Hello all I am busy recording an album of some of my favourite songs. Feedback on this mix of The Diary (Bread cover) is much appreciated so that I can take note when mixing the rest of the album. https://joannecooper.co.za/track/3023489/diary
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
This sounds really good to me. Everyone has different tastes and in my songwriter meetings (one of our young ladies just won a major Nashville songwriting contest this week and a got music deal by the way ) almost everyone has a different opinion on things.
But I love what is there. The guitars and the vocals are great.
I find the strings and the hard panning of them to the right mildly distracting because I think it dilutes the purity of the vocal and guitars.
When the second acoustic comes in hard panned right it sounds fine to me.
Maybe just a wee bit of cello or real track fiddle/violin, very slow??
The authentic wooden-box sound of the acoustics and vocals don't completely mesh for me with the synth-y strings.
For me in mixing (and I am just one person) my first thought is always: "Does the song really need this track?" If the answer is "maybe" then to me you have to take it out.
I think the strength of your vocals alone and acoustics carry the day and you should be careful not to distract from them in any mix.
The balance sounds great though and the tone is very warm.
Does that help?
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
"don't completely mesh for me with the synth-y strings" I would agree with Dave on this. In this type of song I would probably use individual string instruments, or a four part string patch to maintain the organic feel. The attack of the string patch is also a little distracting in this rendition, somehow 'off'.
Singing is fine, right out front, but for me, when the strings were playing, it seemed like something was missing in the guitars. The left side finger picking seemed to disappear a bit. Otherwise nice job. Take with a teaspoon of salt; as Dave mentioned we will all have our own opinions.
Make your sound your own! .. I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
"don't completely mesh for me with the synth-y strings" I would agree with Dave on this. In this type of song I would probably use individual string instruments, or a four part string patch to maintain the organic feel. The attack of the string patch is also a little distracting in this rendition, somehow 'off'.
Singing is fine, right out front, but for me, when the strings were playing, it seemed like something was missing in the guitars. The left side finger picking seemed to disappear a bit. Otherwise nice job. Take with a teaspoon of salt; as Dave mentioned we will all have our own opinions.
My view is exactly the same.
On a side note if you like the sound of the strings I use you could send me the MIDI file and I will use my strings then send you back a wav file via Dropbox.
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
Ah thanks so much Rhavr, David and Mario. Much appreciated. I will put a cello instead of the strings.
I currently have the same picking guitar panned hard left and right and then drop off the right one when the other guitar and strings come in. I will adjust this.
This really helps. I am trying to produce this album with as little arranging and instruments as possible so that the focus remains on the vocal and harmonies.
Will repost when I am done.
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
Listening to the second mix I found the harmonies distracting. First the harmony vocal was panned left, then right, then both. Harmony vocals don't typically bounce from side to side.
May I suggest you use the same number of harmony vocals throughout the song and pan them near left and right. Imagine multiple singers surrounding a single microphone. They tend to blend together into one sound. Presently each harmony vocal is too distinct.
Thank you Jim and Mario. I will take the advice and upload another mix.
Last edited by JoanneCooper; 03/17/2207:54 AM.
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
Thanks guys! I have reworked the harmonies and put some EQ on the fiddle so it is not buried in the mix (hopefully). More feedback is always much appreciated/
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
This version has cleared up the conflict in the right channel between the backing vocal, guitar and the cello - so there's a much better balance in the mix.
Are you compressing the guitar in the left channel - if it's a BIAB guitar, you might just need to EQ it and not use compressor, that'll make it sound a bit more clear.
0:17 into the song a very short acoustic guitar appears in the center (and slightly left) for a chord or two and then disappears - is this made on purpose or is it incidental?
1:44 I would fade the violin slightly, to my taste it's a little bit too dominating the vocal.
Your vocal is very strong and carries the song through nicely, and it's a very nice song.
Keep up the good work Peter
MacMini M1 - BIAB2021 - Logic Pro X - iZotope Music Production Suite - Scaler 2 - far too many Waves plugins and Line 6 Guitars and boards + a fantastic Yamaha THR10ll mini Amp - Avid MBOX Studio
Peters' Garage is available on all major streaming services
This is the difference between night and day. MUCH better.
You have a glitch at 34 seconds on the left channel guitar, like an effect produced a momentary artifact or something. A very audible click.
One thing for the future (not that you need it here) but Izotope's RX9 has a tool that takes out guitar squeaks. I am going to mess with it today and see how it works. You use a lot of acoustic and believe me I know it can be time consuming to get rid of all those squeaks!
Also, I don't know if you have any Cat Stevens CDs or albums (like the Best of Cat Stevens even) but if so you may want to check it out and listen to how deceptively simple the mixes are. Really genius. There is a lot to learn from this. Everything is subservient to the vocals.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
I agree with David about those clicks, there are a few more but they are lower in volume. Get rid of those and you will have a winner IMHO.
