June 30, 2023 Just Released - XPro PAK 5 & Xtra Styles PAK 16 for Band-in-a-Box® 2023!

We're back with 300 new RealStyles included in XPro Styles PAK 5 & Xtra Styles PAK 16!

XPro Styles PAK 5 adds 75 new RealStyles for rock, pop, jazz, funk, and country, and 25 styles based around MIDI SuperTracks that utilize the SynthMaster plugin!

Xtra Styles PAK 16 includes an absolute plethora of styles... 200 to be exact! 50 new styles each for Jazz, Country, Rock & Pop, and Praise & Worship!

Amp up your Band-in-a-Box® 2023 experience when you add XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs!

Each PAK can be purchased for $49... Order XPro Styles PAKS | Order Xtra Styles PAKs

Mac User? Click here for your OS specific announcement.

Posted at 04:45 PM

June 30, 2023 User Showcase Song - Celtic Kiss

A song about a guy from long ago who met a girl, lost the girl, and hopes to find her again.
Celtic Kiss on Soundcloud
Celtic Kiss on YouTube

This song started with a bass riff I had for a funky jazz tune years ago, but ironically features the BiaB bass, and the riff is gone. Now it's slowed down to dirge speed with a haunting melody to match the old man's lament. I played the acoustic guitar with a heavy echo.

Seems there's been a long-time debate over whether Celtic should be pronounced Seltic or Keltic. Knowing that it doesn't really matter, I use both, solving the problem with alliteration. Seltic song and Keltic kiss.

Title: Celtic Kiss
File:Celtic KissEXTRA.SGU
Key=Dm , Tempo 72, Length (m:s)=2:53

Style is _POISED.STY (Poised Celtic Ballad)
Style MIDI Instruments are : Clean Electric Guitar (28),
RealTracks in style: ~2474:Bass, Acoustic, Held Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 3101:Piano, ElectricVintage, Rhythm AmericanaSlow16thsMike Ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 3545:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CelticBalladSoft Ev 075
RealDrums in style:BodhranCelticSlowReelEv16-3-Rute [Multi]
Lyrics

Posted at 02:19 PM

June 30, 2023 Happy Canada Day! (July 1, 2023)

Canada Day is Saturday, July 1st!

Our Customer Service hours that day will not change:
Saturday, July 1: 8am - 4pm PDT
Sunday, July 2: Closed
Monday, July 3: 6am-6pm PDT

Happy Independence Day to our USA friends on Tuesday, July 4th!

Posted at 02:17 PM

June 28, 2023 User Showcase Song - Distant Dreams

Lost in a dreamland far far away.

Distant Dreams

I was messing around with EZKeys2 and it gave me an interesting 8 bar section. Using its MIDI out I played it using a full string orchestra. I went into BiaB, listed said chord progression, and expanded on it. I then dragged and dropped the BiaB tracks into Studio One Pro 6, merged it with the EZKey section, copied the entire string section and forced it to follow the chord chart.

I initially had a guitar lead but I purchase Apachie, and American Indian flute for $4 USD. I played it and replaced the guitar lead with it.

BiaB style - Karma.sty - New Age Smooth Jazz
Tempo - 58 BPM

Strings - Kontakt - Solid State Strings - Kirk Hunter's Virtuoso Strings and Amadeus strings - patches - both full string orchestra
Bass - Kontakt - Kirk Hunter's Virtuoso Cellos and Amadeus Cellos - note I heavily modified this track to better fit the song
Guitar - Kontakt - Resonator Glockenspiel
Piano - Waves - Grand Rapsody - panned far left
Piano2 - from Firewood.sty - Waves - Grand Rapsody - panned far right

I am playing the Apachie flute via my wind controller.

Posted at 02:43 PM

June 28, 2023 Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac - Translations Available!

The Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac German, French, and Italian translations are complete!

Already using the English version? Download a language patch here.

Have you been waiting to order a translated version? Here are some handy links for you:
German: www.bandinabox.com/bb.php?os=mac&lang=de
French: www.bandinabox.com/bb.php?os=mac&lang=fr
Italian: www.bandinabox.com/bb.php?os=mac&lang=it

Posted at 02:42 PM

June 23, 2023 The New Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac Update is Ready!

If you have already installed Band-in-a-Box 2023 for Mac, be sure to download the most recent update!

Our development team has reviewed program user feedback and applied update to the program. These include enhanced Freeze features, an updated filter for the RealTracks Picker, resolution of the CopyFrom/To option for Lyrics, and various other enhancements.

Learn more about the latest free update for Band-in-a-Box 2023 for Mac, which also includes updated DAW Plugin features!

