This song came about because of several different Off Topic threads.
The first was eddie asking about Acidized Loops.
That lead to Joanne asking about "loop based DAWs".
Then there were a couple of "all over the place" threads discussing "the modern sound".

I have used loops in the past to add things (sounds or feel) to a mostly-BIAB production. But, not what I would call "the Loop Thing".
I believe that to get that "modern" Pop thing, you are really better off using loops in a DAW that handles loops well...BIAB can likely do it - if you put in enough effort - but that is not its "strength".
Since I have never done an ALL LOOPS song, I thought I would give it a try.

I used loops from the BAIB Loops folder, so this meets the requirement of "using PGMusic products". Barely.

I also processed the vocals more heavily than my typical productions.
(the harmonies, too - much of which are from Janice & Bud).
There has been some discussion about how vocal processing really drives that "modern" sound.
I believe that, whole heartedly.

It does seem that most of the people who seemed interested in these discussions have sort of disappeared - gone off elsewhere - left these discussion sort of hanging... oh well...

I suppose this could be an entry to Sammy #Hot100 thing, but it was not an attempt to copy anything from that list.
Does this hit that "modern" mark? I don't know.
Feel free to weigh in on that if you choose.
(It IS new to me.)
I won't do this often, but it did open my eyes to new possibilities.
I would much rather have a record produced by Jay Joyce or Dave Cobb.
(Both doing very current, very organic records for new artists).

These are the loops:

A Hip-Hop midi beat from GrooveMonkee - rendered with Studio One Impact

Studio One Loops (guitars) (audio loops)
01 Conviction G-A open
06 Conviction F#-B-A
07 Conviction A-F-G
08 Conviction A straight

I created 3 midi bass loops to coordinate with the Studio One guitar loops.
(rendered with Studio One Presence)

BIAB Loops (audio loops)
Chillout - awake_88_short_lead_a_minor
Dubstep - straight_gee_70_shaker_a_minor ev16
Old School - bumping_95_b drums ev16

I created 2 samples from Janice's vocals to mix in to the last chorus.

I will post a picture of the mix in Studio One.
It is certainly different than my usual mix screen.
The tracks are in the order of the above listed loops.

A BIG THANK YOU to Janice Merritt for the harmonies!
And to Bud for recording her...

I used the idea of "chasing that next thing" for the basis of the lyric.
(Seemed like what a lot of those Off Topic threads were about...)
So this all came about because of this forum....(or that one over there)


A NEW YOU

we've always done things a certain way
we had an understanding
we didn't ask too much of one another
no ultimatums no demanding

now you want to change all that
you want to shake thing up
brand new mask a different hat
talk of breaking up
upside down, spinning 'round
coming down and landing hard
where is this all coming from
you caught me off guard

a new you
i can't keep up
i can't keep up
a new you
i can't keep up
i can't catch
this new you

is it really better on the other side
the grass really that much greener
didnt you hear what taylor said
those people are so much meaner

you want to change this and that
you want to shake thing up
brand new mask a different hat
talk of breaking up
upside down, spinning 'round
coming down and landing hard
where is this all coming from
you caught me off guard

a new you
i can't keep up
i can't keep up
a new you
i can't keep up
i can't catch
this new you

i watched you walk away
i heard you slam that door
i truly hope you find
what you are looking for

a new you
i can't keep up
i can't keep up
a new you
i can't keep up
i can't catch
this new you


Have fun with this. I did.
Comments much encouraged.


floyd

A screen shot of the Loops mentioned above...





And a shot of the vocals in the last chorus that includes the "Janice Samples"

Floyd,

Wow! This is like hearing the sound of a new blend of Pop Country... A tremendous piece of work. The vocal and mix is just great - so crisp and sharp.

I love the breakdown at around 2:21 - also when the "Janice Samples" comes in - great stuff!

Blown away and impressed by what you have accomplished here...

Bob

Yes, too bad those threads died off, I was quite interested in those discussions after I got over my initial prejudice about what is "good" and certainly learned a few things along the way, especially the discussion on processing vocals.

Maybe you could break down what you used on the vocals? I'm sure I'm not the only one that would be interested in that.

Sounds good to me, the chorus is especially strong.

I'm no expert on what is hip and current, not even close! But, this sounds modern to these old ears

Floyd,
"brand new mask a different hat" which you wear with cache, sir!
An amazing accomplishment which proves many points about the possibilities,both of the software and the ability of real musicians to reinvent themselves... in any era.
I really liked that chord change on the first line of the chorus and hearing both you and Janice in this outside the box setting.
Oh, and the blue shades!

Robert

Sounds great man.

I really like what you have done here artistically. To tell you the truth the contest didn't make complete sense to me, really.

I think artists are going to do what they are going to do and blaze their own trail.

I feel there are plenty of artists here on the forum. Just because someone is not imitating what is on the radio this second does not mean they are not "modern." The most modern moment I have never heard is when Tom Waits started banging on a saucepan and screaming over an out of tune guitar. Modern is what you say it is, if you are an artist, not what anyone else says it is, in my opinion.

