Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
I created this, this morning, as an homage to the incomparable Joni Mitchell. I have agonised over the mix, and would be happy for any suggestions to improve it - I am at my wits' end with it. All comments (about the mix and anything else to do with the song) very welcome - thanks for listening!

https://audiomack.com/jamesdelsono/song/joni-mitchell


JONI MITCHELL

When Joni Mitchell writes a song
It seems that nothing, nothing can go wrong
I'd sit and listen all day long
When Joni Mitchell writes a song.

When Joni Mitchell sings a melody,
I feel she sings just to you and me
When Joni Mitchell bares her soul,
I feel that I'm no longer so alone.

I only just have heard her, my first time, yesterday;
And therefore I wonder ... have you heard her, I pray?
I hope that you can tell me the way she makes you feel,
For me, the way she sings just makes it a little bit more real.

It's coming on Christmas, they've cut down the trees,
But her stunning music has moved mountains and seas;
And if you have found, at last, the river of your dreams,
I hope you'll let me listen ... and skate, perhaps, with me.


****** Song Summary *************
Title: 8 December 2021 - B
File:8 December 2021 - B.SGU
Key=C , Tempo 60, Length (m:s)=3:04
No intro. 42 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 42. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Style is _DONT_GO.STY (Don't Go Vintage 12-8 Pop Ballad)

RealTracks in style: 2938:Bass, Fretless Electric Slow12-8Rene Sw 065
RealTracks in style: ~2052:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Sw 065
RealTracks in style: 3884:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm VintagePopArpSlow128 Sw 060
RealTracks in style: 3778:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm VintagePopArpSlow128 Sw 060
RealDrums [in style:AmericanaSlow128^01-a:Kick Sidestick, b:Kick Snare

*******************


Mixed, with various effects, in Mixcraft Pro Studio 9.

User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,689
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,689
James,

A clever "tribute". (I'm a huge JM fan, too)

There is a good deal of sibliance to the vocal and (for my tastes) too much reverb (makes it a bit hard to catch the lyrics at first - but it's okay once your ears adjust).

When you sing "Joni Mitchell" (each time), you rush a bit to get all the syllables in. I think the song would be effective if you simply sang "Joni" (no Mitchell). Most listeners will know the reference, it would add a touch of "mystery" and it would sing much better.

fj

User Showcase
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,390
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,390
Wonderful, James. Quite a beautiful tribute. I, too, am a big Joni fan. At 18 I found myself homeless for awhile, and only had a stereo and 6 albums --3 were hers because that's all she had then (I also had a bass). As for the mix, I couldn't agree more with Floyd. As soon as you start singing, the sibilance starts, and it probably is because of the added reverb. Still, it doesn't detract from your marvelous singing/speaking voice, and the lyrics are delivered with clarity despite the occasional sibilant distractions. I particularly like the bg humming, and think it adds a special touch. I also think that Floyd was right in dropping the Mitchell. BiaB has a pretty good Joni STY, but I like this tribute that doesn't attempt to imitate her.


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub
and https://soundcloud.com/babumusic-5080285
Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,523
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,523
I like the song just as it is with whatever issues it may have.

Joni is one of those people I will never forget. That is a function of the times when I listen to her.

Sometimes the "message" is much more important than the endless search for a better "mix".

Good stuff,

Billy


New location, new environment, new music coming soon

Seize the moo-ment
If you feel like you’ve herd all these cow puns before, you probably have deja-moo
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,677
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,677
Hi James,

well, that's a very fine tribute to a truely great musician and writer. Haven't listened to my old JM LPs, not CDs) for many years, and now I think it's about time to dive into the shelf.

Thanks for very nice lyrics and a lot of unusual chord progressions.

All the best,

Stefan

User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
floyd: thank you so much. As you know, sometimes one (at least, I) can get really bogged down in a song, if I've worked on it for too long, and can't see the wood for the trees any longer. So thank you for your perspective on it ... I will work on it at the weekend, I think (sadly, no time before then ... argh).

Marty: thanks so much. Kind, as always. I've added far too much reverb, both on the spoken track as well as on the hummed track - so perhaps that's why the sibilance is there, as you say. I remember a certain singer rehearsing with his band, when the piano player made a major error. He profusely apologised to the singer, and the singer just said: "No worries ... that's why we have rehearsal". That stuck with me ... so, basically, that's why we have this board, thankfully ... to bounce ideas off one another and hopefully improve the "end product" (I hate that phrase, haha). So: THANKS for helping me along! :-)

Billy: thank you. I want to keep a certain bit of "human error" in the song, i.e. an audible breath here and there, but perhaps it still needs some work, so that it's not TOO much? haha. Regardless, thank you for your amazing words - and yes, I agree with you ... sometimes, just sometimes, the message is so much more important than (as you say) the endless search for a better mix.

Thanks, all :-)

User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
Stefan: thank you. It's kinda scary to write a tribute to such an incredible artist ... it can easily go wrong, so I'm so glad to hear so much positive feedback. Thank you for your kind words!

User Showcase
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,563
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,563
Fitting tribute to a great artist and an honest song creator. Joni always seemed to have something in the tank as she spun her musical tales until, viola, she sprung it on the listener. She must have has a complex personality.


Link: www.soundcloud.com/ed_shaw (Feel Free to Use)
https://drooble.com/edward.shaw/hymn/index.htm
Biab for WIN 2020 -- Win 10 64bit -- Reaper/Audacity
Zoom R-16 -- Tascam DP-03-SD -- SoundTap -- Crescendo --
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,562
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,562
Awesome tribute James. I am too a fan of her music. Excellent vocal and backtrack. Well done


Scott Collingwood
https://soundcloud.com/scottt709
https://soundcloud.com/spiritlevel-ca
https://www.youtube.com/@SpiritLevel-ge3hm/
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,656
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,656
Nice tribute!

River is an astonishingly good song.

Your song's pretty good too! laugh


-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,817
Veteran
Online Content
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,817
A super tribute!

However I agree with Floyd:

Originally Posted By: floyd jane
James,

A clever "tribute". (I'm a huge JM fan, too)

There is a good deal of sibliance to the vocal and (for my tastes) too much reverb (makes it a bit hard to catch the lyrics at first - but it's okay once your ears adjust).

When you sing "Joni Mitchell" (each time), you rush a bit to get all the syllables in. I think the song would be effective if you simply sang "Joni" (no Mitchell). Most listeners will know the reference, it would add a touch of "mystery" and it would sing much better.

fj


Clean up that vocal and you will have a winner for sure.


Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up.
Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,144
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,144
A fine tribute, I enjoyed it. Any imperfections are trivial (to my ear). I guess you know she just got honored at the Kennedy Center here in Washington DC.


Windows 10, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 6i6, Komplete keyboard, Sony Acid Music Studio 11, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1,815
D
Expert
Offline
Expert
D
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1,815
James,

You've gotten a lot of great feedback so far, and I have nothing more to add in that regard. But wanted to note a lovely inspiration for a song, and you've done Joni proud. Well done!

All my best,

Deej

User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,429
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,429
Hello James ...

what a great tribute song! To me, it sounds fine as is. It has the Delsano sound that I enjoy so much. You have a distinctive style that I enjoy and appreciate. You have way with words that I see as a well-thought-out casual easiness to it. I don't know if that makes any sense. Simply it sounds so extemporaneous yet comes across as a prepared presentation.

Regardless, I always enjoy what you have to offer. I like this a lot - a whole lot!

Take care, my friend.

Alan


BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*16GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar

Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops

User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,253
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,253
James,
yes, you've slipped back into old habits with the vocals.
take a break, rest and then get back to it - you know how to deal with those issues.
Interesting lyric and tribute. The humming tells me you could sing this mate...you ought to.
As to Ms Mitchell I'm probably alone in REALLY not liking her.
I appreciate her talent and the absolute fanaticism of her admirers but she leaves me cold.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,749
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,749
Another very interesting write.

About the mix:
- The humming in the background is a little overpowering.
My thoughts.......apply a low cut EQ and perhaps cut around 500hz to reduce the muddiness.
Maybe try some female Oohs & Aahs

-The spoken word is a bit washed out by reverb.
Here again I'd tweak the EQ in the low end and mids to brighten it up just a tad and back off the reverb a little.
Maybe add a little boost in the upper end to add some presence.

Hey, what the hell do I know, just throwing stuff against the wall.

moto



Last edited by CaptainMoto; 12/10/21 03:17 PM.
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,076
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,076
Nice tribute James....

J&B

User Showcase
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,048
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,048
Hi James,

The song itself is very nice.
But as you asked for some advice:
There's a bit too much reverb and sometimes one can hear you swallow. May be you can remove that.
And using a de-esser might help too.

But the song is a very nice tribute!

Rob and Anne-Marie


We are Rob Meulman and Anne-Marie Bovenkamp from The Netherlands.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1gsdNLE7_Gy8qavoOplQow/videos
http://rnam.net/


User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
Originally Posted By: edshaw
Fitting tribute to a great artist and an honest song creator. Joni always seemed to have something in the tank as she spun her musical tales until, viola, she sprung it on the listener. She must have has a complex personality.


Yes! Complex personality or not, I feel it reflects incredibly on her songwriting, and that's what matters, right? Thanks for your kind words!

Originally Posted By: Scott C
Awesome tribute James. I am too a fan of her music. Excellent vocal and backtrack. Well done


Thanks, Scott!!!

Originally Posted By: dcuny
Nice tribute!

River is an astonishingly good song.

Your song's pretty good too! laugh


Haha. Thanks for your comments on my other two songs, too ... didn't get a chance to reply. You're right "Dance by the Fire" needs work!!! Thanks for being honest and pointing it out :-)

Originally Posted By: MarioD
A super tribute!

However I agree with Floyd:

Originally Posted By: floyd jane
James,

A clever "tribute". (I'm a huge JM fan, too)

There is a good deal of sibliance to the vocal and (for my tastes) too much reverb (makes it a bit hard to catch the lyrics at first - but it's okay once your ears adjust).

When you sing "Joni Mitchell" (each time), you rush a bit to get all the syllables in. I think the song would be effective if you simply sang "Joni" (no Mitchell). Most listeners will know the reference, it would add a touch of "mystery" and it would sing much better.

fj


Clean up that vocal and you will have a winner for sure.


Thanks Mario!!! I'll be on it as soon as I get some time!

User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,004
Originally Posted By: TuneMonger
A fine tribute, I enjoyed it. Any imperfections are trivial (to my ear). I guess you know she just got honored at the Kennedy Center here in Washington DC.


I didn't know that - didn't make the news here in the UK - thanks for letting me know! Thanks for your kind comments about the song, too!

Originally Posted By: Deej56
James,

You've gotten a lot of great feedback so far, and I have nothing more to add in that regard. But wanted to note a lovely inspiration for a song, and you've done Joni proud. Well done!

All my best,

Deej


Thank you!!!

Originally Posted By: Al-David
Hello James ...

what a great tribute song! To me, it sounds fine as is. It has the Delsano sound that I enjoy so much. You have a distinctive style that I enjoy and appreciate. You have way with words that I see as a well-thought-out casual easiness to it. I don't know if that makes any sense. Simply it sounds so extemporaneous yet comes across as a prepared presentation.

Regardless, I always enjoy what you have to offer. I like this a lot - a whole lot!

Take care, my friend.

Alan


Thanks so much, Alan. Wishing you all the very best, as always!

Originally Posted By: rayc
James,
yes, you've slipped back into old habits with the vocals.
take a break, rest and then get back to it - you know how to deal with those issues.
Interesting lyric and tribute. The humming tells me you could sing this mate...you ought to.
As to Ms Mitchell I'm probably alone in REALLY not liking her.
I appreciate her talent and the absolute fanaticism of her admirers but she leaves me cold.


We all have different tastes, no worries, of course :-) Yes, I'll deal with the song as soon as I get a chance to breathe! haha. Thanks :-)

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
User Video: Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box®

The Bob Doyle Media YouTube channel is known for demonstrating how you can creatively incorporate AI into your projects - from your song projects to avatar building to face swapping, and more!

His latest video, Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box, he explains in detail how you can use the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box with ACE Studio. Follow along as he goes from "nothing" to "something" with his Band-in-a-Box MIDI Melodist track, using ACE Studio to turn it into a vocal track (or tracks, you'll see) by adding lyrics for those notes that will trigger some amazing AI vocals!

Watch: Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box


Band-in-a-Box® 2024 German for Windows is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!

Wir waren fleißig und haben über 50 neue Funktionen und eine erstaunliche Sammlung neuer Inhalte hinzugefügt, darunter 222 RealTracks, neue RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, abspielbare RealTracks Set 3, abspielbare RealDrums Set 2, zwei neue Sets von "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 und mehr!

Paket | Was ist Neu

Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!

Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!

Learn more about this free update for PowerTracks Pro Audio & download it at www.pgmusic.com/support_windows_pt.htm#2024_5

The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!

The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!

Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.

This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245

The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option

Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!

Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!

For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.

Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.

Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!

Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.

Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.

Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!

Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!

With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!

Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!

If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.

A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."

"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."

"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."

Forum Statistics
Forums66
Topics81,634
Posts735,249
Members38,521
Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
Newest Members
SYOTR, Bpnsrinu, DanyLevy, vasilich, maxrob61
38,520 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 181
DC Ron 99
dcuny 86
DrDan 73
Today's Birthdays
Bernard Rasson, John Temmerman
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5