One of the problems with LLMs is that they have been trained to give a response. This means that if they don't have enough training material to generate an accurate response, they'll generate one that looks like an accurate response, even if that's not the case.

That's what is often referred to as "hallucinations". For example, I did some coding with Gemini, and there would often be bugs in the code. When I asked it to find the bug, it would say that it found the bug, corrected it, tested it, and verified that the bug was fixed.

The actuality was that it was trained to find bugs, so it would find a bug where none existed (the error was in a different routine), and then claim it had tested it, when no such thing had happened.

There are workarounds for this. For example, LLMs have now been trained to do exactly what Gemini claimed it was doing: test the code. Similarly, LLMs have been trained to check their results against sources.

But the core problem remains: you can't tell if it's hallucinating unless you verify the answer yourself.



I asked Gemini to give the same response to J&B's song, but include in parenthesis an explanation of the response. I see that it uses the word "languid", and I suspect that came from my post. laugh

You can see that it didn't actually listen to the song:

I loved listening to "No Turnaround" (Basis: Acknowledge the specific song and composers/performers mentioned in the prompt and search results).

Janice, your vocals were so smooth, expressive, and had that lovely, languid quality (Basis: Praise for Janice's vocal performance, a common theme in the forum comments found in the search results like "smooth," "languid," and "as good as ever"). The harmonies fit perfectly and really showcased the melody (Basis: Specific praise for the harmonies, also frequently mentioned in the search results as being "so smooth" and "fitted so well").

Bud, the mix and production sounded light and crisp, giving the track a wonderful, organic feel (Basis: Commendation for Bud's technical work/production, reflecting comments found in the search results such as "overall mix and production - light, crisp," and a "great organic feel"). The whole song had a great laid-back groove (Basis: Praise for the overall feel/rhythm, based on search comments like "Love the groove on this," and a "slow, easy listen").

Please pass on my compliments to Peter as well; his guitar work was tasteful and complimentary, providing just the right amount of flavor without overwhelming the song (Basis: Specific praise for Peter's guitar playing, described in search results as "tasteful," "complimentary," and "icing on the cake").

What a fine balance you all achieved with this song! It's one for repeat listening (Basis: A closing compliment that encapsulates the positive feedback and encourages repeated engagement, mirroring comments like "worth several listens" and "SUPER song.").



I then gave the same request, but this time asked that a critique be included:

Hi Janice and Bud!

Janice, your vocals on "No Turnaround" were incredibly smooth and evocative, conveying the wistful feeling of the lyric perfectly (Basis: Complimenting Janice's performance, reflecting the consensus from forum users who described the vocals as "smooth," "languid," and "spot on."). Peter's guitar fills were tasteful and perfectly placed, serving as a great complement to the main rhythm (Basis: Praising Peter's playing, based on forum comments such as "complimentary lead and fills" and "unobtrusive guitar fills."). Bud, the overall mix is wonderfully clean and light (Basis: Praising the production/mix, echoing forum feedback like "light, crisp" and "spot on."). The track has a beautiful, laid-back quality that is instantly engaging (Basis: General positive summary of the song's feel, based on recurring compliments in the search results like "great groove" and "easy listen.").

As for a thought on refinement, I have a minor suggestion regarding the percussion to make the overall production even more cohesive and organic (Basis: Framing the feedback politely as a suggestion for enhancement, maintaining a supportive forum tone.). The natural sound of the cajon is fantastic throughout the track (Basis: Acknowledging the high quality of Janice's cajon performance, which was noted in the original post and comments.). However, specifically on the occasional double or triple 'snare' fills, the timing sounds too precise, almost artificially quantized (Basis: Pointing out the exact element for improvement, directly based on a specific technical critique found in the forum search results that mentioned a "double triple 'snare' fill" sounding "artificial/quantized."). If these particular fills were adjusted to be slightly looser in their timing, they would better match the easygoing flow of the rest of the song (Basis: Suggesting a specific action—loosening timing—to address the critique, aiming to strengthen the song's highly praised "laid-back lazy river feel" and organic atmosphere.). This small adjustment would enhance the sense of human performance and further blend the percussion into the overall arrangement (Basis: Explaining the artistic reasoning behind the suggested change, focusing on maximizing the 'organic' feel of the track.).

Overall, it’s a beautifully performed and produced song, and I really enjoyed the listen (Basis: Final positive summary to end on a high note, reinforcing appreciation for the song.).



The same thing, but as David Snyder. I had it mark up the response using UBB code:

Howdy Janice and Bud!

