|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 201
Apprentice
|
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 201 |
Great track! I really like your voice and singing style.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,101
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,101 |
A big fan of your music here, Deej. Wonderfully written piece with good lyrics, and, dang, I love your vocals. Such emotion and range. I've never had trouble hearing each and every piece of your tracks, so you've mastered the mix, too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,032
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,032 |
Deej,
I am a fan... You have a tremendous vocal talent. Love this.
Great song and mix - would not change a thing.
You need to put out an album.
Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618 |
A master at work. What a comeback. The mix is SUPERB.
This is vintage Deej. What a comeback. On a par, at the very least, with "Prayer to the World", "If You Stay", "I've Got The Moon" and SO many CLASSIC Deej songs.
I've listened to this man's songs for about a couple of years now, ever since I've been on this forum ... when he's on form, well, good luck catching him. And the so and so is always on form, to the point where he's in a league of his own and in "competition" only with himself.
This song has that redeeming quality of a man who's seen it all and come through the other side - at least, that's the feeling I get from it. I may be wrong on this, of course - but that's how it genuinely feels. A song with that redeeming quality to it.
Hats off. And yes, you SHOULD put out an album, Deej. I'd buy a copy for myself, one for my parents and a few for my friends - honestly. And it'd be nothing more than what you deserve.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685 |
Loved everything about this, you do good work on your songs they are a grounding for commercial material for sure , I have said it before ill say it again Smokie one of my fav bands is what I hear here, and that my friend is some compliment !.
Thanks
win 10 64 bit 16gb,i7 chip, ssd 500gb, m-audio air, ,Roland BK-7M, 1000,shure sm7b,sonar,acid,mixcraft, variety of plugins.Sample tank 3,Kontakt. TC Helicon Voicelive 3 2 . https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 117
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 117 |
huge fan of Smokie as well, and I am from belgium !
:-)
Bernard Rasson
BIAB Audiophile 2021, BIAB Megapak 2015 (for midi-only projects), Cakewalk, Roland XV-5080, Roland Fantom XR, Aria AC60 Nylon Strings Guitar, Almansa Spanish Guitar, Fender Stratocaster Japan, two laptops
Je parle français
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,825
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,825 |
Hi Deej,
De-essing - I have had little success with De-essing plugins over the years because they always seem to adversely affect the vocals no matter what settings I try.
I now edit all vocals manually to remove any sibilance. If you blow up the vocal line in your DAW you can easily see the sibilance as little bumps before the words. I use a 5-7Db cut to get rid of them.
Best Regards
Nigel
Nigel Spiers
Christchurch, New Zealand
info@nzacoustics.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,511
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,511 |
Love the vocal sound and instrumentation too, DJ. You are a rocker for sure, dude! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,168
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,168 |
The standout here is your write and emotive vocal. Both your phrasing and vocal dynamics make for a fine performance. And your choice of RT's is very supportive of the vocal track. For us the absence of BGV's would make for a more open, airy mixgiven the number of acoustic tracks. But that's just our inherent bias toward that soundstage And we can readily understand how folks could equally love the song as is! Well done! J&B
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,314
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,314 |
Deej,
Fantastic tune! Sounds very vintage-authentic with strong influence of pioneers, but plenty of your own artistry with modern touch. Definitely one of the best tunes I have heard by you. Liked it very much! Thank you for sharing.
Misha.
P.S. Mix wise....(this is coming from amateur :)) I think is very solid. It has a old school feel that is hard to reproduce. I would not touch it. There was one band that I liked mainly because they maintained similar "sound" for couple of decades, sound that was dear to me. As soon as they switched to a more modern feel, I lost my interest... I think this tune is very close dynamically to the sweetspot of your performance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060 |
Sundance, Alexander, Marty, Bob, musician17, beatmaster, Bernard, Nigel, David, J&B, and Misha:
Thanks much all. I’m really pleased the tune has been well-received, as I was unsure about aspects of it. A few additional thoughts below:
Sundance and J&B: I hear you on the back up vocals. Finding the right balance was a challenge, but I do want them there to give a gospel like feel to the tune. I’m going to jump back in and dial them back a tad though. Certainly don’t want them to overshadow the lead vocal.
beatmaster and Bernard: I’m going to have to YouTube Smokie. I’m not familiar with them.
Nigel: I agree that the De-esser plug-ins are generally lacking. Very difficult to find that sweet spot where it actually de-esses versus diminishing the vocal. I do, on many tracks, particularly those where even I notice the sibilance, go in and do exactly what you suggest—dim the volume to lessen it (but it’s a painful undertaking, LOL).
Bob and musician17: Well, I actually did put out an “album” and it’s available through most of the streaming services—Spotify, YouTube and the like. (I used DistroKid, which to date seems like a great and more than reasonably priced service). The “album” is really just a collection of some of the songs I’ve posted here (hopefully polished a bit more), but from a production perspective, many of the cuts are still lacking. It was mostly an experiment of curiosity, though it hasn’t discourage me from hopefully putting out another “album” by year end. We’ll see. .
Thanks all again for the listen and comments,
Deej
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 294
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 294 |
Deej56
Man, I just have to tell you...
Your voice gets me every time. You invoke such emotion in your singing. Really well put together song. If only it were the 60's or early 70's, this would be on the radio, and probably on one of the many variety shows from back then. It's a shame I can't turn on the radio and listen to music like yours. Thanks for posting!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060 |
Bawb,
Thanks much for the listen. Yeah, I think maybe I was born a bit too late . . . or just got too late a start on things. Either way, it's not the type of stuff they play these days on the radio. Actually, I stopped listening to the radio years ago. Now I know how it feels when I call my Dad's music "old folk's tunes". Getting old . . . it happens to us all.
My very best to you,
Deej
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,274
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,274 |
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,606
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,606 |
Hi Deej,
As always, I can only think in superlatives when I hear one of your songs. If you're wanting critical commentary, I'm not the person for the job because I love everything you do.
Your voice is spectacular and everything about this arrangement, it's production and it's presentation shines brightly with musical competence.
Really nice work.
All the best,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060 |
TuneMonger and Noel:
Thanks so much for the listen and kind comments. Glad you enjoyed the spin!
My very best to you both,
Deej
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,749
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,749 |
Deej,
Beautiful sentiment in the lyrics.
Well produced and, as always, love your vocals, particularly passionate delivery.
Well done.
moto
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,311
Posts803,200
Members40,093
| |
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