April 18, 2018  -  User Showcase Song - In a Mountain Town

The inspiration for this song came mainly from Estes Park, CO, the doorway to Rocky Mountain National Park.

https://soundcloud.com/phil-leith/in-a-mountain-town-original

It's an eclectic little town. Quirky, like its sister towns on the front range. An easy place to fall in love with. After a few days hiking in the park, it's nice to go into town, hit a restaurant or microbrewery, and just people-watch while you maybe shop and grab an ice cream cone, and catch Brad Fitch (Cowboy Brad) down at Bond park playing for a crowd of people on blankets and lawn chairs. The autumn storm referred to here is the big flood of 2013. Not the first time that's happened and it won't be the last.

Fellow BIAB forum member Bob Buford heard an early version of the song (actually my third go at the song in 5 years) and encouraged me to get Band in a Box to help fill out my "studio" and gave me some pointers on mixing. So this is my first original that I'm "finished" with since I got BIAB. My 4th "go" at the song and I have to say ... I'm liking it a lot better now. I guess I never feel like I'm "done" with a song ... but ... great advice, Bob, glad I got it.

I use Reaper to mix and add FX. On this track, I actually like my own rhythm guitar style and "western" solo. All of the vocals are me. BIAB info:

_ELECROK 4/4 ev8 120 Uplifting Rock2

but just used these instruments:

Bass: 388:Bass, Electric Metal Ev 120 [Dow Tomlin]
Drums: ReaDrums=RockHardModernEv8^2-ClsdHt, OpHt [Wayne Killius]

I used reverb on pretty much everything to fatten it up, including on the BIAB tracks. Yes, I use some gentle ReaTune on my vocals. (I'm still getting used to the idea of me singing as a primary musical expression. I only sang to accompany my guitar before. It's a weird paradigm shift for me.) Also used Acon digital multiplier to thicken especially the background vocals, and threw Xcomp compressor over the master track (Mastering 3 band smile setting). And the Clap Machine from 99 Sounds as a midi clap track. I toned that down to mostly get lost in the mix, only sticking out in the quiet parts.

Posted on April 18, 2018 08:30 AM