Hi

I've been looking at buying a package that will enable me to make backing tracks for my duo, which consists of me on acoustic guitar and vocals and my wife playing percussion.

We play mainly ballads and soft rock and blues in restaurants and bars.

I've been impressed by reading reviews and listening to examples and want to get started soon. But I've come to a brick wall..

The buying process is completely baffling me. I'm reading about 'Real This' and 'Real That' and the packages seem to have different elements that make no reference to what they are or contain.

The website seems to almost deliberately confuse people like me who visit to gain a foothold on the whole concept.

Sorry to start on a negative, but I really need some help on where to start.

Can I just buy the 'basic' package and add the other elements when I find a need for them or are some available on first purchase only..?

I'm really not someone who can easily grasp new technology, so please keep it simple. I started to lose the plot after the VHS versus Betamax era...!

If anyone can guide me to the starting line, I'd be grateful.

Cheers

Graham

Hi Graham and welcome to one of the most friendly sites on the web.

I am a long time users of Band-in-a-Box (BiaB) and I agree with you in that the packages PGMusic sells is very confusing. The main thing to remember is that the main engine is the same in all packages; thus the least expensive Pro has the same BiaB engine as the most expensive. The difference is in the amount of styles, both MIDI and Realtracks, as well as the number of Super MIDI tracks. This page shows what is available in each package, just scroll down; this assumes you have a PC, if not look at the Mac packages:

https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.packages.htm

I suggest you get the biggest package that you can afford. If possible I personally suggest getting the Ultrapak. This will give you everything that is included with BiaB. Also it is cheaper to purchase this then to purchase a less expensive package then purchasing extra Realtracks and Realdrums.

Also with the PC version you get RealBand, a DAW, for free. This may or may not interest you right now but I may come in handy later.

If you haven't already go over to the showcase forum and listen to some of the music that has been generated by BiaB.

I hope this helps

Hi as well Graham,

MarioD's advice is sound. The UltraPAK is generally the best bang for the buck, as it's quite literally possible to add on thousands of dollars of add-ons with individual RealTracks purchases; however, if you don't want throw down right away, there are upgrade options. The Pro version is a good start for $129, and you can choose to add on a couple RealTracks sets in the future, or upgrade to the whole UltraPAK down the road.

Feel free to phone or chat with us about it if you like! We can be reached Monday to Friday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Pacific time zone. Our sales lines are 1-800-268-6272 or 1-250-475-2874, or you can use our Live Help system by clicking on the green "Live Help" button in the upper right of our site.

For definitions' sake:

(I'm assuming you know what midi is).

Midi styles are groupings of midi instruments that generate arrangements according to the chords you enter (as well as other info you supply, like key, tempo, certain rhythmical elements, etc.) in a particular style/genre/feel.

REAL tracks and REAL drums are actual recordings of actual musicians playing actual instruments. Not sampled instruments...real playing by top-drawer studio musicians. These tracks are arranged in a bunch of Styles that work well together to form a "band", or you can combine them in other ways to make your own "band". The chords (and other info you provide) call up segments of much longer recordings and have those recordings follow your chords, tempo, key, and other elements. That's the short version.

Hi Mario and thanks for the warm welcome. Having read numerous threads here, I think you're right, I get the feeling of a very supportive community.

I had read the info in the link you provided and I think that's where my problem started..! But I've studied things a bit more and I'm a little more comfortable with the set up now.

Thanks for the info on RealBand and which pack to buy.

I have a few more questions which I'll post soon...

Hi Simon and thanks very much for the offer of phone help.

I'll be calling you this week..

Graham

Just to echo the thoughts above. I used to use BIAB for exactly the same purpose as you. Now it's just a hobby. However, I do suggest you buy the biggest possible package you can afford. I didn't but soon realised i had to upgrade. Not because the smaller packages are no good, but because the bigger packages open up even more creative avenues.

You get all the midi styles with the basic package (I think) but the quantum leap is the RealTracks which are as described above live recordings of actual musicians but which play exactly following the chords, tempo and key your select.

Buying piecemeal is not good value. I will never use most of the jazz styles and realtracks but I do use country, folk and pop. Its better value to buy everything - even if it includes things you think you'll never use - rather than buying bits. You will never run out of the music you need - even borrowing from styles you thought you don't want like me.

and once you are on the BIAB train its easy to keep up to date with the christmas sale which is a cheap way of buying the program engine upgrade and a host of new realtracks. and don't forget PG Music offers easy payments. Just one or two gigs will pay for all the backing tracks you will ever need.

quick word of advice about creating backing tracks. rough out your song in BIAB. then for detailed editing and tweaking open the song in RealBand. You can easily edit individual instrument tracks, regenerate solos and change timing and key if you want to.

jump in and start. if you get stuck ask the forum. that's why we're here. i started with BIAB when it was on floppy discs and so its been easier to keep up as it grows. from scratch in 2020 it might look like a steep learning curve to take full advantage of what BIAB and RB have to offer but if you look at some of the help videos i bet you can produce a simple backing track almost as soon as you start. then add solos and any bells whistles you need.

do it and you'll never regret it!

Hi Tangmo and thanks, that has helped a lot. Yes, I'm familiar with the MIDI concept.

Am I right in thinking that Real Tracks can also be transposed into any key..?

That would be really useful as I often use a different key to the original song.

Cheers

Graham

Yes, Realtracks can be used with any key signature.

One thing to remember is that the style genre is not set in stone. In other words a jazz style can work in a country song and visa-versa. It can be fun to take say a ballad and use a Latin track for the background. I things like that all of the time.

"Am I right in thinking that Real Tracks can also be transposed into any key..?"

Yes ... you key in the 'original chords' first then you simply change the key to whatever you need and BIAB/RB does the work.

I audition different keys until my voice can handle the the whole song range.

It is AMAZINGLY easy.

Hi Graham
I consider myself to be an 'average' user, not into many of the clever tricks that BB can do.
I'm a Soloist guitarist and use BB to make backing tracks that would be otherwise unavailable or to arrange a tune in a personal arrangement.
Click on the SoundCloud link to give yourself an idea of what it can do.
BTW - I have Ultra pack so have the max possible RTs and RDs. I seldom work with midi as, for me, its too darned complicated and I'm an old fashioned Analogue sort of guy at heart. lol.
HTH
Ian

And yet you prefer using the groundbreaking proprietary technology of audio phrases under control of a MIDI layout driven by an AI algorithm. Not so old fashioned.

Yup, an oxymoron for sure. However my excuse is that BB does all the work for me.
Its like my car - since I got it, I've never lifted the bonnet (hood to you). I start it up and it just goes. BB is just like that. Thank goodness.

Yes, thank goodness!

Welcome... You will like this once you get past the confusion.

My advice to folks is to buy as far up the version list as you can afford. You're getting more styles and more real tracks. To me, the real tracks are the secret sauce to this whole thing. I have a purpose for midi but.... I don't use it unless I have no other choice. It often sounds too fake or stiff or whatever you want to call it. I just prefer not to use it. I make exceptions for drums, bass, and piano when I need a custom part that I will be playing through a synth with samples.

Anyway, the real tracks are extremely realistic sounding because they are real players. I don't know how all that black magic works, I just know it works extremely well. I've had people who play fiddle or steel, for example, ask me who I have playing on my song. One guy who runs a studio up North commented that he could hear the rosin on the fiddle bow and strings and asked me how I did that.

By buying further up the version list, you get more styles that are mostly or completely real tracks including the drums, and you won't be disappointed.

Pop into the song showcase or into a few of the user's web pages including mine and have a listen. 99.9% of my instrumentation is the real tracks.....composed in Band in a box, rendered in real Band and mixed in Sonar. I play most of my own guitars and occasionally the keyboard too. But everything else is PG products at work.

Look at the version, evaluate the real styles in it.... and make your decision based on what you need.

Go to the BiaB windows version page.... click on PACKAGES.... click on the various packages and use the hyperlinks to open up the list of styles and other things. It's easy to find out what you are getting in each. The main thing you need to remember is to look at the styles, and see how many are in the version you are considering and how may are in each of the genre's you are interested in. Buy based on that and you can't go too far wrong. Don't worry about the terminology at this point. Listen to the demos in there.