How to establish continuity between riffs?

[lagouyn]

Hi,

Let's say I have two riffs in my song. When I play the whole song, there is a sense of audible discontinuity at the point where the first riff end and and second riff starts. Is there are a way to smooth out this transition? Can an effect be applied (say, a little reverb or something) to make the transition less jarring?

Thanks.

-Allan

[strychninekid]

Have you picked the first riff as a lead in when recording the second riff? That usually does the trick for a smooth transition

Rich

[lagouyn]

Could you explain that to me? (I'm new to the app.)

[scott]

Hi Lagouyn. Welcome to the forum.

Have a search through some of the other posts in the forum as this is something many others have discussed.

Try this for a starter - http://www.sonomawireworks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=410 and let us know how you get on.

[ldavis]

I still have problems with the lead in really working well. I still hear some discontinuity there. Using the song layers to record some simple transitional riffs has helped, but I would recommend two things additionally:

1.) Make sure that the layers have similar volumes going from riff to riff, and make sure that the riffs are at the same volume
2.) Record the riffs with great precision regarding timing-especially at the beginning and ending beats. You can drift a little in the middle measures(this may even add a little "human" feel), but you have to be spot on into the riff and out of it. Also, follow through - don't stop recording your take until you are into the next take. When selecting your best take make sure that, while listening to your take in solo mode, when you loop back from the end to the beginning of the riff, the transition is seamless. Doing all this will help your transitions.

This is my first recording sofrware (or recording anything for that matter), and I am sure that unique nature of how riffs are put together influence some of these problems. However, the primary thing that I have found to be necessary is precision. As I have told friends of mine - If you think you are a good musician, go record yourself. You'll find out you are not quite as good as you thought.

[Bender]

As I have told friends of mine - If you think you are a good musician, go record yourself. You'll find out you are not quite as good as you thought.

So true. It's one thing to make a mistake/be slightly off live, but when you hear it over and over again on a recorded track, its like nails on a chalkboard. And its probably more painful to you than to a third party.

[ShredRex]

Soooooo true. That is why so many people hate recording, or going into the studio.....it can be a humbling experience.

I agree with what was said above, you timing leading into the riff is key. I too play over the end of a riff a few bars and delete the partial one to ensure I am not cutting off too early.

Mixing is huge. I tend to obsess over mixing/mastering and then when I am finally done and listen to it a few days later I can't remember what I fussing about.......LOL

[havoc51]

I use mix to riff a lot and quite often add an extra track that both fills the sound out & masks any transitions. There's still an annoyance though when there's a tempo change.

[strychninekid]

I do agree along with the lead in riff you have to have the volumes correct as well. I usually solo the 2 layers from riff to riff so I can only hear those 2 to be able to get the volume right as well. And after mixing I throw it all over to Adobe Audition for the final mixing and mastering. I mix down each layer to wave form then import to adobe and then as you said ShredRex pull my hair out over something I forget later LOL. As far as tempo changes I am still working on that. The big thing there is the drummers. I haven't found a smooth transition with those yet

[havoc51]

One trick I stumbled accross this weekend was this :-

If your song has the same tempo throughout, use the duplicate function as much as you can, that way the drummer settings are exactly the same & that gives you the continuity.