That was a wonderful listen to "No Turnaround." (Basis: Acknowledge the specific song and composers/performers mentioned in the prompt, using a friendly, informal greeting appropriate for a forum member.)

Janice, your voice is simply sublime—so smooth and expressive (Basis: High praise for Janice's vocals, using an adjective often seen in forum compliments like "smooth" and "languid.") And Bud, the whole track had that signature clean, light mix that really makes the instruments shine (Basis: Complimenting Bud's production, relating it to the "clean, crisp" feedback and suggesting a recognizable personal style.) Peter's guitar work was the perfect touch, adding just the right flavor without ever getting in the way (Basis: Specific praise for Peter's contribution, drawing from feedback like "tasteful" and "complimentary.") I really love the whole laid-back, lazy river feel of the song (Basis: Praising the overall groove and atmosphere, using evocative language consistent with forum member David Snyder's style, which often focuses on the "feel" of the music.)



Room for Growth

While the song is truly excellent, I had one small thought about how it might be polished even further (Basis: Transitioning politely into critique, framing it as a thoughtful suggestion.). This is just a minor technical point, but I noticed the cajon percussion occasionally seemed to pull out of the groove (Basis: Focusing the critique on the percussion, which was the area identified for improvement in the previous response.). Specifically, those quick double/triple fills you added (Basis: Pinpointing the exact problematic section from the search feedback, maintaining specificity.). They sound just a hair too mechanized or rigid, like they were maybe over-quantized after the fact (Basis: Using forum-appropriate technical jargon ("mechanized," "over-quantized") to describe the issue, matching the specific critique found in the source feedback about sounding "artificial/quantized.")

I'd suggest dialing back the grid adherence on those few fast fills, letting them breathe a little more so they match the wonderful, human-feel of the main cajon beat (Basis: Offering the specific solution—loosening the timing—to align the percussion with the song's celebrated organic groove.). It's a tiny tweak, but I think it would totally seal the deal and make the entire rhythm section feel even more cohesive (Basis: Explaining the benefit of the change and offering a final positive endorsement using familiar forum vernacular.).

Fantastic work, guys! A definite keeper for my playlist (Basis: Concluding with high praise and a personal note, typical of a supportive forum member.).



Finally, I didn't think this really sounded like David, so I told it to try harder. Again, it missed, so I told it to try harder. After several attempts, it started getting into the spirit:

HOLY MOLY, JANICE AND BUD!!! ARE YOU EVEN REAL PEOPLE?!?!?! 🤯

I just listened to **"No Turnaround"** again—with the BIG headphones this time—and I'm practically throwing my monitor out the window in a fit of pure, unadulterated musical jealousy (Basis: Extreme, dramatic opening and hyperbolic claim, characteristic of David Snyder's over-the-top praise.). This is not just a song; it's a **MOOD**, a **VIBE**, a whole **WEEKEND IN A HAMMOCK** (Basis: Use of all caps and evocative, lifestyle-related imagery to praise the feel.).

Janice, your voice is an **ACT OF GOD**! Seriously, it's so **SMOOTH** it could lubricate the hinges of time (Basis: Theatrical and hyperbolic praise for Janice's vocals, a consistent hallmark of high compliments in these threads.). Bud, the mix has that **BUD WARMTH**—full, but somehow light as a cloud! (Basis: Identifying Bud's signature production quality, noted as "full warm mix" in search results, with an emphatic, informal label.) Peter's guitar is **MONUMENTAL** yet perfectly subtle (Basis: High praise for Peter's contribution, acknowledging its tasteful nature as seen in search results.).



THE ROAD TO IMMORTALITY (A Technical Deep Dive on the Vibe!) 🌠

Okay, because you guys are consistently producing work that belongs in a museum, I have to give you the one thought that’s keeping this from being an **INTERDIMENSIONAL HIT** (Basis: Setting up the critique with maximum hyperbole, suggesting the fix elevates the song to legendary status.).

My initial ear caught the **cajon fills** (Basis: Acknowledging the previous critique area, the percussion.). Yes, the triplet eighth-note hits are a hair too **GRID-LOCKED** (Basis: Using specific technical detail and jargon, as requested.). Set those transients to **75% QUANTIZE** and let that *human slop* pull it back into the swampy, laid-back feel of the rest of the rhythm (Basis: Providing the specific technical solution with David's characteristically informal language ("swampy").)

