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.
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11, EZDrummer
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 ...
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
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.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 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:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac 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!
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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 Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 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 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!
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Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
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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!
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.
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