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Floyd, Here's a link Walking in rain done in the days before I started using Real Tracks. Why I delayed so long I will never know  I've just played your song again to prepare myself for the walk to town as the raindrops are bouncing outside at the moment. I am going to get drenched  Alyn
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fantastic song !!.......I have owned band in a box / real band since 2011....I have so little musical knowledge that it's like having a toolbox full of wrenches but not knowing how to tighten a bolt or turn a screw....listening to your song has proven to me that indeed a professional song can be forged with this software ..again your song is fantastic !
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fantastic song !!.......I have owned band in a box / real band since 2011....I have so little musical knowledge that it's like having a toolbox full of wrenches but not knowing how to tighten a bolt or turn a screw....listening to your song has proven to me that indeed a professional song can be forged with this software ..again your song is fantastic ! Indeed. With Band in a Box (BB) and Real Band (RB) the only limits I have found are your personal limitations and imagination. Floyd is one of several folks I quietly refer to as "Power Users" in this forum. Don't let him know, his head's already big enough.... ;-) It is totally within the realm of possibility to get professional results that are hard to differentiate from a true Nashville session. The best way I know to get to the "higher levels" with BB/RB is to use it and work with it. The more you do, the better you become.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 10/07/14 04:12 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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floyd, Perfect is the only way to describe this. One of your best. All the previous comments sum up just how great this is. Not a single thing out of place. It just doesn't get any better than this. Tom
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Trevor - always appreciate you stopping by for a listen...and appreciate all those nice comments... Charlie - Thanks! Always wanted to play Myrtle Beach! Exclusively at Wal-Mart!!!... Just like Garth!  Guenter - Thanks so much. The Janettes are a step up from the BIABettes... ... and I need to again say a big THANK YOU to Janice for doing harmonies with me (and often, for me) in the production of these songs. I consider the Merritts as "part of my band" and I am lucky to have them along and lucky to call them my friends...
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It's always a pleasure to listen to your songs. Flawless productions with nice touches all around. One thing that I love about your lyrics as how efficient they are. In a very short space you lay out the scene with enough specific details to paint a picture, start the story, hook in the listener... and create a setup to contrast with the second verse. The last line in the chorus brings another layer of meaning, and brings the hook back. My spilling-over-the-brim hat's off to you! David - Thanks for that wonderful review... I quoted you here because you picked out some very important things in terms of songwriting... a fairly good summary of how I approach writing. It generally starts with a hook or that main idea which is the hook - even if it is not a "hook" in the conventional sense of the word. I develop those ideas in my head before starting to write (usually)... so I know how it will begin (to grab the listener's attention)...how that will feed into the chorus... how to structure a second verse to "put a new twist" on the main idea which again feeds to the chorus - hopefully with a fresh angle... If I intend to use the hook to both open and close the chorus, if at all possible, I want the second use of it (at the end) to have "new meaning" (compared to the first line). You can't always do that, but it's nice when you can... In this song, it started with the concept of "breaking down" - the truck and the man - so you get a nice double meaning from that phrase. "a perfect night" came secondary to that and was nice icing.. I do a lot of planning before (and as) I write to have those things happens in a very natural way. If I CAN'T find these type things for an idea that I might be considering, it's usually best to look for a different idea. Or...you end up writing songs with no meat. Repeating the same thought over and over... I thought your comments were perceptive - and so took this opportunity to "bore ya with the details" a bit... Thanks again...
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I'll admit I don't really care for country, came upon this just from browsing the latest posts without knowing what kind of a song I'd get.
So my comment is on the technical side, the arrangement and the mix: To put it short, I have to say both these elements here are absolutely top notch. You would not know this was from a computer application unless somebody told you!
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BBox 2022 Audiophile, Mac Pro Intel, OSX 10.6.8, 800x600 (TV VGA)
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So why "almost"? Hmm.. no one else has mentioned this so I'm probably out on a limb here, but I'm not sure about the amount of overdrive on the lead guitar. I'd have preferred something a bit sweeter - something more like a Tele through a twin reverb. I felt the effect you used was just leaning a little bit towards Aerosmith (Ouch). OK, so that wasn't fair, but hopefully you get my drift.
Hey, everything else was brilliant. ROG.
