Hello Folks, I posted a version of this song a few months back...it was while waiting for a chap who wanted to sing it to do so but, after nine months of life getting in the way of that I decided to finish the thing myself. I sent the version you may have heard to my M.E. and he suggested redoing the vocals but to do them very differently. There are two variations on this final piece - one is longer than the other and that one includes two "dramatic" bits that may be counter productive. The M.E. thinks the shorter one is the way to proceed and I respect his view but I'd also like the opinion of a couple of more sets of ears n eyes that I trust before committing to ONE version. The song form was decided in BIAB but there's nothing left from that process other than the form. Drums are care of Drums On Demand The rest is my fault - sorry. Vantage Bass -> Behringer BDI21 -> a cross over filter to eliminate some of the low end as the chorus is a droning low E with the riff over it Squire Bullet Mustang guitar -> Actone amp in a box pedal Lead parts were the same but with a trem added Vocals are an AT2020 with manual de-essing and not much else. I experimented with a plugin/VST called Vola to try to get some consistency of level across the five different vocal tracks but I had to do an huge amount of automation writing as well.
PLEASE, if you have the time & interest listen to the two versions and let me know whether the short or the long is better from a narrative/suspense perspective. ANY/ALL comments welcome...I did apply comments from the original version to this mix.
SHORT
LONG
Last edited by rayc; 09/13/2211:48 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
This is my favorite PBEx song/production. Everything about it is WELL done.
LOVE the drums. A great sound. The James-Bond-ish guitar riff works exceptionally well. Killer Bass sound (and playing) The rhythm guitars at 2:11 (ish) are superb.
Vocal is JUST RIGHT. Ominous, but not menacing. No lyric sheet required. PERFECTLY mixed.
The little ping-ponging pause (1:30-ish) is a delight.
Actually, I think EITHER version works. I wondered how that ending foley would sound/work if it came right on the last (dissonant) guitar note??? But it was effective as is (just wondered)
EXCELLENT work. All around. Heck of a write.
(got a real kick out of the still from Perfect Strangers (TV show))
Hi Ray, I'm not the best to offer an opinion on this genre of music, so I'm sure I'm not one of the voices you'd want to trust. If I had to choose though, I think I'd go with the longer version. I also liked the ping-ponging you did, and the shot at the song was unexpected. I hope it does well for you,
Starts like a Bond theme played by "The Cure"... I like that. A lot!
Really cool song, and the mix is really good too.
I personally prefer the shorter version, but my "get out of your comfort zone" challenge for this year is "tell it in less than 3 minutes", so take my choice with a grain of salt.
This is my favorite PBEx song/production. Everything about it is WELL done. LOVE the drums. A great sound. The James-Bond-ish guitar riff works exceptionally well. Killer Bass sound (and playing) The rhythm guitars at 2:11 (ish) are superb. Vocal is JUST RIGHT. Ominous, but not menacing. No lyric sheet required. PERFECTLY mixed. The little ping-ponging pause (1:30-ish) is a delight. Actually, I think EITHER version works. I wondered how that ending foley would sound/work if it came right on the last (dissonant) guitar note??? But it was effective as is (just wondered) EXCELLENT work. All around. Heck of a write. (got a real kick out of the still from Perfect Strangers (TV show)) fj
Thanks fj, I'm pleased you like the bass...it was quite a task getting the tone right against the DOD kick & I wasn't confident I'd managed it. I actually used this song to experiment with little production tricks like reverse guitar to make swells leading to changes, punching a hole & filling it with delays etc. I was worried I'd over done it with such things & the foley. I did try that where you suggested but again worried about gratuitousness and decided to put it right on the end so I could cut it if/when I decided I'd overdone it.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Hi Ray, I'm not the best to offer an opinion on this genre of music, so I'm sure I'm not one of the voices you'd want to trust. If I had to choose though, I think I'd go with the longer version. I also liked the ping-ponging you did, and the shot at the song was unexpected. I hope it does well for you, Brad
Hello Brad, It's fine - I don't look to genre definitions & mandates when writing or in commentary/suggestions. A good set of ears and the vocab to tell me what you hear right n wrong are what counts.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Starts like a Bond theme played by "The Cure"... I like that. A lot! Really cool song, and the mix is really good too. I personally prefer the shorter version, but my "get out of your comfort zone" challenge for this year is "tell it in less than 3 minutes", so take my choice with a grain of salt.
Thanks B.D., I was lucky enough to see The Cure on their 1st pub tour of Australia and again for the theater tour of Pornography. The former was exhilarating and the latter a little too oppressive. A vote for short!
