Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,253
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,253 |
David,
This sounds really good! I love that jazzy/pop sound! I'm not familiar with the use of those synthesized vocals but they sound pretty good, especially the bgvox! Great tune! Thanks, Torrey
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
This is excellent! I am completely fascinated by this technology and your approach. I hear tremendous evolution in each project. Hi, Bob. Thanks! I think I'm getting better at using it, and it's getting improved through regular releases. One thing I hadn't expected was how the voice quality of the singer would impact the songs. I know it's obvious in retrospect, but - for example - the soft voice has a different "attitude" than a harder voice, so a hard rock song wouldn't work. There's a new SOLARIA voice being released next month. It'll be interesting to see what direction that voice take me in. Glad you had a chance to listen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,638
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,638 |
David you are a master at synthesizer vocals and this sounds very real to these old ears.
Your best to date IMHO
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: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,291
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,291 |
Hi David,
You must have put a lot of effort in creating this song, with the vocals, the harmonies and the band. The melody is very lovely, with sweet lyrics. And I must say the vocals sound more human now! The harmonies are done very well. I could learn from that. So, I am impressed that all your working with these artificial vocals brought you this far. Hats off!
Still, the band is a bit to static and modest (if that is the word here). Maybe you could use some real tracks from BiaB that 'live' a bit more. And also the vocals are also a bit lifeless. They need to sparkle more, but I think that will be a hell of a job to achieve.
As I said, I am impressed! Happy Newyear, Hans
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
This sounds really good! I love that jazzy/pop sound! Hi, Torrey. Thanks! I love all those '70s sounds that BiaB has, and I don't think it's possible for me to write a song without using a bunch of major 7th chords. I'm not familiar with the use of those synthesized vocals but they sound pretty good, especially the bgvox! Great tune! I'm glad you enjoyed it! One nice thing about robots is that they don't complain there's a difficult interval to sing. I'm probably forming some bad songwriting habits because of this. And being able to write background vocals that intertwine with the primary like this is a lot of fun. Thanks for the positive feedback!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
David you are a master at synthesizer vocals and this sounds very real to these old ears. Thanks, Mario! I suspect that when other people start posting using synthetic vocals, you'll find that it's more the software than me. But I'll take the compliments while I can. Thanks! Good to hear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
The melody is very lovely, with sweet lyrics. And I must say the vocals sound more human now! Hi, Hans. Thanks, I'm glad the song works for you. I'd like to take credit here on the voice, but I suspect it's mostly because the software has improved, and this song is a better fit for the range of the voice. The harmonies are done very well. I could learn from that. So, I am impressed that all your working with these artificial vocals brought you this far. Hats off! There's not a lot of back and forth in pop songs, although there are some exceptions. The Christmas song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" comes to mind. Still, the band is a bit to static and modest (if that is the word here). Maybe you could use some real tracks from BiaB that 'live' a bit more. And also the vocals are also a bit lifeless. They need to sparkle more, but I think that will be a hell of a job to achieve. You're right - there's not as much interplay in the instruments as there could be. Part of the reason is that I had initially written this in another key, and the guitar part worked with the vocal a bit better. When I transposed it, I lost a bit of that. I also rely more on rhythm instruments, and don't have as much variety in the arrangement as I could have done. I was a bit more focused on getting it finished than building the arrangement as much as I could. I suspect that adding a better bass track could help. Maybe I'll see if I can get my son to play one. As I said, I am impressed! Thanks again! I appreciate the feedback, both positive and negative!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,540
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,540 |
Hi David,
Very nice song and enjoyed the vocals - I can't believe they are synthesized - wow!
Best Regards Nigel
Nigel Spiers Christchurch, New Zealand info@nzacoustics.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,789
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,789 |
David,
Very nice song! Excellent melody and chord progression. The use of Synthesizer V is very fine as usual. Enjoyed my listen a lot.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
Very nice song and enjoyed the vocals - I can't believe they are synthesized - wow! Hi, Nigel. Yes, the technology is pretty amazing. It's a bit mind-boggling to go back and compare where it was a decade or two ago. Thanks for the positive feedback!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
Very nice song! Excellent melody and chord progression. The use of Synthesizer V is very fine as usual. Enjoyed my listen a lot. Hi, Shigeki. Thanks, that means a lot coming from you! Although I stick to the circle of fifths a lot, I try to make the chords a bit interesting, which often leads to some melodies I wouldn't have ordinarily tried. I'm glad you could get a chance to listen to it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,399
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,399 |
Hi David ...
Well, I did read "ALL" of your introductory info. Most of it was Greek - or some other foreign language - to me. You've probably read how archaic and simplistic my recording process is.
