...Anyway, this was meant to be about what’s out there right now and what people are hearing in it. I’d rather see it get back to talking about the tracks, the production, and what people are picking up from them, because that’s what made Floyd’s post worth the time in the first place. Thanks for posting it Floyd!
I generally always listen to Floyd's contributions. It gives me the opportunity to appraise the song, the structure, the delivery, the lyrical value and much more. I do take note of what goes into each production. I haven't been able to locate any contributions I can compare to in any of these song sharing forums from others who seem to be indifferent to Floyd's presentations. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places or I haven't looked hard enough? Are there any online samples?
balbuena, I played around with user tracks three or four years ago. If my memory serves me correctly, I don't think that they had the ability to have holds. I have just checked with PG Music's ChatGP help and its answer supports my comment.
Originally Posted by ChatGP
UserTracks do not specifically support holds in the same manner as RealTracks. When using UserTracks, if rests are encountered, they will simply rest, meaning there is no dedicated functionality for holds or shots. This information is crucial for users who expect UserTracks to behave like RealTracks in this regard.
AI isn't ever going away. I think that many can hold their hand on their heart and say "this was all my work". To the others, put your hand down. There will be more AI, much more, but we can hold our own if we want to believe and genuinely contribute with originality.
Ron (& R.W.) I dig your Power Pop. Always. Cool guitars (and bass). Nice (sweet ) vocals. Quite "happy sounding". I did not care for the drums (I see B.D.T dug 'em)... I found the fills busy and distracting. There is plenty of rhythm/cadence/syncopation in the combination of guitars and vocals to cover that aspect. Opinion, of course... I look forward to your posts. Always. fj
Thank you, Floyd! I might not have chosen those drums if I was building a backing track from scratch, but I did want to demo the RealStyle as-designed, so...here it is. As a non-drummer (I've tried though) I find I'm pretty tolerant of drummers, though I do listen to the drums closely when recording the vocals. Appreciate the listen and comments. Always!
Brian, ha! This songs makes me want to lean back in a hammock between two palm trees, sipping a fruit drink out of a cocoanut with a tiny paper umbrella or two leaning against the rim. Nice playing on and tone from the Takamine. super job!
Nicely done, Pete. Exuberant band and super vocals. Like the stereo image of the rhythm guitars bouncing off of each other, and the lead lines fit in nicely , too. Excellent job all the way around.
limeston, cool story, and happily not an isolated one. The PGMusic Live Help line is a great asset not found in any software package I have ever used. The kind folks handling handling support and the customer experience are also, in my experience, friendly, knowledgeable and most importantly HELPFUL. Thanks for sharing!
There is a cross section of some of the same professional musicians that you are familiar with. There's some good techniques for PGM to learn how to narrow down the sound instrument and musician playing style as their library is highly categorized. Song Role Genre Sub Genre Rhythmic Accent Feel Tonalic Type Guitars & Bass Instrument Rhythmic Shape Harmonic Shape Playing Technique Distortion Leading Effect Playing Tools Pickup Position String Setup Instrument Design Musician Drums & Percu: Instrument Drum Powerhand Cymbal Style Groove Style Rhythmic Factor Signature Instrument Setup Playing Intensity String Material Manufacturer Model Amplifiers Cabinets Snares Mics Pre amps Tunings Wouldn't it be nice to search for say a Bossa Nova style , nylon string guitar, that's finger picked, and is playing a combination of strum on beats 1 and 4 and arpeggiations with accents on beat 2, 3, 6 and 7 then listen to them in context to your existing songs tracks before selecting one in BIAB?
Nicely done, Andrew. Fantastic lead vocals, and I love those harmonies. That main riff has a great earwormy vibe. Clever and appealing bridge, too. Maybe it's the guitars, or the guitars with those vocals, but I can definitely hear a Stones-y feel that's easy to groove to. Super mix. You've posted a lot of really accomplished work here previously, but this one has an extra level of satisfying polish to my ears. A cracker of a song. Your were obviously "prepared to put in the work..."
Thanks Ron. I think the octave harmonies were learned from Squeeze where Tilbrook would sing high and Difford would sing an octave lower - at least on some songs. Yes I feel the bridge is a great improvement on what I had previously. I picked up the Keith Richards strum when I learned how to play the riff for 'Brown Sugar' then realised that The Dandy Warhols had sequestered it for 'Bohemian Like You', so on this song I thought 'Why not?' I've always liked this (my) song, but never sure if that was just because it was mine. Thanks for listening and your generous comments!
