Thank you, Lambada. All these suggestions are gold. At the end of the day everything is what I like, but trying some changes is easy enough in BIAB. I have 4-5 that are melody completed to the point of adding vocs, so still drafty and I don't have an emotional tie to any arrangements yet, so an especially good time to look at the feel of them before trying for vocals.

QUESTION: Do you guys peel back the instruments just to do your vocals, or sometimes?

I've found, (and this might just be my newness with all this, a product of the way my home studio is set up like the lower model equipment (I do have several mics and several headphone models I try, or why some vocals don't sync with the melody as well as maybe they could), that I need to sing against things that don't overwhelm my voice, like a light percussion for the beat, and held, bare chord keys, with any rhythm (fill) low enough so I can hear myself, but loud enough to keep me in the melody. Then I add the track to the DAW and add instruments to see what does and doesn't work.

How do you guys handle producing vocals?

Thank you all for any input/suggestions. I really like this particular way I can ask for feedback. On occasion I have asked some out of state touring folks, and a few of the only Nashville/L.A. I know, but I almost never ask anyone I know for input here in Portland. I did once or twice and all of a sudden someone was broadcasting they were the co-writer.

Andy

BIAB 2017 Ultra
Windows 8 and 10
Scarlet 18i8
Reaper and Mixpad