Here's a quick edit that has made the spaghetti clearer and added, experimentally, some Ahhs.I also knocked some vocal out at 3300Hz as it seemed a bit strident. Strawberries and Bread 9bc - ahhs.
One step further along the path. I've swapped some guitars...tweaked the spaghetti, reduced the compensatory EQ on the vocals and fiddle faddled about here 'n' there. strawberries & bread-10
A quick track based on the very limited shopping list my wife & sister-in-law prepared a few nights ago. I laughed at the list when I found it on the way to bed. I wrote the lyric when in bed and constructed the song with BIAB the following day. I've replaced the BIAB guitars and bass etc. but retained the drums.
The Style is Weekend Warrior. I used a Guyatone LT125 for guitar parts...the meaty ones through a Marshall Superbass, the accent and "spaghetti solos" through a Joyo ACtone. The Spaghetti guitar was tracked with tremolo, Spring Reverb and a little EQ. One of the meaty tracks was with a slight boost from a Boss SD1, (no dirt). Having acquired a new interface, (SSL2),part way through the process I did the vocals using it and the 4K button. Vocals are double tracked rather than comped...this is because of my thin, reedy voice.
Short yet deliberately repetitive both lyrically and melodically.
For me it was a bit of fun...trying to learn the monitoring latency stuff for the new interface being a key reason for continuing to do it.
This is a simple mix, there's nothing on the stereo/master bus.
ANY/ALL comments, suggestions, critiques and communication is welcome.
STRAWBERRIES & BREAD Strawberries and bread Break my bones until I've bled Strawberries and bread Break their bones until they've bled Strawberries and bread Break your bones until you've bled Strawberries and bread Bloodless white congealed red.
You don't know what you're doing to me Don't know what you're doing through me Don't know what we're doing do we? Don't know what we're doing.
Strawberries and bread Take your pain to bed Strawberries and bread Trap it in your head Strawberries and bread Wake up when you're dead Strawberries and bread Bloodless white congealed red.
You don't know what it's doing for me Don't know what it's doing to me Don't know what we're doing do we? Don't know what we're doing.
Strawberries and bread You're Snow White and I'm Rose Dead Strawberries and bread Sliced white and plump fed Strawberries and bread Break our bones until we've bled Strawberries and bread Bloodless white congealed red.
Last edited by rayc; 08/31/2111:52 AM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
The tone of the opening guitar is very cool. Would have liked to hear more of that, but it disappears under everything else quickly. A good balance of "everything". Good job with guitars and bass.
I really like the doubled vocal. Sounds good!
This sounds like a "modern" version of the great AM bands of the late 60's, early 70's - Lemon Pipers, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Buckinghams...
I like it (though I can't say I know what it is about - shopping and bleeding...)
Really does nail that proto-psychedelic 60s sound.
The lyric is perfect for that, too, following the Iron Butterfly / Moby Grape naming principle of Absurd Biological Concatenation. Take something organic and benign and bolt on something mechanical or menacing. In this case, a nice little sammidge and the grim scene of gelatinous mayhem it resembles. Take that, Strawberry Alarm Clock!
Very nice Ray for just throwing this down quickly! I admit I don't understand the lyrics but I don't question that because your lyric writing is way beyond a lot of what is posted here! Nice job with your guitar and bass performances! I think your vocals were delivered very well also! I admit that I always want them louder in the mix but they may be where they need to be! Rock on! T
ray, For a "quick track" that sounds pretty dang good. The tone of the opening guitar is very cool. Would have liked to hear more of that, but it disappears under everything else quickly. A good balance of "everything". Good job with guitars and bass. I really like the doubled vocal. Sounds good! This sounds like a "modern" version of the great AM bands of the late 60's, early 70's - Lemon Pipers, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Buckinghams... I like it (though I can't say I know what it is about - shopping and bleeding...) fj
Thanks FJ, The intro guitar, naturally an after thought, came about, like the solo, after trying various BIAB soloists... they all seemed to be stumped by the tempo and progression and simply walked the changes. i figured I could do that to and spaghetti western baritone would be the easy way. I'll work on the balance of that intro today...your thoughts on it are similar to mine but I wasn't sure. No I am. That's a lovely bunch of bands to make comparison too. They were fun and cool.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Really does nail that proto-psychedelic 60s sound. The lyric is perfect for that, too, following the Iron Butterfly / Moby Grape naming principle of Absurd Biological Concatenation. Take something organic and benign and bolt on something mechanical or menacing. In this case, a nice little sammidge and the grim scene of gelatinous mayhem it resembles. Take that, Strawberry Alarm Clock!
