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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 179
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 179 |
I've recently seen a couple of troubling errors from my BIAB disk. I use BIAB on live gigs, so I would appreciate best advice on backing this disk up in a way that gives me a very quick recovery. The little disk is actually pretty big as I run the 2014 Audiophile version, 931G.
Thanks
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 593
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 593 |
A 1TB portable drive should be around 80 bucks. They can run off USB power.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
Ketron SD4,SD1000
Yamaha RX-v381amp
VB-Audio virtual cables
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,324
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 9,324 |
If you're using it on gigs,,,,, I would suggest a dedicated laptop if you don't already have one.
Load the full version into the laptop.... so you will need a 2TB drive. Or, get a small desktop for the gigs... add a second hard drive specifically for BB.
That's most likely how I would do it if I was gigging and making money and needed a fool proof live rig......
The other option...... burn the songs and just use the wave file of the song in a player in a lappy. Not nearly the huge HD space hog, and it will work just fine.
I've never been a fan of testing the Murphy rules..... keep it as simple as possible.....waves and a player in a lappy do that.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,096
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,096 |
I gig for a living and would never trust one way to play my backing tracks. There are many ways to do this, and what is right for me may not apply to you, but here is what I do. I make high quality mp3 files and put them on a laptop. I have an old ThinkPad, as it doesn't take much to run mp3 files. For redundancy I bring and boot up a second laptop (this one a 2002 ThinkPad that just won't die). I've been working on laptops since 2002 on the gig, and in all that time I've had to go to the spare 3 times. - the 7 year old hard drive started making noise and that worried me - I replaced it the next day
- The CMOS battery failed and it wouldn't boot - a $4.95 item at Radio Shack - replaced it the next day
- The screen developed lines in it, while under warranty - I didn't need to go to the second computer, but did anyway
In all 3 cases, I just switched the USB cable from the USB->AUDIO interface from one computer to the next and went on with the show. I learned the redundancy lesson almost the hard way. I was playing with two redundant, hardware, floppy disk loading sequencers but with a 10 space rack full of sound modules. This was probably in 1998 or so. One of the modules was a sampler that loaded from a floppy disk - it had my electric bass (I sampled my own), a snare drum L-R pair so rolls don't sound like a machine gun, steel drum (pan), and numerous cymbals and other percussion sounds on it. I probably used it on 200 of the then 300 songs we did. I was playing the last Christmas party of the year and whenever I touched the rack, the sampler rebooted itself and reloaded the samples from the floppy (took about 2 minutes). So I was careful not to touch it for the rest of the gig. Next day I took it in to the local instrument repairman, he put a probe in it, sparks flew everywhere and he said I'd have to send it back to the factory. The problem with that is the factory was closed from Christmas to after New Years day, and we had a big New Years Eve gig coming up. In Florida on NYE the demand far exceeds the supply, and we are usually booked 2 years in advance for well over 5 times our normal Saturday night rate. There was no way to re-sequence and re-balance 200 songs using the existing sound modules in a week so I had to find a replacement. And there was no way to find a band to cover us, and everyone else that is any good is also booked way in advance (I could book 5 years in advance if I wanted to). I started calling music stores in Miami and worked my way north - I would have flown to Washington State or even to Japan to get a replacement even if it meant losing big money on the gig. Our reputation was at stake. Fortunately I found one in Melbourne Florida - somebody made a special order and then didn't buy it. After that I collected spares of all my sound modules. A 10 space rack is too big to carry a spare on the gig, but at least I could go to the next gig. Then a couple of years later, when XP was released with the ability to access larger hard disks, I started making mp3 files at 192kbps with CDex on the highest quality setting. That's when I bought 2 ThinkPads, one of which still bounces on the keyboard stand a few times every week (I do one-nighters). The other one finally went flaky - when I moved the screen on the hinge, horizontal lines flashed across the screen. It was about 10 years old, so it wasn't worth repairing, it still works at home though. I also now have a flash drive with all my mp3 files on it, so that if I need to run to the store and get a new computer - I'd have ready access to all my files. A gig is important, but my reputation is even more important. Bad news travels fast. I have never missed a gig, I've never been late for a gig, and I've never failed to finish the gig. Nobody is going to have a reason to tell other clubs or party people that we didn't do the gig and left the audience hanging. That kind of news can cost you a lot more than a second computer. Insights and incites by Notes
Last edited by Notes Norton; 11/02/14 06:47 AM.
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 593
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 593 |
Redundancy is KEY to anything live. Worst case, have the .MP3 version on your smartphone and bring a cable / adapter.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
Ketron SD4,SD1000
Yamaha RX-v381amp
VB-Audio virtual cables
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 179
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 179 |
All your advice about running from MP3's is well stated and good. Wisdom borne no doubt from experience. Advice I will take.
However, I really do like running live from a laptop, and have been doing it for over 5 years.
My gigs are relatively low stress and informal, usually restaurant or small parties. The players are me (classical guitar) and usually one friend, a career professional guitarist. Mostly we play great american songbook standards where we've tweaked the changes to our liking. Arrangements are easy, one of us takes the head, then we switch off improvising choruses, then head-out. Our work load is also pretty casual, 3 or 4 gigs a month. With Real Tracks as our rhythm section, sounds great and we can control the loudness so people can talk while having dinner. Doesn't pay a great deal but we get lots of compliments and tips aren't too shabby. I've showed the rig to a friend (sax player) who now has pretty much the same kit and using is to play out.
We certainly could work from MP3's and charts, but it's sure easy and convenient to work from a small (bright) laptop. Easy to see where you are in a song (though admittedly I do sometimes wonder if I've become overly dependent on following the cursor). And as I said before, we've been doing this for quite a while. Laptops really have become pretty rugged, and operating systems far more stable over the last few years.
There is very little in life more rewarding than friends making good music together in comfortable settings. Thank you BIAB.
John
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 593
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 593 |
I have DEFINITELY become dependent on the cursor. I have to force myself to look away. I am trying to either memorize the tunes, or just bite the bullet and print them. It's an evil crutch.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
Ketron SD4,SD1000
Yamaha RX-v381amp
VB-Audio virtual cables
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,096
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,096 |
Memorizing used to be easy for me when I was in bands with 100 or so tunes, but now that I have over 550, I just can't keep them all in my head.
I put charts up on the spare computer, and use them for reference. On the tunes we do often, all I need is a glance to jog my memory.
On the new tunes and tunes that we do rarely, I spend more time looking at the chart.
However, if you are reading the music, you will never memorize it. You have to take the chance (preferably at home) and try to play them without the music if you are going to memorize them - at least that's the way it works for me.
Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed!
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