My latest offering is a reworked song using BIAB. I had recorded this before purchasing BIAB, just using Cakewalk June 2025.
So i've taken advantage of the December BIAB discounts and gone Ultrapak. Man, they're big download files!! The downloading wasn't so bad, but the install took several days. I'm not on the latest laptop, and I had to install them to an external hard drive, otherwise my internal hard drive would have maxed out. So it's a little slower using the external drive, but it works and I now have so much more content to choose from....so I thought I'd try it out with this number.
I've linked both the original version and the reworked version in Soundcloud. Don't feel obligated to listen to both, but if you want to hear the difference by all means do so. I think the redux version is a better mix, the bass in the original is a little full on, all instruments in the original, other than drums, were played by me which explains the bass!! I've also linked the video, I've just added the new audio and not done anything to the video. I can't remember what guitars I used with the original, but I was really pleased with how the "off the cuff" solo turned out. The BIAB style is SEETHE.
It's an okay song.....no great insights into the human condition here!! Hope you like it.
INTRO: G#m / / / x x x x G#m / / / x x x x …using? …losing G#m / / / x x x x G#m / / / x x x x …abusing. …hmmm. VERSE 1 G#m C#m G#m You, you, you, you use it. I said you, you, you you abuse it. D#m C#m D#m C#m You’re telling me you didn’t choose it. I’m trying not to lose it…. G#m tacet ..and let it go.
BREAK G#m / / / x x x x G#m / / / x x x x …using? …losing G#m / / / x x x x G#m / / / x x x x …abusing. …hmmm.
VERSE 2 G#m C#m G#m You, you, you, you ain’t in the mix. I, I, I, ain’t gonna getcha no fix. D#m C#m D#m C#m So if your nerves are a jumpin’, and your head is a thumpin’…. G#m tacet ..you’re hittin’ the skids.
CHORUS Bsus2 E Eadd2 Takes you to your happy place. Bsus2 E Eadd2 Where your mind don’t race. C#m E Eadd2 Time stands still when you’re off your face. C#m F# F# Coming down to a fall from grace.
BREAK G#m / / / x x x x G#m / / / x x x x …using? …losing G#m / / / x x x x G#m / / / x x x x …abusing. …hmmm. VERSE 3 G#m You, you, you, know what I’m talking about. C#m G#m I, I, I, ain’t gonna scream and shout. D#m C#m But if you’ve got an itchy finger, D#m C#m G#m tacet You’re gonna have to figure…. ..your own way out.
CHORUS Bsus2 E Eadd2 Takes you to your happy place. Bsus2 E Eadd2 Where your mind don’t race. C#m E Eadd2 Time stands still when you’re off your face. C#m F# F# Coming down to a fall from grace.
INSTRUMENTAL over CHORUS
OUTRO G#m / / / G#m / / / G#m / / / G#m / / / ….using? ….you’re losing. G#m / / / G#m / / / G#m / / / G#m / / / ….using? ….you’re losing. x x x x x x x x x x x x x tacet x x
Hi Lee I wondered if you’d lashed out for the upgrade - that accounts for why you’ve been quiet - head down, b u. I like the lift to this song going from the verses mainly in minor chords to the major chords of the chorus - it supports ‘take you to your happy place’. I also like the ‘you, you, you’ repeated rising section. I remember you encouraging us with an exercise to write a song with a repeated lyric - a bit out of my comfort zone. Good choice for the BIAB style - you must be loving the range of choices now. Andrew
Lee, breezy and cool tune! I like the BiaB remix a bit better, but both are nice. Nice choice of BiaB instruments, and good use of shots/rests. Really like your vocals and where they're at in the mix. That creamy solo turned out great, too. Super ending!
Sorry about your upgrade tribulations. Sounds like you're up to speed and making great music now though.
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
I agree. When I listened to the original with fresh ears six months hence, I wondered what I did with the vocal. It does have a lot echo/ reverb to it, perhaps I was going for a heavy cavernous, broody feel, I don’t know why. I did think, can I hear what I'm singing too.
Yes HDBU indeed. Although the set up of having the program on the c drive and the drums and tracks on an external drive has issues. The program works quicker, but it’s now not registering the drums and real tracks in style picker. It sees them, says there’s 5k styles, even tells me where they are on the x drive, I update the path and do a rebuild and it still only registers the Propak tracks not the Ultrapak. I may have to revert to having the program back on the x drive, where it allowed me to use all tracks, either that or do a complete uninstall and reinstall. I’d like to know how much of my life I’ve wasted resolving home IT problems…. It must be at least a year. I can feel a song coming on!!
But the song… Yes I agree it has lifted it. For me, a song has to have a little repetition just to hook the listener and I think I knowingly set out to do that with this song. It’s worked out well and am looking forward to getting to use more styles.
Yeah the vocals are okay, but as mentioned to David they aren’t as clear as they probably should be and that’s probably down to effect choices. The solo worked really well, I was pleased with that.
Alas, the install still has issues, it’s just whether I go down that rabbit hole this weekend or not.
Glad you like the song. I agree the redux has more too, even if it is just in the drums. The original was just me in Cakewalk using a regular beat throughout, it was nothing special, no fills at all.
I’ll take oddly, it sits well. I can’t really remember why or how I came up with this theme or what the lyrics were really getting at. It really was just a song about letting go perhaps and not being too serious about anything, certainly no insights.
This is a catchy, snappy tune! You've done an excellent job using BIAB here! Nice job on the vocal! The bridge section caught my attention the most! I hear you on the large file size download and install stuff. In my experience over the years of using BIAB, I have found that if your PC has HD apace available, the program runs a lot smoother than when relying on an external drive! Nice Job on the tune!
Very cool, Lee. First of all it shows that no matter the take, a good song is a good song. Yep, the newer version is mixed better, and I liked the bass in the older version. Played with a pic?
Hey, I've seen faces like that before-- maybe a few in the mirror too. It's a really good song. Man, that video has some of my friends (who are no longer with us, you can imagine).
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 12, EZDrummer
Lee, great song. I liked the vocal as is. Great backing band and mix The video was hilarious and yes I did listen to the f*&%ing solo. It was fantastic. I will give this a +1 on face-book
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Thank you for the listen and review. Yeah, I don’t know that I had a particular reason for the lyrics, I think it was probably more about getting a different tune out of my head and seeing where it went.
I agree about using BIAB on the hard drive, but it would have choked it. As it is the install wasn’t rebuilding styles completely. I’m now in the process of uninstalling and reinstalling…. Joy!!
Thank you for listening. Yeah, sometimes you just have to get a tune down, no matter how silly the lyrics are, and really I didn’t have any reason to write about being off your face!
The bass on the old version seemed a bit too much for my liking. I can’t remember if used a pick, I wouldn’t have thought so. The video was fun to put together.
I was really happy at the rework with the SEETHE style, although I did mute two additional twangy guitars that didn’t fit the song. Six months since I recorded the vocals, gives you an opportunity to reassess with a fresh set of ears, and I think the vocal wasn’t too bad. One or two places where I was at my limit.
Glad the video made you smile. It’s easier to paste together stills than actual clips….not my favourite part of the process.
It's a catchy song. The way you sang 'you, you, you' was particularly effective, and the chorus was ace. The song stayed with me for quite a while, which I think is the mark of a good tune. Well done!
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
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MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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