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Yes, I think this is one of your best, for me you hit a nice gestalt with this one that worked very well. I really like that ACtone pedal, I know some locals who use one and just plug into the PA instead of lugging around an amp. Your vocals, I'm so glad to hear you finally bringing the levels up. All that automation writing, have you ever considered Waves Vocal Rider? Or Melda Productions MVolume. Might save you a lot of time. I hate writing volume levels, I just won't do it anymore. Some voices don't work well with Vocal Rider, but I think yours would.
As far as choosing a vid, I pick the longer one. I might like to hear the last few guitar notes with some more effects since they're out there naked and on their own. But not critical.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
All that automation writing, have you ever considered Waves Vocal Rider? Or Melda Productions MVolume.
Thank you sir, My DAW computer is off line and dongle free, plus I'm not a fan of subscription services so I don't use Waves stuff. There is a process within Reaper to ride levels but it's a little convoluted - additionally there is at least one "rider" plug for Reaper that's been written by a user. I've not taken the time or effort to suss these out properly but will. Again, thanks.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
I found the short one on YT the other day. Didn't know there was a long one. Just listened again to the short one for a better comparison with the long. Man, I love that bass!!! You did an outstanding job and I appreciate you explaining your process, but I noticed the "long" one was one second shorter than the "short" one. Not sure what M. E. is. Medical Examiner? Nah. Anyway, about the song. Man, I love it, and I really enjoy watching the video. Everything is so creative. You're like a mad scientist, and quite a talented fellow.
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 12, EZDrummer
Personally, I prefer the short version. But the mix of the second has my preference in terms of reverb in particular. Otherwise, it's superb well done and I enjoyed it. Well done.
I found the short one on YT the other day. Didn't know there was a long one. Just listened again to the short one for a better comparison with the long. Man, I love that bass!!! You did an outstanding job and I appreciate you explaining your process, but I noticed the "long" one was one second shorter than the "short" one. Not sure what M. E. is. Medical Examiner? Nah. Anyway, about the song. Man, I love it, and I really enjoy watching the video. Everything is so creative. You're like a mad scientist, and quite a talented fellow.
Thanks Marty. The bass took ages as I mentioned and I used an interesting Reaper trick that may work in your DAW if you're looking for trick...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_TshbcD0LI
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Personally, I prefer the short version. But the mix of the second has my preference in terms of reverb in particular. Otherwise, it's superb well done and I enjoyed it. Well done.
Kindly regard Derochette alias JaniJackFlash
Thanks JJJ, A vote for short...
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Man, what a production! Drums sound great, as does the bass. Read your note to Marty about that yesterday and watched the Kenny video, might experiment with that on our next song
Vocal sounds good to me, often I find your vocals a little low in the mix for my tastes, but I think you have them sitting just right.
Excellent job on the videos too. I watched both, and I'll be the odd man out, I actually like the slightly longer one better, with the gunshot at the end.
Man, what a production! Drums sound great, as does the bass. Read your note to Marty about that yesterday and watched the Kenny video, might experiment with that on our next song
Vocal sounds good to me, often I find your vocals a little low in the mix for my tastes, but I think you have them sitting just right.
Excellent job on the videos too. I watched both, and I'll be the odd man out, I actually like the slightly longer one better, with the gunshot at the end.
Thanks Dave, It's a decent method and allows for different FX - I've not used it with my new monitors. I've moved from 4 1/2 inch to 7 inch cones so should be better able to hear bottom end and what I've I've been mixing now.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
We listened to both several times. BTW, for some reason the link did not log us in as usual so no YT comments.
So we listened and read all the comments. We both feel that floyd nailed our feelings with the exception that we liked the longer version a bit better.
As disturbing as it is the shot at the end was effective.
Your vocals were excellent ... strong and full of the ominous vibe.
Along with that your guitar and bass performances were standout in what you were playing and the tone ... great on the monitors with the 8" woofer.
Both videos well supported the aforementioned vibe.
Well done all around Ray.
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
We listened to both several times. BTW, for some reason the link did not log us in as usual so no YT comments. So we listened and read all the comments. We both feel that floyd nailed our feelings with the exception that we liked the longer version a bit better. As disturbing as it is the shot at the end was effective. Your vocals were excellent ... strong and full of the ominous vibe. Along with that your guitar and bass performances were standout in what you were playing and the tone ... great on the monitors with the 8" woofer. Both videos well supported the aforementioned vibe. Well done all around Ray. J&B
Thank you Merritts both combined and as separate entities. Glad you survived repeated listens. I did have the shot lined up for the pause after the intro but it gave the game away.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
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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):
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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
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MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
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Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
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SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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