Trip to Skye

**Colin Botts** · May-13-2023, 7:14pm

Here's my solo mandola take on John Whelan's tune "Trip to Skye."

**Bill McCall** · May-13-2023, 8:23pm

Lovely tune for a grey evening. Very nicely done.

Thanks

I’ll have a Talisker with that.

**DCHammers** · May-14-2023, 12:21am

A favorite. Thanks for sharing.

**MrPitchy** · May-14-2023, 12:21pm

Absolutely wonderful!

What mandola do you play? You get such beautiful tone.

**Mike Buesseler** · May-14-2023, 3:07pm

That is a Pomeroy V-mandola by Don Paine.

**Colin Botts** · May-14-2023, 3:23pm

Originally Posted by MrPitchy

Absolutely wonderful!

What mandola do you play? You get such beautiful tone.

Thanks so much!

As Mike said, it's a Pomeroy. Here's a link to this model on Don's website: https://pomeroyinstruments.com/245-2...n-oil-varnish/

**DougC** · May-15-2023, 8:49am

I think a big part of the sound is made with the Digital Audio Workstation. Certainly the mandolin has a nice sound but the echo of a large hall is brought into the room with digital effects.
I'm also a big fan of Marmot outdoor wear, however the shirt is a bit of a distraction. (It should say Pomeroy, ha, ha).

**Colin Botts** · May-15-2023, 8:44pm

Originally Posted by DougC

I think a big part of the sound is made with the Digital Audio Workstation. Certainly the mandolin has a nice sound but the echo of a large hall is brought into the room with digital effects.
I'm also a big fan of Marmot outdoor wear, however the shirt is a bit of a distraction. (It should say Pomeroy, ha, ha).

For anyone that is following this thread, here is the audio to the above video, but without any effects. The mandola was recorded with a Shure SM81 into a MOTU M6 interface, DAW is Logic Pro. I think my Pomeroy still sounds amazing. Quite honestly, my use of reverb is just to create a sense of space in the recording, since a close-mic'd instrument sounds very dry and unnatural due to the relatively quiet room reflections.

**Dagger Gordon** · May-16-2023, 4:32am

For the record, I like the version with effects better.

Lovely playing, as ever.

**John Kelly** · May-16-2023, 6:38am

Interesting comparison, Colin. I am with Dagger on this one, also preferring the mix with reverb. Great tune and well played as usual, by the way!

**Colin Botts** · May-16-2023, 9:18am

Originally Posted by John Kelly

Interesting comparison, Colin. I am with Dagger on this one, also preferring the mix with reverb. Great tune and well played as usual, by the way!

I do too! When have any of us ever plugged one ear and stuck the other right up to the sound hole of an instrument being played by someone? That's roughly the real-world equivalent of listening to a dry, close mic'd recording. I did hope it might be interesting to a few people and provide another perspective on the sound of that Pomeroy mandola, lest I be accused of sprucing it up too much in post-production

As always, thanks to both of you for listening to my music and for your thoughtful comments and feedback!

**DougC** · May-16-2023, 2:02pm

Sprucing it up too much?? Hardly. I think the reverb is great. (For my headphones, it could be a tiny bit less.) This did prompt a good comparison.
Keep 'em coming. Colin.

Originally Posted by Colin Botts

I do too! When have any of us ever plugged one ear and stuck the other right up to the sound hole of an instrument being played by someone? That's roughly the real-world equivalent of listening to a dry, close mic'd recording. I did hope it might be interesting to a few people and provide another perspective on the sound of that Pomeroy mandola, lest I be accused of sprucing it up too much in post-production

As always, thanks to both of you for listening to my music and for your thoughtful comments and feedback!