I've been listing to AABA style compositions lately. I really love the simple format. Here is my first attempt into the genre. The song features the Magothy River, which is between Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland. After WWII many residents of Baltimore spent the summer in beach houses they built on the shores of the rivers south of the city, including the Magothy. Today, all those small beach "cottages" or "shore shacks" have either been torn down and replaced by million dollar homes or they've been converted into expensive real estate.
Song references: "Gibson Island" is an exclusive, gated island, of expensive mansions, at the mouth of the Magothy River, on the Chesapeake Bay. "the Bay" is the Chesapeake Bay, which the Magothy River empties into.
The particulars:
BIAB 2012 (still clearing out old projects before moving on to BIAB 2020)
J!Mancni Jazz-Mancni-Slow pop sw.bal.
110 BPM Key G
33 Acoustic String Bass 1 Acoustic Piano 1 Standard Drum Kit 50 Slow Strings
Yamaha PSRE403 (I play the high octave piano on the track)
I recorded the vocals on my LG smartphone in my car. I put padding around me to absorb the sound waves. I then transferred the recording to my PC.
This interesting. I spent a few summers in the Chesapeake bay area as a kid...... not that that matters....
The cool aspect to this is how you recorded the vocals. In a car, with your phone. Because, yeah, they actually sound really good. I'd have never guessed by listening. I'll assume the car was parked in the driveway, but if it was during rush hour on the highway... a whole new level of respect is due.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add 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.
The cool aspect to this is how you recorded the vocals. In a car, with your phone. Because, yeah, they actually sound really good. I'd have never guessed by listening. I'll assume the car was parked in the driveway, but if it was during rush hour on the highway... a whole new level of respect is due.
I was thinking the same thing!
I liked this, good mix and a super vocal. After reading your intro information I thought this vocal is going to be weird but man was I wrong. This is an excellent vocal and backing track.
A super tune.
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
In your car with your phone? Man, that sounds really good. Interesting that you decided that approach --that impromptu vocal booth. What were you thinking? haha. If the idea was to challenge your ability to make it sound just right in the mix, you have definitely accomplished that. Cool song. It sounds like one that will be sung by those at the Magothy River forever. A great sing along. Well done, Sean.
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11, EZDrummer
Very cool song Sean. I really like the way you recorded the vocal as well. Very unique. Gave the song a very cool feel. Excellent vocal and lyric. Well done
Solid composition & melody. Vocals sound very interesting. There is an interesting split in the mood (which I think is a good thing) between verses and choruses. I think it would benefit if you use a different drum beat and / or a better sounding VST drum kit. "vocals on my LG smartphone" cool.
There seems to be an interest in the vocal recording. Here is the story:
I find it very hard to record vocals if I think someone can hear me. I don't know why. I can sing at open mics. But, if I think someone is listening to my recording vocals I freeze up.
Anyway, I live in a small Baltimore City rowhouse. I used to have two old neighbors and they were both very hard of hearing, so I could belt out my vocals with no worries. But, atlas, both of my neighbors have passed away and younger people have moved into the houses. And, because of the COVID shutdown, someone was always home (in my house and the neighbors). I basically stopped recording new song vocals for much of the shutdown, with a few exceptions.
Then, one day, the idea came to me, to record my vocals in my car using my cell phone recording app. I found a quiet place behind a small shopping center. I put padding in the car (a yoga matt) to absorb some of the sound.
I then played the music track on my laptop through headphones and sang into the phone.
One of the main problems is that you don't really know how your takes are until you get home and transfer the recordings to the PC.
I am glad the recording seems to have come out good. Thank you.
I will come up with something better, but, for now, this recording method will have to do.
It's always a treat to listen to a song with a romantic subject that celebrates what's good about a relationship, instead of what is wrong with it! Your sang your lyrics as though you were overwhelmed by loving memories of a time, a place, and a person that's been burned into your heart. Also, I agree with 'Guitarhacker' that the vocal recording through your smartphone sounded surprisingly good! If you had not informed us of that, I wouldn't have known. The video image magnifies the sweet and sundown feeling of the song, too.