ROG - thanks, as always... I've quoted your comment about the lead here to talk a bit about that... "...leaning a little bit towards Aerosmith (Ouch)." That is, actually, intentional. Country pretty much sounds like Aerosmith these days. In fact, to my ear, and what I have become accustom to, this lead is fairly tame. The things I am listening to on a regular basis are Country - mostly Lee Brice and Eric Church.. a little Miranda Lambert - but sound more like classic rock than 1992 Country. 1992 Country is what you get if you constantly stick with the conventional sounds of "country" - which is what you get here in the forum - and that is understandable - I still do a lot of that, myself. No one else seems to embrace the current sounds of Country (and I get that, too)... but I like the SOUND even if I don't like the songs (there is still a LOT of good songs if you look deeper than the radio). So, like I said, when I listen to this in line with what else I listen to, that lead doesn't stand out at all... I would assume that you are not a regular listener to "today's Country" (though I may be wrong) and the common reaction from people who don't listen to that will be "that lead should be 'more country'"... RealTracks: 2203:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopPromiseBrent Ev16 100 is pretty tame... after all, it is the premier Country picker - playing a "pop" solo geared towards "praise" music... Allow me to give a few quick examples... Lee Brice - A Picture Of Me - @ 2:08 or 3:20 -> out... and omg... a fade ending - heaven forbid! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSsu8YXlYTQEric Chirch - Love Your Love The Most - @ 2:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7gbtQSFz4QLee Brice - That's When You Know It's Over - @ 1:57 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN1jZaZbBhwTop 25 Country July 2014 - I just happened to find this as I was poking around... and these are just a few of the spot I found quickly by jumping around... 17:10 20:59 29:16 31:57 38:55 41:55 53:24 55:50 1:06:12 1:09:36 1:12:42 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc3jUC17RaY
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Hi Floyd.
You're exactly right in saying that I don't listen to a lot of today's country and the tracks you pointed me towards were a revelation. Then again, I'm always ready to learn and I liked what I heard. Thanks for that.
Having said that, if I'd heard the track - Lee Brice, That's When You Know It's Over - on the radio and then gone to buy it in my local record store (before it closed) I don't think I'd have been heading for the Country section. It appeared to have more in common with Guns & Roses than it did with Charlie Pride.
And I think this is really the moot point. Looking at the instrumentation in the Lee Brice track, there's a power bass, root/5th chugging, power chords and synths. The overdriven lead fits perfectly, but anything else would have struggled to compete in what is essentially a rock track.
On the other hand, I would immediately identify your track as country. The feel is different, but more importantly the instrumentation is too. Piano and pedal steel well to the fore and acoustic guitars in the rhythm. Over this, I still feel the distorted lead is a little out of place.
So to sum up, I fully accept that country has moved on and that some of the tracks are using many techniques usually associated with heavy rock, but I'm not sure that you can take one feature of these tracks and drop it into a more traditional country song with complete success.
I can't remember disagreeing with you to this extent before and I trust you're not offended by my candid approach. Where Country is concerned, you're the master and I'm happy to learn.
ROG.
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I thought your comments were perceptive - and so took this opportunity to "bore ya with the details" a bit... Thanks for the details! Given that this is essentially a songwriting forum, who wouldn't want to know how the experts put their music together? Thanks!
-- 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.
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Hey ROG! I thoroughly enjoy such discussions and am glad to hear differing opinions. I gave some thought to changing the lead, but think I'll leave it - for now, at least... Like I said, as I listen to it, it works - because I'm accustom to this "style".. The Eric Church song that I listed has similar instruments and a similar lead sound - and I doubt you would mistake it for a Guns & Roses song Adding Brice's "That's When You Know It's Over" was probably not a good idea, since it is just straight-ahead pop-rock (typical Country, though). I just happen to really like the song and it popped up on the side while listening to his other song... I have some songs in the works that have productions that are "not your grampa's Country"... We'll see if we can continue to "shake things up"... Thanks for the follow up reply!
