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Hi Everyone! It just occured to me that I most likely placed this post into the wrong forum as I had mistakenly posted it in the powertracks forum. I hope this is the more appropiate forum to get some feedback on this my first song written using PG products...... I finally finished my first song with BIAB and PTPA-11. Used only midi with the VSTi synth in biab (no RT's) and mixed and added vocal in powertracks. Since this is my first tune created using PG music products, Would appreciate any feedback and/or comments good or bad especially technical suggestions on maybe mixing and etc. Please bear in mind, I'm just a newbie songwriter (not a singer) and a newbie here with PG products. But it sure has been fun using both BIAB & PTPA!! The song is called Comin' Home and is dedicated to our Men and Women who are serving in our armed forces. The song can be heard at: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8274381Thanks for listening and for your comments. Larry...
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Hi opsvisor, This is a very good 1st attempt. I very rarely give advice on a mix of a song because I may not be that good myself  I would just give you a thought - your vocal could be stronger, more up front - by that I mean be bold when singing. It just needs more confidence. In my opinion you have the voice, use it to it's full potential. You are among a very friendly group of people on this forum and I'm sure others will give good advice. Regards Michee
Windows 11 64 bit, Biab 2024 1111, Realband 2024
i7 Desktop Computer 16Gb Memory
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Congratulations on you first song!
Nice changes & vox. I agree with Michee; get more confidence in the vocal.
Are you playing also?
All in all very nicely done. You can be proud.
Mick
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Nicely done on your first attempt...
One of the tricks that I use when recording vocals, is to record at about half the normal level, and keep the monitoring phones at a somewhat low level, which allows me to sing harder to hear myself over the mix. The vocals can always be modified later in the mix. Sing it strong.
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Larry, it's a lot better than my first one, and perhaps some of the last ones. Something that I often do is to record the vox in mono and then double it. It seems to add a little punch. A touch (small touch) of reverb helps also. Keep it up. Don S.
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It has all been said above but I'd like to also add my congratulations on a wonderful first effort.
Later,
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Nice first try, Larry. I agree with the rest of the rest of the guys, you could put a little more punch in the vocals, maybe even move the "vocals" up an octave. I like the guitar part, good pickin', but needs a tiny increase in volume during the solo. All in all, great first try.
By the way, thanks for placing yourself in harms way so we here in American can still enjoy freedom. If you haven't returned home yet, keep your head down and hurry back, we need all the good musicians we can get.
Kaj
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As others have said, congratulations on a very strong effort – particularly for your first tune Larry.
The structure is neat and purposeful and it’s obvious that the lyric is sincere and heart felt.
First part of the gtr solo (at around 1:38) doesn’t seem to quite fit the chords. Was this played or generated.
There are plenty of hints above as to the lead vocals, but I would agree they need to be strengthened a little.
Going up an octave (Kaj) might be pushing it a bit.
BTW - don't know who directed you towards SoundClick, but you made a good choice!!
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Well done, Larry. Nice first effort.
Just a tip, if you work out what your vocal range is (bottom and top notes you can sing comfortably - check this against a guitar or keyboards) and plug it into BIAB using the Vocal Wizard feature, then, if you know the melody notes and have it plugged in, you can find the best key for your voice. In the case of this song, you can move it up a little to a slightly higher key (I would suggest about a third).
BTW, are those backing vocals real or is that the TC Helicon?
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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Hi Larry. And congratulations of an excellent piece of song writing and recording. There are only a couple of weak vocal spots but those can be fixed with a compressor. Try this: 1. Open your song in PTW and hi-lite the vocal track(s)
2. Click on Edit/Audio Effects
3. Select the compressor
4. In the drop down menu select the "Gentle Leveling" preset
5. Process that and give the song a listen You may have to monkey around with it a bit until it sounds strong from front to finish. There are other things you can do but this will do for now. My question is, are you now overseas? If so how did you make this recording? What mic did you use?
Russ Anyday above ground is a good day Computer is Hp Pavillion Vision 6 Ghz quad core AMD processor 8 Gig memory 1 TB hard drive 6 GB hard drive Windows 7 Premium Loose nut behind the keyboard 
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WOW! Thanks to EVERYONE for your suggestions and tips regarding this tune. It sure has given me lots to think about for projects in the furture. I will say that just getting used to using both BIAB and PTPA was quite a learning experience for this ole dog and I have to say that I know I haven't even hardly scratched the surface yet in both of those programs.
Yeah I know, I was never satisfied with the vocal on this but as I stated before I never ever considered myself any type of singer by no means. Hence the apparent lack of confidence there. I just couldn't find anyone else to lay down the vocal tracks for me. lol On top of that, I'm still building my home studio and still have a lot of stuff to upgrade yet.(little bits at a time). My vocal mic was an old cheapie radio shack mic from the mid-eighties that had been used on my old ham radio station. Not trying to make excuses here, just stating the facts lol.
To answer some of your questions, I did not play on this song at all (it's all BIAB) except the vocal and the back-up vocals were all done using the TC Helicon harmonies in powertracks.
Just a note to Kajun Jeaux. I served in both the Navy and Air Force from 1969 to 1976. So have been back at home here for over 30 years lol.
Just got into this writing and recording music thang as a hobby in my old age as I have always enjoyed playing keyboards (for myself) as a way of relieving stress.
Thanks again to ALL for listening to and commenting on my song. I will strive to get better!
Larry
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Quote:
as I stated before I never ever considered myself any type of singer by no means.
Don't kid yourself!
Mick
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First of all, thanks Mick for the vote of confidence!
Russell, I tried your suggestion on using the audio effects compressor on the vocal tracks and what a big difference that made! Thanks for that tip! Had no idea that would help so much, but I think it did. Will have to get the new version rendered again and converted to mp3 so I can upload it to soundclick and replace the older one.
Thanks Russell for that tip, and have a great day!
Larry
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Great job with the singing and songwriting. The harmony vocals are really well done and add a nice touch to your song. BIAB is such a great program for songwriters. Keep 'em coming!
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Great job !
Look forward to hearing more.
The Powderman
Learning something new everyday
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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.
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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!
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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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