The lead vocal was quite nice. What I really enjoyed was the counterpoint vocals - they really add to the entire project. Nice sax solo and a terrific mix for the entire song.
At near 75 years old, my ears sometimes lie to me or just ignore everything other folks hear - but .... do I hear a small bit of vibrato in the Eleanor's voice? If I am correct in that assumption, perhaps that is why I think she is sounding more and more human as her vocal history has unfolded. Also, I always love your chord progressions. I love playing around with chord interactions and see how I can come up with something different and interesting but isn't exceptionally jolting.
I admire your persistence, creativity and overall production skills. Impressive!
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and the best New Year ever ...
Alan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,700
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,700 |
Nice title leads to the right mood which is expressed very well in the slightly positive lyrics, in the verse melody and the instrumentation, I really like the guitars. 70's feel in the band and chording, although I cannot recall the female artist whose music it reminds me. Somehow also reminds me of songs in Japanese anime movies... Interesting to read your production details, quite a lot of engineering, anyway very good work with Eleanor and those counter parts are impressive.
Janne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
Well, I did read "ALL" of your introductory info. Most of it was Greek - or some other foreign language - to me. You've probably read how archaic and simplistic my recording process is. Hi, Alan. Well, you are a glutton for punishment! The right perspective on this is that my process is overly complicated, and you're doing something right. The lead vocal was quite nice. What I really enjoyed was the counterpoint vocals - they really add to the entire project. Nice sax solo and a terrific mix for the entire song. Yes, the counterpoint is the fun bit. The underlying melody and vocals are hard work, as is the mixing and fine tuning. But the counterlines - those are fun to do. So it's good to hear they sound good as well. At near 75 years old, my ears sometimes lie to me or just ignore everything other folks hear - but .... do I hear a small bit of vibrato in the Eleanor's voice? If I am correct in that assumption, perhaps that is why I think she is sounding more and more human as her vocal history has unfolded. Yes, there's a lot of expressiveness in the vocal, including vibrato. This version of Eleanor is an "AI" version, which uses a neural network to generate the voice. There's a slight hit to the vocal quality, but it's generally a bit better in overall expressiveness. Also, it's been trained on fine pitch detail, so you have an option to "humanize" the singing, which makes it more natural than if it were just randomly jittering the voice. There's also fairly fine level of detail that can be performed manually, and I've written some script to help me with adding things like progressive vibrato. Also, I always love your chord progressions. I love playing around with chord interactions and see how I can come up with something different and interesting but isn't exceptionally jolting. Thanks, I appreciate you noticing and mentioning that! Merry Christmas, and I hope this year brings the best to you and Di.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
Nice title leads to the right mood which is expressed very well in the slightly positive lyrics, in the verse melody and the instrumentation, I really like the guitars. 70's feel in the band and chording, although I cannot recall the female artist whose music it reminds me. Somehow also reminds me of songs in Japanese anime movies... Interesting to read your production details, quite a lot of engineering, anyway very good work with Eleanor and those counter parts are impressive. Hi, Janne. I like a sad song as much as anyone, and was planning on doing a super-sad sort of thing with lush strings and an english horn. I was also hoped to do a more "Carpenters" sound with the vocals, but wasn't having a lot of luck with the thickened harmony lines. But I'm happy with how it turned out, even if it was more upbeat and positive than I'd initially intended. Songs seem to go the way they want to go. And I'm happy to see the Production Notes didn't bore you to tears. Thanks for stopping by!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,635
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,635 |
David, Goodness! it takes a while to read your threads (especially if you've been away or don't have time to get to it for a few days)!! I do enjoy the fact that you document your thoughts and processes. Interesting reading. Your thoughtful responses to comments, too... The BAND/tracks sound great. The opening gave me a Steely-Dan-vibe...great company to be in... the mix is tight. The robot voices ARE impressive (technologically). But...it seems as though "they all sound the same". Not just your use of them, but ALL uses of them. You do a hell of a job getting them to sing with a good cadence. But...they, inevitably, lack true emotion. You write very cool melodies. However, (I didn't want to say "But..." again ) This one feels like a trying-too-hard moment. The melody "bounces" a lot. Ups and downs - which works at times, then, at times, just feels like it is up-and-downing unnecessarily - which begins to sound forced. There actually needs to be more "sameness" ("even-ness"?) to the melody to make it sound "natural", not "manufactured". ...this is in NO WAY intended to suggest what you are doing is not VERY impressive (all aspects of it). It's VERY impressive. The acoustic sounds wonderful! The harmonies are exquisite. The drums are tasty! You are a very talented musician and songwriter and producer. fj
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,688
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,688 |
