Video & comments: https://youtu.be/JcfeZoOSDm4
Recording sheets and details: link
Recorded: May-Jul 2018 (v1.0); Jul 2020 (v1.2)
Backing tracks: link
This is an updated version of James Blunt - Shine on - v1.0. I applied my latest knowledge in mixing and mastering without rerecording any part:
corrected vocals with Autotune
small string muting fix for the acoustic guitar (duplicated an earlier G chord)
used ADT/automated dual-tracking to enrich the vocals and guitars
used the Neutron and Nectar plugin chains for mixing the tracks
applied Ozone to master the final output
Note: the picture quality is horrendous because back then I was still using a cheap handycam for video recording (check top right on the start screen).
This song has been a long favorite of mine. 1973 is another favorite from James Blunt, but my vocals range can't cover it yet. This is also my first recording of a song with that classic gradual addition of instruments to enrich the sound culminating with the solo and outro.
"Shine on" is a distinct departure from the typical pop song's structure and dynamics. I really enjoyed the whole recording process.
As this isn't a popular song, I couldn't find any tabs for the lead guitar - so it was time to improvise! Check the video for the fingering of the solo. The lead guitar plays an important role in the outro too as an extra high pitched layer.
I had to make use of my classical guitar for this part. I tried the acoustic models on my Variax but this sounded better. Also, it was easier to do this way the arpeggios with the capo on the 7th fret. Yes, there are some string buzz, but with a Variax it sounded much worse. I believe the original recording is with a steel string acoustic, but I'm OK for now with this choice.
A discrete piano line joins the classical guitar. I panned this track to the right side of the stereo spectrum to minimize the overlaps. While performing (mostly improvisation along the chord progression) I tried not to overdo the part and minimized the arpeggios and chords trying to fill-in here and there. Then gradually the piano's role is amplified after the first chorus.
Yeah, this was close to the limits of my current vocals range. It's hard for the voice to sound well at low volume - it's easier to scream well than to whisper well :-)
A simple drums line but with a gradual buildup. I had to work the cymbals until the second chorus.
The bass line should have an improved quality compared to earlier recordings. After a few lessons on bass, beyond the root note, I got to incorporate the 5th, the 3rd and the octave into the chord progression making chord transitions more fluid. Maybe I also had fewer string buzzes?
My first video rendered with Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 15. GPU rendering literally took under half the time of what version 14 required (approx 4 minutes for a 5 minutes video and real-time editing of the 7 full HD video tracks was without dropped frames (with version 13 I had to literally hide tracks in order to be able to preview the video during editing time).
Remember my backups section? Despite due diligence I still managed to loose the video recording of my lead guitar track. It's true that I recorded the first version around midnight on a weekday and I might have forgotten to record the video, but unlikely. Somehow I could no longer find it when assembling the video. So I had to rerecord it and version 2 was indeed better anyway. Still, always backup your work copiously.