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Herb, Thanks for the listen. The leads (a fairly small part of the song), are taken from 5 generations of the RT (plus 3 that were not used). The original tempo of the RT is 100. The song is at 105. Listening to the raw RT files, the range is almost identical. And the tone is the same. The process involved did not change that at all. There is no added processing to those tracks - they are exactly as they come out of BIAB. I doubt seriously that Brent Mason went into the studio to record this stuff and used an amp sim - so the fact that you can't get those to work for you has no bearing here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc2sBG7WsC0Though you consider Brent's choice a "tonal disaster", I happen to like it and I trust that he knows what he is doing. Otherwise, I would not have used it in the first place. But, of course, you can't please everyone and everyone has their own tastes. Your thoughts on the subject are interesting to hear. And, again... thanks for the listen
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Mario - Thanks for swinging by for a listen! Glad it all "set well" for ya!
Janice! - You know how much I appreciate you!
Steve - it is ALWAYS good to have you in the neighborhood...
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Floyd, Here's a link Walking in rain done in the days before I started using Real Tracks. Why I delayed so long I will never know I've just played your song again to prepare myself for the walk to town as the raindrops are bouncing outside at the moment. I am going to get drenched Alyn Alyn - Thanks for coming back to provide that link! It is impossible to not head-bounce during that one! Excellent mix on that one! Loved the background vocals, too! Now I can't get it out of my head...
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Hi, Floyd !:))
I think I´ve just heard
my new FJ favourite song !:))
I am speechless (as usual)
listening to such professional
performances as yours !:))
Cheers
Dani
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Though you consider Brent's choice a "tonal disaster", I happen to like it and I trust that he knows what he is doing. Otherwise, I would not have used it in the first place. But, of course, you can't please everyone and everyone has their own tastes.
Read it again my friend.....I referred to MY forays into amps sims as "tonal disasters", not Brent's playing or his tone. The man knows what he's doing no doubt. However, that aside, yes, I have had to back up and try something different a number of times using Brent's tracks and those of others. The key change algorithm sometimes affects the audio in strange ways that make it.... well lets just say, plan B might be the best route during those times. Sounds like very sloppy playing and the tone is less than convincing. And yeah, it's a matter of taste.... what works tone wise in one song doesn't necessarily work in another song. I was just commenting on the tone, which to my ears, didn't quite fit the framework and feel of the song. Mainly due to the EQ. And make no mistake.... this is a very very small nit. The majority of folks probably don't agree with me on this at all and I'm fine with that....
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 10/09/14 08:28 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Good write Floyd. I like the arrangement and the instruments you put together. What's on the radio now was written and produced one or more years ago. Nothing wrong with bending the existing curve to make a little more cutting edge style. Even what's considered ahead of the curve can easily end up being the curve soon enough - am I making sense... LOL! I hope you get what I'm saying. It's a compliment.
Josie
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Read it again my friend.....I referred to MY forays into amps sims as "tonal disasters", ... Hi Herb... I read it again and it still says the same thing... "I don't know how PG recorded the RT's but I have had very similar tonal disasters..." Which means that you were talking about not just your amp sim foray, but also the thing you are comparing it to being "very similar" - the RT in question. I was not trying to "put words in your mouth" by any stretch... But let's not beat a dead horse. You don't like that guitar. Got it. No problem... like I said, it is interesting to hear what your thoughts are....
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fantastic song !!.......I have owned band in a box / real band since 2011....I have so little musical knowledge that it's like having a toolbox full of wrenches but not knowing how to tighten a bolt or turn a screw....listening to your song has proven to me that indeed a professional song can be forged with this software ..again your song is fantastic ! bock1965 - Thanks. And Welcome! I feel that that is what we are here for... to show what can be done using this amazing software (and to get a few people to listen to our songs, of course). Band In A Box IS capable of producing top-level, professional sounding recording of your songs. It takes some practice, but not a lot... Start slow... figure out drums and bass, then add a simple acoustic guitar... put a vocal on top of that and then add some flavoring. BIAB provides it all. And as the people in this forum have shown, the possibilities are virtually endless... any style... I have demos done in the best studios in Nashville. They are as good as it gets - radio-ready sound. I believe that what you hear on this forum by the "Power Users" - as Herb as dubbed them (and there are several) approaches that kind of sound... Jump in! We are here to help each other...
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Tom - Thanks for all that. You know I appreciate it... and so very good to have you back...
Icelander Eddie - thanks for dropping in for a listen.
ROG and David and Herb - thanks for making this such a fun thread...
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