Thanks mark. Goth/Emo/absurdist even? You're very kind.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Very nice Ray for just throwing this down quickly! I admit I don't understand the lyrics but I don't question that because your lyric writing is way beyond a lot of what is posted here! Nice job with your guitar and bass performances! I think your vocals were delivered very well also! I admit that I always want them louder in the mix but they may be where they need to be! Rock on! T
Hello Torrey, I thought the vocal was heroically loud in this one. Oh, well...The cringe factor usually wins with me. Thanks for your very kind words.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Ray, Cool tune, especially considering timeframe. Cool conception idea. Excellent work on vocals, doubling worked very well! Solid drive. What happened at 2:56? Guitar? Fun fx. In most of your songs, vocals are a bit "under". To my ears, this tune has them right where they need to be Thank you for sharing.
Ray, Cool tune, especially considering timeframe. Cool conception idea. Excellent work on vocals, doubling worked very well! Solid drive. What happened at 2:56? Guitar? Fun fx. In most of your songs, vocals are a bit "under". To my ears, this tune has them right where they need to be Thank you for sharing.
Misha.
Thanks Misha. 2.56 is a traditional pick scrape...not really the sound for spaghetti lead but it almost fits. Yeah, I think the vocal are about at the right level THOUGH I did EQ them a little in the latest version (they were a bit strident at about 3300Hz so I expect folk'll tell me if I removed definition or that it caused level loss.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
In this composition, I especially appreciated your work on the vocal which gives a very good result. The sequence of chords is very pleasant. I didn't understand your lyrics very well, but that's a detail. Well done.
I used an online "deep dream" generator to mutate a picture of strawberries and bread, hoping it would come up with berries with eyes and creepy stuff like that, but it looks more like cauliflower stained with beet juice.
Loved it. It took me back to the late 60's. This could have been done by a number of groups from that era like Strawberry Alarm Clock, Count 5, etc. You squarely hit that vibe right on the head.
Outstanding song!
Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"?
Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Rayc. re latest 10 version. yes i hear that nice classic vibe... just some ideas.... 1. for me i would dial back the fx. i DO LIKE that lone guitar that starts off the song. but for me..too far back. try it dry with a hint or more of only pg dx echo chorus. 2. an old trick recording studios would employ re tracking vocals , was to firstly before tracking the vocs, to lay down a synth lead line or two that matched note for note what the vocallist would be singing. thus it would give the vocallist a base reference in the vocal tracking phase. 3. i feel some high femme vocs in the chorus could really elevate the song. best/every happiness om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 08/31/2104:09 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
That short interesting period before psychedelia became obsessed with itself.
The lead double tracking and harmony worked very well and sits nicely in the mix.
Your performances wrapped a fine band around the RDs.
Enjoyed it and now it's time to look at Janice's grocery list and get, hopefully, slammed with some lyric inspiration!
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
Hi Rayc, In this composition, I especially appreciated your work on the vocal which gives a very good result. The sequence of chords is very pleasant. I didn't understand your lyrics very well, but that's a detail. Well done. Kindly regard Derochette alias JaniJackFlash
Jani, Thanks. The lyrics....strawberries & bread, red & white, blood & bone. It could be a murder mystery, could be a blood cult or it could be the words Black Sabbath rejects that make mine just words.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
I used an online "deep dream" generator to mutate a picture of strawberries and bread, hoping it would come up with berries with eyes and creepy stuff like that, but it looks more like cauliflower stained with beet juice.
Well, Mark, it does has a lovely psych colour blur to it.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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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
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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)
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!
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