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.. or got to used to hearing it that way ..
That one is easy to get bit by. After working on a song for a while it becomes familiar and it is easy to start thinking that's how it is suppose to be. Taking a step back before getting too familiar with it can be a big help.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Not everybody wants the same thing in terms of comments. I still think that people who want no-holds-barred reviews should say so when they post the song. There are plenty of people on this forum who are capable of offering such critique.
But (In my opinion) there have been plenty of times when people asked for honest critique, then got offended when they heard it. That sends a mixed message to the forum, and then people get gun-shy about being honest.
If you DO ask for honest input, (again, my opinion) you should accept it as someone else's opinion and resist the urge to rebut their observations. That's another thing that sends a mixed message. If you ask for my honest opinion, and I give it (but you don't like it) explaining why I'm wrong virtually guarantees that I won't trust any future invitations for honesty from you*.
(> "you" meaning "whoever asked for honest critique")
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edit:
what about when you ask for honest critique, and somebody who is not really qualified to make judgments about your song writing makes observations you don't agree with?
In my opinion, even then it is very bad form to publicly refute the opinion you asked for. Once you ask for it, be gracious about whatever you get. You don't have to use the information, and neither should you abuse it.
Last edited by Pat Marr; 01/25/15 07:24 AM. Reason: added post script
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there's also a distinction to be made between suggestions that are based on personal preference (such as "how much reverb is right for this song?" or "how long should the soloist play?") and suggestions about things that are clearly unacceptable (instrument or vocals out of tune, bad timing, clipping, muddiness, volume mismatch between tracks etc)
I rarely comment negatively on anything I consider to be an artistic judgment call... but I have occasionally tried to gently point out the other types of problems when I hear them.
Never under any circumstance do I think it's OK to bludgeon, mock, ridicule or or otherwise defame a song or person who posted it. That's as bad practice from the audience as is playing out of key from the performer.
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I give seminars about "Giving and Receiving Feedback".
If you want feedback your answer should be: "Thank you." Then take from the feedback what suits you. You should never argument about the content. The feedback is given under the impression of a performance of whatever kind. It is always subjective and an opinion. It is never objective.
If you want feedback and you receive it "Thank you." is the answer,
A (Honest) feedback always relates to a behavior in the past,
given in the present,
with hope to influence the behavior in the future.
Some people never see the opportunity that accepting a feedback provides.
Desktop; i7-2600k, 8 GB mem., Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Laptop: i5-2410M, 4 GB mem, Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
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In the wake of this whole 'competition' thing coming to an end... I'm not sure your question got answered. You'd also asked in the 2015 User Showcase thread: Never even knew there was a competition!  I don't think people think of posting songs here as a "competition." And since the list is generally posted well after the year end sale, waiting to see if you're on the list instead of upgrading is (not coincidentally, I'm sure) a risky plan.
-- 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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This is my opinion on the topic of having your songs scrutinized. If you want that then join something like Taxi where pros will evaluate your songs.
My opinion is that this is mostly a hobbyist site.
I do not have the knowledge, ears or personally to put someone's music down. I will make suggestions but even then I will say that this is just my opinion and others may vary but I will not tear someone else's music apart on this site.
It takes courage for a man to admit his wife was wrong.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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This is my opinion on the topic of having your songs scrutinized. If you want that then join something like Taxi where pros will evaluate your songs.
My opinion is that this is mostly a hobbyist site.
I do not have the knowledge, ears or personally to put someone's music down. I will make suggestions but even then I will say that this is just my opinion and others may vary but I will not tear someone else's music apart on this site.
What he said. 
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We crave attention 
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Not only, there are more motives to pubish, but attention has certainly a high priority for most...
While I personally have only listened to very few submissions, others really do listen to them. (I don't write songs, yet.) Since many here are hobbyists they want a more or less honest feedback of what others who do the same think . If you're [put your craft here] you can see if another [crafter] did something that triggers you to a "+10" or a "-10" or somthing in between.
If you are a beginner, the judgment of another beginner with about the same type of skills is often more valuable than that of a full fledged pro (depending on his/her mood to descend the ladder to one step lower and higher of your level). If you catch that pro in the wrong mood the feedback's value is zero.
Just for this thread I have read a couple of them feedbacks and all that I have read have goodwill ringing in their tone. I don't go into more detail here. Since I only have read a small sample of vast amount available I didn't see any really negative feedbacks, but some that point to what could be done better (in the ear of that particular listener), most often giving also tips.
But that is common in this entire forum.
Guido
Desktop; i7-2600k, 8 GB mem., Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Laptop: i5-2410M, 4 GB mem, Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
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All very interesting as to why people share on the user showcase. I can certainly relate to all of it for the few songs that I have posted all encouragement no negative feedback at all, though I haven't got my head so buried in the sand, that some negative feedback to the quality of the songwriting and production would have been justified.
Old saying comes to mind too, better to be a big fish in a small pond such as the user showcase here (and getting an encouraging clap on the back) than a small fish in a bigger pond (and getting a good clip across the ear)...lol
And the truth of the matter is for most of us on the user showcase, it will be the only place where people listen to our music, for the rest of the world doesn't care.
Musiclover
Last edited by musiclover; 01/26/15 05:10 AM.
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I like to use it to teach/learn.
I've posted some pretty experimental stuff, mainly to show I did something some users didn't know RB could do. For instance Odd Time generating of Realtracks. A couple forum members and I (looking at you Oren and tommyc) have had a blast in the past playing with such things.
In the posted song list 'Count Me Out' is one such piece. Wild is another (though it is listed as Back in the Day).
I've also learned from what some others here have done.
It's all good.
If I do ask for comments I usually try to reference what I am asking for specifically. Example: is bass to heavy? .. does this sound like a 'rock mix' . or at least reference what I was trying to accomplish to give anyone who cares to comment an idea of what I am asking about.
Example2: I was going for a live feel/sound.Does this work?
I think it helps others realize what it is I am after. I may not care if you like the song or agree with its sentiments. Sometimes I work on things because someone else asked me or it got voted on by committee (and I lost), etc.
I may agree that the story line stinks or the 'screamo' vocals are annoying, but may want input on another aspect.
Asking the right questions can have great affect on the resulting answers.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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This is my opinion on the topic of having your songs scrutinized. If you want that then join something like Taxi where pros will evaluate your songs.
My opinion is that this is mostly a hobbyist site. Yup.... however, TAXI is costly to join... to get the reviews costs even more on a per song basis. They used to give crits on songs that were submitted to a listing that didn't make the cut..... but they had stopped doing that instead simply giving "YES" or "NO" answers leaving you to try to figure out the faults in the rejected song. Most other song plugging/listings sites don't offer reviews. Yes/no up/down, that's it. However.... You can join the TAXI forum for free. No membership required. They have a number of forums where you can post tunes for review by members. Compared to most other forums, the reviews you get there will be much more critical from a songwriting POV. The action there is really slow sometimes. I have posted there and gotten one review after 3 days. You get more reviews if you tend to be involved in the forums there. And... quite a few of the folks there are actually writing and recording the songs that are getting signed and cut so they tend to speak from experience. It tends to be a bit more intimidating since there are so many "professional" writers there. The Nashville Songwriter's Association is another option and also INCLUDES 12 "free" song reviews as part of their membership cost. Membership has gone up to $200/yr now. They also have a forum site similar to the TAXI site, but it's open only to members and most of the folks there are not the big guns who are writing the songs for Nashville, it's filled with folks trying to be the big guns. I haven't been to that forum in quite some time....same with TAXI. There are also numerous other music related (in one way or another) forums where you can get good advice. I use Cakewalk as do many other folks here, and as a result, I hang out there as well. The advice you get on a given site is generally more specific to the product the company sells. SO on Cakewalk forums, it's not about the writing so much as it is about the recording process. If you want good recording and production critiques, join one of those forums and there's always a "User Showcase" for your songs in each one of them.
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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Video: New User Interface (GUI)
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We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
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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Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
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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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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