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Hi Floyd,
First of all, it's a beautiful song and the performance, the arrangement, the mix, are all up to your usual excellent standard.
So, about the MIDI guitar. Couldn't fault the sound - astoundingly like the real thing and easily the best I've heard. What I did notice was that the note entry by mouse made the playing almost too perfect. As a guitarist, you'll know that it's impossible to play with timing to that resolution and in fact, we wouldn't really want to because that's where we get a lot of the expression from. Similarly with dynamics, the mouse entry sounded like all the notes had the same velocity. That's not to say that it didn't work - these are minor things and when the guitar was mixed with the other instruments it wasn't a problem at all. I'm not sure that there's an answer to this. Playing in live from the piano keyboard, maybe, but as you said the chord inversions don't exactly lend themselves to the piano.
It's certainly given me something to think about, thank you.
Cheers, ROG. ROG - Thanks! for the nice comments about the song, performance and production. I addressed some of the "too perfect" issue in the re-do version - but only slightly. I understand the idea of "we don't play that perfectly", but any similar song that comes out of the Nashville machine (for the last 30 years) does, in fact, have a near perfectly play acoustic guitar component. I've watched some of those guys in the studio - and they make it look effortless. The velocities of the notes is, in fact, varied throughout the guitar performance - randomly (you can see that in the 3 newer snapshots I put up). As you noted, the sound of guitar is truly surprising. And the point of this was to BEGIN to demonstrate how useful this vst (in particular) could be - although it takes some skill to get it "right". I don;t think that skill level would be hard to improve to the point of fooling-the-ears... (this was my first try at this...) Thanks, again, for having a listen.
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Thanks, Dave. I added a bit of reverb on the "fixed" version - using the reverb pedal that is part of the acoustic guitar vst (there are 6 different pedals in the pedal board - so a lot of variety). I don't like to get an acoustic too drenched in reverb... I believe I addressed the timing issue you noted, as well. And, thanks for the comments on the song itself! I've been surprised by some of the reaction to it - since I really did just "threw it together" to have something to use the guitar vst on... Yes!! Sounds *much* better. Not that it sounded bad before, mind you!
Last edited by BlueAttitude; 07/22/20 04:50 AM.
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I addressed some of the "too perfect" issue in the re-do version - but only slightly. I understand the idea of "we don't play that perfectly", but any similar song that comes out of the Nashville machine (for the last 30 years) does, in fact, have a near perfectly play acoustic guitar component. I've watched some of those guys in the studio - and they make it look effortless. The velocities of the notes is, in fact, varied throughout the guitar performance - randomly (you can see that in the 3 newer snapshots I put up).
Hi Floyd, I didn't mean any disrespect to the Nashville session boys - I've spent most of my life around studios and have a great respect for all the musicians I've encountered. I just have this pathological dislike of quantising, unless it's used as a deliberate effect. It's all part of my love/hate relationship with computer recording. If I had the time and money, I'd still be using tape, but at the same time I love the ease and speed of the computer production, to say nothing about all the wonderful RTs. At the end of the day, like I said, the guitar has a very authentic sound and works really well when it's in the mix. I'll probably end up using it myself! Cheers, ROG.
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What a cool intro. Just love the guitar. So deep an rich. Awesome vocal. Just starting exploring midi and recording direct in to the DAW. So many cool things to learn. Just a beautiful song Floyd... Thanks, Scott... I really loved how you sang the first line of the last chorus, I would pay to hear more of that. The guitar was fine. Strings were beautiful. Really nice piece. The chorus could have been more melodic for my tastes; my ear had trouble following where it was going. But still one of the very best artists working here on the Showcase, that goes without saying. A pleasure to listen to such high quality music. TM - thanks. Interesting that you felt the chorus was "not melodic". A subjective thing, I suppose... Hi Floyd,
I heard your first version of this beautiful song on SoundCloud a week ago (?). I gave my reaction there(and a 'Like', of course), because I wasn't able to get into this forum then. Now I heard a second, or latest version. That is even better, although you lowered the volume of your vocals maybe a bit too much. The strings fit very nice in this delicate song.
