give me tonight
Last week, I told you about running into a new taper when I was in New Orleans, someone taping for a friend who was also a new taper. Well, tapers one and two have finished processing their first full concert, and have graciously offered it here to share. Here’s a sample (in mp3 format):
Use Me (Bill Withers)
[audio=http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/6/3/1140363/mp3s/Use%20Me%20NOLA.mp3]
Go to our new “downloads” page and help yourself to the Taylor Hicks New Orleans show. These are 16 bit .wav files, which will play in software like iTunes and on iPods. These are fairly large files, and so can take awhile to download. Shortly, probably within the next week, the files will be hosted as a bit torrent in .flac format for faster download. When that happens, we’ll let you know and provide the link here (and, of course, they’ll be looking for seeders.)
The tapers are new, but are using good equipment and getting the best advice on how to do their job, both in taping and in post processing. So enjoy the tapes, but support the artists by going to concerts and buying albums.
We ask that you share links to our download page, but not rehost the files elsewhere. Feel free to convert the files to .mp3 or any other format you want for your own use, but not to share - conversion to .mp3 involves a loss in audio quality, and only the best representation of the artists’ work should be shared. But feel free to ask for help on making mp3’s for yourself. If you use iTunes, there’s a ‘convert selection to mp3′ command under the advanced heading.
Comments are left open for now on the download page so that people can ask for and offer help in downloading and converting.But the tapers have a couple of things they want to say to you, too:
From the tapers:
I’m tired of over thinking ’till I can’t see straight…
• First off, these files are not anywhere near the quality of an experienced taper. So don’t even expect that.
• What you will hear is a first time taper’s recording, combined with a first time editor’s editing.
• Editing never feels done.
• We just jumped right in with zero experience and gave it a shot. Everybody has to start somewhere!
• this is what we came up with:There is some ‘clipping’ from time to time and various other issues here and there. The sound quality seems to change…sometimes clear, sometimes muddy…I have no idea why. Some songs are outrageously loud and noisy. Some sound pretty good!
The crowd was LOUD. I tried to at least reduce the loudest screams so that they don’t blow out your ears, without sacrificing the music. Sometimes I could figure out how to do that, and sometimes I couldn’t. Trust me, every scream that you think is loud I actually HAVE reduced.
I’m sure I will learn how to do this better in the future, but for now, this will have to do. Also, there were some difficult people in the crowd…I cut out about one half minute between two songs that included an ugly altercation. But you can hear the beginnings of it in previous songs and the vestiges of it in the songs that come after…
Anyway, I hope these are at least listenable to fans.We hope our little jump into taping inspires others to learn. It sure is fun!!
posted by what at 01:00 am
not sure if it’s because of what’s lost on the taping/editing end but that was a very haunting start to “Use Me”. Also, there’s a very “ODC feel” about this performance.
the band is just jamming. the bass playing seems to be really coming in strong and clear and I’m digging it.
if every live performance was captured in this quality, I would have zero complaints. it’s not crystal clear but you can still pretty much hear and make out everything going on.
about 5 minutes in to around 5:11 is my favorite part. Taylor is jsut feelin’ it and letting loose.
very exciting stuff.
This is very cool! Agree with 10K that the 5 minute mark is the beginning of a very magical end to this song.
This is good quality stuff, the background noise definitely does not detract. Kudos to taper one and two!
Between yesterday’s offering, the most vocal of all instruments, to me anyway, and this, today, I am one happy camper. It doesn’t get much better than this!
I was at this show, it was pretty rowdy but possibly the best show I’ve seen…
I LOVE being able to hear this again, it was absolutely delicious live, pure Hicks delivery and a really nice groove throughout. He needs to pull this one out more often.
Can’t wait to hear the rest, thank you tapers and What!!
Oh, just kill me, I’m so happy (and a little wasted). Kisses all around. Oh wait, I need to say something metaphysical, huh? Ah, fuck it, I’m too blissed out listening to every little moan and haw haw and sweet grits drawl. Arigato doctor roboto.
I’ll go ahead and commit to it. NOLA HOB was the best I’ve seen Hicks and company — dream set list, electric crowd, inspired vocals and instrumentals. The jamming by Al and Josh alone was worth the price of admission. Having planted myself in the vacinity of our taper friend, I know a little about the handful of difficult people in that area, and the stress this must have caused our dedicated taper. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate the effort, because from what I can see this taping business requires a huge commitment before, during, and after a show. So thanks - not just for jumping in but for being willing to share what you believe is less than perfect.
To my ears, it’s nothing less than a treasure.
And kisses, Basenji.
I too was there at the NOLA HOB and this just brings that stellar performance all rushing back like I was there yesterday.
Damn, thank you thank you
I was there with Robin, and I agree with everything she says.
You know, I’ve been wanting ’something’ I could hand someone and KNOW that they would become a convert with no words from me.
I think this is it! ‘Warts’ and all, (and there aren’t many), this is an amazing souvenir of an even more amazing night! I am so grateful to our friend and the efforts made to record this night as one to ‘put in our vaults’, and it will be played by this appreciative fan over and over again!!
