Quad Cortex has been a plugin developer for years. Recently they have expanded into hardware. +++ HERE +++ is a review of an amplifier, effect and routing modeler introduced at 2026 NAMM.
I believe moving the master track from the bottom to the top is the result of several forum members reporting no audio output only to discover either the master track was muted or the volume control moved to a setting much lower than normal. With the master track at the bottom it was easy for the track settings to be hidden off screen or otherwise overlooked
Thanks rharv, very interesting. I'll do some experimenting with that. I love BB and RB - it's been a lot of fun for many years and I don't know what I'd do without it. But I have a flat spot on my forehead from beating my head against the wall quite often, and then another flat spot on the other side where I slapped myself very often and said "rats, I should have known that". But your hint saved me from that part because I didn't know about that. Thanks again for the advice. BluegrassPicker
Hi Hans! This is a great song! Pretty standard (yet cool) chugging rhythm guitar, THEN in the second half with what sounds like different chord variations that add some spice. Also love the stops around 2:35 followed by a very bluesy vocal ‘I came home …’. I like it a lot when an artist takes a repeating chord progression and develops it later in the song with inversions, extensions or chord substitutions to create a different flavour. I note you said you wrote this song after throat surgery - could it be that the song theme of a partner coming back is a metaphor for the return of your singing voice after surgery? Great song - I loved it! Andrew
Hi Opur! Thank you for posting this song - I came across it when sampling your music the other day and it had instant appeal for me. I’ve always liked swing-feel acoustic guitar songs so was instantly drawn to it. The matter-of-fact approach of the lyrics is contrasted with the bouncy, upbeat feel of the music. I like how you brought in additional layers of instruments as the song progresses and then variation. The cello/strings add a nice touch as well, albeit with slightly too much volume that crowds out the vocal, but by the time they enter, the listener is already familiar with what the vocal is doing. Talking of vocals, I like how you used octave harmony on certain lines, then back to the main vocal only for a tinse of intimacy. In style, your song reminded me of one by the band ‘Her Space Holiday’ and their song ‘Sleepy tigers’ ( Here on YouTube ). Great song Opur - I’ve added it to my Soundcloud favs playlist. Andrew
Andrew it's a cool thing. Occasionally your vocal pitch bothered me, but only very occasionally. The song, arrangement and mix are excellent. I'm a Sexsmith fan more than Smith but they are both fabulous and worthy reference points.
Thanks Ray - glad the song pleased your ears. Regarding my vocal, many years ago I decided I was not going to let my vocal imperfections stop me - I think I am with many others on this forum in this matter - and in this case, they suit the song topic and also match Elliott a smith’s own imperfections. I doubt whether I will attempt to mimic Ron Sexsmith however - his singing voice is sublime. Thanks for listening!
Originally Posted by John Walradt
Andrew, this is an intriguing piece. Your unusual chord changes and slow tempo in 3/4 time really add heaviness to the story of trudging north after a horrible tragedy. It's very well crafted. I'm not familiar with Elliot's music. I looked him up in Wikipedia to get a summary of who he was.
Thanks John! For chord progressions, I am not averse to taking ‘the road less travelled’ as long as they sound good (I.e. can lead to a satisfying melodic and harmonic outcome). Knowing your own diverse music styles, I recommend you do a deep dive into his work - it’s very rewarding. You mention ‘trudging north’ - I was wondering if any northern hemisphere members would comment on ‘heading north for the sun’ being an abnormal concept, but maybe everyone realised it was set in the southern hemisphere, or assumed the bomb cloud was south? Most scenarios of a nuclear apocalypse are assumed to be set in the northern hemisphere.
Originally Posted by Opur
I hesitate to say "a beautiful" song, because of the grizzly story it tells – most fitting is: "impressive". Especially in times like these. I like it, and it's beautifully sung as well!
Hi Opur! I think the beauty in the melody and 3/4 time was aimed at expressing the love and care for the man’s daughter, set against some somewhat dark chord moves. The vocal recording technique worked well and I think I will use it again sometime. Thanks for listening and commenting - I think your insights will be gratefully received by many forum members, just as I have appreciated them. Andrew
I have a permanent license for ACE Studio to generate choral demos for a few clients. This can import MusicXML from a notation app giving me notes and words to which I assign singers or ensembles. For what I do, the $528 license has paid for itself. Being based in China, not one of their "singers" pronounces American English or Latin convincingly. Since I'm doing demos, I don't care. The downside to this in-the-box app is that rendering a 3 minute 4-part choral track takes a couple hours in my Mac Studio M2 Ultra 192GB RAM 8TB SSD. If I'm going to do a lot of this, I'm "going to need a bigger boat". I've tried other AI apps but haven't found any worth a damn for use in my creative process.
haha, TuneMonger said what I was going to say about Dylan going electric at Newport. Excellent, I really enjoyed hearing this side of you, Bob, loved everything about this.
Professional all around. Terrific sound. Love those guitar chops. Well done!!
Thanks, Scott!
Originally Posted by Birchwood
Hi Dave, Chris and Marty, I heard your funky track on YouTube a few days ago. I commented then too. I thought it was a great song with really good vocals from Chris; even a double Chris! And I still think this way ;-) I can't remember ever hearing a funky track from you before. But as you said, this is a remix, so I should have heard it, I guess. But most importantly, I really enjoyed it, just like everyone else above! Just like you, I'm also busy remixing or even rewriting older songs. Especially because the mixes weren't that great. So soon all the songs on the forum will be ours. What do you think? Hans
Thanks for the comments, Hans, and thanks for the comments over on YT as well!
Hans, I don't need to understand the vocal to know if it is a good song or not and this is a great song. Super arrangement and effects Great vocals I really liked this one
Hi Mario, you're right! You don't have to understand the language to enjoy a song. Although I'm always curious if there is a story in the lyrics or not. But luckily, not everyone is like that. Thanks for your compliments, Mario!
Originally Posted by B.D.Thomas
I listened to your song again and I like it even more. Of course, I don't understand the subtle nuances in your lyrics because my Dutch isn't that good, but with the English translation it works for me. You've added some cool sound effects that make the song much more interesting and work well. I agree with TuneMonger, your new studio is really paying off, your mixes are getting better and better with every song. Enjoyed my listens PS: It's always good to obey Marty. There was once a guy who didn't. He was never found
Hi Brain, I'll start with your last comment about Marty. You're absolutely right; even if you live far away from that man, you never know for sure. He has contacts all over the world. But the strangest thing is: everyone loves that man, even me!!! I'm really glad you were able to find the translation of the lyrics. I think you must have heard of him. He wants more AfD too. I hope you don't... I appreciate your compliments on the song. but I have to admit the new studio wasn't built when the song was made. The remix was, though. Singer Tamar has never been there yet. I don't have suitable tracks for her to sing on... yet...
Originally Posted by laurent4114
I loved the video and the song, which are very funny, and I think I recognize the far-right Dutch politician. Laurent
Hi Laurent, thank you very much! And great that you know of that man. In your country there is also a lot going on. When will you sing about it? Thanks for listening!
That intro is challenging...some sudden changes and no real indication of what was to come but it was an important entry point. Another HANSome piece. Not sure about the string solo though. GOOOOOD voice.
Herb, this one has a lot of heart and you really know how to put the pure emotion into a terrific song. Your arrangements are stunning and all instrumentation placed carefully and perfectly. The melody, which I consider to be most important, expresses the words and the theme wonderfully. Your use of Band in a Box is pro. John
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In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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PS: It's always good to obey Marty. There was once a guy who didn't. He was never found 
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