Originally Posted by rsdean
An excellent song and some really nice vocals and production. This is a great sound for you. Love the edgy feel.
Bob - if only I could write more like this! It is a good blend of pop rock with some edge (as you say), but I guess all of us would like to know the trick to consistent successful songwriting. As I wrote elsewhere, it feels like catching clouds. Thanks for listening!
Originally Posted by Knee Wobbler
Invoking the power of a Beatles song title I see, and maybe a cheeky little nod to it in the opening line? A catchy tune with a solid vocal from you, The vocal doesn’t sound triple tracked, to me sounds like a single track with reverb, good job getting that sounding just right. The BVs on the chorus are very subtle, it almost sounds like some one else. The change up in the bridge is great and provides a good variation to the song. Another good choice of real tracks, real drums and your guitars really work well together. I can make out a faint familiarity to The Dandy Warhols…. It just needed a “Woo-hoo”.
Not deliberately Beatles 'Revolution' although I've been immersed in their soup my whole life, as you know. (PS thank you all those years back for playing your brother's White Album and running off a cassette copy - it changed my musical path.) In fact, I'll PM you with the song that I was channelling subconsciously for the first line of the verse which I had to 'rewire'. Regarding the vocals, I am increasingly winding back on the 2nd and 3rd main vocal tracks to build up confidence in singing and mixing. I mentioned in my notes that both are 12db below the true main and probably don't need to be there. Yes, I am really happy how my simplistic lead guitar in the bridge worked out. Thanks for listening (again)!
Originally Posted by Knee Wobbler
PS, I see you’re an Expert now! I’ll be sending all my production queries and problems your way now!
Far from it, but I am learning and I think my current mixes are better than when I joined the forum. Isn't it normally 10,000 hours to make an expert, but I'm only 860 posts!
Originally Posted by dcuny
This was originally a synth rock song? It definitely works in this "heavier" style. Nice work all around! The "Stones" influence is strong, and works.
Thanks David. Well, synth rock is probably not entirely accurate, but it had a synth bass and some 'synthy' keys, plus earlier versions of my guitar riffs. For a moment there, I thought you were going to pull an 'Obi-wan Kenobi' comment and say "The Stones is strong in this one". I've never been much of a Stones fan - much preferring their northern competition. I know you didn't ask, but I also prefer Blur over Oasis, since I am referring to Britrock competition. Thanks for listening! Andrew
Thanks so much David - yes I've had a couple of piano accordions for a few years, pull them out occasionally when the mood takes me to have a play, super chuffed you approved of the tune and playing - appreciate your very nice comments, many thanks for listening! Best, Carl
My PC is using a Creative Audigy FX internal sound card for playing music, playing videos and general stuff and only keep it because it has a sub out jack that I use for those purposes. It's been installed for a long time and working great. I don't rely on it for the other things that I do, so I started experimenting with the UMC204HD and using them in the same computer with the same windows 10 and the same BIAB and the same speakers (Reaper and Davinci Resolve and a few others also). I fought with the dual driver issues until I did the chat scenario and "they" walked me right through the correct settings to use and how to switch back and forth. Now everything works perfectly. One of the main solutions is I'm using a USB switch (suggested by chat) on the UMC and an A/B speaker switch (again suggested by chat) and let windows automatically choose which device to input from and output to. That seems to have solved my dual driver problems. The AI stuff is really getting kinda scary......
Nicely done, David! Cool song. I really like the arrangement, and especially the vocal arrangement. Think you nailed the America-style BGV/harmony approach and they give the song a nice lift. Nicely mixed, too.
I'm glad to hear it! Sometimes I work with the song so long, I can't really hear it any more, so to speak.
Quote
Thanks as always for the production notes, though you doth protest too much based on the outcome. You've done a nice job with the synth vocals, but it would be cool to hear you take the lead, too. Maybe next time.
It may sound like I'm fishing for compliments, but I'm not kidding - sometimes it's hard to tell. My kids will listen and say "It's fine" and go back to playing Animal Crossing or watching Once Upon A Time. And I know better than to ask my wife, because our musical tastes are different. I think just about every songwriter (other than J&B) on the forum know that story. I think this song goes up to a high "E", and that's stretching it for me. I can usually hit a high "D" (fairly reliably thanks to Melodyne) but any higher than that during the winter is really pushing things! But hopefully I can shame myself into it. Thanks again!