In that spirit, I really enjoyed this as another side of Floyd.

And I did not leave you hanging. About to post.

Tell me if you recognize anybody noteworthy.

Interested sound.
I prefer your tipical sound but good work at the same time.

I never used loops in my music, so I've found your post interesting.

Sergio

I love how the off topic subforum can spark such creativity. I really dig what you came up with, and it's super awesome to what threads like those inspire people to make song-wise. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for listing Floyd. What a great effort to knit all those loops together.
Sounds very modern to me. Great effort sir. Rob

Lot of good takeaways here. The 'Modern' challenge seems to coax stronger lyrics from the writers that are moving out of their traditional comfort zone. I think that it's going to be good for the Biab community in general with the new emphasis on improving the vocal effects chain.

This is a good write, mix, production and performance. It's certainly an enjoyable listen and for me, you hit your stride and was on the mark frome about 2:20 on....

Wow Floyd, you could've fool me about not being used to an old loops production. Outstanding job all around.

Mike B.

floyd & Janice

Technically extremely clever - quite an undertaking!
Liked the song some wonderful writing - the vocals sound great - loved the way you used the Janice loop (and of course the harmony). You two sound so in sync it's uncanny.
Impressive work all round.

Peter

Ok...when I see terms like "Chillout" and "Dubstep" In a Floyde Jane song...you can understand where for the first time in a while; I really didn't have an expectation of how it would sound. "Straight conviction" I expect in any song of yours though

Man, you knocked it out of the park. I think you made the loops work really well; and still managed to keep "you." It's like a fresh take on something you already love. It's not giving up on anything you've done to only be this. Both is such a cool answer.

The orchestration and arrangement to give the song movement was awesome in my book.

The syncopation created by a combination of word choice AND delivery was impressive!

Then contrasted by the held out chorus (nice melodic and harmonic supoort choices btw) really makes the song work. Again, word choice was brilliant for the melodic content of being held out.

Thank you for making this song. It's says SO MUCH beyond the words and music you have written. Class, Floyd. You both teach it and have it.

Cool and interesting piece of work.

Some time back in Sonar, I used loops to create a short instrumental piece. It was a fun experiment.

It's always good to try new things to get us out of the rut we all tend to find too comfortable.

Really well done! Definitely a really modern feel, and you incorporated those loops stunningly well. The way the song builds with all those harmonies at the chorus is incredible. It gives it such a huge, tremendously powerful energy. Honestly, this is one of my favourites I've heard from you.

You nailed this one - thanks so much for sharing

Dear Floyd

Well done for rising to the challenge! I think far too often most of us are too ready to sit on the sidelines and talk instead of diving in and getting our feet wet!


And you have shown us all how to do it and shown us all so well. Good on you!

Floyd this is an excellent piece of music. I think your vocal skill would sound great in all different kinds of songs. If talking out loud my music tastes tend to lean more to classic rock and blues. But since becoming a member of the forum I have acquired a taste for all the different genres and it pleases me to hear people take a chance on something they haven't tried before. This software allows you to throw up some chords, spin the style selector add somethings that don't make sense and see what happens. I have heard so much really good music that have genres blended.

Well done...

Well, thanks, Bob. You made my day...

Dave - thanks for your continued support... appreciated...

And in response to your question... (be careful what you ask for - HA!)




Generally I group the mains vocals on one bus and the harmonies on a separate bus.
For some songs I don't group the harmonies - and then process them separately.
For this, all the vocals are group in a single bus which include these plugins:

(this acts as a D-esser: I know the line looks crazy - but it works... based on A Studio One preset for d-essing, then "increased" some)



EQ:



"regular" Compressor...



Analog Delay...



Room Reverb...



Limiter... (does very little)



And another reverb...



The Limiter and 2nd Reverb were "something new and different" for this effort.
The EQ, 2nd Compressor, Analog Delay and 1st Reverb are my normal go-to group.



I duplicated the main vocal and processed with these, then blended the two tracks.

EQ - dropping out the highs (and lows)...



Chorus... (fattens the vocal a bit)



This is a stereo "spreader" - increasing the distance between the left and right channels...




In addition to the big group above, the harmonies all got a Beat Delay...
(this is a very cool Studio One delay)

[img]http://floydjane.com/Pix/GDelay.JPG[/img]

In addition to the big group above, the harmonies all got a Beat Delay...
(this is a very cool Studio One delay)



(I think I hit a picture limit in the thread above.)

Thanks, Floyd, I appreciate you taking the time to do that!

Floyd, your vocal just put this in orbit!!!, Love it!!

Thanks, Robert...

This is really cool sounding. I would say that the instrumental on this certainly fits the "Modern Sound" talked about. Very creative use of the different tools you possess to create this. I like the effects used on the vocals. It leans towards that heavily processed sound that has been discussed but I'm not sure that your voice is meant for that kind of music lol. (Please don't take offense to that last comment. I love what you do regularly.) Overall, this is a great song and great composition.