Posted at 09:27 AM

June 23, 2023 User Showcase Song - Backwater

Backwater

There’re many news stories of late about floods around the world so perhaps this post is topical. Close to 100 years old Backwater Blues (public domain) by the wonderful Bessie Smith is about a 1926 Nashville, TN flood. We changed the chord progression and lightly tweaked the lyric and hope you find it of interest. Big thanks to our music partner PeterF and PG Music. Comments are always welcome!

Backwater appears on our new album Deep In The Domain available on all the major streaming platforms.

Lyrics on SC and as with PD songs we own all rights to this version.
Janice: lead/call back vocals & arrangement
Peter: all guitar solos & RT guitar processing advice
Bud: mix, mastering, arrangement & photo

Vocals: Rodes NT1 mic > Scarlett 212i > Logic Pro > Izotope Nectar

Bass: RealTrack 564 Electric, Blues Monday > Izotope Neutron > Waves Bass Rider

Rhythm Guitar: RealTrack 1924, Electric, Rhythm TexasBluesRockSlow > Neutron > Logic Pro Overdrive

Piano: MIDI SuperTrack 2845 Piano, Rhythm
BluesSlowSwingMike > Logic Pro X Grand Steinway > Waves CLA Unplugged > Ozone 10 Imager

Drums: RealDrums NashvilleSwing8 > Waves CLA Drums

Snare: RealDrum kit file > Waves Torque > Waves Magma BB T

Cymbal: RealDrum kit file > Logic Pro Channel Reverb

Mastering Chain:
Ozone Dynamic EQ > Ozone Vintage EQ > Ozone imager > Ozone Maximizer > Ozone Tonal Balance
_________________________

Posted at 09:20 AM

June 21, 2023 Update Your RealBand 2023!

We've released a free patch for RealBand 2023 that adds new menu options, enables the option to save all VSTi/DXi synth instances to .SEQ files, and fixes user-reported problems related to the StylePicker, Notation Window, and more!

Learn more about RealBand 2023 Build 6.

Posted at 02:39 PM

June 21, 2023 User Showcase Song - SOS

Well, here's something new...

SOS

Carroll Kiphen wrote these lyrics about two years ago. I saw them on another website—really liked them—and did a quick acoustic work tape... sans a bridge, which I couldn't come up with at the time. And then... it sat... and sat... and I'm not sure why.

The work tape popped up on my phone couple of weeks ago and I decided to take another dive into it. For better or worse, this is what I've come up with. I'm not sure the production is where it needs to be... but I've taken it as far as I can go for now. I'm hoping some fresh and friendly ears will help steer me in the right direction.

Lyrics

And here's the band:

RealTracks 909: Bass, Electric, SmoothPoppy Ev16 090
RealTracks 801: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm SouthernSnappyGritty
RealTracks 3267: Cello, Background CelticAirFlowingNatalie
RealTracks 3299: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockThrash12-key
RealTracks 3302: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockThrashHollow12-key
RealTracks 4137: Guitar, Electric, Soloist ProgRockTO Ev 130
RealDrums: AltRockSlowSteady8ths^4

Posted at 01:33 PM

June 20, 2023 User Showcase Song - Change the Road

It is a remix of my song in 2019, but I changed a lot and also the lyrics. So, in a way, it's a new song. It's also concerning the state of our earth and we, like some other songs I made recently.
The lyrics can be found on SoundCloud: Change The Road

It was a real challenge to start with spoken words in English. All native speakers in that language will hear immediately I'm not that native at all. But in the Netherlands they think i am, so that is nice.

Let me know if you like it or why not,
Enjoy,
Hans

The technical stuff:
Style is _BREATH.STY (Breath Celtic Pop Ballad), Key Em
RealTracks in style: 1759:Bass, Electric, Pop16ths Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 2870:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CelticAirDave Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 1814:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CelticAir Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 2337:Violin, Background, PopHigh Ev 085 (1TrackStringSection)
RealTracks in song: 833:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AltCountryMoody Ev 075 (A:held)
RealTracks in song: 3321:Guitar, Acoustic, Soloist RnBPopDblBrent Ev 055
RealDrums in style:NashvilleEven8^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
In Logic Pro I did a lot on the vocals and the instruments.

Posted at 11:47 AM

June 19, 2023 User Showcase Song - Lost In Thought

Hey hey, New member, old BIAB user. I thought I would stop in to to share my latest BIAB project. I want to take my song writing to the next level, live insitu backup band. Your comments are needed to help me get there, even if you can't stand my work, I learn from everyone. Thank you.

Title: Lost in Thought

Composer: Donny G https://soundcloud.com/backing-tracks-donny-g

All instruments are recorded with BIAB 2023 using their styles, Realtracks and two soloists.

The purpose is using BIAB mixes as a backup band for my traveling busking.
BIAB 2023 alone not Realband.

If anyone wants to know the style number etc ;let me know.

Comments are greatly appreciated. I hope this meets the forum rules.