I'm busy learning myself making musical harmonies on the (midi) keyboard. That is sometimes a hell of a job. So I can understand your effort in making the guitar sounds like you want it to, and you succeed. I agree with someone here (Robert, I thought) saying something about adding queeks to make the guitar sounds even more natural. But at first I thought it was you on a real guitar, so you did a good job! Are those high vocals your real vocals or did you use Melodyne (or similair software) to do that for you? I was impressed!
Hans Thanks, Hans. The vocals are just me. No magical software involved...
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This is another in a very long line of gorgeous love songs that seem to be your specialty. The vocal is exquisite. Regarding the midi, it is way above my pay grade and much more time consuming than I am willing to invest. I do give you a lot of credit for exploring and explaining these concepts. There is no doubt that you are a valued source of information for all of us here. I hope you realize how many people you have helped. Keep sharing your knowledge. It is a very important part of this forum. That being said, the guitar sounds great but I know you could have played that yourself. No matter how you did it, the song stands as a beautiful tribute to the connections of hearts and a testament to your abilities of words, performance and production. Always a very pleasurable experience to check in on your work, Tom
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Floyd, what an absolutely wonderful song...beautiful...stellar vocal...and as a non guitar player (other than an occasional strummer), the accompaniment sounded great.
John - thanks for stopping by...appreciate it... Floyd,
This is so tender and beautiful. Love the slight falsetto on the word "need" and the way you display your vocal range.
Outstanding stuff...
Bob
Thanks, Bob...good to see you back around...been missing ya!... hi Floyd most excellent song and write midi is not easy to get to sound right and fit with audio tracks the midi guitar sounds great this peace is encouraging for me thanks for sharing eric Thanks, Eric....appreciate that...
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Floyd, I have ALWAYS admired and appreciated your writing. You are an inspiration to everyone on this forum, as far as I am concerned. But this song is special.
The simplicity of this song gives so much space for the beauty of it to rise to and above the surface. The arrangement you did is stunning. Your vocals are as good as ever.
But for me, the real star of this song is the song itself. And to me (as a writer) that is the highest compliment I can give you.
Great job!
Steve
Coming from you, that means a lot...Thanks, Steve. Your latest is a killer....
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Floyd,
In agreement with Misha's opening comment, I choose not to parse this as a whole. I simply enjoyed it as a whole. Sound sells a song for me ... and regardless of how a sound is achieved, if it resonates nicely in my ears, that's all I need. And this song is just so wonderful.
You have an uncanny ability to make a sparse collection of tracks sound so full and appealing. Your talent is certainly at or very near the top of anything coming out of Nashville. Your songs are a bar for all of us the attempt to achieve. I never have come close, but I keep trying.
As far as the midi explanation ... I'll be 73 years old on my next birthday. Translation ... I'd be dead before I figured it out!
Wishing you the very best. Be safe ...
Alan
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Floyd, I've had the free +++ Amplesound +++ Martin acoustic and Precision bass for awhile and haven't found the touch yet. You're well on your way to getting a realistic sound. One of the better (paid) fingerpicking libraries seems to be +++ Fingerpicking 2 +++ from Realitone. It includes the free Kontakt player and has both steel and nylon string instruments. Thanks for stopping by, Jim. We can somewhat grasp technically what you did. However having both the ear for it and the patience...well, they ain't there With this tune you continue your mastery of sparse or "seemingly" sparse arrangements and remarkable vocals to deliver your lyric. I say "seemingly" because so often your productions have way more tracks than one would think when initially listening. A very hard thing to do. Albeit for this tune the number of tracks are relatively small and, wow, do they ever deliver. The much aforementioned guitar and the bass carry things so well. And the strings are mixed in, for lack of a better word, a gentle manner. They don't enter or leave abruptly and they don't step on anything. When we first heard the tune we thought about the heartfelt message and the sincerity of the vocal and how it would be a heckuva Valentine Day present. Can't leave out the tight harmony and that high note you hit? Sheesh man. A beautiful vocal all the way around. Back to the lyric. This is what a love song is all about. "i'm overwhelmed by this magical feeling so i've been honest right from the start every word coming straight from my heart" J&B J&B - thanks for the very nice review. You've touch on all the things I work at when it comes to getting a song put together... appreciate that...
