My New Years resolution... try to record at least 1 song per week.
This week... "Seoul Purpose", by me, Steve Mohacey. I wrote this song right after I returned home after a year long assignment to the Eighth United Sates Army Band. I was stationed at Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, Korea from 1998-1999. It was supposed to be a "hardship tour". For those who don't know, when Soldiers are assigned to Korea, we do not take our families (hence the hardship part of the tour). What could have been a truly miserable year turned out to be one of the best assignments I ever had.
This was due to 3 things: 1. My command team was fantastic, 2. The Soldiers I was serving with were fantastic, and 3. The Korean people were fantastic. If you have the time and means, I highly recommend visiting Asia.
I hope you enjoy "Seoul Purpose".
Saxophone was recorded using a Sennheiser 441 with the "FETHEAD" to boost the gain. The Sennheiser 441 is a dynamic mic. The Fethead gives it a 27db bump via the pre-amp built into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 4. Dynamic mics do not require phantom power. The FETHEAD uses phantom power to boost the gain and just plugs into the XLR out on my mic.
Backing tracks via Band In A Box 2024 ultrapak for Mac.
Recorded in Logic Pro 11.
Selmer Reference 54 Tenor sax. Mouthpiece- Dave Guardala MB1 (handmade). Reeds- Boston Sax Shop Black Box 3.5 (BEST REEDS EVER!!)
Filmed on iPhone 15 Pro Max.
This video was edited using Final Cut Pro
All stock video is royalty free and was taken from:
https://www.pexels.com/search/videos/... Memo: A slow and modern R&B style that comines reggae and smooth jazz elements. Instruments are steel drum, electric guitar, electric piano, electric bass, and synthesizer smooth jazz drums. -Examples: Babylon Too Rough, No More Trouble, Genre "Intensity" Score=60/100 _YALLAHS.STY. Yallahs Modern Smooth Island RnB All RealTracks. Quintet. Tempo=75 (65-90) Instruments: El.Bass, El.Piano, El.Guitar, Steel Drum, Drums RD: ElecSmoothCoolJeffSw16: a: Snare, Busy b: Snare, BusyKick :Jeff Lorber RT902: Bass, Electric, SmoothCool Sw16 075 , Vernon Barbary RT904: Piano, Electric, Rhythm SmoothCool Sw16 075 , Jeff Lorber RT1158: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ReggaeSlow Sw 075 , Sandy Williams RT3615: Steel Drum, Rhythm ReggaeSlowSwing Sw16 075 , Todd London
Wow, you make that Sax sing so sweetly. What a fantastic arrangement. The Electric Piano sits beautifully throughout. Sensational mix. Yes, sweet - very.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
Super playing, lot of choice licks! Never met a military musician that wasn't first rate. I'm not familiar with FEThead, but I know Cloudlifter. I never got one, though, because the Shure SM57 dynamic mic that I use (besides being inexpensive and indestructible) removes some of the problems of recording in an untreated room. And the latest Scarlett preamps got a pretty good db boost, so I think I'm good. 27more db might make my recordings a nightmare. Seems to be working well for you. Maybe I should try one, after all.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
Well... I'm still getting the hang of making videos. When I originally put the video together, I used a bunch of "free to use" video footage I found on a site. Well... one video was apparently NOT "free to use". So, this is the "new and improved, free of video copyright infringement" version.
Wow, you make that Sax sing so sweetly. What a fantastic arrangement. The Electric Piano sits beautifully throughout. Sensational mix. Yes, sweet - very.
Electric Piano works so well with just about any groove. Thanks for giving my song a listen. Still learning the in's and out's of BIAB and Final Cut Pro. I'm feeling much more confident with Logic Pro (at least with how I mic and record the tenor sax. Alto sax... that is another story).
Good groove and excellect sax and electric piano keeping wake and wanting to get more. Reminds me of the nice sunny summer days in the 1970s lying in the grass at the Pori Jazz Festival listening to the great jazz musicians.
Great selection for the BiaB rhythm section. Love the saxophone!
Some favourite Waoist Adages: #1: Play on the Way. #13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you. #58: Bring consciousness to it. #63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made. #92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
Super playing, lot of choice licks! Never met a military musician that wasn't first rate. I'm not familiar with FEThead, but I know Cloudlifter. I never got one, though, because the Shure SM57 dynamic mic that I use (besides being inexpensive and indestructible) removes some of the problems of recording in an untreated room. And the latest Scarlett preamps got a pretty good db boost, so I think I'm good. 27more db might make my recordings a nightmare. Seems to be working well for you. Maybe I should try one, after all.
I tried pushing the gain up through Logic Pro, but it just sounded really noisy. The FetHead seems to be doing the trick with the Sennheiser 441. The FetHead can boost "up to" 27db. I'm not really pushing it that hard. Maybe 3-5 db max. But it's quieter than trying to do it through the Scarlett or Logic (not sure why, but it works so I don't wonder too much).
Great title turns into a terrific sound. Masterfully done, Steve. Man, you have talent with those reeds and pads. Excellent composition, too. I like the backing band --well picked.
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11, EZDrummer
Steve, nicely done. Very smooth. Can't beat a cool bass and EP for a relaxed backing. Like the EP solo, too. Sweet composition and on point playing.
Camp Humphreys is shiny and new and awesome, but Yongsan was a unique little enclave in the heart of Seoul. Love my too brief time in Seoul...
DC Ron-
You were at "The Hump"? I only got there 1 time for a change of command ceremony. Yes... Yongsan and the surrounding areas were a cool vibe.
Yep, was there in 2016 when Humphreys was still building out and Yongsan was going strong. Flew to Humphreys in a Chinook with the rear ramp open. That was a blast, too...
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 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 Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 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 21 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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows 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 60 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
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XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
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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.
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Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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