'Precious' is the word that comes to me when I consider the total impact of the production. Thank you posting a song with such a nice 'vibe'!
"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
There seems to be an interest in the vocal recording. Here is the story:
I find it very hard to record vocals if I think someone can hear me. I don't know why. I can sing at open mics. But, if I think someone is listening to my recording vocals I freeze up.
Anyway, I live in a small Baltimore City rowhouse. I used to have two old neighbors and they were both very hard of hearing, so I could belt out my vocals with no worries. But, atlas, both of my neighbors have passed away and younger people have moved into the houses. And, because of the COVID shutdown, someone was always home (in my house and the neighbors). I basically stopped recording new song vocals for much of the shutdown, with a few exceptions.
Then, one day, the idea came to me, to record my vocals in my car using my cell phone recording app. I found a quiet place behind a small shopping center. I put padding in the car (a yoga matt) to absorb some of the sound.
I then played the music track on my laptop through headphones and sang into the phone.
One of the main problems is that you don't really know how your takes are until you get home and transfer the recordings to the PC.
I am glad the recording seems to have come out good. Thank you.
I will come up with something better, but, for now, this recording method will have to do.
That is cool, thoughtful and creative. A lot of us don't like to sing when the only thing others hear is our voice belting out the song. But on a cell phone? Man, that worked out so good, but I can imagine how nuts I'd get when I got one or 2 phrases wrong. Drag the yoga mat & laptop back to the car, cue the song, punch in, then take it all back inside to see if it's better. Sheesh. Well done, jptjptjpt. But now I need a better phone.
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11, EZDrummer
A nice write. Good images, nice melody. You always "say a lot in a short space".
An interesting way to record your vocals! A full closet (maybe a coat closet?) that has enough room to get into might give you the same kind of sound isolation without having to leave the house...? I thought the vocal could use a bit of EQ shaping to pull the mid-highs down slightly to increase the "warmth" of the vocal.
Looking forward to hearing what you do with the new BIAB stuff!!
Everyone here discussed your way of recording your vocals and I do the same. I am amazed they sound so good! A car is not exactly a surrounding where you can expect good recordings. At least I think. But you did a good job there. It gave the song a vintage image. And because of the topic that is the right image! I liked that.
I can agree with all that was said about the drums. I think you better take them out. Louder drums will spoil the sphere you achieved here. And the thin drums do too. But it's a matter of taste, as always.
Wow, as others have mentioned, your use of a phone for recording the vocal deserves praise! I've heard recordings done with a studio condenser that didn't come out that well! Nice job with your tune also! It's kind of got that Bob Seger "Shame On The Moon" vibe going on! Thanks, Torrey
guitarhacker, I think it does matter that you spent some summers in this area when you were young. Hopefully they are good memories.
Camp Sandy Hill near the town of NorthEast Md. looks to still be there.... changed quite a bit over the years.
How can a summer camp not be a good memory? I went there every year for 7 years until I turned 15.... Horses, rifles, bow and arrow, crafts, swimming in the pool twice a day, lodge devotion time, the Chesapeake Bay right down the path to the boathouse and canoes, the Wednesday night camping trip I always sighed up for the horse ride trip to the girls camp at Camp Sandy Cove.... which is still there to this day...... bug juice and Sandy Hill stew on the beach..... man.... great memories. It's also where I first played Capture the Flag using the entire camp as the playing ground.... Yep... fun. And Chief Billy Neff playing taps on his trumpet at night to tell everyone another day is done.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 07/12/2107:20 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add 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.
Not only the history of the topic but also the mic story.
We would say you win the gold medal for the User Forum's most interesting vocal recording technique!
Enjoyed it all.
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 are here on our website.
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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!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
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