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Nice job. I don't know all the in's and out's of the production but I know a lovely ballad when I hear one and this is a lovely ballad. jpt3 - Thanks for the nice comments... Wow. Nice work on the programming. It's really a good thing for you to do this and post some of the programming details. The MIDI aspect of BIAB truly adds another level to the program that's too often overlooked in my view. RealTracks will spoil you because in many ways they're like the interstate highway that will get you there versus the two lane curvy highway that will get you there with a marvelous view. MIDI adds a lot to any BIAB project.
Taking us beyond the normal top flight write, arrangement, production and performance, with this song we receive the motivation and inspiration to tackle new skills as well as travel deeper into BIAB.
Enjoyed this latest masterpiece from you. Thanks, Charlie. I'm sure that there are plenty more avenues to explore with this. I tried converting some of the RealTrack fingerpicking acoustic to MIDI, but the results were not satisfying and I quickly decided I was wasting my time there. I looked for older BIAB styles that might include a well programmed finger picked acoustic track, but after some time (not finding any) I gave that up, too. Perhaps users who lived through the years of just-MIDI-BIAB would be able to point out any that exist... It would be fun to try them with this VST. I also searched the internet for exams of fingerpicking MIDI files - and was unsuccessful there as well. That surprised me. One would think that would out there... I finally became apparent that the only way to get what I wanted was to "do it myself". I think if one were to spend a good amount of time working on it, you could get a good track fairly quickly. Not sure that I'll be doing it that much, but it seems there are certainly places where this would be the way to go... Floyd. I listened twice and so far that's all I could write. I'd like to recall all of the superlatives I've ever used when commenting on a song, and just lay them right here. Then I can just copy and paste whenever you post another. Thanks once again for the inspiration. Thanks, Marty...
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Thanks, Dave. I added a bit of reverb on the "fixed" version - using the reverb pedal that is part of the acoustic guitar vst (there are 6 different pedals in the pedal board - so a lot of variety). I don't like to get an acoustic too drenched in reverb... I believe I addressed the timing issue you noted, as well. And, thanks for the comments on the song itself! I've been surprised by some of the reaction to it - since I really did just "threw it together" to have something to use the guitar vst on... Yes!! Sounds *much* better. Not that it sounded bad before, mind you! Thanks for checking back, Dave... I addressed some of the "too perfect" issue in the re-do version - but only slightly. I understand the idea of "we don't play that perfectly", but any similar song that comes out of the Nashville machine (for the last 30 years) does, in fact, have a near perfectly play acoustic guitar component. I've watched some of those guys in the studio - and they make it look effortless. The velocities of the notes is, in fact, varied throughout the guitar performance - randomly (you can see that in the 3 newer snapshots I put up).
Hi Floyd, I didn't mean any disrespect to the Nashville session boys - I've spent most of my life around studios and have a great respect for all the musicians I've encountered. I just have this pathological dislike of quantising, unless it's used as a deliberate effect. It's all part of my love/hate relationship with computer recording. If I had the time and money, I'd still be using tape, but at the same time I love the ease and speed of the computer production, to say nothing about all the wonderful RTs. At the end of the day, like I said, the guitar has a very authentic sound and works really well when it's in the mix. I'll probably end up using it myself! Cheers, ROG. Good to hear from you again, ROG... yeah, I knew you weren't suggesting any disrespect... (btw - ther was not quantizing involved in what I did - it was all input free-hand with the snap feature turned on - and then some moving of those input notes to make sure it had random "human" feel. I think I might get better at it if I were to continue to go down that path... but, oh, there are SO many paths!! I'm gotten caught up in playing piano and banjo lately... more rabbit holes.... This is another in a very long line of gorgeous love songs that seem to be your specialty. The vocal is exquisite. Regarding the midi, it is way above my pay grade and much more time consuming than I am willing to invest. I do give you a lot of credit for exploring and explaining these concepts. There is no doubt that you are a valued source of information for all of us here. I hope you realize how many people you have helped. Keep sharing your knowledge. It is a very important part of this forum. That being said, the guitar sounds great but I know you could have played that yourself. No matter how you did it, the song stands as a beautiful tribute to the connections of hearts and a testament to your abilities of words, performance and production. Always a very pleasurable experience to check in on your work, Tom Tom - thanks for the very nice comments. I am ALWAYS interested in your take on things... Great to see you back - hope all is well in your neck of the woods...