Lost In Thought

****** Song Summary *************
Title: Lost in Thought
File:Lost in Thought Jukebox.SGU
Key=E , Tempo 124, Length (m:s)=1:32
No intro. 44 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 44. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Style is _NIFTY.STY (Nifty Mellow Pop)

RealTracks in style: 2609:Bass, Electric, ClassicFunkRootFiveAlex Ev 130
RealTracks in style: 1772:Piano, Electric, Rhythm JazzFunkMovin Ev16 130
RealTracks in style: 3197:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopBalladMellowBrent Ev 130
RealTracks in song: 2347:Horn Section, Rhythm, Funk 2-part, Ev 110 (Simple)
RealDrums in style:LaPopJazzQuickEv8: a: Snare, HiHat b: Snare, Ride

Posted at 11:16 AM

June 16, 2023 User Showcase Song - I'm Not One

A co-write with Bill Osofsky.

I'M NOT ONE

The BAND:
RealTracks in style: ~~518:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 085
RealTracks in song: ~589:Banjo, Bluegrass Doc Ev 100 (Rhythm)
RealTracks in song: 665:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm SouthernRock Ev 085 (B:Strum)
RealTracks in song: 378:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming DoubleTime Ev 088
RealTracks in song: 1762:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Pop16thsArp Ev16 085
RealTracks in song: 808:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm DrivingCountryBalladDirty Ev 065 (B:quarters)
RealTracks in song: ~820:Mandolin Soloist Bluegrass Ev 100
RealDrums in Song: NashTrainEv16^1-a:Sticks Snare , b:Sticks Snare 16th
Lyrics

Posted at 02:36 PM

June 14, 2023 User Showcase Song - This Melody

How am I going to follow my last song? ;) With this one, it seems. See what you think? :) Thanks for listening and for any comments! :)

This Melody

THE BAND:

****** Song Summary *************
Title: Feeling Blue - 8 June 2023
File:Feeling Blue - 8 June 2023.SGU
Key=C , Tempo 60, Length (m:s)=4:48
No intro. 68 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 68. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Style is _ROSEATE.STY (Roseate Pop Ballad)

RealTracks in style: 3501:Bass, Electric, NashvilleRadioBalladAB Ev16 075
RealTracks in style: 2813:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm GospelSlowBalladMike Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 3906:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm SongwriterSlow16DADGAD Ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 3874:Guitar, 12-String Electric, Rhythm BalladPickingBrent Ev16 060
RealDrums in style:MalletsSlow16ths: a: Tom Groove b: TomGroove HiHat

*******************

Mixed in Mixcraft Pro Studio 9.

Lyrics

Posted at 01:22 PM

June 14, 2023 Last Chance to Save Up To 50% on Band-in-a-Box 2023 for Mac Upgrades!

The Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac® special ends at 11:59pm PDT on June 15th!

Order by 11:59 pm PDT on Thursday, June 15, 2023 and save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK!

Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac includes over 70 new features and an amazing collection of new content, including 222 RealTracks (20 more than we've released in previous versions), new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Song with Vocals" Artist Performances, Playable RealTracks Set 2, Playable RealDrums Set 1, 2 new sets of "RealDrums Stems," and more!

We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some amazing Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box^® for Mac 2023 packages, but for more even more Add-ons (including 60 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade it to the 2023 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.

Upgrade today for as little as $49! Check out our Band-in-a-Box^® packages page for all the purchase options available.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Posted at 01:15 PM

June 13, 2023 User Showcase Song - She Knows How To Breakup

All constructive criticism very welcomed. Na zdrowie!

SHE KNOWS HOW TO BREAKUP (D. Longuski)

_CROSFST.STY. Country-Rock Crossover
All RealTracks. Quintet. Tempo=90
Instruments: El.Bass, Ac.Guitar, El.Guitar, El.Guitar, Drums
RD: NashCrossovrSw16^05-a:Snare, Closed Hat Skip Beat 1 , b:Ride Cymbal, Boogaloo :Brian Fullen
RT784: Bass, Electric, PopCrossover Sw16 075 ,
RT785: Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming CrossoverSnappy Sw16 090 ,
RT786: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CrossoverChop Sw16 090 ,
RT787: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CrossoverClean Sw16 090 ,

Mixed in Reaper

Posted at 11:10 AM

June 12, 2023 Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac® Special Ending Soon!

There's only a few days left to save up-to 50% when you upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac®!

Special offers and Bonus PAKs are only available until 11:59 pm PDT on June 15, 2023!

Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac® has over 70 new features, including 10 MAJOR features:

-Partial Regeneration... Always Different!
-RealTracks Stems!
-Playable RealDrums!
-Arpeggiator Sounds & Support!
-SynthMaster® Player Included!
-Master Track Volume Automation!
-EZ Config of RealTracks/Drums Folders!
-Intros using Song Chords!
-Auto-Save Song!
-Audio Input Monitoring!
-Undo - Track and Song Generation!
...and 60 more!

