|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 38
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 38 |
Hello all, After a long hiatus here is my sophomore effort: Sunshine Lady Lyrics: Sublime summertime the days drift by So warm and heavenly Then I chime in, your nerves wear thin With words said carelessly An eyebrow raised at me The smile that used to be The warning signs are clear to see Sunshine lady it turned shady I tried to stay between the lines I see all the clues from your head to your shoes Tell me what's on your mind Clouds rollin' in at summer's end All good things come and go. The best intent, but words get bent Now here comes the show I've heard it all before Oh woman hear you roar I know there's more in store for me Sunshine lady it turned shady I tried to stay between the lines I see all the clues from your head to your shoes Tell me what's on your mind Sunshine lady I think maybe I just need a little more time But you gotta tell the truth are you gonna turn me loose Tell me what's on your mind I've been reading up a little about the mixing process so any help in that area would be appreciated. I'm currently using mixcraft 6 to mix. I'm playing a little sax and some acoustic guitar (apologies in advance). Realtracks: Bass - Electric PopHalfnotes ~518 Drums - NashvilleEven8 Acoustic Guitar ~693 Rhythm Electric Guitar ~696 B3 Organ ~686 Thanks for listening as always.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,646
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,646 |
Very nice work on this one; thanks for sharing!
My TunesPsalm 57:7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,885
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,885 |
First, I think you have written a very good song. It's a good effort and I also like your vocal on this. I didn't think the sax added anything to the production and no more than it is used, I would take it out of the mix. I think you did a good job in your choice of instruments and the sax just never found its place in the mix.
Mixing, panning and instrument choices are personal choices and saying I would have arranged the song in a different way just means I would have made different choices, not that your choices and arrangement are wrong. Saying that, I would have treated the acoustic guitars panning a bit different than how you chose to do. I would suggest listening on YouTube to how other groups treat intros in similar songs.
I also liked your Sunshine Lady artwork in the video.
Enjoyed listening and look forward to hearing more from you soon.
Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 103
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 103 |
Very nice. I liked the melody a lot, and I liked the general arrangement and how it picked up on the key change near the end. I think the little sax "stabs" in that section worked OK, but they seemed very distant from the rest of the instruments.
The whole mix seemed somewhat blurred to me, nothing really standing out except the vocal and the sax stabs. Mixing is hard. Maybe there's different amounts and types of reverb on some tracks? I'm not sure. Good work, but the overall instrumentation could have been punchier somehow.
Thanks,
Bruce
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,366
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,366 |
As Bruce said, nice melody and arrangement. I particularly liked the sound of your voice for this song.
I don't think there was anything drastically wrong with the mix, but a spot of EQ here and there would brighten it up and separate out the instruments better. Although the kick drum was there in the mix, the rest of the kit was a bit subdued and EQ might help here as well.
Hey, but you're definitely on the right lines and I enjoyed the track.
Keep posting.
ROG.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 38
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 38 |
Hey thanks for all the thoughtful comments. I really appreciate getting the feedback.
Charlie - I actually had a lot more sax on the track originally, but felt that it was a little out of place. Perhaps it isn't needed at all for this style.
Bruce - The mixing is indeed a challenge. I'm actually using some presets from mixcraft 6 for each instrument. I'll keep playing around with it.
ROG - Thanks for the tips. I'll play around with EQ a bit more to see if that helps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,266
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,266 |
Hi, Jeff. First, nice song and nice singing! Since you've mentioned you appreciate feedback, hopefully I can offer something helpful. Feel free to ignore anything you disagree with...  I thought the intro was a bit quiet. Once the vocals come in, the "lead" guitar part seems to stumble a bit because it's got nothing to play against. If you raised the lead a bit in the intro, and then dropped it out until where the drum kicks in, I think it'll work a lot better. The sax is so intermittent, the first time I heard the track I wasn't sure what the sound was. I think dropping completely would work best. The volume changes into each section a bit abrupt. If you could build into them, it might feel a bit more organic. But those are small nits. The important thing is you've got a nice song with a catchy chorus. Nice work!
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647 |
Hi ...
Good to "meet" you!
A really nice song and your vocal works perfectly for this one. I agree with dropping the sax stabs. I also think that the "back-up lead" on the left channel would sound a wee bit better as an acoustic guitar.
All that said, it was a real nice listen and we enjoyed it a lot! Best to you ...
Alan & Di
BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,956
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,956 |
Jeff,
I like your song. It has a terrific feel to it. Reminiscent of folk-pop like John Denver, Seals & Croft...
The instrument mix is good relative to the other instruments. But it sounds like you put some type of reverb on the whole (final) mix that makes everything sound like it was recorded too far away from the microphone - especially your vocal (and it is a very nice vocal).
That may be a wrong guess - but, if it is not, you might try a mix without whatever that last reverb is...
Look forward to more..
floyd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888 |
Hi Jeff,
if you take some advice from above this is going to be a real good song. I like the melody and the voice.
Enjoyable listen.
Guenter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 38
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 38 |
David - Thanks for the tip on dropping the lead after the vocals come in. That thought never occurred to me, so I'll give it a try.
Alan and Di - The electric guitar could be switched out with another acoustic realtrack perhaps. Unfortunately, my own playing probably won't get it done. I'll experiment.
Floyd - Thanks for the comparisons, that was the sound I was after. You are right on with the mix. Each track has a little reverb, but I added another preset (from mixcraft 6) to the whole thing at the end. I'll revisit this and see if something sounds better.
I appreciate all the tips and encouragement (and the PG forums in general). It's nice to have this resource.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,987
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,987 |
Really nice song. I like the progressions, and you have a really nice voice.
There's some really good advice in the posts. Keep up the good work!
Steve
Steve Young Music"In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of." - Robert Schumann
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,052
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,052 |
Really like this!! Melodically and lyrically, there are a lot of great things going on here. It sounds like you've listened to a lot of stuff from the greatest era of rock/singer songwriter music (65 to 75). I would make the vocal more present (may try changing the predelay on the reverb?). You have a very good voice-don't be afraid to let it come through. Great stuff!! Take care. Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086 |
Really like this!! Melodically and lyrically, there are a lot of great things going on here. It sounds like you've listened to a lot of stuff from the greatest era of rock/singer songwriter music (65 to 75). I would make the vocal more present (may try changing the predelay on the reverb?). You have a very good voice-don't be afraid to let it come through. Great stuff!! Take care. Greg +1 Couldn't have said it any better. Josie
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,389
Posts804,202
Members40,111
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean