Arranged on Korg PA 4X. I added additonal real guitars...recorded on TASCAM DP24

Music....OK. Message...OUTSTANDING!

R.

Steve good job..

Thanks Cap...Appreciate it

No one would ever think it was made on an arranger. Excellent sound and arrangement.

Steve A., you have a talent, good job. Have you any up-lifting topics that you have created, I would love to hear them.

John C.

Steve great job and a great song I really enjoyed it. Cal

I agree that it sounds excellent, but I think the drums are an "arranger giveaway". I fall into the trap sometimes where I like hearing the drums a bit louder than I would if I were in a live band, and that's how I hear this arrangement. The drums are so prevalent that they take away a bit of the "suspension of reality" (a theatre term) but sounding too perfect, maybe? It's hard to describe what I'm trying to say - it's not a negative - I like the song - I like the sounds used.
(Don't be mad Steve!)
I fall into periods where I have the RH sound too loud ... just because I LIKE the sound I'm using .... usually a Rhodes EP. When drums are in front of the mix, it's usually a sign that the person mixing is not a drummer, and they are thrilled to have these great sounding patterns at their avail. Just my 2 cents - I don't meant to offend. Just wanted to throw my thoughts in, while I'm keyboard & guitarLESS. This packing is a huge deal, but I'm gettin' there.

In a few weeks, I'll have the studio up and running again, and I'll get to work!

Yes, maybe the most common mistake using arrangers live is having the vocal and/or the lead sound too loud. I'm guilty, but try to be aware of it at all times.

Touché....Naw not mad at all. They sound like ARRANGER DRUMS CAUSE THEY ARE ARRANGER DRUMS. lol. I thoroughly expected to be called on it. At the very least everyone should know it’s programmed drums. Still no one has mentioned it on ANY FORUM TILL NOW....

****

BTW....My longtime friend who is a Producer and my most honest & harshest critic, asked "Was it programmed or is it a real drummer" ???

LOL.....man that is too funny.

A quick little "maybe" news. I have placed this on YOUTUBE & only showed this to a few forums, friends, & FB.

I just got an inbox on FB from an A & R Director who saw the vid & heard the song. I know her on a casual basis, & she knows a little of my "Country Music" work, but we don't have an established wotking relationship yet. It's a Small to Mid-Level Nashville label who think this should be released on a much larger platform. Namely theirs. But in her message she was very clear. She wants this for their label as there is a need for this type of song & VIDEO now. She said she wants to take this to her boss & asked if I wanted to set up a meeting...They want to talk...

May or may not pan out, but man.....My day just got a whole lot brighter either way this project goes

You just have to learn how to SIT IN THE MIX....
it only comes from experience on stage night after night.
listening to recordings of your self helps alot also.
Here's a trick I always used on stage ...
if you can't hear the "Hum Of the Crowd"
your Too Loud.

Yep, I've been sitting in that mix for nearly sixty years! I have recordings of myself starting about 1969. Started with reel-to-reel, then cassette and 8 track, then minidisc, stereo hifi VCR, and finally an array of digital, from 8 track to 2 track. Lord, I was awful back then. Sure glad I didn't know it at the time.
My first self-recording was when I had a Lowrey organ that had a built-in cassette recorder. I didn't sing at the time. I remember playing at a restaurant and recording the first hour, then just playing the recording back through the organ for the next set. When you played it back through the organ, it used the leslie effect, on and off, just like live. But if you tried to play it back on a normal player, it lost that effect. Hadn't thought about that in many years...

Hope something good happens for you Steve.

Great news Steve. As Barry Manilow once sang, "You deserve a break today!"

Hey, Steve, best of luck with it ... I want to say "I knew him when ..."