The robot voices ARE impressive (technologically). But...it seems as though "they all sound the same". Not just your use of them, but ALL uses of them. You do a hell of a job getting them to sing with a good cadence. But...they, inevitably, lack true emotion. I started out thinking, "just give it time", then tried to imagine what the future might be like. I succeeded in scaring myself. Imagine this: It's 2035. (David might be able to project a little more precisely.) You initialize a singer by firing it up and interacting with it. You start off with some unscripted casual chit-chat to get both of you comfortable, then move on to singing together. At first, it sounds like you are chatting with a robot. But as the training progresses, the singer learns from you and emulates you. Eventually, it sounds like you are singing a duet with another you. Spooky! Then, the emulation becomes so perfect you can no longer hear the other voice at all. You can only tell you're not alone by watching the meter. You try to throw it curves, singing off-key or off-beat or with totally inappropriate affect, but it anticipates you perfectly. Beep beep, your singer is trained.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 7,663
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 7,663 |
Man, this sounds really cool! I love the music. Robot voices will always be that, no matter how much they "improve" I suppose, but I am impressed by what you are able to do with technology for sure! Merry Christmas!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 252
Apprentice
|
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 252 |
David,
you are really making progress on Synth5 and the Eleanor/ANRI . I now too own the Pro versions and look forward to learning how to tweak/tune the software. i look forward to following your AI blog too
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,576 |
Goodness! it takes a while to read your threads (especially if you've been away or don't have time to get to it for a few days)!!
I do enjoy the fact that you document your thoughts and processes. Interesting reading. Your thoughtful responses to comments, too... Hi, floyd jane. I do tend to write a lot. A lot is re-processing what I'd tried to do with a particular song, and see where I'd hit or missed particular marks. Plus, songwriting and production tends to be a very solitary process, so it's really helpful to talk and get feedback from other songwriters and producers - especially those I admire! So I appreciate all feedback, both positive and negative. It helps confirm places where I already think I need to improve, and point out places I've entirely missed. I'm not just bumping my post. The BAND/tracks sound great. The opening gave me a Steely-Dan-vibe...great company to be in... the mix is tight. Good to hear! I'm a big fan of Steely Dan, and the Alan Parsons Project, and I suspect I'm more producer than songwriter. But that also leads to problems when I figure I can fix something via production rather than going back and fixing fundamental things like a hyperactive melody. It ends up pretty, but still fundamentally flawed. The robot voices ARE impressive (technologically). But...it seems as though "they all sound the same". Not just your use of them, but ALL uses of them. You do a hell of a job getting them to sing with a good cadence. But...they, inevitably, lack true emotion. I hear what you're saying. I've spent a long time trying to get my own vocal synthesis program off the ground, and no matter how much improvement I've done, there's always a huge gap between what it does and what a real singer can do. And I always feel sad when I hear someone who uses strings with a "cheap" MIDI library, because it feels like it just lets the song down. So when it's the vocals, which are the key to the song, it's even more so! A lot of these songs simply wouldn't have been possible to do without a vocal synthesizer, since my home is currently anything but ideal for vocals. But I've also got a house full of singers (myself included), so I should make more of an effort to get real vocals on my songs in New Year. In the meantime, thanks for putting up with the robots! You write very cool melodies. However, (I didn't want to say "But..." again ) This one feels like a trying-too-hard moment. The melody "bounces" a lot. Ups and downs - which works at times, then, at times, just feels like it is up-and-downing unnecessarily - which begins to sound forced. There actually needs to be more "sameness" ("even-ness"?) to the melody to make it sound "natural", not "manufactured". Yeah, it's a "threading the needle" thing for me, and I'm obviously not there yet. My verses often feel like they're trying to be the chorus. I'm spending too much effort trying to outline the chord changes and create interesting lines, but that's not really the job of the verse. I think part of the problem is the way that it's created. I'll start with chords, when melody is the real driver of the song. Then I'll build the melody up one phrase at a time, without enough attention to how it matches what's gone before. Then I go back and try to make it more unified, but still focus on the micro level of the melody. In the future, I'll try to re-use motives, have less ideas, and avoid using so many leaps that sound lovely, but are out of place in the verse. ...this is in NO WAY intended to suggest what you are doing is not VERY impressive (all aspects of it). It's VERY impressive. The acoustic sounds wonderful! The harmonies are exquisite. The drums are tasty! No, I appreciate the honesty here. And thanks for mentioning the drums. You are a very talented musician and songwriter and producer. And, of course, I appreciate any praise in addition to constructive feedback! Thanks again. It's always good to hear from you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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®
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.
-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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums66
Topics81,390
Posts732,455
Members38,441
|
Most Online2,537 Jan 19th, 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|