Hi Ray This song is a real gem Absolute Pro Level Just listened to this song with a friend of mine And he was so excited... You have a new fan ;-) Fantastic work Ray Many greetings Andi ;-)
Love that piano opening. Love that organ!!! Nice bite. Delicious guitar work. Haunting BGVs. Cool. Good clarity to the vocal. I wanted the drums to be SLIGHTLY louder (but, I will admit that that "70's snare" cut through the mix incredibly well)
Impressive ending. I enjoyed all 8 minutes of that. (8:08 - could that be a sign?)
Thanks for making it, Ray. I really enjoy how you progress with your projects. Very educational. This is a wonderfully beautiful result. Bandi plays a great piano, and, man, I REALLY REALLY REALLY dig that bass. Excellent taste!! There is so much goodness in there and you have it perfectly mixed. Outstanding. I also enjoy he sparce use of the Bandhi singers. Cool video, too. A real gem, my friend.
Absolutely loved the piano! The lead guitar perfectly does just enough to earn its place. The backing vocals are killer!
Your mixing has elevated to a really high level. You used to be (several years ago) a bit timid with your mixing. But now, you just put it all out there in a well-organized, most enjoyable experience.
This is just so cool in more ways than I have room to mention. Unquestionably, this is my favorite of yours. It has everything a listener could want. The tension and release are transfixing. The perfect energy in the exact proper places. There's drama and anticipation. Well, you get the idea.
Hi Ray This song is a real gem Absolute Pro Level Just listened to this song with a friend of mine And he was so excited... You have a new fan ;-) Fantastic work Ray Many greetings Andi ;-)
Thanks Andi, This was a case of subtraction...I had lots going on and needed to cut away stuff to get to the core.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Love that piano opening. Love that organ!!! Nice bite. Delicious guitar work. Haunting BGVs. Cool. Good clarity to the vocal. I wanted the drums to be SLIGHTLY louder (but, I will admit that that "70's snare" cut through the mix incredibly well) Impressive ending. I enjoyed all 8 minutes of that. (8:08 - could that be a sign?) Extremely Well Done. fj
Thanks Floyd, Long one I know but that was the natural flow as I was constructing it. The drums were REALLY problematic. It was a "multi stem" set but the OHs were in mono so It was near impossible to use them to reinforce the kit without skewing the stereo image. I was trying for 801 but arrived at the angel #.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Gorgeous opening on this . . . that piano is so compelling out of the gate . . . really sets the mood. Terrific mix . . . masterfully balanced. Some really subtle harmonies that sing . . . nice fills on the guitar panned . . . the gospel BGV resonates . . . So much to like here . . . lots of ear candy. Killer stuff!
Ray...very complex. compelling and complete mix....super work with the piano parts as well as the other instruments and vocals...great listen and super production!
www.soundclick.com/firesong BiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10
You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.
You polished and finished this one in fine fashion! Pink Floyd vibes all over the place! You are doing a really great job adding your own instrumentation, played professionally all the way! Your vocals (I know you didn't used to want to sing on your tunes)are a great fit for your songs and you do a great This sounds really good to me!
Anyway, is there anyway you can list the pianos you used, and other stuff. I like them!
Thanks David, Original set of RTs: BIAB STUFF with those that made it to the final cut emboldened: RealTracks in style: 908:Bass, Electric, SmoothBallad Ev16 065 (replaced with a Knockhoffner, round strings , finger style) RealTracks in style: 3099:Organ, Rhythm AmericanaSlow16thsMike Ev16 060 RealTracks in style: 3436:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm BritPsycPopBalladArpHiPhaser Ev 065 - (replaced with a squire through a Yamaha FX500 sweet swirl preset) RealTracks in style: 3435:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm BritPsycPopBalladArpVibChorus Ev 065 - (replaced as above but using the "chord Clouds" preset). RealTracks in song: 1883:Piano, Acoustic, Soloist Country12-8John Sw 065 (only a couple of two or three note phrases as it was awful and very tinny) RealDrums in Song: PopRock16ths^ (7 stems as I wanted just the snare in some parts and had to address a pretty awful modern kick click too). RealTracks in song: ~2504:Piano, Acoustic, HeldChords 060 RealTracks in song: 1602:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Pop16 Ev16 065 (this provides most of the piano "solo" that follows the guitar. RealTracks in song: 3538:Vocals, BackgroundSoloist GospelCoolSoulful Sw16 075 (supposed to work at 60bpm but I had to use tuning software to reduce the wayward vibrato and bring it into almost tune) RealDrums in Song:PopRock16ths^01-a:Snare, HiHat, b:Snare, Ride RealTracks in song: 3348:Guitar, Electric, Soloist HazyBallad ev16 070 Cheapie lap steel through a Pignose 100 was added. NB: the question about Pink was asked by BBC DJ John Peel, supposedly in jest as they were there to do a "Peel Session". During the intro & outro the two main piano parts are stereo and were superimposed while during the majority of the song they were panned away from each other.
Last edited by rayc; 05/22/2310:24 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Ray, Gorgeous opening on this . . . that piano is so compelling out of the gate . . . really sets the mood. Terrific mix . . . masterfully balanced. Some really subtle harmonies that sing . . . nice fills on the guitar panned . . . the gospel BGV resonates . . . So much to like here . . . lots of ear candy. Killer stuff! All my best to you, Deej
Thanks Deej,
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Ray, You polished and finished this one in fine fashion! Pink Floyd vibes all over the place! You are doing a really great job adding your own instrumentation, played professionally all the way! Your vocals (I know you didn't used to want to sing on your tunes)are a great fit for your songs and you do a great This sounds really good to me! Thanks, TB
Torrey, You're too kind.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
It's a great achievement that immediately immersed me in the atmosphere of Pink Floyd. And if we could go back like when we listened to Dark Side of the Moon with our adolescent wonder. Thank you for this bath of youth. Laurent
WOOOOOW!!!!! I guess I'm late to the party. Just had an 8 minute trip to the dark side of the moon and got a great contact high!!!! This is my favorite of yours so far Ray!!!! What are the tracks? (missed the earlier version(s)?). Take care. Greg
The soothing ocean waves go so well with the wonderful piano. It’s mesmerizing.
Wow, Ray, you’ve done a terrific mix of the BiaB tracks and your performances and Fran’s mastering aced it. That open/airy feel is hard to achieve and you nailed it. That piano is top of the bar in chops and tone for the song.
We like the gospel bgv’s and are reminded of Ruthie Foster’s excellent vocals.
Bravo!
J&B
PS You said, "his was a case of subtraction...I had lots going on and needed to cut away stuff to get to the core." True that! The old adage that perfection is when there is nothing left to take away.
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.
I must admit that I didn't look much at the video because I got so absorbed and lost in the sound. That was great. I don't have the musical vocabulary to articulate my thoughts but the music was complex but not overwhelming. I like the descending bass line in certain parts== that was just a little thing (of the many things) that stood out for me. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 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 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
Playable RealTracks Set 4
RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
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.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.