PG Music Home
Posted By: Will Josef A Taste Of Honey - 09/24/18 09:25 PM
Here is a song about unconditional love. I really like the vocals - what do you think?

https://soundcloud.com/user-656274325/a-taste-of-honey


RealTracks used:

684- Base Electric
1542 - piano acustic
Realdrums= Nashville even8
698: Guitar (electric rythm)
696: Guitar (electric rythm)

Vocals
and
395: soloist guitar (Darin Favorite)

Enjoy!
Posted By: EMG Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 01:18 AM
I like a lot the song.
The vocals sound great for me.
Well done!
Posted By: Deryk - PG Music Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 10:23 AM
Really well done! I agree - the vocals are spot on here. Superbly catchy, and not a single note that is remotely close to being off. Who is that?! They nailed it.

Great work, and thanks for sharing smile
Posted By: Ember - PG Music Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 04:24 PM
The vocals are super spot on for this style of song! Really excellent job.
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 06:08 PM
Thank you!

It is an acapella song I bought and then I composed the backing track for it. Unfortunately I am not allowed to tell who she is (part of the deal/contract).

Will
Posted By: MarioD Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 07:25 PM
Whoever she is she nailed it and your backing tracks fit perfectly.

Good job on that!
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 07:34 PM
Thank you very much, MarioD.
Posted By: Noel96 Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 08:31 PM
Will,

You've done a great job creating a backing for an existing a Capella vocal. That's not an easy task but you really nailed it! Very enjoyable music. The singer certainly is a very competent performer and you've highlighted and matched her style with an excellently arranged backing.

Regards,
Noel
Posted By: Joe -PG Music Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 08:56 PM
Thanks for sharing this with us Will Josef! really dig those drums and the progression on this is exceptional. Well done!
Posted By: Scott C Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/25/18 10:14 PM
Super vocal. Loved the backtrack as well. Very interesting way to create a song. Well done..
Posted By: Crossroads Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/26/18 12:43 PM
Love it! Like everybody said before: Great vocals. Would you blow how you gained that sound?
Very well done.
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/26/18 06:06 PM
Thank you very much, Noel. Your words means a lot to me, because you are exactly right: it is quite difficult to make an interesting backing to an acapella. I spent several hours on getting the chord progression to sound reasonably nice.

I actually made a version with maybe 3 times as many chords. The chords were not wrong - it just didn't sound good. Then I remembered my old teachers words: Keep it simple and I think the result is a bit better now.

Thanks again,
Will
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/26/18 06:09 PM
How did I gain that sound? You are thinking of the vocal, right? I always buy acapellas unprocessed and dry (if possible). In this case I just added reverb and a bit of compression with Ozone 8.

Will
Posted By: Tangmo Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/26/18 06:28 PM
A lot of skill and creativity on display in that backing. I'd actually like to hear it leveled more closely to the vocals. Well-done.

Did you use any pushes in this? If not I think it could benefit from some. What instruments "push" is pretty much style-dependent and with the backing so low in the mix, it's hard to tell.

That's my ear report. I hope she likes it too.
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/26/18 06:35 PM
I think you are right. The backing should probably have been mixed in a bit louder. I think I am guilty of falling in love with her voice to a degree where she gets too much space in the mix...

Thanks for your comments which gives me something to think about.

Will
Posted By: Tangmo Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/26/18 06:47 PM
Don't blame you. She's hot.
Posted By: animarorecords Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/29/18 03:22 AM
Hello, Will

Super vocal!
Really powerful voice!
I cannot think she is a very amateur vocalist.
There isn't any credit such as her name, but is she active in some club etc. as a professional vocalist?
This song perfect fit her vocal.
It sounds like a song that was just written for her.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/29/18 06:50 PM
Thank you, Shigeki.

I am sorry, but as I wrote in an earlier post I cannot give details about her. She is certainly not an amateur, but that is all I am allowed to say.

I don't know why it is like this, but many people who sell acapellas don't want their name associated with the music that the buyers make.

Take care,
Will
Posted By: Tano Music Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/30/18 08:05 PM
Will, this is outstanding! I like the result of your work, and this is expert use of the BIAB RT's!

I don't really understand what you did here...was the vocal a pre-existing track that you purchased? How? You then built up a chord sheet and orchestrated behind it?
I'm interested in learning more.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed listening!
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/30/18 09:07 PM
Hi Tano Music,

Thank you for your kind words!

Yes, I purchased the vocals for this song. Then I sat down with my keyboard and tried to play the melody and find appropriate chords. In this process I will often have way too many chords, so the next step is to simplify and find the basic chords that will sound good as a backing track for the song.

Then I start using BiaB with the simplified chords and the audio, but that will often be a little boring to listen to, so next step is to make some interesting transitions between the chords, which will make the music more lively.

In this song I sometimes changes a progression like
Bm /G /D /A
to
Bm BmMaj7/Bm7 Bm6/D7 /A

but of course you always have to use you ears and only do it if it sounds good together with the vocals.

I hope that helps you a little.

Take care,
Will
Posted By: Tano Music Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/30/18 10:30 PM
Thanks Will..I'm still unclear...how do you buy the vocals without getting any of the other music components?
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 09/30/18 11:29 PM
Use google and search for "acapellas" - there are plenty of web sites with acapellas (some free too).
Posted By: Crossroads Re: A Taste Of Honey - 10/02/18 09:55 AM
Thank you, Will. I have to admit I had never heard of the possibility to by acapellas before.

Very interesting and I think it's quite a challenge to make something as fine as your version out of them - I'm constalntly singing the hook line. You really did a great job.

Where do you find good acapellas and do they sell such a track just once or can they be bought by more then one person? If so, I'd think it would be thrilling to hear what different people make out of the exact same acapella, especially if they are into differnt styles of music...

Very well done, Will !
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 10/02/18 12:03 PM
Hi Crossroads,

As I wrote in an earlier post, it is possible to search for acapellas in Google.
Make sure it is a legit website (do some reading up on the company before you buy anything).

It is not always easy to find good sounding acapellas. Also some of the singers are not good at keeping the timing or the key.

Often you can either buy non-exclusive vocals (so others can buy them as well) or exclusive vocals (you have all the rights for the vocals and only you can use them). The last option is typically much more expensive.

There are also websites where you get a songwriter/singer to make the lyrics and the melody to your instrumentals.

In 2018 almost everything is possible! smile

Thanks for listening,
Will
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: A Taste Of Honey - 10/03/18 12:54 PM
That had to be project requiring a lot of thought. I think it would be above my music pay grade smile

To my ears you did a fine job wrapping the arrangement around an existing vocal.

J&B
Posted By: Will Josef Re: A Taste Of Honey - 10/03/18 06:21 PM
Thank you, Janice & Bud!

Please don't downgrade yourself. You have made some amazing songs that I have enjoyed listening too. I am honored that you are listening to my tunes.


Will
Posted By: Crossroads Re: A Taste Of Honey - 10/04/18 08:48 AM
Thank you very much, Will, I sure wll have a closer look at that.
© PG Music Forums