I don't mind those string noise sounds (not the clicks) as they are quite common in acoustic playing. I think they add realism to guitar tracks. If you wanted to you could lower a few of those string noises but I wouldn't take them all out.
Again just my opinion.
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
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
I wasn't saying you had string squeak issues on THIS song but just in general I know peope like you and me use a lot of acoustic and have to deal with that.
I think the RX9 Standard feature for that will save me hours on some songs.
Just thought I would give a tip!!
I got RX9 in February with the Izotope Valentine's bundle so it wasn't that much. It is a little pricey off sale though. But, it is fast!!
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
All the many professionals I know and work with day in and day out (and Joanne is a professional) do this all the time as a matter of course.
It is how you get better mixes and better songs.
I don't know a single soul who has "gone places" who doesn't do it. Good-hearted constructive criticism, sharing, and listening to one another in a professional environment is the way it is done.
Maybe "shyness" is not the only factor. Maybe for some people it is a fear of wondering how they might be treated.
Consistently professional environments feel safer to most artists.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
FWIW in certain situations I think the string squeaks are important, but some people say I think a lot of weird things
Example: I have added samples of finger squeaks to a track that was *too clean* to make it sound more 'live', real, intimate, whatever your term is. Done sparingly, the response from clients was usually positive.
"How'd you do that??" type comments some trade secrets are better kept secrets, but I just gave one away I think
and yes, accepting/analyzing criticism is important for many reasons especially when the criticisms are suggestions, not really criticizing. Much easier for the recipient to accept
this thread is a good example
Make your sound your own! .. I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
you might pay a little attention to the sibilance in your lead vocal - since it's more "up front" and crisp - a gentle treatment with a De-Esser might be worth testing. (I've listened to your song on my Sennheiser HD25 Alu + the speakers in my car)
The song keep growing on me every time I listen to it - it's is really quality work from start to finish.
Cheers Peter
MacMini M1 - BIAB2021 - Logic Pro X - iZotope Music Production Suite - Scaler 2 - far too many Waves plugins and Line 6 Guitars and boards + a fantastic Yamaha THR10ll mini Amp - Avid MBOX Studio
Peters' Garage is available on all major streaming services
Goodness! I love this forum (and I love Band-in-a-Box). Where else on the internet can you get a bunch of generous people so willing to share. Awesome stuff. David. I haven't listened to that Cat Stevens yet (although I do know loads of his stuff but never really listened with a critical ear). I will put it on my headphones and go for a walk. That is exactly what I am trying to achieve with this album. Focus on the vocals and don't let anything else distract from that.
I think where this process has been so valuable is that I tend to get into a habit of doing something that may not always serve the song well. For example, with my harmonies, I always pan them hard left and right and try and introduce a bit of "variety" so that they "add something". To Jim's point, they don't really add, they subtract....so now I will pan them closer and have them doing more uniform stuff so that they don't distract from the lead vocal.
Here is the next version of Dairy. I have added a desser to the lead vocal.
I would love to get feedback on one other song and then I will hopefully be on my way with a "template" to work with. Let me know which one I should post. The songs I have recorded are
Always on my Mind Amazed Cant Help but Wonder Where Im Bound Fly Me to the Moon Follow Me Free Electric Band I Have a Dream When I Need You I'll have to say I love you in a Song Moon River Sunshine on my Shoulders Wind beneath my Wings Could I have this Dance
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
yep, much better The click Mario mentioned .. not sure if it is an editing artifact or a guitar noise .. didn't bother me so much FWIW the whole sound is much better on this one with the organic strings instead of synth nice job
Make your sound your own! .. I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
Diary V4. I like the lead vocal. It sounds much better and blends with the other tracks.
The 30 sec sound some have commented on sounds like a string squeak to me.
The whole song sounds more cohesive and together.
One last trick you may want to try to see if you can make the song more cohesive. Engage your DAW mono setting and listen to the complete mix. You should hear every track sit one on top of the other. When, in mono mode, each track sits on top of each other then each track one is occupying it's preferred frequency space. Each track will be louder or quieter but you should hear the tracks stacked together. If not then the mix has a equalization or phasing issue.
here's some feed back and suggestions - take what you find useable, and throw the rest away :-)
Fly Me To The Moon - the mix is crisp and clear, but to my taste you overdo the harmony vocals - there's simply too much of them - less is more. (They're not badly performed...on the contrary I would say) If you want to do some backing, some soft and gentle ooh's and aah's might be worth a try, I would expect these to keep more focus on your lead vocal. Another suggestion you might want to try out - when you sing the non verbal part in the middle of the song - try to add some subtle 12-stage Phaser with a slight stereo movement, you might want to add it to the middle part of that section....it'll create a bit of spice. Not dominant, just a tiny bit above barely noticeable as an effect.
