Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#204083 05/22/13 04:24 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 62
DRiddle Offline OP
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 62
Hey All, it has been awhile since I posted a song on here! I have been lurking in the background smile

I just completed this song that I wrote, and created the instrumentation using all Real Tracks. I am hoping for constructive ideas, good or bad. I am learning as I go with real band.

The song is simply called "Book Of Life"
these are the real tracks used:

RT700 Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesPush
Drums NashvilleEven16^5-HiHat,Ride
RT1856 Cello, Background PopCountry
RT838 Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopBalladClean
RT703 Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Spirited
RT409 Fiddle, Background George Ev
RT2024 Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CountryJohn
RT1215 Vibes, Rhythm Bossa
RT363 Pedal Steel, Background

The song is posted on my website as an MP3 download:
www.dannyriddle.com/music/BookOfLife-VOCAL_Master.mp3

Thanks in advance for taking the time to listen and for your thoughts.
All my best
Danny


Keep The Music Alive
www.DannyRiddle.com
DRiddle #204101 05/22/13 07:46 PM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Hi Danny,

You're welcome to join in instead of just lurking. smile

I like your song, vocal, bg vox and the instruments you chose.

For me, and others may hear it differently - your voice is sitting back in the mix while instruments and bg vox are very very out front.

DRiddle #204118 05/23/13 06:28 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,635
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,635
Danny,

Coming along nicely. Nice song. Josie covered it pretty well. The vocals are very nice, but are getting lost in the mix - the instruments should all be pulled back a bit.

I would also suggest (and this is just my opinion, remember) that in several places you make a choice between the pedal steel, the (background) cello and the (background) fiddle. They all sort of serve the same purpose (a flowing sweetening - is how I think of it) and they are often competing against each other - when just one would suffice. Perhaps the steel in the chorus and the cello in the verse (or vice-versa) - and the fiddle for a quick lick here and there as a compliment. That might also help the vocals stand out some.

Looking forward to more.

floyd

floyd jane #204135 05/23/13 11:29 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 613
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 613
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Danny,

Coming along nicely. Nice song. Josie covered it pretty well. The vocals are very nice, but are getting lost in the mix - the instruments should all be pulled back a bit.

I would also suggest (and this is just my opinion, remember) that in several places you make a choice between the pedal steel, the (background) cello and the (background) fiddle. They all sort of serve the same purpose (a flowing sweetening - is how I think of it) and they are often competing against each other - when just one would suffice. Perhaps the steel in the chorus and the cello in the verse (or vice-versa) - and the fiddle for a quick lick here and there as a compliment. That might also help the vocals stand out some.



I agree with Floyd, also you might try panning some of those instruments more L or R so there's more separation and room for the vocal to stand out.

Greg

DRiddle #204215 05/24/13 07:33 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Hi Danny,

I especially like your
background vocals.
The mix is just a matter of taste. For me it's
not that bad.

Guenter

DRiddle #204255 05/24/13 05:43 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 62
DRiddle Offline OP
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 62
Hey All,

Thanks Josie, I have enjoyed your songs, especially "walking Streets Of Gold", love your writing technique. Thanks for the listen and the input.

Thanks Floyd, Greg and Guenter for the listen and valuable input.

I redid the music a bit, taking away here and there and raised the main vocal up a tad, the song is in the same spot. let me know what ya think,

www.dannyriddle.com/music/BookOfLife-VOCAL_Master.mp3


again, always open for the ideas good or bad - that is how I learn,
all my best
Danny


Keep The Music Alive
www.DannyRiddle.com
DRiddle #204276 05/25/13 05:02 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,074
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,074
Hi Danny,

those who have replied already are much more focused on recording technique than I am... all of my observations are from the perspective of the average listener

1) I listen to a lot of contemporary Christian music, and the first question I would ask is whether you'd rather make this song "fit in" or "stand out" in that genre. If you want to "fit in", I'd ditch the pedal steel and keep the cello. To my ear, the cello/piano combination works VERY well for the genre... and especially in this song, I prefer the cello parts over the pedal steel parts

2) however, there are lots of faith-based songs in contemporary country music, and in that genre the pedal steel fits quite well. However, the mood of the song and the chord progression used are a better fit (in my subjective opinion) with the CChristian genre than the CCountry genre.

3) having said all that... there are times when you may want to DEPART from genre paradigms and do something unexpected. I would describe this version of your song to be exactly that... something that doesn't fit exactly into an established musical paradigm.

But its worth noting that audiences are hard-wired with genre expectations, and it is very hard for an unknown artist to get away with "breaking the rules". In my opinion, your best path for this song going forward would be to pick one genre and play to it.

I love the fact that you are using your music as a ministry. Keep up the good work!

Last edited by Pat Marr; 05/25/13 05:05 AM.
DRiddle #204293 05/25/13 07:07 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,476
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,476
Hi, Danny !


I think you have done
a very good job on this one !
Vocals and instros all fit in
very well, I enjoyed it
very much !:)


Cheers
Dani

DRiddle #204389 05/26/13 07:22 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 62
DRiddle Offline OP
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 62
hey Pat Marr, I took your advise and I removed the pedal Steel parts and I like it, seemed to flow a lot better too! Thanks for the direction and input.

