While BiaB generates awesome lead guitar tracks, if you're the kind of person who has specific notes they want played, but doesn't play guitar...

(Learn to play guitar, dude! comment goes here)

...Orange Tree Samples is having their Summer Group Buy running until July 11. They're already at 40% off, so I've laid my money down on a couple toys.

OK, back to lurking. I'm working on a BiaB song, really! But the "write lyric" part of my brain hasn't been very cooperative.

Thanks, David. I'm off to have look.


I find that too. Getting the best word with the best connotations that sits most comfortably with the surrounding words and the musical stresses is often a long, mind bending process for me. I'd be totally lost if it wasn't for thesaurus.com and Rhymesaurus.

Noel

I've been looking for a jazz-type flute for a while - like on Carole King's So Far Away.

BiaB has a nice Latin flavored solo flute, and there's one with the Big Band that came out recently. I've had mixed success shoehorning them into pop songs.

Passion Flute might be able to scratch that itch. So if the price goes low enough, I might be able to convince myself I "need" that, too.

I have and use Passion Flute a lot. You can get a very realistic flute sound if you use a wind controller, breath controller or an expression pedal for volume. YMMV

Thanks for the information! I've got an EWI, so I don't really have any excuses!

NI is still running their 50% upgrade sale, and at this point in my budget, it's a decision between Passion Flute vs. upgrading Session Horns to Session Horns Pro. I've never had much luck with Session Horns, but I'm wondering if the Pro version has decent solo instruments - it's hard to tell from the reviews. Most seem to say that it's good for short and punchy lines, but for legato stuff, not so much.

Of course, I'm trying to figure out how I can get both.

I have an EWI-USB that I use for wind instruments.

I am very selective of NI instruments. The few that I have tried have come up short. But using the EWI with NI's factory library doesn't sound to bad. If you want realistic saxes look at The Saxes by Swan Instruments:

http://www.swamengine.com/portfolio-item/swam-saxophones/

They are expensive but the best sounding saxes that I have heard, especially when using the EWI.

A great sounding trumpet can be found at Realitone's screaming trumpet:

http://realitone.com/screaming-trumpet/

This is the most realistic trumpet that I have heard.

You have to set up Kontakt for a wind controller but that is not hard at all.

David,

If you can't come up with some lyrics, try using some +++ Public Domain Lyrics +++.

If that link doesn't inspire you, +++ HERE +++ is a link with seven additional sources for public domain songs.

The SWAM saxes are on my "get them eventually" list. I believe the set of all four are on sale through the end of June for $200, which is a $50 savings.

Too many sales, too little money! Ah, first world problems.

I really like the sound of Auditory Labs Real Flute. Not a lot a controllers, but I just like the sound, even up against some of my more expensive/expansive libraries. Of course it's a matter of personal taste, but for $22 it's not a bad thing to have in your toolbox.

I hear you. Way too many sales and way to little money!

Yes this is a great buy for $22. I might just buy this myself.

Thanks, glad to hear a thumbs up on that - I was looking at that yesterday.

Edit: On listening to the demos, it sounds pretty synthetic to my ears, with an artificial chiff.

That said, the flute itself is quite pleasant to listen to.

Thanks. Part of the problem is that I've laid out a very specific workflow for myself - generate the backing tracks, create a melody, and then write lyrics. I stick to the path, and don't work on other songs until this one is done.

Obviously it's prone to bottlenecks, so once this song is done, I'm going to allow myself to have several songs in the pipeline.

I'm using RhymeZone.

They say that the best solution seems obvious in retrospect... But getting there is a different matter!

The Orange Tree Sample group buy is now at the maximum discount of 60%.

The group buy lasts until July 12th (at 8 AM PDT).

Time to get some guitars...