Wind Beneath My Wings - a slight miss of vocal timing at 0:48. Your chorus harmonies are spot on - thumbs up. I miss a little presence of the bass, and maybe a bit more temperament in your Lead Vocal.
Moon River - A little nudge backwards with the rimshot - it's a bit dominating. Have you considered to play the same notes on the acoustic guitar (or maybe a dry Telecaster with a twist of presence) along with your solo non verbal vocal in the middle bridge?
I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song - I think this song could take a bit of rock'n roll in the arrangement
When I Need You - a bit more bass to challenge the drums. The guitar licks you bring in at 2:25'sh should go a bit more to the center, and with some subtle overdrive and reverb sit in the back, and be audible in both channels. (I would experiment adding a tape delay with a bit of dirt if you dislike overdrive)
So far you've been doing a great job, and please disregard the comments above, if you consider them to be rubbish.
Cheers Peter
MacMini M1 - BIAB2021 - Logic Pro X - iZotope Music Production Suite - Scaler 2 - far too many Waves plugins and Line 6 Guitars and boards + a fantastic Yamaha THR10ll mini Amp - Avid MBOX Studio
Peters' Garage is available on all major streaming services
Hello Joanne, you've a lovely interpretation of a lovely song.
Nice intro. The vocal is generally very, very nice but there's something a little strident in it that needs EQ to soften it with a cut at about 3350 or so and make sure the reverb isn't exaggerating what ever freq you settle on as well. The moment when the guitars go mono - at 0.24 focussing on the centre panned one for a moment - is odd and took all of my attention. It does reflection the very beginning of the intro but seems out of place at that point. The 1st visit of cello could be a little quieter - just a bit mind. The panned bvox are cool The higher strings don't add much and are a little too aggressively bowed to add to the mood. The bass notes move about a bit in the stereo image. It may be worth while grouping the acoustics and monoing the bass frequencies of them so that the bass sits low & centre. OR put a high pass on them to remove the bass tones and add a bass to the arrangement. Lastly the right acoustic has a lot of plectrum click which is, generally, covered by the other instruments but stick out in the last chords.
Last edited by rayc; 03/21/2210:58 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Thank you Ray and Peter. What wonderful feedback and shows how I am not listening critically to my song. This is a habit I need to develop
Last edited by JoanneCooper; 03/22/2206:59 PM.
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
Hello Joanne, you've a lovely interpretation of a lovely song.
Nice intro. The vocal is generally very, very nice but there's something a little strident in it that needs EQ to soften it with a cut at about 3350 or so and make sure the reverb isn't exaggerating what ever freq you settle on as well. The moment when the guitars go mono - at 0.24 focussing on the centre panned one for a moment - is odd and took all of my attention. It does reflection the very beginning of the intro but seems out of place at that point. The 1st visit of cello could be a little quieter - just a bit mind. The panned bvox are cool The higher strings don't add much and are a little too aggressively bowed to add to the mood. The bass notes move about a bit in the stereo image. It may be worth while grouping the acoustics and monoing the bass frequencies of them so that the bass sits low & centre. OR put a high pass on them to remove the bass tones and add a bass to the arrangement. Lastly the right acoustic has a lot of plectrum click which is, generally, covered by the other instruments but stick out in the last chords.
Great tips Ray. I think I can apply some of that logic to rest of the tracks. The lead vocal definitely sounds "softer" now. Here is the next version
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
That's a nice remix and sounds ace though the vocal now is just a little "hot" in my headphones "She wouldn't show it" at around 2.40 may be a good spot to visit and hear what my head phones translate. It MAY be my gain staging though.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
That's a nice remix and sounds ace though the vocal now is just a little "hot" in my headphones "She wouldn't show it" at around 2.40 may be a good spot to visit and hear what my head phones translate. It MAY be my gain staging though.
Hi Ray I reduced the gain on the offending section by a couple of DBs.
LyricLab A.I assisted chords and lyric app. Export lyrics and import directly into Band-in-a-Box 2024. https://lyriclab.net Play-along with songs you know and love, download SGU files https://playiit.com/
Always on my Mind Amazed Cant Help but Wonder Where Im Bound Fly Me to the Moon Follow Me Free Electric Band I Have a Dream When I Need You I'll have to say I love you in a Song Moon River Sunshine on my Shoulders Wind beneath my Wings Could I have this Dance
Took a quick peak at this thread and thought these were the lyrics.
Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
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!
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.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
) almost everyone has a different opinion on things.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean