"This road is the journey that I’ve been given So I keep on walking from day to day Where I’m going, I don’t know And though I’m in destiny’s hands On this road, I plan to travel as far as I can"
Wow! That is lovely and wonderfully produced. Janice is neck and neck with you on positivity and me (Bud)? Well, lord knows, I try!
Everything -- absolutely everything - about your production sounds superb on our monitors. The soundstage is lovely and the vocal sits so nicely. And that midi super track just nails it (we really like those tracks - so much flexibility in the sound).
You certainly picked a great song for your first post this year.
J&B
Kudos!!
J&B
Hey J&B.
Thanks for passing by. It's always good to read/see you.
It took a while to get this song up and running and then mixing left me scratching my head a number of times. Still, trial-and-error seemed to eventually make a bit of headway.
What a great song! Philosophical introspection with a beat!
This is so strong. The lyric is captivating and draws the listener right into the song. We think the percussions were just perfect ... and totally unexpected. You outdid yourself, my friend. Our ears are still smiling.
"This Road" was interesting to listen to. The opening bars of solo piano made it sound as though it would be a wistful ballad. But then, the addition of the medium-tempo "bossa nova" percussion and rhythm was rather startling, and gave the song a novel sound. In another way, it had the effect of somehow enlarging the emotional "space" around the song after that plaintive opening, as though I had been listening to it standing in front of a door that you opened suddenly so I could hear the fullness of it rolling out on a breeze. The subtle, measured dramatic build delivered me to an ending/beginning that summoned a strongly visual impression/image of the road stretching out before you.
I agree with the other respondents about the uplifting lyrics, too. No head-hanging in this song! There was obvious inspiration and passion in your singing voice. It would fit nicely as an anthem played before the commencement of an Olympics event.
Another excellent example of the BIAB school of songwriting!
LOREN (a.k.a. "bluage")
Hi Loren,
Thank you for taking the time to comment so thoroughly. I sincerely appreciate the smile you brought my way when I read through it.
In all honesty, BIAB has spoilt me. Writing songs with Dr Gannon's software is just so easy. Every time I use the program, I'm amazed at how straightforward it is to come up with a really professional sound. BIAB has DEFINITELY unleashed my inner-songwriter
Your lyrics as always, are clever and thought provoking and you sing them as though you mean every word.
An excellent start to the year.
ROG.
ROG,
Thanks for the feedback. Mixing always challenges me and I'm grateful for all the help I can get! I'm glad you you had the opportunity to have a listen. Appreciate the visit!
Originally Posted By: 44kfl
The road of life, great write, love the mix and piano nice performance, enjoyed
This sounds great! I love this! A really excellent vocal, great lyrics, magnificent production. Great job!!
Hi David,
Thank you. I appreciate your taking the time. This is the first song in which I've fully explored what a MIDI Supertrack makes possible. The individual control over a note, what's played and how it's played, that MIDI allows is excellent. I'll definitely be developing my understanding further in this arena.
Thanks for popping in again! I'm glad the mix works for you. I've listened to it so many times now, I think my ears a numb.
Originally Posted By: MarioD
I'm late to the party and everything that I wanted to say has already been said but I couldn't have said it any better than Janice & Bud said:
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
..........
Everything -- absolutely everything - about your production sounds superb on our monitors. The soundstage is lovely and the vocal sits so nicely. And that midi super track just nails it (we really like those tracks - so much flexibility in the sound).
You certainly picked a great song for your first post this year.
J&B
Kudos!!
J&B
This is a keeper
Hi Mario,
It's always great to see you.
When I was putting this together, I thought of you a few times because I know that you're very enthusiastic about MIDI.
This was my first real excursion into the 'nuts and bolts' side of MIDI. I learnt a lot putting this one together. I now have a glimmer as to why you applaud MIDI so much. It's capabilities are amazing.
Noel, this sounds really good. Nice pianos. The piano has a mellow acoustic sound that to me is exactly what I like to hear in a piano.
Your vocal sounds good. I thought I was hearing tuning artifacts throughout the vocal track.
Nice job on the composition and writing of the melody and lyrics.
Yep... I enjoyed it.... in fact, it's on the second time through. Thumbs up! Well done.
Hi Herb,
Thanks for taking time to have a listen. Appreciate it. Thanks for the comments, too. It's always good to know how others hear a song.
In relation to the piano, I decided to mix two different synths because I was trying to get a rounded mellow sound (PG Music HiQ piano) with a hint of brightness (Dimension Pro upright piano).
Also, with the vocals I didn't tune too many notes and those that were a bit off were around the vicinity. I suspect what might be happening is due to a combination of settings I had in Nectar 2. While working on 'This Road', I watched a Youtube clip on using Nectar's parallel compression and FX settings. I thought I'd try those settings. (I ended up using a small amount of Chorus as the FX.) Just in case it's of interest, the images below show those settings.
"Sometimes my legs get weary And it hurts with every step I take Sometimes I fall or stumble But I keep walking, ‘cause that’s the only way"
A terrific start to a "journey" song, Noel. A good write - with your usual positive message...
Well sung and nicely produced. The piano-only start sounds great. The build is nice. The shaker was a clever idea for verse 2. Nice use of BIAB throughout.
Really enjoyed the listen.
floyd
What he said!
Regards,
Bob
Thanks Bob. It's always good to see you. I appreciate your support.
Very beautiful and very positive song! Conga and Shaker are so effective. The deceptive cadence before ending you often use is so nice as usual. As Robert said, this is your best vocal performance. And as Janice & Bud said, you certainly picked a great song for your first post this year. Enjoyed my listen a lot.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi
Hi Shigeki Adachi,
It's good to see you. Thank you for passing through and having a listen. I appreciate your thoughts and support.
What a great song! Philosophical introspection with a beat!
This is so strong. The lyric is captivating and draws the listener right into the song. We think the percussions were just perfect ... and totally unexpected. You outdid yourself, my friend. Our ears are still smiling.
Wishing you the very best,
Alan & Di
Hi Di and Alan,
Thank you for taking the time. It's always great to see you both in the forum. I have to say that I like the concept of "Philosophical introspection with a beat!". That made me smile. Maybe one day I'll work out how to to do that on a regular basis! In the meantime, I'll just keep on going where BIAB takes me.
Take care and may everything good come your way, Noel
forgive me for being so late for commenting but I´ve just been too occupied among other things with travels abroad !
I am glad I did not miss out on this beautiful tune. you know that I love your tunes and this is no exception !
Keep walking that road, Noel !!!
Cheers Dani
Hey Dani,
Every time I see your name pop up in a thread of mine, I smile. It's always good to see you. Thank you for dropping by, listening and commenting. I appreciate it. From the sounds of things, you and Li are having a terrific time up there in the northern hemisphere!
Hi Noel! I have been in and out of the forum (mostly out) since the middle of December, due to some health issues. I almost missed this wonderful song of yours. I'm so glad I noticed it today. This is probably my favorite of yours so far. I really like the piano. As you know, I am a big user of the Realtracks with BIAB. But piano is one instrument I will go to midi for pretty often. There are some great, realistic piano samples out there. And as you pointed out, you can carve out space for the bass (which you did nicely on this one).
As has been stated frequently on this thread, this was a good way to start the year. You have set the bar pretty high for you to build on for this year. Looking forward to see how high you will go. You are certainly capable.
Steve
Steve Young Music "In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of." - Robert Schumann
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Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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