Learn all about the 70 new features added with Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac®.

There's also amazing collection of new content, including 222 new RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, Artist Performances, Playable RealTracks Set 2, Playable RealDrums Set 1, 2 new sets of RealDrums Stems, Xtra Styles PAK 14 & 15, and more!

We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some amazing Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box^® for Mac 2023 packages, but for more even more Add-ons (including 60 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade it to the 2023 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.

Upgrade today for as little as $49! Check out our Band-in-a-Box^® packages page for all the purchase options available.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Posted at 11:48 AM

June 12, 2023 User Showcase Song - Halfway Through Poughkeepsie

Over the years I have written a number of songs about New York. Places I've been, lived and had experiences in. Some recorded, some not. Some were meant to be prequels or sequels to other songs. I may put them all together in a collection some day.

Anyway, here's one that has been "in the drawer" and is now finally recorded. :)

This is called Halfway Through Poughkeepsie.

BIAB Tracks:
2474: Bass, Acoustic, Held Ev 085
2505: Piano, Electric, HeldChords 085
2914: Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Folky16thBrent Ev16 085
832: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm, AltCountryMoody Ev 075
RealDrums: PopPromiseEv16^1-a: Snare on 4, HiHat, b: Snare

Lyrics

Posted at 11:45 AM

June 09, 2023 User Showcase Song - Fragments Of A Dream

Background
Here is a song that I’m not sure what genre bucket to place it in but it’s a continuation of my experimentations with my keyboard and BiaB and was a ton of fun to make. Planobilly provided the rhythm guitar.

Fragments Of A Dream

Technicals
Key: Dm
Tempo: 120 BPM

BiaB:
Drums: RealDrums in style:LatinRock8thsPerc^1-a:SnareClosedHat , b:SyncSnareClosedHat
Lead Guitar: 2604:Guitar, Electric, Soloist JazzRock8thsJon Ev 120

Planobilly:
Rhythm Guitar (Guitar Rig 6)

Me:
Korg Rock Organ
Korg FM Vamp Pad
Korg Flute
Korg Acoustic Piano
Korg Synth Bells
Bass Guitar

Mixed in Studio One

All comments welcome especially thoughts on the genre.
Thanks for listening if you do.

Posted at 11:16 AM

June 08, 2023 Special Offers Extended to June 15th!

We've extended our Special!

We're offering Bonus PAKs and discounts of up-to 50% when you order a just-released Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac® Upgrade before June 15, 2023! www.pgmusic.com/bbmac.packages.htm

SUPERCHARGE your Band-in-a-Box® for Mac Experience with an upgrade to version 2023 today!

Learn all about the 70 new features added with Band-in-a-Box® 2023 for Mac®.

Our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are also on until June 15th!

XPro Styles PAKs 1-4 are on sale for $29 each (reg. $49 each)! Each PAK includes over 100 styles that will work with any Band-in-a-Box 2022 or higher package. Want the entire collection of 400 XPro Styles? Bundle all four PAKs together for just $116 (reg. $196)!
https://www.pgmusic.com/xpro.php?os=mac

Xtra Styles PAKs Sets 1-15 are on sale for $29 each (reg. $49 each) too! The complete collection of Xtra Styles PAKs includes 2,400+ RealStyles for your Band-in-a-Box® library! Every RealStyle is professionally mixed spanning several genres like jazz, country, bluegrass, pop, singer/songwriter, and more! Purchase all 2,400+ RealStyles with the Xtra Styles PAK 1-15 Bundle, on sale for only $199 (reg. $349)!

https://www.pgmusic.com/xtrastyles.php?os=mac

Amp up your RealTracks and RealDrums library with XPro Styles PAKs & Xtra Styles PAKs!

Posted at 02:09 PM

June 08, 2023 User Showcase Song - G.O.M. versus The World

Morning Folks,
this is my most recent effort.
G.O.M. versus The World

Greg Loyacano plays lead and rhythm guitars
I play bass, rhythm guitars & do the vocals. (Lyrics)

Written & developed in BIAB.
Of the original BIAB RTs etc. only
REALDRUMS Praise Worship Power Push ^6 a & b remains.
Bass is a Knockhofner
Guitars - Greg used two Mosrites - I assume he's using a Marshall or one of his self built amps
I used a Squire Mustang & a Sheraton II using a tiny Kustom 5H through the speaker of a Peavey Blazer.
Vocal processing:
Mic AT2020
VERY light tuning
JS Spectrum Matcher
Mastered, as usual, by Fran Ashcroft of HappyBeat Studio.

Posted at 02:03 PM