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AT THE FIRST HELLO
https://www.reverbnation.com/kaynemusic/song/34725212-at-the-first-helloI wanted to try to write a modern pop dance song for Dua Lipa. Let me know if I hit the mark. Vocals; Synth V, I am playing bass, synths, keys, some guitar. Used Real tracks below. I used to think / I would spend my life alone Never finding the one / that I can call my Own I used to think / true love's a fairy tale Just bedtime stories / they tell to little girls I know that you are no Prince Charming and I am not Lady Guinevere But I get a certain Feeling / Whenever you are near At the first hello / you (I) didn't even know the clues were all around a scent a glance a sound Even in my heart / Even in my soul Right from the start at the first hello I didn't know / that I would ever find the kind of love that poets / write about in rhyme I thought that I / would spend each lonely night Dreaming of a hero / the strong and silent type I know you're not a Superman and I'm not Lois Lane But when I look into your deep blue eyes I will never feel the same I used to look at the covers of magazines At all the Perfect people smiling back at me I used to wish that Life was a fairy tale Never taking chances / too afraid to fail I know I’ll never be a fashion model And you’re not a movie star Love me as I am and exactly who you are ****** Song Summary ************* Title: At Hello File:autoload_5.sgu Key=C , Tempo 110, Length (m:s)=5:22 20 bar intro, 126 bar chorus, from bar 21 to bar 146. Repeat x1 chorus Melody has 6036 notes, Melody harmony is < no harmony >(0) Soloist track has 513 notes, Soloist harmony is < no harmony >(0) Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0, Song is saved with bar changes for Volume Changes, Style is _FNKDNC2.STY (Funk Dance w/ Octave Bass) RealTracks in style: 1941:Synth, Rhythm, EuroDance ChorusHousePiano Ev16 120 RealTracks in style: ~1435:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm JazzFunkGroovinChords Ev16 110 Loop in Song: House-Techno-Trance\Trance - kit3beat135b ev16 tempo.wav RealTracks in song: 1406:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Soul70sSteady Ev16 100 RealTracks in song: 1943:Synth, Rhythm, EuroDance Strings Ev 120 RealTracks in song: ~2268:Synth, BellPad, Rhythm 80sPopPads Ev 120 RealDrums in Song:ModernDancePop^01-a:Bass, HiHat , b:Claps, Bass *******************
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Elliott, very professionally arranged and produced tune. The vocals sound quite nice. The sound is very silky and rhythmic, which is cool.
Know "Dua Lipa" only because her name shows up in crossword puzzles. But I have to think she'd like this. Know I do.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Hey there Elliott. Nice song and good writing. I'm always impressed by your versatility. You do so many different genres so well. From a production standpoint on this one, I'm not much help because I'm not nearly as well versed in this genre. There seemed to be a couple of rather abrupt clips or clicks in the intro, and there was a lot of thumping air in the drums, but that may be the effect you were trying for. Take it with a pound of salt, I may be completely off base. Good connecting song.
Brad
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I'm not familiar with her music. I guess I'm too old. But this is a catchy song and seems like it should be in a movie soundtrack. Production sounds clean and well mixed.
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Elliott, I have no idea who Dua Lipa is or how she sounds.
But I know a great song when I hear it and this is a great song.
Outstanding arrangement.
Super vocal synths
Outstanding mix.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Elliott,
I've heard only one song by Dua Lipa, so I'm not all that familiar with her musical bent. Regardless, this is a great song.
You really know how to bring out the best of those synth voices - excellent work!
The entire production is pro. Tip of the hat for a job very well done. I really enjoyed my listen.
Best to you,
Alan
BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops
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Hey Elliott,
This is really great. Like this one a lot!
Great song and production. I am listening to this on my phone and that may be the reason but it feels like that repetitive clap percussion (or hit, whatever it is) is kinda crisp, if you know what I mean. The mix is so awesome otherwise I found this a little distracting, but otherwise a fine, fine job.
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This is not an easy exercise to do. It is very well done but I will agree with David, the emphasis on time, you know what I mean!
But I am getting old and this is just my opinion and does not detract from the quality of the work.
Laurent
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Ah, I should let my granddaughter answer your question about your marksmanship and Dua Lipa. But there is no question this is a great song. I also don't dance much cuz I'm usually playing in the band. hehe One thing that seems common in dance songs is the constant 4-beats per measure quarter-notes on the kick, and you did a great job with that, especially adding some cool and dynamic breaks. Good production and a fun song. It must be a good dance song because I felt like grabbing my bass and jhoping on stage.
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Dua Lipa isn't exactly what floats my boat, but here are a few simple things you can change: - Get rid of the 80s snare sound in the verses. Most modern snare-sounds are short, not too bright and often overlaid with handclaps. Your choruses sound much more modern than the verses
- Modern productions use a lot of vocal layering to make the sound smooth yet cutting through. Unfortunately, often with auto-tune where an EQ on one of the layers would have done the job.
Overall, I think you did a good job, it sounds modern and is absolutely danceable. Enjoyed my listen ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/thumbs_up.gif)
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Elliot
I'll let others critique the modern dance side - but overall it's a nice song. Excellent work with Synth V.
Well done.
Peter
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Hi, Elliot. I won't even pretend I'm up on knowing what modern music sounds like, so I have no clue if you hit your target. But it's a nice dance track, with a bright, up front mix. Sounds good, I like it!  But... the lyric and I am not Lady Guinevere is an interesting choice, since she's known for her infidelity to Arthur and eventual banishment to a nunnery. 
-- 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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Your writing is always good. The synth vocal could probably be a Dua Lipa sort of thing as there's a generic quality about them both - in DL's world that's no doubt caused by the over processing. I agree with David about the Arthurian reference.
I look forward to hearing your voice again soon.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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The only difference we noted in this and the modern pop we've heard is that your lyric is hugely better written. We admire those who venture into multiple genres ... particularly those as disparate as some of yours! Your instrumental performances and the BiaB tracks sit nicely together and the mix really pops on the monitors. And the vocals sound really good with lots of humanizing nuances. Well done! 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
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Cool song Elliot. These vocal synths are very good. Excellent lyric and backtrack. Cool groove. Well done
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