Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
#746454 12/25/22 05:27 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Title:The fragile little sparrow

Link: Eleanor Lennox: The fragile little sparrow

Update: The fragile little sparrow (remixed with louder vocals)


A song inspired by the life and early death of Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan.
A big thank you to all the forum members who pointed out that my vocal arrangements reminded them a bit of Dolores,
because I started listening to her old stuff again and rediscovered how good she was as a songwriter and singer.

The usual unasked for trivia:
  • since all images are copyrighted these days (i.e., there are almost NO free images of Dolores)
    the background images you see in the video are computer-generated anime-style paintings. Not perfect, but kind of usable.
  • when I investigated her life, a lot of bad things came up (child abuse, bipolar disorder). Poor girl frown
  • even though I personally prefer more upbeat stuff, a ballad here and there is fun and a welcome change.
  • my first attempt at implementing Scott's (Ezekiel's Storm) advice to "say the same thing with fewer words".
    I'm not there yet (sometimes I have trouble saying it at all), but I'm working on it smile

Special thanks (again) to Marty for proofreading the lyrics and encouraging words. His 'more me' request for the bass player has been implemented.
So if anyone thinks there's too much bass, it's all Marty's fault smile

Some technical information:
Style: _LURK.STY

The band:
Drums: NashPopBallad
Bass: 1190 (re-amped)
Guitars: 3738, 3435, 840 (all re-amped)
Viola: 2336
Strings and Synths: yours truly
Vocals: Eleanor Lennox with BG vocals from Solaria.

You can find the lyrics in the next post.


Making bits and bytes sound good...

Goldmania Bella - A One-Man Girlband with no fans
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Title: Natalie Lennox: The fragile little sparrow

Chorus:
The fragile little sparrow
who flew too high
sang her last song
a song that made me cry

The fragile little sparrow
with broken wings
couldn't carry on
and find her way back home

Verse:
She wasn't meant to fly so high
She had a dream
But she had to pay the price
For flying too high

She was searching for a place to belong
And thought she found it in the sky
But she was wrong
She didn't belong there, no

Chorus:
The fragile little sparrow
who flew too high
sang her last song
a song that made me cry

The fragile little sparrow
with broken dreams
couldn't carry on
and find her way back home
home

Bridge:
She had just a fleeting moment
but in that moment she was free
just free

Chorus:
The fragile little sparrow
who flew too high
sang her last song
a song that made me cry

The fragile little sparrow
with broken dreams
couldn't carry on
and find her way back home


Last edited by B.D.Thomas; 12/25/22 05:30 AM. Reason: Lyrics added

Making bits and bytes sound good...

Goldmania Bella - A One-Man Girlband with no fans
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
User Showcase
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,968
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,968
I love the song. It is so sweet and exudes gentleness. For me, the vocals could come up a tad.

Vic

User Showcase
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 1,406
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 1,406
Hi B.D.
Really very nice
A worthy tribute song
Sounds great and the video is very fitting to the song
I find however there is too much bass in the mix... was just a joke ;-)))
All excellent B.D.
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Originally Posted By: vicarn
I love the song. It is so sweet and exudes gentleness. For me, the vocals could come up a tad.

Vic

Hey Vic, thanks for listening and your feedback, I always appreciate it.
The vocals are indeed less loud than usual, but I thought it fits the mood better. Let's wait for some more feedback before I change anything.
Thanks for suggestion smile


Making bits and bytes sound good...

Goldmania Bella - A One-Man Girlband with no fans
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 21,609
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 21,609
B.D. you are a master of those A.I. vocals.

This sounds real, great work on that.

Nice harmonies!

I think the vocal could come up a tad during the verses. That would make it fit better with the chorus IMHO.


An apple a day is bullcrap. Apples are dangerous. Just look at Eve, Snow White, or any pig at a luau.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,008
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,008
Good song!

Nice echoes of Cranberries-type, both in the vocal and the vocal phrasing.

The vocal is competing with a lot things in the same frequency. In "headphones" mode, the vocal is easy to make out. But just about any other speaker setting, the vocal is a bit too far back. So I suspect you depend a bit too much on stereo separation to make the vocal stand out from the instruments.

Lyrically, you're doing more with less, so kudos with that.

And I can hear you build contrast between the different parts. But I think there's a sameness to the song, so even more contrast of some sort would be helpful.

laugh


-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 946
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 946
B.D., very nice song and well produced. I listened on speakers and thought the vocals may be a little low, but not much - it sounded pretty good. I really liked the harmonies you were able to put together. Nice wright too.

User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,587
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,587
Nicely done enjoyed the song and the instruments are well chosen.

I agree the vocals could come up a touch.

Peter

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,342
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,342
I've had a Cranberries station on Pandora for years and Dolores had such a uniquely beautiful voice. Her light was extinguished far too early; such a tradgedy.

I think you did a great job in the Cranberries style and you did a wonderful job lyrically.


https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2024 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,981
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 11,981
Nice.

A good write.

An interesting BAND.

Coo video.

Well done.

fj

User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 2,168
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 2,168
Brian...a very pretty and touching song...I'm still amazed at AI...this song fits it perfectly and your talent in that area is evident...my only nit is that the vocal seemed lost in the mix at the beginning of the song but got better (in terms of volume) as the song went on...I loved the melody of the song...the video was very well done...beautiful!

Last edited by firesong; 12/27/22 08:09 AM.

www.soundclick.com/firesong
BiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10

You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,145
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,145
I really liked this a lot, thought you did a terrific job. The vocal levels were fine for me, but I always use headphones. (Yes, I know, bad for mixing). Great tribute to the source of inspiration. A more intriguing chord progression might've made it more interesting, but I can't say that it would have been better. Probably perfect as is. Great work!


Windows 10, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 6i6, Komplete keyboard, Sony Acid Music Studio 11, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,506
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6,506
Nice one!
There're a few spots where the phrasing accentuates the synthetic source.
I'm not a Cranberries fan though I do know a couple of their songs & the Dolores story.
You've done a good job.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Originally Posted By: PROJECT M
Hi B.D.
Really very nice
A worthy tribute song
Sounds great and the video is very fitting to the song
I find however there is too much bass in the mix... was just a joke ;-)))
All excellent B.D.
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

Thanks for listening and your feedback, Andi.
Greetings back from Germany smile


Making bits and bytes sound good...

Goldmania Bella - A One-Man Girlband with no fans
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Originally Posted By: vicarn
I love the song. It is so sweet and exudes gentleness. For me, the vocals could come up a tad.

Vic

Originally Posted By: MarioD
B.D. you are a master of those A.I. vocals.

This sounds real, great work on that.

Nice harmonies!

I think the vocal could come up a tad during the verses. That would make it fit better with the chorus IMHO.

Hello Mario (and Vic again),
thanks a lot for your feedback, especially about the vocal levels smile

I uploaded a remix with the following changes:
  • the original mix has only the center guitar ducked by the vocals. The remix does the same (slightly) with both guitars on the sides, so the vocals don't have to compete so much
  • the vocals got about 3dB more (slightly less because the compressor took some away)

If you can still stand the song, you can listen to the remixed version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYvZ_TLzCCk


Making bits and bytes sound good...

Goldmania Bella - A One-Man Girlband with no fans
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,814
Originally Posted By: dcuny
Good song!

Nice echoes of Cranberries-type, both in the vocal and the vocal phrasing.

The vocal is competing with a lot things in the same frequency. In "headphones" mode, the vocal is easy to make out. But just about any other speaker setting, the vocal is a bit too far back. So I suspect you depend a bit too much on stereo separation to make the vocal stand out from the instruments.

Lyrically, you're doing more with less, so kudos with that.

And I can hear you build contrast between the different parts. But I think there's a sameness to the song, so even more contrast of some sort would be helpful.

laugh


Hi David,
thanks a lot for listening and your detailed analysis, I really appreciate it!
I checked it again, I think with speakers (as long as they are not too close together) it's still okay-ish, but in mono (which I forgot to check this time frown ) or when I walk away from the speakers the separation indeed relies too much on a proper stereo setup.

I upped the vocals by about 3dB and ducked the guitars on the sides a bit, the result is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYvZ_TLzCCk

I didn't change the contrast, but I keep that in mind for my next song smile


Making bits and bytes sound good...

Goldmania Bella - A One-Man Girlband with no fans
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
User Showcase
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,718
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,718
Ah, the bass sounds perfect, BD. smile What a wonderful tribute. I'm not familiar with her, but looked her up after hearing your song. Man, you did a fine job on the images too. The vocals do sound a lot better on the new mix. You may be sending your lyrics to the wrong guy if you want them succinct. I've never been known as one who follows Ben Franklin's advice of "why use two words when one will do." My 8-year-old granddaughter said, "You teach me a lot, Babu. Sometimes I'm afraid to ask." Don'tr listen to her, BD. I enjoy hearing your works in progress.


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub
and https://soundcloud.com/babumusic-5080285
Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11
User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,219
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,219
BDT, it is mind blowing how you get these vocaloids to work so well. I enjoyed the song and the levels of the mix sound perfect to me. Very well written and produced,Tom

User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,696
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,696
I loved the Cranberries music. Vocals and harmonies were just awesome. Lovely lyric and backtrack. Excellent mix. Happy New Year. Well done..


Scott Collingwood
https://soundcloud.com/scottt709
https://soundcloud.com/spiritlevel-ca
https://www.youtube.com/@SpiritLevel-ge3hm/
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3

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
New! XPro Styles PAK 7 for Band-in-a-Box 2024 for Mac!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 7 with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 50 RealTracks and RealDrums that are sure to delight!

With XPro Styles PAK 7 you can expect 25 rock & pop, 25 jazz, and 25 country styles, as well as 25 of this year's wildcard genre: Celtic!

Here's a small sampling of what XPro Styles PAK 7 has to offer: energetic rock jigs, New Orleans funk, lilting jazz waltzes, fast Celtic punk, uptempo train beats, gritty grunge, intense jazz rock, groovy EDM, soulful R&B, soft singer-songwriter pop, country blues rock, and many more!

Special Pricing! Until September 30, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 7 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea)! Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box 2024® with XPro Styles PAK 7! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Watch the XPro Styles PAK 7 Overview & Styles Demos video.

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2024 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

New! Xtra Styles PAK 18 for Band-in-a-Box 2024 for Mac!

Xtra Styles PAK 18 for Band-in-a-Box version 2024 is here with 200 brand new styles to take for a spin!

Along with 50 new styles each for the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, we’ve put together a collection of styles using sounds from the SynthMaster plugin!

In this PAK you'll find: dubby reggae grooves, rootsy Americana, LA jazz pop, driving pop rock, mellow electronica, modern jazz fusion, spacey country ballads, Motown shuffles, energetic EDM, and plenty of synth heavy grooves! Xtra Style PAK 18 features these styles and many, many more!

Special Pricing! Until September 30, 2024, all the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 18 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea)! Expand your Band-in-a-Box 2024® library with Xtra Styles PAK 18! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 18 here.

Watch the Xtra Styles PAK 18 Overview & Styles Demos video.

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 18 requires the 2024 UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

New! Xtra Styles PAK 18 for Band-in-a-Box 2024 for Windows!

Xtra Styles PAK 18 for Band-in-a-Box version 2024 is here with 200 brand new styles to take for a spin!

Along with 50 new styles each for the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, we’ve put together a collection of styles using sounds from the SynthMaster plugin!

In this PAK you'll find: dubby reggae grooves, rootsy Americana, LA jazz pop, driving pop rock, mellow electronica, modern jazz fusion, spacey country ballads, Motown shuffles, energetic EDM, and plenty of synth heavy grooves! Xtra Style PAK 18 features these styles and many, many more!

Special Pricing! Until September 30, 2024, all the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 18 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea)! Expand your Band-in-a-Box 2024® library with Xtra Styles PAK 18! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 18 here.

Watch the Xtra Styles PAK 18 Overview & Styles Demos video.

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 18 requires the 2024 UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

New! XPro Styles PAK 7 for Band-in-a-Box 2024 for Windows!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 7 with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 50 RealTracks and RealDrums that are sure to delight!

With XPro Styles PAK 7 you can expect 25 rock & pop, 25 jazz, and 25 country styles, as well as 25 of this year's wildcard genre: Celtic!

Here's a small sampling of what XPro Styles PAK 7 has to offer: energetic rock jigs, New Orleans funk, lilting jazz waltzes, fast Celtic punk, uptempo train beats, gritty grunge, intense jazz rock, groovy EDM, soulful R&B, soft singer-songwriter pop, country blues rock, and many more!

Special Pricing! Until September 30, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 7 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea)! Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box 2024® with XPro Styles PAK 7! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Watch the XPro Styles PAK 7 Overview & Styles Demos video.

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2024 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Video - Band-in-a-Box® DAW Plugin Version 6 for Mac®: New Features for Reaper

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 includes built-in specific support for the Reaper® DAW API, allowing direct transfer of Band-in-a-Box® files to/from Reaper tracks, including tiny lossless files of instructions which play audio instantly from disk.

We demonstrate the new Reaper features in the Band-in-a-Box® VST DAW Plugin 6.0 in our video, Band-in-a-Box® DAW Plugin Version 6 for Mac®: New Features for Reaper

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Mac® - Update Today!

Already grabbed your copy of Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Mac®? Head to our Support Page to download build 803 and update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 installation with the latest version developed by our team!

Learn more & download now.

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Mac® Video - Over 50 New Features and Enhancements!

Read all about the 50+ newest features in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Mac®, or you can watch our video "Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Mac®: Over 50 New Features and Enhancements!" to see it in action!

Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics82,884
Posts750,556
Members38,927
Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
Newest Members
DMD, Cutta, shandrakeeb, One Box Band, Ninjasef
38,926 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
DC Ron 124
rsdean 113
BYOBand 93
MarioD 93
dcuny 80
vicarn 79
Today's Birthdays
Jim Fogle
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5