Wait!..... There's a contest????

floyd, Good job on constructing the loops. The guitars sound great. The vocal processing is much like was talked about in the other thread and works nicely in this context. Janice nails her part again. This definitely is a new you! And I might add that I won't even attempt to keep up. Great job on a new sound, Tom

Hey Floyd,
This was really cool! For never having done the loop thing I think you did great! I loved the mix. The vocals/background vocals were very cool (nice job Janice). I've never done any recording with loops... This makes me wanna mess around with 'em.

Nice Job!

Greg

PS I have a new song I'll be posting soon.

Floyd,

You pulled it off man! It's certainly a much different sound than I'm used to hearing from you but it's very well done! I really like the background vocal work going on in here! Nice use of effects all around and that hook in the chorus is great! Thanks, Torrey

Thanks for stopping in, Sergio...




Thanks for having a listen, Ember...




Thanks, Rob...




Charlie - appreciate the comments...

Floyd's gone loopy!! And with incredible style too!! Really fun, clever, and very catchy. Love the bouncy rhythm. Love the really interesting melody in the chorus....reminds me of Todd Rundgren (one of my old faves). You never cease to amaze me my friend!! Take care. Greg

Well, that's certainly different!

I didn't really appreciate the mix until I listened in headphones. It sounded sort of flat on the speakers, but opened up once I got the headphones on.

Your list of plugins reminds me that Ozone has a free stereo widener which is pretty neat.

You've got me thinking about playing with loops again...

Different for sure Floyd. I like it better than I thought I would from your description. Top flight lyrics and production.

Floyd's gone loopy!! And with incredible style too!! Really fun, clever, and very catchy. Love the bouncy rhythm. Love the really interesting melody in the chorus....reminds me of Todd Rundgren???


No sorry This Just isn't Floyd And it don't work not one bit you have a distinct country voice ,, That could have/SHOULD HAVE sold records on a pro sounding country platform.


That was fun full stop.

Hello, floyd

I surely feel something new using loops in this country tune.
No, no, above words are not enough.
As Robert said, "brand new mask a different hat" which you wear with cache, sir.
And I entirely agree with Rob.
What a great effort to knit all those loops together.
Sounds very modern to me, too. Great effort sir.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

@rsdean
@robertkc
@peterf
@tommyad
@achordocaster
@torrey

Thanks y’all for mentioning my small part in this big production!

Janice

Floyd,

Well done. Sure has a modern sound to me. Big production sound, too. Great job.

Bob

Mike - nice of you to drop by...




Thanks, Peter!

Now...you aren't saying that just because this is largely YOUR fault... are you????







"getting out of a rut" isn't really a problem I've ever had...





Thanks, Deryk...




Thanks for giving me the idea for the lyric...




Thanks, Scott....

Nice that you asked...





Thanks, Cliff....





None taken, of course.... I get that... I generally feel the same way when I try to do a real rock tune. Glad you liked the rest of it...




Thanks, Tom...

Thanks, Greg. The loops thing was fun to have a go at. Don't think it will become my main thing, though... but it does have potential to add new things to the usual way of doing things...




I appreciate that, Torrey. Thanks for the bump!

And you never cease to amaze me with your music - so coming from you, that is a nice compliment...






Well... that was kind of the point



I suppose if this was a medium I worked in more often (the loops thing), I'd be somewhat better at that (doubt that that will be the case). The Janice Samples in the last chorus were intended to be one of those things that grabs you when listening in phones...




Well... I look forward to that. I'm a bit surprised that a few others - those who are willing to try new stuff - haven't jumped in...

Always enjoy your comments, David. Thanks...






Jim - I always appreciate when you drop in for a listen...

This is well done Floyd. Like it a lot. Isn't MOST music really loops of some kind or another?

You know, if you think about loops in a grander scale, LIFE is a loop. You start a loop when you wake up. You do your "loopy" routine all day, then you go to bed, and start the loop again in the morning. Walking is a loop. Your heartbeat is a loop. Chewing is a loop. Brushing your teeth is a loop.

And here's another sign of how much of a weirdo I am. All day long, no matter what I am doing, I find myself counting. Steps, breaths, chews, and never past 4. 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4. All day long. Loops! It's all loops! (Channeling George Costanza's "Pipes. It's all pipes!")

beatmaster - thanks for stopping in to give your thoughts. Sorry to disappoint...




Shigeki Adachi - thanks for having a listen!





Janice - THANKS for being such a huge part of my music (no small part at all....)




Glad to have you drop by, Bob... you need to put up a new one, too...





I do that counting thing, too - but I typically go way past four...

Hi, Floyd !


I´m out of words but
this is just outright
superb ! Love it, love
your new you !!!!:))

Everything is fantastic
on this production !

Congrats Floyd !!!

Cheers
Dani