Hey Dani, thanks for the listen and the encouraging words!!

Well, the updated song is in the same place...Let me know how it sounds now.

www.dannyriddle.com/music/BookOfLife-VOCAL_Master.mp3


again, thanks for the great ideas and direction, I really appreciate all the input, good or bad.
all my best
Danny


Keep The Music Alive
www.DannyRiddle.com
DRiddle #204459 05/26/13 07:10 PM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,063
Danny,

Thank you. smile

That was some great advice from Pat. And you've really improved the mix.

Sounds good here.

DRiddle #204480 05/27/13 03:52 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,838
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,838
Hi Danny,

Long before we had this Users Forum, I used to follow your songs in the Off Topic Forum. I've been a fan of your songs for quite a while smile

This is a very engaging song and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. As it progressed, I found myself getting pulled further and further into the music and lyrics. I have to hand it to you, you developed the emotional contour of the mix very very well.

I'm heading back for another listen now!

Best regards,
Noel


MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2024
DRiddle #204484 05/27/13 05:18 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
I am only getting to hear the current version, but it sounds pretty good to me. I have a tendency to mix "wide" so I often look for the same thing in others. Yes, I would go for more L-R separation (pan some things wider) and then see how the lead vocal sits. But those kind of things are subjective, so you have to go go with what you feel is best,


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
DRiddle #205232 06/03/13 09:43 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 62
DRiddle Offline OP
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 62
Thanks Noel and Kevin,

thanks to everyone for your input and direction in getting this song finished.
I really appreciate it!

Getting ready to post another song smile

All my best,
Danny


Keep The Music Alive
www.DannyRiddle.com
DRiddle #205247 06/03/13 12:40 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Not much too add. Solid song, good mix. A few minor nits:

At 1:32, the female chorus seems a bit buzzy.

By 2:20, I'm ready for the song to end and fade. So past that point, it feels a bit long.

But that's just me.

Good stuff.


-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

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
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!

The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!

There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.

If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.

We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!

Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.

Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

Video: Volume Automation in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created a video to help you learn more about the Volume Automation options in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows.

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Volume Automation

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#volume-automation

Video: Audio Input Monitoring with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created this short video to explain Audio Input Monitoring within Band-in-a-Box® 2024, and included some tips & troubleshooting details too!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Audio Input Monitoring

3:17: Tips
5:10: Troubleshooting

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#audio-input-monitoring

Video: Enhanced Melodists in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®!

We've enhanced the Melodists feature included in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows!

Access the Melodist feature by pressing F7 in the program to open the new MultiPicker Library and locate the [Melodist] tab.

You can now generate a melody on any track in the program - very handy! Plus, you select how much of the melody you want generated - specify a range, or apply it to the whole track.

See the Melodist in action with our video, Band-in-a-Box® 2024: The Melodist Window.

Learn even more about the enhancements to the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024upgrade/chapter3.htm#enhanced-melodist

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Specifically for Reaper®

New with the DAW Plugin Version 6.0, released with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows: the Reaper® Panel!

This new panel offers built-in specific support for the Reaper® DAW API allowing direct transfer of Band-in-a-Box® files to/from Reaper® tracks!

When you run the Plugin from Reaper®, there is a panel to set the following options:
-BB Track(s) to send: This allows you to select the Plugin tracks that will be sent Reaper.
-Destination Reaper Track: This lets you select the destination Reaper track to receive media content from the Plugin.
-At Bar: You can select a bar in Reaper where the Plugin tracks should be placed.
-Start Below Selected Track: This allows you to place the Plugin tracks below the destination Reaper track.
-Overwrite Reaper Track: You can overwrite previous content on the destination Reaper track.
-Move to Project Folder: With this option, you can move the Plugin tracks to the Reaper project folder.
-Send Reaper Instructions Enable this option to send the Reaper Instructions instead of rendering audio tracks, which is faster.
-Render Audio & Instructions: Enable this option to generate audio files and the Reaper instructions.
-Send Tracks After Generating: This allows the Plugin to automatically send tracks to Reaper after generating.
-Send Audio for MIDI Track: Enable this option to send rendered audio for MIDI tracks.
-Send RealCharts with Audio: If this option is enabled, Enable this option to send RealCharts with audio.

Check out this video highlighting the new Reaper®-specific features: Band-in-a-Box® DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Specifically for Reaper®

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Video

The new Band-in-a-Box VST DAW Plugin Verion 6 adds over 20 new features!

Watch the new features video to learn more: Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2024 - DAW Plugin Version 6 New Features

We also list these new features at www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.plugin.htm.

Forum Statistics
Forums66
Topics81,391
Posts732,469
Members38,440
Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
Newest Members
Ernest J, Izzy, BenChaz, Csofi, mmpartee
38,439 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 195
Al-David 124
DC Ron 113
dcuny 87
rsdean 83
Today's Birthdays
CeeDee, SethMould
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5