noynekker

David . . . great little dance pop tune you've done here ! I really like your vocals, and it's interesting how you've changed up the ambience around them throughout the piece, especially dryer in the verses for clarity of lyrics, and lots of nifty vocal rhythmic effects. The wash of thick synth sounds that come and go are also a good touch. Around 2:40 there is a section where the audio engineer part of my brain kicks in, and hears what sounds like audio interface crackling, buffer settings too low . . . but maybe you were trying for vinyl crackle, or a lo-fi sound, hard to say. Also, if I'm dancing to the groove in a club, that ending may leave my feet wondering where to step next ? On my small speakers, that kick sounds awesome . . . hopefully that translates to a club environment, do you have a place to test that out ? I think it's a great pop concept "Stay in Love" . . . and most important is that it's catchy, and fits the house genre very well. Best of luck with this one, I think many will like this song as well !

Hey Wookiee . . . it's majestic and slowly unfolding, and I think you've used the glide very effectively, perhaps masterfully . . . great to listen to ! . . . and you're always a pleasant departure here for my Sunday evening listening.

. . . and shouldn't it remember the export settings saved with your projects, like it did before ? . . . so you don't have to re-monkey with it every time you do the export ?

Hi Bjorn . . . well composed, and a pleasant listen / departure from my day. I'm a fan of those Indiginus sample libraries, and have some in my collection as well. You've really captured a Celtic vibe here with all those different instruments and the way you've combined them here. Nothing to do with your piece, but I find the fiddle sample sound a bit too smooth compared to a real fiddle, missing the intricate scratchiness and dragging of the bow.

PhonoBrainer . . . you've done it again . . . loving the ambience of the orchestral warm up in your intro, was that a cat wailing ? hope he's OK . . . then the cliché announcer, and especially when your alto (not soprano) opera singer sample shatters some glasses, oh yeah, you know how to have some fun, and your sense of humor always shines through in all your stuff. That's a pretty stellar electric guitar solo you captured later as it goes, and it's panned everywhere, super huge sound ! I'm also impressed by the different ambiences you've dialed in on various instruments through the piece, makes it sound multi dimensional. The video version bends the mind and the eyes some (as I'm sure you intended) . . . also, because I just started playing around with some video software for my own tunes . . . I am humbled by the possibilities of what you've accomplished here with music and video, simply amazing ! . . . and above all, it's very cerebrally entertaining. Space Reggae Opera indeed. (have you talked to your music therapist about genre confusion ? Lol) So, as I've said before . . . whatever will he come up with next ? You always deliver.

Thank you Mr. flipper ! I grabbed your Renegade Acoustic download. Haven't played much with the articulation maps, maybe this will help me see how it's done and what I've been missing, though, I've always had an allergic reaction to programming.

So much enjoyed this ! . . . and can't recall ever hearing just boogie woogie piano on the cakewalk songs forum, you're a great and skilled pianist here, a very fun piece, thanks for posting this !

Lee . . . there's a lot I really like about this one, and it's very smooth and professional sounding to listen to. The organ and the lead guitar are standouts for my ears. The vocals sound great as well, though I think it stays in a limited range for most of the song . . . if you really cut loose into the higher register at the end of some phrases it would add some power and dynamics, but I know it's easier said than done. I did get some hints of Pink Floyd in the melody in places, and in the way you sing it. I hope your "massive dry spell" goes away . . . looking forward to hearing more quality stuff like this !

Mark . . . more excellence, brilliantly performed and recorded. Really love that crisp high acoustic w/capo sound you've captured here, it sings out with your tasteful chops of talent. Up here in Canada we have a lot of Acadian and folk based music, especially out east . . . and I've always appreciated well played acoustic music. It brought to mind the early days of a Canadian guitarist Bruce Cockburn.

Steve . . . absolutely magical upfront lead vocal vocal mix man ! So glad you revisited this one, love that organ vibe as well, and subtle percussion . . . in our modern world, apparently you still have a voice.

Fun stuff David ! . . . liking the driving drums a lot in this one, great dynamics they have. I have the NI Session Horns as well, but can't make them sound like this . . . it's like jazz goes to the circus, with that sad clown face watching me as I listen . . . and that horse sound, I've heard you use that before, is that a sample, or you have horses on your farm ? . . . it really helps add to the sense of fun I get listening to this . . . hmmm, maybe add some Vibraslap to put this over the top ?

Jerry . . . now that was 10 minutes well spent on my Sunday afternoon ! Very well done, and very well orchestrated . . . I especially enjoyed all the horn parts throughout, and lots of interesting surprises and interesting sound combinations along the way. Thanks for being a Cakewalker, and posting here on the forum.

Another great song here Barry ! Enjoyed this immensely. You've got that driving folk sound you were going for, but seems more electric folk ? At first I wanted to hear more high end in that driving rhythm guitar, but it works in well as the song goes along. Your vocals are so well sung, and clear through all of the song, you have a great and strong voice in this one. Also, really like the driving bass guitar line, you might even reinforce that descending bass part that you use throughout with another electric guitar going along with it, that's got some hook to it for my ears . . . it works OK on headphones, but if you accentuate it with an octave up guitar part, it would work even better with the speaker listen. That's minor stuff . . . overall, it's just an excellent listen !

David . . . since you asked, I'm a long time Cakewalking forum member (from way before Sonar 7) known as Noynekker . . . but, in real life it's just Bruce. PS . . . Shaun Cassidy's younger brother

John . . . very smooth and musical arrangement on this one, enjoyed it very much ! If I'm thinking "pop song" . . . the 1 minute musical intro may be a bit long, as it seems to imply an entrance of the vocals more than a few times, before they arrive, and then again before the second verse arrives . . . but you probably aren't thinking 4 minute "pop song" ? . . . so I appreciate it more as a longer art piece. The drums and percussion parts jump out and really shine in this one, and that Trilian Bass guitar sounds good also, very distinctive to your style. Always an intelligent and very musical listen John.

Mark . . . more excellence and finely played guitars . . . you went nylon this time. Now, I'm hearing some subtle allusions to a Spanish guitar version of Sultans of Swing, was that intentional, or just sub-conscious ? Either way, you've swung it your own way, with improvisations above and beyond.

Hey David . . . liking this one, interesting listen . . . at first I thought this was going to be a smoky late night jazz club thing, but you created some interesting harmonics and chords along the way. The title "Singing Bowl" . . . is that an instrument from your cupboard you recorded, or a sample you used here ? At times the kit sounded to me like a rock drummer trying to keep up with a jazz combo, more ride cymbal ? . . . but somehow it all works timing wise for my ears, definitely laid back and experimental . . . you mention Sonar 7, oh yeah, old school with a modern music touch.

30 second teaser theme . . . we like, but we want more . . . sounds like it's just getting going, then it's over ?

Bjorn . . . don't have any comments to add on this one . . . I just sat back, listened, and enjoyed thoroughly ! Simple as that.

Wow Jerry . . . Art Austin's clarinet is a perfect compliment here to your orchestral excellence, so well composed and performed . . . liked every moment of this !

Treesha . . . it's an excellent composition, very subtle instrumentally, and in the way it unfolds. You capture the intention of your abandonment theme very effectively, and the artwork on your Soundcloud page helps bring it home as well. You've mentioned your voice many times here, but I really like what you've done here, the piece doesn't call for any diva flashyness anyways. Everything is super clear, you haven't overdone the vocal effects at all . . . ya' Treesha, had a few listens, and really like this ! Hope you keep writing and posting some more of your stuff on the songs forum.

Steve . . . super creative and positive piece, I'm sure liking this one ! You've mixed classical and pop very successfully here, very well played and recorded. (For some reason it rekindled the Mannheim Steamroller - Fresh Aire albums . . . if anyone here remembers those)

Windows and Cakewalk need to be set to the same sample rate for this to work . . . when a major Windows Update occurs, I've found it resets the sample rate without asking my permission, oh yeah.

I've found, if you have a fairly good drum groove already . . . you can use the CAL script "Random Time" to very slightly alter drum kit pieces, so everything doesn't fall exactly on the bar lines . . . makes it sound more organic, like a drummer with only a few beers. If the drum groove is not there to begin with, not much can help.

Thank you bitflipper ! . . . long time Cakewalker, didn't know this shortcut was possible, nice nice nice, I will use this a lot for drum editing.