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Hello Folks, This is a song I started a couple of days ago. I've lined up a cellist to play the intro, solo & outro but that'll be a coupe of weeks away. I've lined up a good guitarist to provide better chord voicings. This mix has BIAB cello, Piano, violin and drums. I played guitar (through an ACTONE amp in a box pedal), bass, (through a Behringer BDI21), used eBow on one guitar part in the verses and I triple tracked my croak. I anticipate replacing the guitars at the very least. WE draft V2 I've paid attention to suggestions and comments and have applied all I could in this updated mix. It may not remain as it is but it's an application of suggestions, more vocal, punch in the rhythm section, new guitars with different tonality, an arpeggio (such as it is - two notes of the truncated chords in the verse more audible in V2 & V3)and some EQing to give each instrument more of its own space in the stereo image AND I removed the steady strumming guitar. WE forum camel committee mix WE forum camel committee mix The song was written in BIAB and I tracked my parts while playing along to the tracks I'd pulled into Reaper from it. The CHORD CHART in the DAW plugin is, for me, the best part of the plugin. I don't have to spend days learning a song when I can simply play along to the bouncing ball - so to speak. The chart, screen shot & saved, is also a boon for collaboration. There may be a way of saving it as an image that's native to BIAb but I've not discovered that yet. It began as an exercise writing in a different key...I then decided to work way out of my realm with a sappy/sad song. Lyrics When you say we You don' t mean me You talk of someone new And there's nothing I can do. People stop and ask me If I'm doing well But I now dodge their questions There's nothing I can tell When you say we It's not how it should be Because things have changed And won't be re-arranged People stop and ask me About you and yours I can't face their questions I prefer to stay indoors When you say we My mind is all at sea You mean a different two That's not what we once knew. People stop and ask me About you and I I can't face the answers I chose to not reply When you say we You don' t mean me You talk of someone new And there's nothing I can do. I am interested in comments/critiques/thoughts generally but am particularly interested in ideas about the current, & potential, arrangement of instruments. Blast away - negativity gives me something to think through if nothing else.
Last edited by rayc; 05/14/22 12:33 AM.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi Ray,
I'm first to talk about your song.
And I was pleasantly surprised! What an -almost- lovely song you made.
I liked the instruments you chose, especially the cello.
The melody is lovely, the lyrics sad but very well written. I liked the verse:
"When you say we
You don't mean me
You talk of someone new
And there's nothing I can do"
There are a few aspects I want to touch on to: Your vocals were too soft. I would prefer them way more upfront.
What kind of fx you used on the vocals? Although they were hidden a bit, I liked that a lot, like in:
"People stop and ask me
If I'm doing well
But I now dodge their questions
There's nothing I can tell"
But for me they were too soft as well. Here these fx could be used louder. They sound very well.
And why did I say 'almost' at the beginning of my comment? Because you can hear the threat from the start. And that's not what you do in a 'lovely'song. But who cares.
I enjoyed it, Ray!
Hans
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Hi Ray
Really cool made
The song has a very interesting background track
Is very well done
The vocals fit perfectly into it
Very good work
Many greetings
Andi ;-)
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Good start on the song. This will develop into an excellent piece. Well done
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Ray,
Very cool tune. Has a very personal / intimate feel, if one can say that. Would be interesting to hear how it develops. I like the vocals on it a lot, and compared to your other drafts, they are well positioned in the mix., I would up them just very slightly. EBow, seems like a fun toy. Thank you for sharing.
Misha.
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Hi, Ray. Harmonies are interesting. The vocals parts step on each other in places, making it to make out the lyric. Some of the lines start clear, but then fade into the background and are soft and hard to make out. It sounds like you're trying to bury the vocals, and that's a big nope for me. Put 'em front and center. Then again, I see others on the thread who disagree, so... 
-- 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 Ray,
pleasantly surprised! What an -almost- lovely song you made.
I liked the instruments you chose, especially the cello.
The melody is lovely, the lyrics sad but very well written.
Your vocals were too soft. I would prefer them way more upfront.
What kind of fx you used on the vocals?
the threat from the start.
Hans Thanks Hans, I expect the real cello part to REALLY up the game. Lyrically this was easy - I started with the 1st line and the 1st two stanzas came very quickly. After that is as case of building the lyric with variations on those two. Quick n easy. IF I find a better singer I'll push them forward a little. Vocal FX...compression, (Deathcore to even things a little and add some grime) EQ, (boosted the weak freqs & cut the heavy ones) & sent to a reverb bus...nothing else. Though the vocals are triple tracked in unison except for the harmony spots so that would provide some natural "chorus" treatment. Threat? Ominous, sad, pathetic as well I hope.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi Ray
Really cool made
The song has a very interesting background track
Is very well done
The vocals fit perfectly into it
Very good work
Many greetings
Andi ;-) Thanks Andi, I hope it progresses as well as it started.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Good start on the song. This will develop into an excellent piece. Well done Thanks Scott, particularly for the optimistic prediction.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Ray,
Very cool tune. Has a very personal / intimate feel, if one can say that. Would be interesting to hear how it develops. I like the vocals on it a lot, and compared to your other drafts, they are well positioned in the mix., I would up them just very slightly. EBow, seems like a fun toy. Thank you for sharing.
Misha. "they are well positioned in the mix" thanks & "up them just very slightly." I shall try.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi, Ray. Harmonies are interesting. The vocals parts step on each other in places, making it to make out the lyric. Some of the lines start clear, but then fade into the background and are soft and hard to make out. It sounds like you're trying to bury the vocals, and that's a big nope for me. Put 'em front and center. Then again, I see others on the thread who disagree, so... Thanks dcuny, The harmonies shouldn't be interesting as they form the triad. I must have goofed and thrown in something oblique or jazz. I had a listen after reading your comment about buried vocals/tapering off - I don't hear that but will return to the mix to investigate. I'm not burying the vocals intentionally but don't hear the songs as being the sort that is vocalist with backing like my old 78s. Differing opinion is excellent - it gives me cause to check and review.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Has the potential of being a good song, Ray. I'm looking forward to hearing how it develops. Vocal sounds good, initially I thought it was too low in the mix, but as the song progressed it seemed to fit better. Not very helpful I know! 
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Ray, an interesting song with intriguing lyrics.
This could easily be something from the 'Pet Shop Boys'.
Perhaps as a suggestion you could edit the start to take out the 2 bar count-in, which is ideally not part of the song.
I also think the vocal could come forward slightly in the mix.
It includes an interesting ending. Somehow there's and anticipation that it will resolve to a different chord, but leaves some suspense instead.
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Good job! I like it ... sad, soft and sensitive. My kind of song! :-)
I, too, would have appreciated the vocals just a tad more "in front" ... otherwise the very tune gets lost, and that would be a pity, right? Enjoyed the (as others have said) suspensful nature of the ending, too. Nice! :-)
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Very cool lining up a cellist. Did you write specific parts for her? Sad lyrics. Very sad not to be part of the WE. I really like your vocals, Ray. When you say they are triple tracked, you don't mean 3 takes, right? How do you process them differently, or is it just for panning to make it fuller?
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Great concept and unique angle to the hook, Ray!
If you want this to be more commercially accepted, you may consider chopping a measure at the end of each verse line. This would take out the space and, of course, decrease the song length. Commercial songs are moving to 3 to 3:30 minutes these days.
BYW, love the cello
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Ray,
I really like the chord progression and the song itself. Great lyrics. This sounds like a worktape to me in terms of mix.
A lot of the stuff is in the same dynamic range and even has the same sound, so it is getting mushed. The backing track sounds muffled, and almost like one track--not a mix.
I would get the bass and drums sounding punchy and solid, then add in new guitars, as you say, that have totally different dynamic ranges to make the song more crisp. Maybe an electric AND an acoustic, or something.
Anyway, you are definitely off to a good start!!
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Hi Ray ...
I like the bones of this song. I don't typically offer a lot of commentary of a song still in progress with significant developments still in waiting. I feel the composer should finish it out as he/she feels it best occurs. But I don't mind offering an opinion on the potential. I think this one has a lot.
Good luck with the song's progress. Anticipate a nice listen when it's finished and polished. Good luck with it ...
Alan
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ray,
Listening to V2 (missed the first one).
LOVE the vocal. Especially the sound at "If I'm doing well" and "There's nothing I can tell". Tight and right on top of the main vocal - actually sounds generated - very "today" sound.
Drums sound good. Cello bits are cool.
The guitars sound good. But I thought they were a bit too "smooth"... the steady strumming.
Had the thought that some kind of odd, signature arpeggiated guitar (and/or synth?) might work.
I could certainly be wrong about that though. Just a thought.
I like what you've got so far.
fj
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Ray,
I was pleasantly surprised by the 80s like vocal in this.
In the final mix I would leave out the BIAB intro ticks and make your vocal a little bit hot and bright (a little bit muddy now).
Rob
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