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Hi Floyd, Very nice song and first class performance and production as usual. Loved the guitars. I featured Ample Guitar M Lite on a couple of rhythm tracks in Train of Thought, an uptempo "train"song I posted last year. The strumming styles are terrific and it's great being able to input specific notes as well. I've also used the Ample bass. It has the best sound. Stay well, Mike
Mike Garry BIAB 2022 (Build 927)/RealBand (5) (64bit), UltraPak, Kontakt, EZmix, Ozone 9 Elements, Hybrid 3, Audacity, Acer Predator, Windows 10, 64bit, 16GB ram, CPU: Intel i7. https://soundcloud.com/user-952388172
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Floyd,
In agreement with Misha's opening comment, I choose not to parse this as a whole. I simply enjoyed it as a whole. Sound sells a song for me ... and regardless of how a sound is achieved, if it resonates nicely in my ears, that's all I need. And this song is just so wonderful.
You have an uncanny ability to make a sparse collection of tracks sound so full and appealing. Your talent is certainly at or very near the top of anything coming out of Nashville. Your songs are a bar for all of us the attempt to achieve. I never have come close, but I keep trying.
As far as the midi explanation ... I'll be 73 years old on my next birthday. Translation ... I'd be dead before I figured it out!
Wishing you the very best. Be safe ...
Alan Alan - you are always so gracious with your comments...thinks!...you raise a few bars yourself... Hope you are both doing well... Hi Floyd, Very nice song and first class performance and production as usual. Loved the guitars. I featured Ample Guitar M Lite on a couple of rhythm tracks in Train of Thought, an uptempo "train"song I posted last year. The strumming styles are terrific and it's great being able to input specific notes as well. I've also used the Ample bass. It has the best sound. Stay well, Mike Mike - thanks for stopping by for a listen. I'll go back and find you previous use of the M Lite - I had trouble trying to get the strum patterns to work in my DAW - the notes that they designate for the Chord numbers did not work - and sometimes I could find the right one (the next octave up) and sometimes not... it was a little frustrating. I haven't installed the Ample bass yet - but on you recommendation, I think I will now since I am working on a song that includes a MIDI bass line... Thanks!!
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what a beautiful song. I could sing it to my wife only her eyes are blue. The melody sticks in your head, Thanks for sharing such a wonderful song..
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**Speech To Text Warning** I'm really not sure where to start on this one. My head is spinning a bit. I've never heard you execute a song in this way. I love it! First, I'm not guitarist. That covered, to me, this sounds convincing. I personally like the tones. A good sound isn't enough though. With a little tinkering you got it to play really well too. I'm impressed. I could never get a sound like that from the guitars I don't own...and couldn't play if it did. Thanks for proving this option! As far as the song itself, well, I'm at the bottom of the sixth page. I didn't have a chance to read of them; but to say it was well received would be an understatement. Somehow you managed to capture the art of past writers of various decades and bring them to something that still rings true. I can not emphasize how much you using your upper range helps in the delivery of this song. Everything about this performance is about a quiet confidence that I think shows a vulnerability that great songs walk the line of. Not easy. If I'm nit-picking, the drums were difficult to hear. All the way around, well done.
Last edited by HearToLearn; 08/28/20 01:22 PM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier) TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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Great song and vocal delivery. I really enjoyed it. Ambitious project and I'm sure it would have been much easier for you to just play it, but that wasn't the point I suppose.
The guitar midi, it's pretty convincing, the biggest giveaway for me though is how perfectly it's played. The bass has a beautiful warm tone.
TC Helicon Audio Harmonies is something I'll have to check out. Can't find it as a vst plugin but I didn't installed RealBAnd... maybe I should. I hope then I could pull it up in my Daw, Reaper.
Thanks for sharing this.
Cheers,
Frank
Last edited by Frankp; 08/28/20 02:11 PM.
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I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a LOVE song with a beautiful, simple message!!! This is the kind of song that would make a person want to become a songwriter! They'd think "I can do that" because it flows so easily and comfortably! The Great ones make it look easy, and we all know it isn't. I did not hear the "unfixed" version but I have never heard one of Floyd's mixes that did not sound great. What really struck me on this is the gorgeous vocal......my favorite of yours so far Floyd!!! AWESOME!!! Take care. Greg
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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.
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We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
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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®
Video: Audio Input Monitoring with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®
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.
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-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
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