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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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May I ask this question?

Can BIAB make a convincing modern R&B ballad? By ‘modern’, I mean popular R&B artists in the last 10 years like Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, John Legend, etc.

Do you think the styles in BIAB are good enough?

On my part, I guess that you will need to replace the drum with midi patterns and sounds from sample libraries like EZDrummer, Addictive Drums, or loop libraries (Acid wav).

Then how about the bass, guitar, keyboard in BIAB? Are they suitable?
Thank you

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Hits? Probably not, but with a little massage you can create some stuff that'll get folks tapping their toes. The operative word is "create." One thing BIAB doesn't do is produce "hooks." That's where human inspiration and musical ability comes in.
When a program can write as good a piece of music as I can, I may quit. But right now software still requires human management.

Speaking from an all-MIDI standpoint, I discovered that putting BIAB in jukebox mode and having it autogenerate songs gives mixed, but interesting, results. About 85-90% of the tunes will be yawners, but every once in a while something will turn your head and make you replay what you just heard. Again, that's when it's time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

I've also fooled around with Real instruments enough to know that they can be truly convincing in the right hands. If that's not enough, you can always make your own sounds and Styles. All I can say is, start digging through the library of Styles and instruments available to you, and (as the good Doctor say) HAVE FUN!


"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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The question is not can BB do it... the real question is can YOU?


If you are asking can straight up BiaB create a radio ready R&B ballad.... the answer is "no". Not likely. Not in a believable way straight out of the box.

The possibility does exist however to create a R&B ballad song, using BB as one of the tools in the final project.... and to that I'd say a resounding "YES".

Kinda like carving a sculpture from a block of rock.... you have to be able, first, to see the finished project in the rock....or in this case, hear it in your head and then know how to use the tools to get that down on tracks and edited. Lots of things will affect the final version. Your editing skills, your ability to choose the right Bb/RB tracks, your ability to play or provide the tracks that BB/RB can not, and your production chops....

Probably not easy.... but do-able, just like using BB/RB to create any other radio ready genre song be it rock, jazz or country.

Listen to the songs some of the folks here produce.... Floyd, 90db Bob, R&AM, Tommyad, Greg, my music, and I know I'm missing a few others.... ... you will see the quality that you can achieve in a home studio using BB/RB as part of the tool kit available. I mix RB tracks with my live playing and then apply some other polishing to the projects.....

So yeah, it can be done....


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add 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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Something like this?

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12644136

If so, you decide.

*** DISCLAIMER *** No self promotion intended. Just saving the OP some time, or, trying to.


Cheers,
Mike

My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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Thank you so much for your kind advice.

To MikeK: Your song is great. It is amazing what one can do with BIAB.

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I used to think BIAB couldn't do metal very well and I proved it could. Like the others have mentioned, at face value BIAB will only give you the raw material. The real magic happens as you create what you have in your vision. That being said if you want a truly radio quality production you will need to have the project professionally mastered.

You can get close in a home studio with the right software but a professional will do amazing things to a mix. If I had the money I would like to have at least one of my songs professionally mixed and mastered. Considering all of my productions are created solely from realtracks it would be really cool to see how far BIAB tracks can pushed professionally.

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Originally Posted By: MikeK


Which version of BAIB came with Female Vocalist Realtracks? I need to get me some of that....


Dan, BIAB2024, SoundCloud Win11, i7(12thGen), 32GB, 1TB SSD(M.2 NVMe SSD), 2TB Libraries, 1 TB(WD-Black), 2TB SSD(M.2 NVMe SSD)Data, Motu Audio Express, Keystation 61, SL88 Studio, Reaper

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BTW: Great track Mike!


BIAB & RB2024 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Thanks, guys! And no, Dan. The version of BIAB with this Lady doesn't exist, but I wish it did.

Yvonne J is the Lady and she is also a BIAB user... she has a ton of collaborations, but a lot of her own music, created with BIAB. Check her out on Youtube...

https://www.youtube.com/user/Yvonnej1000

Appreciate the nice comments, though smile


Cheers,
Mike

My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!

Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!

Learn more about this free update for PowerTracks Pro Audio & download it at www.pgmusic.com/support_windows_pt.htm#2024_5

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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

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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.

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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!

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