Working with Soundfonts and internet musicians

[Shaky Tee]

Hello all!!

I came here once last year...people were kind.

Anyway, I've put up a BUNCH of new songs since then, but there are two I wanna get feedback on.

1 is (I Can't Get No Love In) Silicon Valley Blues. It's a ragtimeish piano only piece that was composed in Band In A Box. Left hand was done by machine, right hand was done by me. It was then exported to midi and tweaked like hell. I also added Soundfonts to it.

I guess I need some feedback regarding to mixing, and also if the Soundfonts make the piano sound REAL enough. Pay no attention to the singing. I'm probably going to redo the vocals at some point.

I also have another song called Foxglove Blues. This very talented and nice guy named Phil Traynor redid the backing for me and I just wailed into my newly purchased Oktava MK-319. I think, personally, it turned out great, but I'm getting complaints regarding the bass and some mixing issues.

Can I get feedback on this as well?

Oh!! Both songs can be found here:

http://www.mp3.com/ShakyTee

Lemme know if I can be of any assistance to you

Thanks!

 

[AlChuck]

Shaky Tee,

Hello again! (I just responded to your post on the Cakewalk forum).

I already commented there on the Sound Font you used in "Silicon Valley Blues." I think it sounds quite fine. I was interested to read how you did the left-hand parts using Band In A Box. I use BB from time to time too to make backing tracks, though if I get serious I often deconstruct some of the parts a bit (a.k.a. tweaking like hell).

Re "Foxglove Blues," I thought the organ was mixed too low, and maybe the drums could be punched up a bit. The bass was fine, I thought. Curiously, I preferred the vocal performance on the older version. I like your voice and your writing -- keep it up!

-AlChuck

 

[Shaky Tee]

Hey Al

Thanks for the compliments.

Band In The Box has a bunch of old-time piano styles that can and are intended to be used as left hand styles. The one I used for Silicon Valley Blues was the Fats Waller style. And I just used the harmonizing features and played over it. Then I exported it to MIDI and tweaked it and added the soundfonts.

Actually, I've gotten a lot of compliments on the piano playing. I'm getting lots of "it sounds REAL". Which means my ears are playing TRICKS on me!!

I'll be using these fonts from now on!