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++ Restrung ++

Restrung is an instrumental created using RealBand to create 14 audio tracks from 14 acidized loops. Four of the loops were selected from the group of 1,000 loops shipped with 2015 products. The four are in the HipHop folder with two named "Old School - shaka_drum" and two "Old School - simpleandsweet". I took one loop from each group and reversed it to create added flavor.

Positive comments and suggested improvements are welcome (thick skin here). My concentration was on improving my mixing skills and use of effects.

Hi Jim,

It sounds like you had plenty of fun putting this together! After reading the preamble you wrote, I wasn't at all sure what to expect. I'm impressed!!! You're moving into boehm's territory with this one

Very enjoyable indeed. I could hear a solo instrument or vocal over the top of this. I reckon it's got potential to be 'amazing'!

All the best,
Noel

• latest song: Walk With Me

Jim,

I like the flow of this one... Really nice mix - everything fits very well.

Bob

I agree with Noel, it's a pretty intricate piece of work and you're in the pocket with the mix and effects. It's a great beginning for a song. Grab about 20 seconds starting around bar 19 where that guitar kicks in and use it for an intro for a song.

Nice job on what you've accomplished so far.


Also, nice to see the 12 string again.

Charlie

Jim,

A very enjoyable listen, I thought. I understand Noel and Charlie's points about adding something, but I liked what it is - as is. It seemed to "capture" me (my attention) as it went...

You said 14 loops, but seem to indicate that only 4 of them came from BIAB loops... am I misinterpreting that? Where did he others come from?

What do you mean when you say that you "reversed" one?

Cool that you are "showing off the loops" - I think you have shown that they could be used very effectively behind a lyric...

Good mix. Nice work.

floyd

Jim, I wasn't sure what to expect after seeing hip hop in your notes. But it turned out to be a very well mixed and enjoyable listen. i like the way it gradually built. Nice job. Tom

Jim,

Noel's and the other comments so far have nailed it.

This is a great instrumental, but could be also wonderful with a vocal added.

Really easy to listen to, you've done a top job.

Trevor

Hi Jim,
But like others I'm missing something.

Guenter

A nice turn at experimenting! I am envious in the sense that I haven't had the time lately to experiment the way I would like too as you have done here. It's a great way to peer down avenues you might not have otherwise seen.

The mix sounded fine to me.

Really fantastic groove!! I would love to hear it turned into a vocal/lyric song. It's inspiring music! Take care. Greg

Well, that wasn't what I expected at all.

Nice!


Thanks for the music,
Dan

Nice build! We enjoyed the listen.
I like what Gruve said about peering
down avenues you haven't seen
before.

J&B

All, Thanks for listening. Restrung has been a fun experience. It's interesting to me that some of you hear the potential to add a vocal. I would not have thought so but may explore that idea.

Noel,
Navigate to the loops folder (X:\bb\RealTracks\Loops) in the 2015 edition and look at the names of some of the sub folders. In addition to "Acoustic Guitar" or "Nature Sounds" you'll find sub folders named "Chillout", "DubStep", "HipHop" and "House-Techno-Trance". Not at all what some people might expect to be offered by PG Music. The names might throw you off but that's part of the fun.

Bob (rsdean),
I'm glad you appreciate the flow and the mix. I tried to make it sound like there was more material to work with than there really was.

Charlie,
Thought you might appreciate the acoustic 12 string photo for the song photo. Thought of using the electric guitar in the intro but, once a drummer always a drummer so the drum intro was selected.

floyd,
As Noel and Charlie mentioned there are some ideas worth exploring but I enjoyed what I had and am pleased everyone appreciates it as I do.
Five loops came from the Band-in-a-Box "HipHop" loop sub-folder. All five have the term "Old School" in the name. Two have the term "shaka_drum" in the name and three have the term "sweetandsimple" in the name. So you navigate to the loops folder you'd find the HipHop sub-folder. The name of one of the loops I used is: "Old School - simpleandsweet_100_a drums ev16.wav" so you can see why I wanted to give a general idea of what I used but didn't want to post the name of all five. I pulled "Old School - simpleandsweet_100_a drums ev16.wav" into a daw then reversed the waveform so it would give an effect similar to playing tape in reverse. Since the waveform is a drum pattern the pattern stayed the same but the note attack and decay reversed for a different sound.
The other loops are part of a SonyCreativeSoftware collection called "Restrung". A musician named Bradley Fish performed all the parts. ++ Follow this link ++ and click on the "Samples" button to download the same examples I used.

tommyad,
I like doing the builds on the fade-in and fade-out so each instrument has it's moment to shine. I don't know if it's true or not but I've read that if you highlight an instrument in the beginning, it is easier to hear throughout a song. While all the other instruments sound very clear the electric bass loops were recorded with a good amount of distortion. To minimize the sound of the distorted bass I used low (80Hz) and high (14kHz) shelf filters on the drums until the first bass note. By having the drums fill out and the bass begin, you don't really hear the distortion (I think). It must have worked because no one has mentioned the sound of the bass.

Trevor (VideoTrack),
I appreciate the easy to listen to comment. I enjoyed the feel of this while making it.

Guenter (boehm),
Something missing? I'm almost sure there is but I don't have a clear vision of what it might be. From the comments about adding a vocal perhaps melody. In the future I want to explore using the melody and soloist features in BiaB and RealBand.

gruverider,
Thanks for listening and your commenting. Experimenting is a good way for me to learn. More often than not my exercises are not easy to listen to. Sometimes I get lucky.

Greg Johnson,
The groove is what attracted me. Sometimes sounds just tell you what you need to do.

Dan (Big741),
I'm glad you were pleasantly surprised.

Janice & Bud,
Thanks for listening and commenting.

Hi Jim. Love what's there as far as it goes.
Think a solo instrument in the second half of the piece would have added to it. Cheers.