I'm looking forward to trying it when it gets added to my Celemony account. It is an Essentials version but mine to keep. For the subscription I'm not sure you would be able to use anything you've downloaded if you cancel the sub. The stuff you download may be tied exclusively to the Tonalics program. That's where their tech wizardry is.
You'd think they would but I'm betting they already did with Monday's announcements. The last two years, Fender was in attendance at NAMM but in an area not open to general attendees. A company has to make an appointment for their buyer who partners with a salesperson with a clipboard prepared to take your dealer order. Being the Owner/Admin for my company, I could sign someone up but I've never been a Fender dealer and don't intend to start now. I don't need to occupy the same niche as my local Guitar Center. Like almost all attendees, I'm hoping that Fender is more visible at NAMM this year but I'm not holding my breath.
Thank you David, I think I got the mix as best as possible by the time I got to v3, without starting over completely. There were a few fluffs in the vocals that were glossed over and I really should have gone back and re-recorded them. But I thought I’d worked it too much and leave them before the song lost its sheen with me. Thank you for your comments and feedback. Kind regards.
Hi Sol I don’t mind the touch of sadness in this one. It’s only natural to feel the loss (of friends, family and faculties), and thank goodness it happens gradually so that one has time to adjust. I remember a few years back when I began to lose flexibility in my fingers and decided I was going to use it as a reminder of all the good years my fingers gave me rather than the loss moving ahead - and I think that can be a good metaphor for relationships as well. I reflect on all the people I have known and now don’t see as time has moved on and no doubt I will meet new friends in the future. Relationships and community - most important. Thank you for sharing this wonderful song and causing me to reflect on this important topic. Enjoyed it! Andrew
according to the IA : WAS/WASAPI and ASIO do NOT use the same audio decoding engine under Windows. ________________________________________ 🔹 In WAS (WASAPI) mode When BIAB (or Windows Media Player) is in WAS mode: • Windows uses: o Media Foundation o + the complete Windows media graph • WMA Pro decoding is performed before the audio output • Only then: o the decoded stream is sent to the sound card ➡️ Result: ✅ the WMA file is decoded correctly ✅ playback works ________________________________________ 🔹 In ASIO mode When you switch to ASIO: • ASIO completely bypasses the Windows audio stack • There is: o ❌ no more media graph o ❌ no more complete Media Foundation • BIAB then asks Windows: "Give me the decoded audio stream" But: • Windows can no longer initialize the WMA Pro decoder • because it depends on the WAS / Media Foundation stack ➡️ Result: • ❌ decoding Impossible • ❌ Error: Unsupported format • ❌ Windows Media Player also fails when ASIO is active Audio Mode WMA Pro Decoding Playback WAS / WASAPI ✔️ via Media Foundation ✔️ OK ASIO ❌ Media Foundation not accessible ❌ Error VLC ✔️ internal codec ✔️ OK 👉 The format is NOT invalid 👉 The codec path disappears when ASIO takes over ________________________________________ 🔥 Why is this happening now (it used to work)? Since Windows 10 (22H2) / Windows 11: • Microsoft has: o fragmented Media Foundation o tied certain codecs to the WAS pipeline • WMA Pro only works within this pipeline ➡️ ASIO = outside the pipeline = unavailable codec => use BIAB in WAS mode !
Hi, Mssr. Seriass. Love the intro. Great write: And I hope you find peace in another man's arms Where laughter rings true and won't cause any harm No fire, no fight—just open sky Where your name doesn’t ache when I say goodbye Sounds like a classic. As others have said, "simple song" my posterior. Simple is the hardest write. Did I mention that arrangement and vocals? Great song, from start to abrupt false ending!
Hi, J&B. One of my favorite Jackson Browne (among so many!). Of course, Janice makes it her own. Peter does a great job stepping in for David Lindley. PS: I always wondered how one could "count the time in quarter tones". Of course, "quarter notes" doesn't rhyme, so poetic license wins, as it should.
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I think this song goes up to a high "E", and that's stretching it for me. I can usually hit a high "D" (fairly reliably thanks to Melodyne) but any higher than that during the winter is really pushing things! But hopefully I can shame myself into it. 
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