|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3 |
Hello everyone. This is my first post. Song: What Was I Thinking? https://soundcloud.com/rene-muir/what-was-i-thinkingI wanted to test out several string libraries along with my BIAB tracks. I was hoping for an old school country sound but I got something else. I used the Audiophile version of BIAB Lyrics: V1 I thought you'd come around and that you'd settle down and that you'd would be home when the lights went out But lying cheating coming home stinkin' What was I thinkin'? V2 I thought your were a prince and that I was a queen and we'd be like stars on a magazine But yelling screaming and just being mean What was I thinking? CH1 What was I thinking saying yes in that old party dress with bottles all over the floor? What was I thinking in my head when you held me and said "I'm sorry" over and over again? V3 I thought you could be changed or at least rearranged it seemed like a small thing the first time around But scheming stealing and double dealing What was I thinking? CH2 What was I thinking saying yes in that old party dress with bottles all over the floor What was I thinking in my head when you held me and said "I'm sorry" over and over again. I thought you could be nice And that you'd pay the price To stand in the love light with me But fibbing, fighting And gaslighting What was I thinking? What was I thinking? What was I thinking? Tracks by me: Vocals, background strings (SWAM Strings), some Kontakt Strings from their standard library (cello), some midi Piano (PianoTeq plugin) Tracks by BIAB: BBdrums_RealDrums PopRockWaltzEv,SideStickHatRide BBDrums_RealDrums NashClassicWaltzSw^6-BrSdtk,BrSn BBBass_Real 1123 Bass, Acoustic, CountryWaltz Sw 140 BBGuitar_Real 1109 Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming BluegrassWaltz Ev 140 BBGuitar_Real3146 5-string, FolkWaltzChops Wonder BBPiano_Real 781 Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopWaltz Wonder BBPiano_Real 3146 Fiddle, 5-string, Background FolkWaltzChopsAndy FiddleRythm-cm-01 Fiddle1 cm-107 Recording in Pro Tools on an ancient 2010 Mac Pro (cheese grater) Plugins used: Melodyne, VSS Reverb, Space (Avid) reverb, Trackspacer, NovelTech Character, Ocean Way Studios (UAD) Vocals recorded with a Warm Audio 251 Microphone into a GA Pre-73 Vintage Pre Amp clone, Every instrument group was fed into it's own separate Ocean Way Studio room. Mastered by CloudBounce
Last edited by Paxalot; 07/25/23 10:36 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,264
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,264 |
The song is cool, the string arrangements are a little over the top for the most part. They may sit better lower in the mix.
I like the string arrangements mind you - some clever & funny bits too. Just too loud.
Again, very cool song.
Your vibrato almost gets out of control in the 1st verse...you could probably soften that in your DAW. Your voice is grand though.
Thinking back the strings were probably grabbed and pushed forward in the "mastering" process.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,196
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,196 |
Hi, Rene. Welcome to the forum! Well, this was a pleasant surprise!  A clever "country" write, and I really enjoyed what you did with the strings. Those slides, harmonies and echoes of the melody? Sweet. There are points where you vocal seems to be stepped on. You've got TrackSpacer going, so maybe it's just the volume imbalance and your low voice. I think perhaps the stereo spread was working against you as well - especially at the bridge. As lovely as the strings are, there are times when they have to be subservient to the melody.  Anyway, love this. What a fun listen!
-- 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,065
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,065 |
A big welcome to the forum, Rene. Wow, those strings sound terrific. I appreciate that they are too loud. They really are featured, but they do cover up a really cool vocal at times. Love the waltz time, and you did an incredible job scoring those strings. I'd like to hear a mix with the strings lowered. This is such a good song.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3 |
I struggled trying to find the right volume for the strings. The consensus seems to be they are definitely too loud. So I'll remix. Great feedback.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3 |
What's great about this place is the targeted criticism. You play stuff for friends and they just say "great!". I presume it's because everyone here struggles with the mix and are more finely tuned to the results.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,259
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,259 |
Rene, A very fun tune. Great arrangement. Pretty cool string work. Excellent vocals and overall very well composed tune. On critical side, I think it's not the volume of strings, it is an overall balance between musical bed and vocals. I think vocals can be a little more upfront. But that's just my amateur opinion. Nice one and thank you for sharing. Misha. P.S. I am exploring couple of plugins that do sidechaining. Ha...While I was typing this I went back and saw that you are using Trackspacer  So here goes. I have Trackspacer too and I love it for fast sketches. However, what I find limiting is that you can not select specific "ranges" on it. You can only do upper or lower EQ spectrums and that often "eats" away other stuff. One of the plugins that I have is by Melda called MSpectralDynamics. It is a monster of a plugin, but a bit complex. So I am exploring it to do more advance ducking than Trackspacer offers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 617
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 617 |
Rene, I love the production and, along with the lyrics, kept me listening to the end! Awesome vocals, too. The raspy delivery fit the song well. Great job all around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,132
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,132 |
Welcome aboard! Cool write, vocals and BiaB tack choice. Regarding the above comments. We are partial to open upfront vocals (fully realizing it's not to everybody's taste). But for this Americana feel we could hear the vocals a wee bit more forward In effect agreeing with Misha's thoughts. It's a good mix and you might want to move the vocals up 2db's or less to see if it works for you. Irrespective of our blather we enjoyed our listens! J&B Now for the caveat: Great mix opinions are offered here and we have learned a lot over the past 12 years on the forum. We also learned that if irrespective of the opinions we are happy with a mix and have stuck the proverbial fork in it then so be it. The longer you stay here and listen a lot to other's mixes you will find those productions that are similar to yours and from which you can learn and vice versa.
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,696
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,696 |
A big welcome to the forum, Rene. Wow, those strings sound terrific. I appreciate that they are too loud. They really are featured, but they do cover up a really cool vocal at times. Love the waltz time, and you did an incredible job scoring those strings. I'd like to hear a mix with the strings lowered. This is such a good song. I agree with Marty. If you remix and lower the strings you will have a masterpiece. Great vocal and lyrics. Super writing for those strings and you have a super backing band. IMHO remixing will turn a very good song into polished pro-sounding song.
OK, a random thought;
Why does toilet paper need a commercial? Who's not buying it?
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,560
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,560 |
Hi Rene.
Apart from the strings being a little loud it's a great song and original vocal sound.
Vic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,191
Posts801,765
Members40,063
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean