36 am    
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David- Does solo lap steel mean just you playing?
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Travis Brown


From:
Florida, USA
Post  Posted 27 Oct 2021 3:46 pm    
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I'm a weak steel player, but I have logged a ton of studio time.

I would split the guitar signal and record it straight in AND thru your favorite amp. That way, if you don't like your amped tone you can reamp the clean sound or run it thru a amp sim and dial in the tone you want.

My personal taste would be to start with the miced amp sound, then hit it with a bit of compression and just a touch of reverb. I personally would want to get that big Hawaiian sound.
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