Quote:

When you say you are "finished", does that mean that you don't want suggestions/comments?



Only a fool closes his mind and ears to suggestion and constructive criticism.

Quote:

It can't be "finished" with the click start still in there



Finished as in "All the parts together in a semi intelligable collective"

Quote:

How many tracks are in there -- and what is your panning? Everything seems sort of centered to me.



8, and everything is indeed dead center.

Quote:

Remove all the effects from your lead vocal -- it sounds like you are in a tin can and it pushes the vocal too far to the back.



This track in this take suffers from "equalizus over effectsus" disease. I tried to EQ the vocals using a plug in effect. This was before I have my MOTU working and can now mix outside the software like I want to. Unfortunately there is no "remove all the bad attempts to EQ" button on Real Band that I am aware of. I plan to someday sing it again dry and direct into the interface.

Quote:

Shoot the drummer (ha, ha). What happened at 0:59, 1:35-1:36 and every stop in the music?



Those pick ups ARE a little late. My fingers on the drum machine keys ain't what they used to be.

Quote:

Are those auto-harmonies starting at 4:08?



They are indeed vocoder.

Quote:

Your "real" harmonies sound good -- keep doing that.



Those were also vocoder.

Quote:

My main issue with this tune is that there seems to be way, way too many words



I will respond to this section by recalling a scene from Amadeus where Mozart was told that there seemed to be "too many notes" in one of his pieces. He presented the score to "his majesty" and asked "Which ones would you like me to take out?"

The story of the song is what it is, and I can't take words out of a story.

By the shores of Gitche Gumee
By the shining Big-Sea-Water
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.

Should we shorten that to "Down by the big lake was a tent with a broad in it"?

I am using the new 1040XTRAEZ form this year. It has just 2 lines.

1. How much did you make in 2023?
2. Send it to us.