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I've learned that I have to listen to your projects as something unique, something my musical sensibilities have no history with. Doing that, I find them very enjoyable. There's a lot going on and I can appreciate what it took for the various elements to play well together. You are definitely on a musical journey, one that we get to share with you. I'll be listening for sure.
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Sounds like you're really polishing your synth skills.
Moto
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Mr. Cuny... I didn't know what 'Synthesizer V' was until I listened to your song. And then, I was startled, and impressed by what I believed was some pretty good (meaning human-sounding) phrasing in the lead singer's voice. The second voice provided a great deal of the pleasure I experience when I listen to some J.S. Bach-like instrumental harmonizing. It sounded so inspired that I felt the song could easily have been transformed into a liturgical composition with organ accompaniment! To my ears the song had somewhat of a 'Steely Dan' kind of rhythmic and chordal feel to it that I enjoyed. The dense lyric structure was kind of hypnotic in its non-stop, wall-to-wall melodic motion. The effect was increased in the interplay/counterpoint between the lead and the second voice. You wrote a lot about your creative process. How much of the final result was inspiration, and how much was perspiration? 
"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
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Another fine recording. I love how your lyrics match the vocal deliveries. The two voices harmonize nicely. Well done. Hi, Sean. Thanks, I'm glad to heard you liked the harmonies.
-- 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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I've learned that I have to listen to your projects as something unique, something my musical sensibilities have no history with. Doing that, I find them very enjoyable. I feel like I should put a banner at the top of the song: Abandon all preconceived notions, all Ye who listen!  There's a lot going on and I can appreciate what it took for the various elements to play well together. You are definitely on a musical journey, one that we get to share with you. I'll be listening for sure. I'll do what I can to keep your interest, 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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Sounds like you're really polishing your synth skills. Truthfully, I'm going to go back and fix that "talking" part... it doesn't quite fit right. But yeah, it's interesting trying to get the synthetic voice to perform like a singer. Thanks for stopping by to comment!
-- 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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Hi David,
Tune - I like the 16th Rhythm and chord structure.
Genre - I think this may belong in the Jazz/Blues/R&B section. (this is a good thing!)
Vocals - am I right in thinking this is a completely synthesized vocal? If so the lead vocal sounds just right - jazzy and etherial (how do you spell that?) but the second voice doesn't work for me at all - it just gets in the way of a good song.
If it was me - I would get one of the plethora of local female singers in your area to sing this - they can do it online.
I would love to hear a remix.
Best Regards
Nigel
Nigel Spiers
Christchurch, New Zealand
info@nzacoustics.com
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I didn't know what 'Synthesizer V' was until I listened to your song. And then, I was startled, and impressed by what I believed was some pretty good (meaning human-sounding) phrasing in the lead singer's voice. The second voice provided a great deal of the pleasure I experience when I listen to some J.S. Bach-like instrumental harmonizing. It sounded so inspired that I felt the song could easily have been transformed into a liturgical composition with organ accompaniment! Hi, Loren. That's high praise! I'm nowhere near that level, but I appreciate the sentiment. I'd actually studied "Bach style" counterpoint way back when, and even made some attempts at writing programs that could generate music in that style. I never really got past simple two-part inventions, though. One thing I learned is that there are a lot of books that claim to teach in the "Bach style" that require learning all sorts of "rules" that Bach never followed. I think the biggest thing I learned was this: Writing in the true style of "Bach" means not letting "rules" get in the way of a good melody. But there's something truly magical and mystical about good harmony that transports listeners elsewhere, and if I can get even a bit of that, I'm happy. To my ears the song had somewhat of a 'Steely Dan' kind of rhythmic and chordal feel to it that I enjoyed. The dense lyric structure was kind of hypnotic in its non-stop, wall-to-wall melodic motion. The effect was increased in the interplay/counterpoint between the lead and the second voice. Honestly, perhaps a bit too dense. What you're describing as positive attributes are ironically what I think of as the failings of the song - the density and lack of breathing space. When writing, I'll often find I've worked myself into some sort of corner based on some bad decision. Given the option of starting over from scratch, or just hacking away until it's fixed, I'll usually choose the latter and hope I can salvage what I've done. You wrote a lot about your creative process. How much of the final result was inspiration, and how much was perspiration? I was a little worried that responding these posts might incur the wrath of Eddie and have him accuse me of constantly putting my song back on the first page - but I couldn't resist answering this question.  Besides, he doesn't visit this part of the forum any more, does he? Chord progressions are pretty straight forward: circle of fifths movement, common tones, inversions so roots move stepwise, and so on. I've got my favorite cliches, and with each song, I try to do something a little differently. I'm not sure this is always a good idea, since with most music, simple really is the best approach. But it makes me stretch a bit, which is good for me. Melody writing is also "easy", in the sense that it can be thought of as chordal guide tones embellished rhythmically. The results may not always be "good", but they'll be functional. Once the melodic skeleton is in place, it's filled in and tweaked until it feels like a melody. That's about half technique and half inspiration. Then comes the hard part: applying lyrics to the notes. With the melody in place, it's sort of obvious where the phrases are, and where the core ideas are going to go. It's really a backwards way to do it, but last year I tried it the other way around and wrote no lyrics. So this is more painful, but get the job done. And there are all sorts of "rules" about what a lyric should do - how to set up a scene, introduce a situation, give a POV, and so on. The problem is that - at this point anyway - there's no inspiration, it's just all perspiration. My storytelling imagination is rusty and dull, and I'm boring. My general approach to life is "unnecessary risks are bad". That's certainly a safe way to live, but it doesn't provide much material for writing. I don't spend much time imagining the world through other people's eyes. As I go through the process of trying to come up with lyrics, or even an idea that matches the mood of teh song - especially as several days pass without any real progress - there's more and more panic and perspiration. I know that it'll work out, but I also know that I've spent weeks just figuring out what a song "wants to say", and that's not a pleasant place to be. Ironically, it's not like there's anything earth-shattering in lyrics. And once I get to the point of figuring out what the song is actually about, it's pretty straight-forward... but still a slog. As for harmonies, they're a bit like writing the melodies. I've got a good idea of what I think the general shape of a phrase is going to be. If it doesn't work, I won't hesitate to change notes and durations. That's actually the fun part. Did that answer the question? 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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"I can breathe again (Breathe again)
I'm coming out from Nowhere Land (Nowhere Land)
Didn't think I'd ever make (Make a start)
a brand new start"
Our favorite lines from a fine write.
We were struck how it could work for both a lover who left a relationship or as a lover who passed away.
As has been amply commented on each production ups your bar and on this one the harmonies pushed it up even higher. Well done.
"Honestly, this whole song feels hackneyed "
Total disagreement here. Period.
"if Bud can edit the drum parts in his song, who am I to do otherwise?"
Go for it! Tedious but worth it. They sound excellent.
"One of my goals with my mixes is to try to get a fair amount of clarity. That mostly happens when less instruments are playing. Although there are a good number of instruments on the track, they generally don't play together. For example, while there are several piano tracks, the piano that plays in the intro only appears there. "
Mission accomplished. We love open mixes ... mixes that breathe. We attempt that via few tracks and how you did that with this many had to require a LOT of thought and knob twisting.
Thanks for adding the fx chains. PG Music asks for that and few serve it up. I like reading and learning from it.
As always the backstory is icing on the cake.
We enjoyed it and the tune.
J&B
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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Hi dcuny,
I really appreciated your working method. Using synthetic voices is not really easy, especially since you have to avoid a nasal voice. Nectar 3 vst from Izotope may reduce this effect. It can be tested for free for 30 days, I believe. To come back to your composition, it's original and well done.
Kindly regard
alis JaniJackFlash
Kindly regards
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash
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It's difficult to avoid a hackneyed rhyme.
This is an original sound, at least not one I'm familiar with. You not knowing the genre helped you create something special here.
I imagine having the synth voice is a cool way to hear "someone else" sing your compositions.
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Captivating. I'm not a fan of jpop but that funk drive underneath grabbed me. Who don't love some good funk?
The drums.... Man... So many nice Easter eggs in there.
And Elenore.... Nice.
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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We were struck how it could work for both a lover who left a relationship or as a lover who passed away. Yes, it was left intentionally vague. And at this point in my life, I have more experience with losing people who have passed away than I do with lovers who have left me. So I'm sure that informs my writing. As has been amply commented on each production ups your bar and on this one the harmonies pushed it up even higher. Well done. Nice to hear from one of the key harmony singers on the forum! "Honestly, this whole song feels hackneyed"
Total disagreement here. Period. I should have clarified - I think it's emotionally honest, but I meant "hackneyed" in the sense that the words feel like they've been used so many times, they're almost cliche. I'm struggling with the reality that saying things in plain, simple language is actually OK. "if Bud can edit the drum parts in his song, who am I to do otherwise?"
Go for it! Tedious but worth it. They sound excellent. Mission accomplished. We love open mixes ... mixes that breathe. We attempt that via few tracks and how you did that with this many had to require a LOT of thought and knob twisting. Personally, I think you do it the right way. But I love big productions, so it's a self-inflicted wound, and I'm learning a bit more with every song. I'm glad you were able to stop by and comment!
-- 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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I really appreciated your working method. Using synthetic voices is not really easy, especially since you have to avoid a nasal voice. Hi, Derochette. In comparison to singing the song, it's really slow. But because I'm making songwriting decisions as I go along, it's pretty ideal. Plus, it lets me make changes even after I've done what I thought was the final mix, it's pretty cool. I've also written a plug-in that makes it fairly easy to edit the vocal parameters. As for the nasal tone... yep, that's an issue. I keep trying to fix it with EQ, but my ears aren't currently up to the task. But I'm still trying! Nectar 3 vst from Izotope may reduce this effect. It can be tested for free for 30 days, I believe. Thanks. I actually posted a version last night where I had taken off a number of effects to make the vocal less harsh, and changed a few of the phonemes. I've got Nectar 3 Elements. I'm not sure why I couldn't find it before, but it's probably because I never learned to spell "nectar" correctly. I'll play around with it and see if that improves it. To come back to your composition, it's original and well done. 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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It's difficult to avoid a hackneyed rhyme. Yep! I just need to learn to embrace it when it's the right thing to do. This is an original sound, at least not one I'm familiar with. You not knowing the genre helped you create something special here. Thanks! I imagine having the synth voice is a cool way to hear "someone else" sing your compositions. 100%! Especially when I'm hypercritical of how my voice sounds. Plus, they're always available if I want to change the melody or lyrics, and no matter how noisy it is in the house. That's really nice, because there's always something going on around here. Thanks for the positive feedback!
-- 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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Captivating. I'm not a fan of jpop but that funk drive underneath grabbed me. Who don't love some good funk? I'm really happy that BiaB added these nice 70's RealTracks. I can't really claim that this is anything close to authentic J-Pop, but that's probably just as well. The drums.... Man... So many nice Easter eggs in there.
And Eleanore.... Nice. Thanks! There's a new English voice that's being crowdfunded for SynthV called "SOLARIS" with Emma Rowley as the voice provider. The alpha demo song, is pretty rough, but it's based on a minimal voicebank, so I'm sure the final product - if they get funding - will be much better. It'll be good to have more than one voicebank to work with.
-- 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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I really like this David. It's so good. J-Pop is getting pretty hip-hoppy these days, and here is an example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uhh62MUEic&list=PL85dWO4i_3jZ1KkehTGKgpuQb4wcEWnge&index=3There are tons of loops and samples to mix with the kind of thing you are doing to add a little more bounce. Again, I like this, so this is just an idea for future stuff. Add some loops! Also, pop is slightly more repetitive and less wordy than this, and I will let you have these for free: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh It's you, it's you Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh It's you, it's you I do I do I do I do I do That was on the house man.
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I really like this David. It's so good.
Thanks! J-Pop is getting pretty hip-hoppy these days, and here is an example. Nice song! Seems like the key here is still to build the chorus around a single line... preferably in a different language! Most of what I've heard was from random covers of songs done using SynthV. This evening I was listening to a Japanese cover pointless tangent edited out from this paragraph, you're welcome - when my daughter was walking by and said "That's from Steven Universe! It's supposed to be upbeat, these vocals are all wrong!" Can't imagine where my kids get those strong opinions about music from. Anyway, turns out half the stuff I heard probably wasn't J-Pop to start with! There are tons of loops and samples to mix with the kind of thing you are doing to add a little more bounce. I agree about loops - BiaB doesn't seem to capture a very contemporary sound. Which is fine for me - most of the time - because that's not what I'm typically looking for. Have you checked out RealiTone's Hip Hop Creator? It looks like a lot of fun to play with, but I duobt I'd ever use. I always get a kick listening to Mike Greene's walkthough videos - his enthusiasm and humor always make my day. But I've been trying to stick with BiaB only for the moment, just to keep me focused. The next song is probably going to use some additional libraries, as I'm basing it off a BiaB style that's got a number of MIDI tracks, and I can use the MIDI strings to drive things like the NI Strummed Acoustic. Also, pop is slightly more repetitive and less wordy than this, and I will let you have these for free: Thanks, you're the best! This is my constant failing at pop songwriting!
-- 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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Interesting backstory. I like the interplay between the lead and counter-melody. I have listened to a lot of K-pop (not J-pop) recently and imagine this would be an ideal vehicle for a Korean female duo. Nice job.
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Hi David,
I like this a lot. It's the sort of music I listen to if I'm doing a long car journey at night.
I also like the synth vocals - something about the way it's not quite human really brings me out in goosebumps (in a good way).
It's got a good groove and it's nicely put together, but if I was being really picky I might think it was almost over-produced.
Not to say that there is anything wrong, more in the way that the attention to detail is so clinical that it almost
makes the arrangement too perfect. In the way that the voice isn't quite real, sometimes imperfection can be a good thing.
Does this make any sense to you, because I'm having trouble explaining what is really just an impression.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the song and I have a great respect for the work you do with vocaloid.
Cheers,
ROG.
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The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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