Hi Marty. This is a great write and a great performance. I wouldn't trade-in your vocalist or the bass player for the world They are fantastic! The story made me smile, tap my feet and feel totally entertained. Loved the listen. --Noel
...He basically said build your tracks in BiaB and then get out of it as soon as possible and get into your DAW...
Yes, and that's exactly the problem that needs fixing, not running from. If all of the functionality worked seamlessly, correctly, properly, there would be no need to go to a DAW. The O/P's post clearly identifies items that need fixing. There should be no need to go to a DAW. Bottom line: I would rather have these functions work properly inside BIAB instead of having to take the song into another product to get it to completed. And that's what the O/P has demonstrated needs to occur.
There are three CLA (Chris Lord Alge) that I love using: CLA Guitars, CLA Vocals, CLA Mixdown. Much of the time the Band in the Box doesn't need mixing tricks as they are performed so well. The Mixdown plug-in does add some sweetness and clarity that I like. Waves Vocal Rider is a really easy way to match vocals to the instruments. The L3 UltraMaximizer limiter is wonderfully easy to use. So is the Renaissance Reverb. I'll add one that is not Waves: Gilder Vox, developed by Joe Gilder who is a spokesperson for Studio One, now Fender Pro. Gilder Vox is quite easy to use for polishing vocals. John
Glad that helped If you have a recent version (and really want to hard write an effect, which I don't recommend) there is an entry in the list called '64 bit DX/VST FX' (or close). That will let you hard write a section using the real-time plugins. But why do that? // I made my FX button that blue light color that you see on some equipment, looks pretty cool that way
Thanks for the info, I was wondering what that was for. But, no hard writing for me, I'm as happy as a clam with the FX button on the tracks window. That's perfection IMO. Thanks again!
Hey, Marty. I thought I'd give this a listen before I wash dishes. Now I'm going to dance with that music in my head while doing the dishes and hopefully none will fall on the floor! That's really different...a Tex Mex groove! I hadn't heard that done before. Your vocals are superb on it. The minor keys really give it the mood. I enjoyed it! Very well done! John
Oooo...I have a lot to respond to here. First of all thank you very much to all of you who have responded! Andrew: Yep, the middle part...you're on the dance floor dancing like a chimpanzee on a hot skillet when suddenly the tempo slows half speed. What do you do now? Well, that's what the Bee Gees did with "Night's on Broadway." When I heard that I thought that's genius! It really adds an unexpected surprise and interest in the melody! I decided to do that on "You Can Feel It." I forgot to add that I played the midi strings. I also used Waves Flow Motion Stereo and selected I Feel Love from the Melodic Sequence section on the menu. DC Ron: The vocals are Cooper Moss, who is on FiveRR and Airgigs. He's from Scotland and moved to Nashville, a good friend of Robert Quigley who finished the lyrics on this song. He said he was up for doing something different. Thank you on the "super tune" comment! It was one of those tunes that I instantly knew was a catchy one. It's one of two wild rides I've done. My other is a Twisted Sister influenced one called, "Ride the Wave." Marty: I'm not a good dancer either. My coordination sucks. After 50 years of playing guitar, I'm still a novice! I just use it for composing songs. That's why I was excited about finding Band in a Box! I took the time to teach myself how to read music when I was in my 30s which is useful for using Band in a Box. To learn how to read music as easily as I could, I went to the childrens section of the library. In an hour I was actually reading "The Mickey Mouse March." That was actually a big start and the rest fell into place easily. I have to listen to my doctors, too. I use a walking stick to get around since my flat feet have peripheral neuropathy. Bob: I'm surprised at the mix. I was still in my first year of trying to learn how to mix. That was in 2022. It took several tries to get it. I think I went about it the way most people who are curious do it. First it was using online mastering. After a year I dove into the plethora of crazy stuff like EQ, compression, limiters, and so on. I bought a lot of plug-ins that I hardly use. It takes me longer than most people to get the hang of things but once I do it's there solid. Mario: I'm thrilled you like it so well! It's probably the most exciting one I've done. It's all downhill from here! Hahaha! The best to all of you! John
+1 Jeff. 6 non-standard ways to do looping in BiaB?? Years ago when I was brand new to BiaB, I decided to listen to a piece of wisdom from Mario. He basically said build your tracks in BiaB and then get out of it as soon as possible and get into your DAW. I followed that advice, have avoided much heartburn, my DAW has a slam-dunk easy loop range capability and it has served me well for years. Why anyone would want to swallow broken glass and loop within BiaB is beyond me. I'll pass on what Mario said . . . use BiaB for what it is good at and then jump to your DAW.
Andrew, here's a second response based on what I observe my lyricist doing... The inspiration can be literally anything. He wrote a song about a calendar I had hanging on our shared bedroom wall in 1975. He wrote another song about a girl I dated exactly once in high school, who he never met. Wrote another about a trip I made to Manhattan without knowing anything about the trip other than it lasted five days. The launch point can be whatever he hears that grabs his imagination. And imagination, is, I believe, the key. He's an accomplished "method actor" with regard to inhabiting the story he wishes to tell. For example, we had a stupidly idyllic childhood, but he can write a breathtaking lyric about abusive parents. And he's been married for over 40 years, but has been writing songs about breaking up for...over 50 years. So "write what you know" is good advice indeed. But learning how to write beyond what you know and about WHAT INSPIRES YOU is perhaps next level stuff. Jimmy Webb was not a lineman, but wrote one of the most beloved (and recorded) songs of all time about the longing of a lineman. But for sure, it's a journey, not a destination...
Hi Ron! Please respond as often as you like - you've always got an interesting insight - and because we both come from different starting points, you'll see and experience something that I might not. Those points above are really good angles to approach from. I'm going to summarise key points from posters' responses and blu-tak it to my desk - just to give me a mental nudge every so often. I think I was getting anxious when I posted this thread because (IMHO) I have a potentially good song, was bereft of ideas at the time, and didn't want the words to stuff it up, despite being a person that tends to under-value the lyrics-side of songwriting. I've amazed myself a few (emphasis - FEW) times over my songwriting years with good lyrics, and like all things, I think one gets better with more practice and intentional skill-stretching. Andrew
Hi, Andrew. ... I've been criticized heavily by a few other songwriters who pride themselves on their lyrics and called my songs "generic."
Generic? Ouch! How unkind. Songwriting is a spectrum, and one song might be slanted one way while another has a different emphasis - or style - or mood - or directness etc. As listeners, some songs tickle our fancy and others don't. Our own preferences are not the only way.
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I do write conversational songs and tell stories in plain ways. Conversely, I remember one songwriter who emphasized lyrics was pissed that I write very catchy memorable tunes. I have to admit a personal disdain for lyricists who get too cryptic and are elevated to some sophisticated status and considered "deep" while all the while I can't understand what the g0dd@mn fcck they've written!
Too cryptic? Guilty as charged your Honour! Please - if I write a really good song with cryptic lyrics, I wouldn't mind being elevated to some sophisticated status and considered deep, even just for a day! But I have also written some direct lyrics, storytelling etc. I was always impressed by Neil Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House) that he could write what I will call 'oblique' lyrics - very singable but what are they about? e.g. Distant Sun. J&B on this forum call them 'join the dots' lyrics - interpretable in many ways.
Quote
Yesterday I put up "You Can Feel It" and wondered where the hell I put it. I could swear I hit the submit button. I looked and didn't see it so I figured I must not have hit the button hard enough. So I tried it again. Okay, it worked. Then I found out today that I posted the first one on this topic by mistake! Geez, I really am 71 years! But I'm on the autism spectrum so I just tell myself I've been like this all my life. John
Don't worry about that John - you can always mark the post in the wrong area as 'Resolved' or delete entirely. The number of times I've responded to another's post only to find I never pressed 'Post Reply'. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the forums and actively contributing - you have a lot to offer in many ways! Andrew
I Still Love You ! Hello, this is a live busking track with me singing and playing lead guitar with the BiaB soundtrack. I have the BiaB song uploaded but I have lost the Style somehow. Ha, I found it, it was saved under another name. ****** Song Summary ************* Title: I Still Love You File:I Still Love You.SGU Key=G , Tempo 104, Length (m:s)=2:55 No intro. 72 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 72. Repeat x1 chorus No Melody No Soloist track. Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0, Style is _SNAPPER.STY (Snapper Spacey Jam Rock) RealTracks in style: 1255:Bass, Electric, PopShiningA-B Ev 120 RealTracks in style: 3710:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm 90sJamRockFunky Ev16 110 RealTracks in style: 3711:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm 90sJamRockGroovin16ths Ev16 110 RealTracks in style: 2650:Guitar, Electric, Background DreamyPopBalladFillsBrent Ev 085 RealDrums in style:PopRock16ths^01-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
Cool rocker. Loved the groove. Excellent guitar, vocal and backtrack. Really nice mix. Well done..
Thanks Scott!
Originally Posted by Floyd jane
Andrew, Good stuff!!! Good write. Love your vocals on this. And BGVs... Cool guitar. Cool production. Again - VERY Neil Young-ish. Sounds like it came right off the On The Beach album. Really. Digging your posts...
