Well, we just finished the second annual,Herbfest at Kill Branch Farm in NC.
What a great time of comraderery and getting to know the people we see online.
Those that made it.
Steve Billy David Charlie Pat Eddie Herb & Kim
Also Lilly Mesha Chunk Piper
Music, food, and a fire in the fireplace at the edge of the woods with great conversation. The steak was absolutely delicious and tender. The dogs and the goats and chickens helped clean up the scarce leftovers.
No one got arrested, ran naked through the woods to my knowledge, or lost in the woods. And the dogs got along great, well, except Lilly. She wanted to pick fights with chunk and piper so she had to watch from inside.
All had a great time.
I got a few pics uploaded. Hopefully the participants will pop in once they recover and post more photos.
To those planning on coming but couldn't get here due to circumstances..... We missed you guys. But the chances are good that we'll be planning for Herbfest Three later this year.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 04/30/2304:32 AM.
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.
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
I really enjoyed the day with the forum friends who were there. Many thanks to Herb and his wife Kim for hosting the event. If we ever do that again, I vote for any music time to be acoustic. We spent more time setting up and tearing down than we spent playing!
For me, the highlights of the day were: the people, of course... and their stories... and the food... and the dogs... and the setting. Herb's acreage is my idea of utopia. He's living the dream, and I was happy to share the dream for a day.
The music was fun too, of course... that's the common denominator among all of the participants. Bit it wouldn't have broken my heart to spend the entire day picking everyone's brain. The day ended before I was done getting to know the people.
Now we wait til Herbfest 3...
edit: after looking at the pictures Herb posted, I'm wondering how Charlie avoided the camera (He's a sneaky one!) Maybe Steve's videos and/or photos will include some Charlie Fogle footage (fingers crossed)
Neat, really neat. It looks like y'all had a great time Thanks for sharing the pics.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I finally made it home! A lot of rain on that drive back too. We all really had a lot of fun and I do have a lot of pics/drone video to compile before I can share it. Stay tuned!
I'm wondering how Charlie avoided the camera (He's a sneaky one!) Maybe Steve's videos and/or photos will include some Charlie Fogle footage (fingers crossed)
I just grabbed a still frame from one of the rough drone captures on my cell. It's Charlie's good side.
I'm wondering how Charlie avoided the camera (He's a sneaky one!) Maybe Steve's videos and/or photos will include some Charlie Fogle footage (fingers crossed)
I just grabbed a still frame from one of the rough drone captures on my cell. It's Charlie's good side.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
BTW, it's your fault I blew a hole in my exhaust pipe on the trip....
Well? Who else could it possibly be?
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Herb's dog Mesha, Eddie's dog Chunk, and my dog Piper all got to play at Herbfest. I think Chunk and Mesha had the best playtime together. Eddie had to leave before dark so by the time it was campfire time, Mesha and Piper crashed out hard in front of the fire.
Also, got a better still of Charlie. He moves pretty fast so it's hard to capture him. I enjoyed his company as the sound/video crew.
Thanks to Kim for the cup of coffee that got me back to town and all the hospitality from both Herb and Kim. You got to like a guy that has a tractor and a sawmill in his backyard!
We all had a good time. There is nothing better than live and in color! The dogs were very happy there and the goats were standing at the gate watching everything. It is green for real in North Carolina and Herb has a wonderful place to call home.
The music was fun and everyone did their part.
All of us who were there have been around on the forum for a good while and have some idea about each other from the posts. I am sure we all went away with a much better understanding of each other. In these days of social isolation that is nice to experience.
Here is hoping we will all be alive and well for a next year get together.
Billy
Last edited by Planobilly; 05/01/2305:12 PM.
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
Yep, Eddie was the one who was the chief instigator and protagonist in getting this going this year....and actually last year as well.... it all started with a road trip...
So we learned a few things....
Time really flies by when you are having fun. The day just doesn't seem to have enough time to get everything done that you really wanted to do.
It's probably a better idea to plan for limited electric equipment and technology for next year. Tuning up a couple of acoustic guitars is way quicker than laptops, PA's, keyboards and internet and bluetooth connections.
Expand it to a Sunday morning hangout for those interested or who want to camp, or return from the motel before heading home. Pat and I had a nice chat time over a cup of coffee before he headed down the road.
We have the rest of this year to ponder the possibilities before we start planning for next year.
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.
Agreed Herb.... simplify on my side too. No need for all that gear to record when I can simply put my cell phone on a tripod and record in 4K. Lessons Learned!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Thanks for sharing the pics.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean