I check YouTube for "Band-in-a-Box" every week, and absolutely love what I came across today:

This is a great find Callie!

The adlib sounds are bringing back a lot of old memories!

Thank goodness for RealTracks...

Hey, that's pretty cool that the DOS version had the video creation feature also.

Yes, I guess it was more ahead of its time than we give it credit for.

Just shows what a solid heritage BIAB has.

MIDI rules !!!

... and what a song to handle as well !

Yes, that was a special version of BiaB that was hard coded to work with the "Adlib" FM sound chip. It didn't have preset sounds, you needed to set the parameters and make the sounds yourself. It was fun to figure out how to make those sounds by tweaking numbers on the chip. This used a Yamaha 8bit FM synth chip as I recall.

Adlib was a pioneering, innovative Canadian sound card company (Quebec) around 1989-91 that made lots of sound cards, and then everyone else copied them and made "Adlib compatible" soundcards. For awhile, it was an absolute must that a soundcard be Adlib compatible. This was all pre-Internet, so all the discoveries were made in magazines (EM, Keyboard) or trade shows (NAMM,Comdex) .

When people need to actually explain the "pre-internet" world....I feel so OLD!

I remember how amazing BIAB DOS version already sounded when paired with MT-32, as well as how Lucasarts games (X-wing, Day Of The Tentacle, Indiana Jones etc) rocked with GM module. That was the time when you either had beeps, short hissing wav-noises or you were fortunate enough to own Gravis Ultrasound... well, my dad owned MT, so I got the best music of town, but couldn't hear any sound effects

What is the MT you mentioned? I've got a feeling I'm going to go DUH! when you answer.

I meant Roland MT-32 module, but actually now that I checked this to make sure, I think he owned Roland Sound Canvas. Can't really remember the right model, but still...

))) I meant Roland MT-32 module, but actually now that I checked this to make sure, I think he owned Roland Sound Canvas.

One of my best memories of that era was receiving a test version of the Roland Sound Canvas. It was housed in a mt 32 case, and had the serial number 005 written on it. Roland was and is a great company to work with - this is over 29 years!

I still have (and use with BIAB) the external module Roland SC-55 MKII. Purchased in 1992 and still compatible with BIAB today.

According to Wikipedia, the SC-55MKii sound set was also released as the SCC-1B and came bundled with Band-in-a-Box and BalladeGS software.

It might be fun to release a 2017 Biab based all midi song generated into the SC-55 MKii. Merge the old with the new...

Charlie

While visiting at my dad's we discovered something rather amazing you won't believe:

http://hiekkalaatikko.tapzone.info/filut/biab/biab_2.jpg
AAA-quality BIAB floppy disks with original box well preserved!

http://hiekkalaatikko.tapzone.info/filut/biab/biab_3.jpg
Close up of disk

http://hiekkalaatikko.tapzone.info/filut/biab/biab_4.jpg
Hunder styles, can you believe it! And requires atleast 640K of memory.

http://hiekkalaatikko.tapzone.info/filut/biab/biab_5.jpg
... and here is Mr. Peter Gannon back in -91

http://hiekkalaatikko.tapzone.info/filut/biab/biab_1.jpg
Original receipt of Roland Sound Canvas module back from -93 (order to Finland from England using a telefax)


We also have loads of different versions of BIAB and almost whole set of Norton expansions in disks. BIAB update-chain is seemingly almost unbreaken, apparently having only ~3-5 versions missing.

PG, anything worth trading for forthcoming 2018 update (customer loyalty well preserved)?

- Janne & Jouko
(son & dad)

Epilogue:

Jouko is still using 2006 version of BIAB with XP as his warhorse for most live gigs. This combo has prven to be most reliable when using only MIDI-styles. You cannot even access internet with this piece of brick in order to completely isolate it from time. Heavily modified Windows boots up quickly and never gets bluescreen nor unwanted Windows updates. It's still running with Roland SC8850 -module... and that combo has earned him almost an house with ~60-100 gigs a year.

He also uses the latest version for recording new songs and performing with other singer.

Amazing and a great Band-in-a-Box testimonial.

Why not create a testimonial video and submit it to PG Music? PG Music will help with the editing if needed. I can't think of any better testimony than "the product paid for my home". At one time, PG Music was offering the Everything Pak in exchange for videos they publish on their testimony YouTube channel.

Well, you never know... I have recently bought professional movie camera (BMPCC), so I'm covered for shooting small professional-level documentary. I simply wonder if I would be able to persuade him to front of camera, as his likes to be quite invisible within social media & forums.

Even if this would happen it's going to take quite a while until I would be taking the next trip to his house, as I live quite far away and have work & family of my own down here. Still, it's an interesting idea - he has pretty exciting performing setup built over the years for his gigs. He is quite a "Gyro Gearloose", as he has come up even playing style of his own with guitar by using reverse-triggered sustain pedal for having control of reverb the way piano players use sustain pedal of piano

Great find, Reaktor.

Who's that young fellow, pictured on the cover?

That's what a Marsian band would sound like ....