|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 262
Apprentice
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 262 |
When evaluating BIAB styles, try listening to the Style Demos with the Melody and Solo Tracks muted. The melody and Solo tracks are distracting and influential.
I don’t want to be influenced by any melody or solo that’s artificially generated based on a progression that I’m not going to use anyway.
What I’m listening for is the overall feel or groove.
I’m listening to what the bass & drums are doing.
I’m listening for licks, phrases, and grooves that will inspire my own progressions, melodies, and arrangements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
I do the same thing, muting the Melody lets you not only hear just the style and generate ideas of your own, but quite often it is amazing how easy it is to determine what the target song the demo was based on is, yet when the Melody is playing it can be thoroughly disguised.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926 |
I found that slowing demos down gives even more ideas. Many styles sound frenetic to me at the default tempi of 120 bpm or better. I play them at 90-95 or even slower and have found many which are more suitable for what I'm trying to do at those speeds.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Likewise, I often find that speeding a demo up does the trick for me, as far as modern jazz/bebop genre goes.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 262
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 262 |
Quote:
Likewise, I often find that speeding a demo up does the trick for me,
--Mac
Good point... Speed it up, slow it down, mute and solo different combinations of instruments...
Listen for that unique thing that gets the juices flowing...
You are a less likely to hear it if some cheesy melody is blaring away... 
Last edited by Tanton; 03/12/08 01:32 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926 |
"Run Fast, Stand Still, Or, The Thing At The Top Of The Stairs, Or, New Ghosts From Old Minds" -Ray Bradbury, from Zen in the Art of Writing
Despite having registered on this forum only last fall, I have had BIAB since v.7, on a machine running Win 3.1. I don't mention this to signify my Great Skills and Experience with BIAB--rather the opposite--but that I have had considerable time to think about it . . .
In fact, this was the first program I had encountered which I actually found intimidating; it seemed that deep. (Regarding new versions: "Our situation has not improved." -Sean Connery as Prof. Jones in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade)
So, for a long time, I simply pushed buttons. Played demos. Changed styles, instruments. Programmed Beatles songs and played harmonies with Big Synth Noises. Yay. Big deal.
Two things happened to utterly change my approach to, respect for, and use of Band in a Box.
The first was programming in my own songs, things I'd had kicking around for years, even decades. Letting BB generate a Lionel-Hampton-style solo on a 30s-jazz piece, doing minimal editing to get a stunning addition to my composition. Then I programmed in some of my contemporary stuff, and that's when it happened. I was listening with half an ear when it came to a turnaround and I said, "What the hell is that?!" Because it did something totally unexpected. Don't remember what, or even which song; doesn't matter. It just did something I never would have thought of, but which was completely appropriate--and better than--what I would have done. Although the thought didn't come into my mind at that moment, that was when I began to think of BB as a co-composer. And I went a little crazy putting in the music I had written to that point, just for the fun of hearing a 'stranger' play some changes on it.
The second was when the two machines I had for music production went Tango Uniform and I was 'reduced' to a P3/700 Mhz with 192 Mb of RAM, a 30 Gb drive and a $15 sound card (nice speakers, though)--but was determined to keep on working. Up to this point I had simply let all the instruments play in a song, all the time. Now I began muting all but, say, guitar, or bass and drums in an intro, then gradually bringing in the rest of the instruments. Just like 'real' music. Playing with Rests, Shots and Held Chords. Entering Alternate Bass notes (Bb/D, e.g.). Lots of other stuff. And the music began to take on a life of its own. (I have one piece where I alternately mute all but bass, drums, and guitar at points, and I swear there's a sassy sense of humor in the interplay between instruments.)
An important part of growth with BB has been the result of breaks--time away from the computer--at times. I was divorced in 2000, have moved many times since, each resulting in significant down time. But each time I came back to BB (and other programs, too, notably Propellerheads' Reason) something had 'fermented', something new occurred to me, and I was doing newer, stranger, more wonderful things.
Speaking of wonderful--I drove a taxi for several years. And even a minimal laptop with a built-in soundcard, using MIDI only--no audio--allows (or forces) you to try new things. I had lots of time between rushes to just sit in the car and doodle. Some of my favorite stuff came from this time.
Cherish "mistakes". Sometimes they will reveal things you would never have done intentionally.
Read the manual. I keep it in my PC bag, look up the answers to specific questions, or just flip through it from time to time. I swear I find things that weren't there before . . .
Learn about yourself, who you are, how you work best. What is your learning style, your work style? There is no generic best way to achieve goals, but there may be a best way for you. Find out what it is.
"Be strong, go forth, and do it." -King David
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 262
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 262 |
Quote:
Read the manual. I keep it in my PC bag, look up the answers to specific questions, or just flip through it from time to time. I swear I find things that weren't there before . . .
There's a manual ??? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Every once I take a hiatus.
No piano, keyboard, band in a box, or horns.
After one to 6 weeks, (sometimes I'm away) I walk over to the piano, put a piece of music on the stand, (Someone to Watch over Me, or Satin Doll) and wow, stuff I never dreamed of comes out of my fingers. Stuff that would not happen even if I spent hours a day at playing.
I don't know why, but I always listen...to music. Gregorian chants to scat. Lutes to bagpipes. Matters not.
Inspiration might come from a sunset, the stars, or an old Ginger Rodgers movie. Or Bogey....who knows.
Snowstorms and Sibelius, a flying butruss and JS Bach. A seagull and JL Seagull.
A beautiful woman and Roy Orbison....
I don't pretend to understand, but it just happens.....
This afternoon I was listening to Diana Krall and Besame Mucho. I've played that song for years, but as soon as my chops are back I'm putting that in her key, cueing the song, and imitating the phrasing......
It's all good.............but time off is sometimes time in a bottle.
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
I have always found the same thing to happen, John.
Immersion and practicing are a good thing, but taking breaks from it and waiting for things to sink into the subconcious level, plus waiting until the passion and hunger to perform them come into play can be a very good thing. Actually, I have found that intentionally scheduling the learning of new things in this fashion, inclusive of putting it away for a period of time can actually allow me to incorporate the new thing in less time.
Einstein was a terrible fiddle player, he said that he played his fiddle to occupy his concious mind while his subconcious mind worked on the problems he was trying to solve.
In my case, I'm no Einstein, but I have found that putting away the music and working on something else that occupies most or all of the concious side of the brain does indeed leave the subconcious working away on that music related problem.
Expect breakthroughs.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 598
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 598 |
Good thread. It's good to walk away from it for awhile. I don't know about you guys, but I like to step back for a week or two, go to YouTube and listen to all sorts of stuff and then come back, hopefully, refreshed and re-enthused. Kind of a double edged sword though. Listening to the great artists and knowing you'll never come close to the sound they get can get discouraging.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926 |
Quote:
Listening to the great artists and knowing you'll never come close to the sound they get can get discouraging.
May be . . . but listening to my sound, and knowing no one else is gonna get that, is kinda cool, too. 
Last edited by Ryszard; 04/03/08 03:16 PM.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums58
Topics84,611
Posts781,656
Members39,701
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean