Another quick throw-together. I created the basic file in the waiting room of the hospital as Di was getting her daily infusion - about two hours. When we got home, I spent another three to four hours selecting some new RTs for a few of the indigenous tracks for the style, and fine tuning the chord progression. I then did a little more fine tuning for final mix in Audacity. And this is where I ended up with this.
A few notes: I added some delay and a very slight touch of chorus to the guitar. I composed a whole new chord progression for the style. The EP is a bit louder than I usually select for a b/g track. But I think it works on this one ... not burying the guitar yet offering a robust b/g fill.
Also, Audacity is the closest thing to a DAW that I use. I've attempted several DAWs but I'm clueless. I've tried Reaper, Real Band, and Cubase. I could probably build a nuclear submarine before I could figure any of them out. The instructions for all of them seem to assume the user has at least a basic knowledge of the process. I have "NO' knowledge whatsoever! If you need to know an unusual chord or an advanced chord progression, I might be your guy. After that ... you're on your own!
The mix is slightly heavy on the left channel. But when I more closely centered the piano, it lost some of its "character", so I left it as is.
Open to any comments and/or suggestions. Thanks for listening.
Alan
PS: Hope everyone's new year is off to a good start. Also, the "plucky" sound of the guitar in many places is generic to the style ... not a recording issue.
Late Night Adventure I could listen to all night. Really good stuff. Audacity is a DAW! If you can use it, you can use others, but if it's doing the job, why switch? I used it for years.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
Late Night Adventure I could listen to all night. Really good stuff. Audacity is a DAW! If you can use it, you can use others, but if it's doing the job, why switch? I used it for years.
Thanks a lot, TM! Sure do appreciate that! And yeah, I guess Audacity is a stripped-down DAW. But, as you said, if it works ...keep on going with it!
Again, thanks for the listen and very kind words. Best to you ...
Well this is right up there with one of my favourite artists, Ken Navarro. I just love it. Great stuff.
Martin.
Hello Martin ... Good to "meet" you! I've been around here for several years but have been absent a lot due to my wife's serious medical issues.
Many thanks for those comments! And yeah ... Ken Navarro is a fantastic guitarist. Although he almost always plays an acoustic, he gets a real nice sound from it. I think my favorite song by him is "My Best Friend". Love the drive of the bass and percussions!
Youtube's Reaper mani is a GREAT place to learn the how (& if you can milks a decent tune from Audacity you're already a star in my eyes - I had no end of trouble with it). The fellow there has updated his how to series for Reaper starting at R5. Highly recommended - I used his vids to problem solve and learn new things frequqntly.
Part 2 tells you exactly how to get a project going. This song is very smooth & cool. A great use of waiting room time.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Nice work on this, especially for a quick throw-together It flows amazingly well, and really makes for a interesting moody track. Wishing the best for you and Di also.
Reminded me very much of a British band in the 80s called Shakatak, who you won't have heard of, but who had a good line in funky jazz-pop.
I need to listen to this track again, late at night and with the lights down low.
I know you're going through difficult times, but I hope all's going well with you and Di.
Take care old friend,
ROG.
Hi ROG!
Always a real treat to hear from you. Glad you enjoyed the song. And you are correct ... I've never heard of Shakatak. But love the name! Funky JazzPop and Jazz Rock are two genres I really enjoy. I went to YouTube and listened to about half a dozen of their songs ... great stuff! I particularly liked "Night Birds". I also like the Duke Robillard Trio quite a bit.
I have a question for you: When singing lyrics to a song, why do British performers almost always use the American pronunciation for words such as "Dance", "Can't", etc. I've always wondered about that!
Take care, my friend. I will pass on your kind words to Di. And yes, she's having a really tough time. We both appreciate your kindness. Best to you ...
Nice work on this, especially for a quick throw-together It flows amazingly well, and really makes for a interesting moody track. Wishing the best for you and Di also.
Great job and thanks for sharing!
Hi Deryk ...
Many thanks for the props! Glad you enjoyed it. I'll pass on your well wishes to Di. We appreciate that. Best to you ...
Hi Alan, great to hear you again, this is magical. Your guitar playing is stunning Hope you're both well ?
Hi Graham. It's nice to drop in when I can. There's a lot of great music on this forum and it makes me sad I miss so much of it because I can't be here for any length of time. I used to listen and comment on almost every song posted. I see you have a newer one [posted. Will be over to hear it real soon. Many thanks for your visit and kind words. Wishing you well ...
Oh, so sweet, Alan. As others have mentioned here, you are quite accomplished with Audacity, and have no need of anything. That's such a fun chord progression, and a very entertaining production. BTW, I listened Early In The Afternoon, and it works so well there, too.
Youtube's Reaper mani is a GREAT place to learn the how (& if you can milks a decent tune from Audacity you're already a star in my eyes - I had no end of trouble with it). The fellow there has updated his how to series for Reaper starting at R5. Highly recommended - I used his vids to problem solve and learn new things frequqntly.
Part 2 tells you exactly how to get a project going. This song is very smooth & cool. A great use of waiting room time.
Hi Ray ..
Appreciate a link to that video about Reaper. Will give a hard look this weekend. Looking forward to it. And I appreciate the kind words on the song. Many thanks for all. Best to you ...
Oh, so sweet, Alan. As others have mentioned here, you are quite accomplished with Audacity, and have no need of anything. That's such a fun chord progression, and a very entertaining production. BTW, I listened Early In The Afternoon, and it works so well there, too.
Hi Marty,
Appreciate the time to listen and comment so nicely. Glad you enjoyed the song. Glad to hear it also sounds decent in the afternoon! There are still some facets of Audacity I can't figure out, but I can figure out what's most important to me. I'll probably keep using it for the foreseeable future. Ray gave me a link to what he says is a great instructional video for Reaper. I'm gonna check it out in a few days.
Al, Smooth and,as you say, "somewhat perky". Plug and play in your hands always sounds professional and highly enjoyable.
Robert
Hi Robert ..
You are much too kind. But, I'm finding a way to deal with it! I'm very appreciative of your very nice and supportive comments. Thanks again ... glad you enjoyed the song. Wishing you the best ...
This tune is so smooth and has such an infectious groove...
You have a great ear for music and I look forward to hearing whatever you post.
Loved it!
Bob
Hello Bob ...
Hope all is well up there in the cold Northeast. Here in Alabama, it depends on the day you ask. Today we were in the 60s ... the tempo tomorrow is supposed to be in the ow 40s with a low in the mid 20s. Next week ... 50s and 60s!
Glad you liked the song. I appreciate the listen and kind words. As far as having a "great ear for music", everything I do is by ear. I do not read music and have no formal training on music whatsoever. I create music using an old adage: if it walks like a duck, quacks like duck, it's probably a duck. With music, if it sounds right, no matter how I got there, I guess it's right. Anyway, that how I come up with songs.
Many thanks, my friend! Wishing you everything good ...
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
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Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
Playable RealTracks Set 4
RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 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 and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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!
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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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!
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.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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