The only thing hotter than the humid Crescent City in August was our musical idol, Mr. Taylor Hicks and friends!
I was at this show too and the energy level was off the charts - add to that a to-die-for set list, including (to my knowledge) the only post-Workplay concert performance of “Use Me” to date, and it was, hands-down, the best Hicks concert I’ve experienced. Absolutely LOVED it. Major kudos to the tapers for sharing their work!
As what mentioned in an earlier post, as the last show on this run, I wasn’t willing to stand in the sweet spot for the sake of taping. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t even get the gear in. So this was a ‘why not try’ kind of an effort.
malisa, I can’t wait to download this treasure, but I’m thinking I might wait until it goes up as a bit torrent just so I can be a seeder. If I can wait, I may download twice.
The post from Basenji is going in my vault, LOL. Love your reactions Basenji.
Now how do we convince Taylor and his kick ass band to sing Use ME at the HOB in Dallas at the end of the month?
Came back with some trepidation after the late night scramble and then off at work. If you saw how broken the wordpress world was last night, you’d be afraid, too
- And I was afraid this was going to turn into afternoon of the fawn. Could be worse. The show was really good, but it was not the second coming.
- Use Me was done on the Denver stop of the shadow tour, but was no comparison to this. Naturally, those shows were about getting back to the real stage, getting back his sea legs, sharing it with friends, letting lose. This show is about really doing the music.
- are we done kissing now? why did I miss all the kissing?
- don’t apologize too much about your location, Malisa. I know one of your experienced taper consultants said that location is usually fine, but that the crowd was unusually unrefined (my words, not his)
- tishlp, you noble person. First you warm my heart with your comments about La Montaigne, and now you declare you’re going to seed for the good of the cause. Fans are finding this place, but new people are more likely to find the stuff on the torrent sites, and we want to share the wealth. Remember, sharing is good.
- I don’t have a vault. Where are you people all getting these vaults?
I was at this show as well as Vicksburg and Biloxi. Taylor and the boys are on fire on the summer tour. Much appreciation for everyone’s efforts in bringing us these downloads.
What from me to you: “Kiss! Kiss!”
I don’t know alot about the torrents or the seeding but am learning. I am very surprised that I find it fascinating. I too will be seeding when files are ready.
Thanks to all for the great comments and fabulous music. He was on fire in Biloxi…can’t imagine how great House of Blues was.Glad so many of you got to make the trip.
Ha,ha,ha what. Not so noble, I couldn’t wait and downloaded. But I will still download the torrent and reseed.
Thanks Malisa…we needed this!
Thanks Malisa … you are the best! Let me know when they are up on torrent site and I will be a seeder.
When Lisa comes in for a landing, I’d like to hear more about the post processing and also what feed back she got on the tapes from her consultants. I know that the processing was hours and hours of work, but I’d like to start getting my mind around things like “gain” and “mid-range equalization” and all of that stuff she had to deal with.
Lisa here… ‘post processing’ took just a tad more time than I had anticipated. That’s the biggest thing we learned about the ‘post’ stuff…it takes time.
At this point, I can’t explain ‘gain’ or ‘mid-range equalization’ but I can tell you what I did.
I ran ‘Use Me’ by a few people with a little experience. They told me we had a “solid B+ recording” and to “use the eq to boost the midrange a little” and also to “reduce the screams” and bada boom we would be good to go.
Sounds easy enough, I thought. So I downloaded a free copy of Audacity and started messing around with the eq…three days later…seriously…I was still not happy with it, but forced myself to go with what I had and to stop the endless tinkering. I could have kept messing with that for weeks.
Then reduce the screams…ok…I tried buttons on Audacity until something worked, most of the time. Every person I asked about it told me a different way to reduce screams. Nothing really took care of the problem in a way that made me happy. But I think next time will be better because since then I’ve learned a couple new tricks.
I also ‘normalized’ and added ‘gain’ based on some informal polls done with friends.
So there you have it. That’s how I (over?)edited for the first time ever.
I’m so grateful to Malisa for taking the rig out on the Hot and Humid tour so that even those of us who could not attend can enjoy this great show.
One thing is for sure, I am hooked on this: The taping, the editing, the listening…the whole thing. It’s pretty fun.
T & Jam (aka Lisa) - you did so good. The downloads are wonderful. I can just imagine the difficulty of saying “okay, I’m finished.” You and Malisa are my heroes. Can’t wait for your next team effort.
I’ve intrigued by this taper world…and torrents and seeding and…..
are there any other shows of Taylor’s that have been taped, besides this one and the Columbus show? I mean with good gear?
March, there are five pre-American Idol shows that were recorded and have surfaced on the net: two Workplay shows, a show recorded at the Open Door Birmingham, and a show recorded at Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta, and one at 12Th & Porter Nashville. (You can d/l here: http://tay-online.com/discography/Pre_AI.htm )
Post-Idol, all I know about so far are Columbus and NOLA.