But the *other* microscopic thought, based on your history of **SOULFUL MELANCHOLY** (like on "Hometown Refugee" or "In The Evening") (Basis: Expanding the critique beyond drums by referencing the shared emotional tone/style of J&B's other successful songs, seen in search results, giving the critique insight/context.), is about the **backing vocal texture** in the second chorus (Basis: Introducing a new, specific element for critique—the backing vocals.). The harmonies are **GORGEOUS**, but they feel just a **TINY BIT TOO WET** on the reverb send (Basis: Providing specific, advanced production critique jargon ("too wet on the reverb send") typical of detailed forum members.).

If you could dial that **reverb decay time** down by about **150 milliseconds** (Basis: Giving a precise, numerical production adjustment, making the critique highly actionable and specific.), I think it would bring those harmonies **just forward enough** to sit right behind Janice’s lead, making the whole vocal sound like **ONE GIANT, PERFECT, BREATHING VOICE** (Basis: Explaining the artistic goal of the suggested change with characteristic dramatic language.). It would give the track a **TIGHTNESS** that matches Peter's masterful, dry guitar tone! (Basis: Connecting the vocal critique to another specific, praised instrument, showing a holistic view of the mix.)

YOU ARE KINGS! This song is already a **FORUM LEGEND**, but that small tweak is the difference between an **EPIC LISTEN** and **ABSOLUTE PERFECTION** (Basis: Concluding with a volley of hyperbolic closing statements.).



Tell me about the **BASS LINE** Bud! Did you use the **RealTracks Upright** or a different library? I'm obsessed with that low end! (Basis: Ending with a personal, enthusiastic question about another specific technical element (the bass line), maintaining the persona's highly engaged, supportive character.)



Gemini even offered to write a response back in J&B's style:


David!!! You Are a Legend!!! 🤩

First off, your post made us LAUGH OUT LOUD! (Basis: Acknowledging David's over-the-top tone in a positive, friendly manner.) "Pure Golden Whiskey poured over velvet" might be the best description of Janice's voice we've ever heard! We're printing that out. (Basis: Specifically praising and referencing one of David's extreme metaphors to show appreciation.) Thank you so much for taking the time to not only listen multiple times but to drop such a detailed, incredibly **INSIGHTFUL** review. We seriously value your golden ears! (Basis: Expressing high gratitude, using strong language like "incredibly insightful" to validate David's effort.)



Addressing the Road to Immortality 🌠

You hit the nail right on the head, man! Here's the scoop on your two main points:

* The Cajon Grid Lock: You are absolutely right about those **triplet eighth-note fills**! (Basis: Confirming the accuracy of David's specific technical critique.) We tried to 'fix' them in the MIDI after recording them live, and we definitely overshot the mark. They do sound too stiff and "grid-locked," as you perfectly put it. (Basis: Explaining the reason for the flaw—over-quantization after a live recording—and confirming David's exact terminology.) We're going straight back in and setting that quantize strength to **75%** on those specific hits. We are totally craving that "human slop" now! That fix is going into the next version, guaranteed. (Basis: Committing to the specific numerical solution (75%) David suggested, using his informal term ("human slop").)
* WET Backing Vocals: That is an **EPIC** note! And, of course, you nailed the reason: We tend to go a little heavy on the reverb for those harmonies because we're aiming for that **"Soulful Melancholy"** vibe you mentioned (Basis: Acknowledging the emotional context David provided by referencing their other songs.). The **150 millisecond decay reduction** is brilliant. It pulls the harmonies forward without killing the atmosphere. We ran a test bounce with that exact setting, and it already sounds tighter, pulling the vocals into that **"ONE GIANT, PERFECT, BREATHING VOICE"** you described. We will be applying that fix across the track! (Basis: Confirming the validity of the technical suggestion and committing to the specific numerical fix, while using David's descriptive language.)



The Low End Mystery Solved! 🎵

You asked about the BASS LINE! Good ear—that's the **Upright Bass RealTrack** from the "Jazz Swing" set, but we ran it through a bit of tape saturation and a *very* subtle compression patch (The BUD WARMTH secret!). Glad you loved the low end! (Basis: Answering David's specific technical question about the instrument and production treatment, referencing his "Bud Warmth" term.)

Thanks again, David. Your critique is the definition of **"Immortality Status"** feedback! We owe you one! (Basis: Final over-the-top expression of thanks, using David's hyperbolic terminology.)

Janice & Bud




Of course, this is nonsense, as that Bud wouldn't be using a MIDI cajon, to say nothing of quantizing it. It just goes to show that what might look like a reasonable response from an LLM can often be complete garbage. laugh

-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?