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Link to the song (it is not hosted on our site, it is hosted on your site). Title Paper, scissors and stone Background information about the song. Inspired by the rather random and nonsensical elements in life – oh and of course by the ultimate one-to-one combat that is paper, scissors and stone. All tracks played/sung/recorded by me, none generated by Band-in-a-Box or RealBand, although I used Band-in-a-Box to produce an early guide track. No other programs used in the production, other than Audacity to make the MP3 file. The lead guitar at the end is a Vantage strat copy coming through my ancient Korg multi-effect. Describe what effects were used in the production (reverb, auto-tune etc). The PTPA pre-sets in the main. As ever I'd be most interested in other forum users' impressions. What do you like, what do you not like. What works, what doesn't? Any constructive suggestions gratefully received. Many thanks for taking the time to listen.
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Hi Marc!
Nice to see you or I should say "hear" you again.
I really liked this - all 5 minutes - which is usually a bit long for my attention span. Really pretty keyboard based rock ballad. The feel reminds me of AOR progressive rock - Yes, EL&P, etc. Moving the vocal from left to right caught me off guard and I thought something went wrong with my headphones - then I got the effect you were going for as the song went on.
Very creative use of Paper Rock and Scissors.
Josie
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This reminds me of the style of a band from the 80's.... but I can't remember their name. One of those bands that never had a #1 but got some radio action on a few tunes.
Overall, the song is fairly decent. I'd really like to hear it with better production. I don't hear any bass in this at all. The drums are really weak and provide no drive. I hear your keys and a drum machine track.... and very little else.....maybe some disto guitar and toward the end .... a lead part on guitar ????
The vocals are good. Nice harmony. On my speakers (cheap computer) I can't really hear the side to side Josey mentioned. I'd be careful trying to use "artsy" techniques like panning back and forth as there are very few artists today who do that. Also, I heard some plosives in there where the mic got blasted by a breath pop..... those plosives are easily fixed with proper singing techniques and a pop filter.
So, back to the production. Why didn't you let BB & RB handle the tracks for you? You said in the OP that you used BB to make an "early guide track".... Really? .....Why didn't you continue to build from THAT base? Because, all this needs to make it 1000% better is a solid bass and drum track. A fat, full bass and some huge drums would be a huge plus for this. Then, clean up the vox track and add some EQ to accent the highs in the vox. Put the lead vox down the center and pan the BGHV 30% or so R&L. One on one side, one on the other. That makes it full sounding without the artsy-fartsy aspect of a distracting, bouncing lead vox.
Pick one of the real tracks guitar-lead-solo tracks to play the guitar solo towards the end if your guitar chops can't handle it at this point. No shame there..... I can't play drums, or piano very well, and not at all on fiddle, or steel, so I use the Real Band tracks to play what I can't. The goal is to make a song project as good as you can possibly make it and with BB/RB.... there's almost no excuse since you have an amazing tool in your hands to accomplish that very task.
My advice.... take the song back to the square one, and this time build it totally in BB and use RB to add the guitars and mix it. Take all the time you need to do this and ask questions if you get hung up on something.
OK.... that's my 2 cents
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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THanks Josie - really kind of you. Its good to be back composing and making music again after what has been a difficult time for me.
Yes at 5 minutes the piece is clearly too long. 2 different takes in the l/r lead vox question (as you've probably guessed) Will correct in the remake.
Thanks for the influence name checks too! I guess that's the game. If it sounds a little like plenty of bands but not just like one in particular than that's good.
Herb - thanks so much for taking the time to listen and comment in such depth. Will certainly bear your recommendations in mind for the remake, but I would just comment on one or two points.
I have antiquated versions of the PG music software (B-i-a-B 7.0 and PTPA 11) and am very happy that way. I find when I generate a demo of a composition in B-i-a-B it sounds nothing like what I'm hearing in my head. As I said, I really only use it for structural purposes and replay everything the way I want it to sound.
ITs not a question of particularly wanting to do everything myself, more that what the MIDI patterns (or real loops for that matter) generate simply does not correspond to my composition.
Like many on this forum I consider myself first and foremost a songwriter/lyricist. The musicianship, singing, production and mastering are all of a standard which I know is a long long way below pro. But they do allow me to produce a recognizable demo of my tunes.
All the best to you in your music making.
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have now addressed some of the points raised above in this remixed version . Thanks again for the comments
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Hi, Marc !:))
I liked your tune really much !
There were some really juicy
progressions in there ! (Maybe the
song is a bit long due to the repetitive
parts but nonetheless a very
good tune !:))
Cheers
Dani
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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