Thanks Floyd! I'm unfamiliar with that album so I'll check it out. Andrew
DC Ron, What are you here for? BIAB? We can absolutely discuss that. Identifying / solving issues, workflow, tricks, ideas, usage? I am up for it. There is a recent post by a very dedicated member that talks about deeper issues within BIAB that need to be solved ASAP. Please join the discussion: https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=878138#Post878138 I have enormous respect for the OP, as BIAB would be much "less" without him.
I'll keep this brief as I'm recuperating from surgery. Thanks to everyone showing an interest.... FYI the original rough demo of white Corvette done in a studio is on my SoundCloud in my signature White Corvette. Vocals Etc were all one take. Free studio time.. lol. you guys are fantastic and thanks once again. Om
Hi there Marty, hope you’re doing well. Thank you for your kind words. I hadn’t thought about the vocals being akin to PMac, but now that you mention it, I could imagine him singing it…..certainly now that he can’t sing anymore! …..Ooooh, Controversial! The vocals scrubbed up well with extra reverb. You can hear in the original that my voice was starting to crack in places, but the reverb has levelled a lot of that out. Quite willing to lend the song out for child development groups and psyche groups… for a modest fee of course! Cheers Marty, appreciate your kind words as always. Respect.
Andrew, here's a second response based on what I observe my lyricist doing... The inspiration can be literally anything. He wrote a song about a calendar I had hanging on our shared bedroom wall in 1975. He wrote another song about a girl I dated exactly once in high school, who he never met. Wrote another about a trip I made to Manhattan without knowing anything about the trip other than it lasted five days. The launch point can be whatever he hears that grabs his imagination. And imagination, is, I believe, the key. He's an accomplished "method actor" with regard to inhabiting the story he wishes to tell. For example, we had a stupidly idyllic childhood, but he can write a breathtaking lyric about abusive parents. And he's been married for over 40 years, but has been writing songs about breaking up for...over 50 years. So "write what you know" is good advice indeed. But learning how to write beyond what you know and about WHAT INSPIRES YOU is perhaps next level stuff. Jimmy Webb was not a lineman, but wrote one of the most beloved (and recorded) songs of all time about the longing of a lineman. But for sure, it's a journey, not a destination...
Thank you for the listen and kind review Hans, I’ll have to include more playing in future videos, then everybody can see how average I really am. Glad you liked the video and thank you for the timeless comment about the lyrics. Kind regards.
Thank you John I don’t think you can underestimate how much therapy there is in writing songs. Both for writer and listener. I feel a great deal of creative satisfaction from it that I don’t get from any other past time. It’s a bonus if the listener resonates with the lyrics as long as it isn’t validating an issue with them. Glad you liked it and the Steve Milleresque vibe. Kind regards John.
FWIW, I don't come here to read the ideological posts of 3rd party software vendors, or anyone else for that matter. Even if reproduced verbatim. Just...think about it.
Hi, Andrew. The distinction I make in words vs. lyrics is that lyrics are colorful, have ways of looking at things differently, poetic, yet easy to follow. For example the song "Windy" by Ruthann Friedman recorded by The Association. Gordon Lightfoot has a very minstrel and poetic way of putting his songs across as well as a great tunesmith. On the other hand, a song like "Lonely People" by Dan Peek (America) is like talking to someone at church, in a restaurant, or a party. Yet "Lonely People" was still something people could relate to and it had a catchy melody. I've been criticized heavily by a few other songwriters who pride themselves on their lyrics and called my songs "generic." I do write conversational songs and tell stories in plain ways. Conversely, I remember one songwriter who emphasized lyrics was pissed that I write very catchy memorable tunes. I have to admit a personal disdain for lyricists who get too cryptic and are elevated to some sophisticated status and considered "deep" while all the while I can't understand what the g0dd@mn fcck they've written! Yesterday I put up "You Can Feel It" and wondered where the hell I put it. I could swear I hit the submit button. I looked and didn't see it so I figured I must not have hit the button hard enough. So I tried it again. Okay, it worked. Then I found out today that I posted the first one on this topic by mistake! Geez, I really am 71 years! But I'm on the autism spectrum so I just tell myself I've been like this all my life. John
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They are fantastic! The story made me smile, tap my feet and feel totally entertained. Loved the listen. --Noel
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But I have also written some direct lyrics, storytelling etc. I was always impressed by Neil Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House) that he could write what I will call 'oblique' lyrics - very singable but what are they about? e.g. Distant Sun. J&B on this forum call them 'join the dots' lyrics - interpretable in many ways. 
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