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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 92
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 92 |
We have gone round and round on this subject in one form or another. What is comes down to is what you can live with. GM is so subjective, what sounds good to you doesn't sound good to me. If you are preparing this piece for live performance, I'd be willing to bet your "non-musician" audience won't notice or care. We are always our worst critics. I'd did a gig last night with a kick-ass singer who uses all mp3's. Most of them sound good but some are really bad. I've heard better Gm files than some of her mp3's (in my subjective opinion) But she is such a phenomenal singer, NO ONE CARES about the so-so backing tracks. Now I know there are plenty of people out there ready to beat up on me for that statement so have at it. We've been down this road before and will again, and again etc...I know many of you do this just as a serious hobby or for the joy of it and want to obtain perfection if possible. But as Mac stated, to get the desired results is not worth the time and effort. BIAB is my vehicle to get paid. Time is money, I'm always balancing the time it takes to get the song right against what ever else I need to get done during the day. To get the midi sound you are looking for I think you will definitely have to go with one of the external sound modules that has already been mentioned. Good luck to you!
Dell Studio 16 Laptop i7 with 256 gig SSD
BIAB, Reaper, Encore, Sibelius
Roland SD-50
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 824
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Expert
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 824 |
Jakob, I really have to say that you don't get what we have been talking about and you really don't understand what we 'jazz' (that is all I have been talking about!) musicians want from Band-in-a-Box. My criticism was about the quality of bass lines, not about sound. Plus, you will also find that most jazz musicians wouldn't dream of taking BB on a gig. Sacrilege! Believe me, these new bass RealTracks and improvements to RealStyles for JAZZ are a huge improvement. If you, or your audience don't really care about the quality of the music (so-called backing tracks), please don't invade my world. And please don't try to influence the programmers of software that has always had the highest of musical standards. Although, after listening to the backing on this video, I could concede that there might be a few exceptions to the success of a jazz musician taking BB on a gig - guitar or keyboards maybe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f47ISKaOBY&feature=mfu_in_order&list=ULThe above recorded with Band in a Box 2011 (Real Tracks) and a Pod 2.0 So, I still insist that the answer to the original question is, "Not very good compared to RealTracks!" Peace. 
Grah Jive Talk
"Don't worry baby, they'll swing their arses off."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 92
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 92 |
My mistake Graham if I misunderstood your statement. I may not be a "real" jazz musician but I can tell you the real musician in my area that want to work, use backing tracks. Australia may be different but I can tell if you want to make more than $50 a gig you'll use backing tracks. Some guys use just drum tracks, some guys mix it up. There are great players out there who have a day job and can pick and choose to play a few times a year or just go to a jam session. The guys who do it for a living, do what it takes to get paid. I'm talking about "real" jazz musicians who can play circles around me. Many of them play all live gigs, but not 100% of the time especially if you're a horn player. Even if you are the best player in the city, there are only so many gigs to go around. So what are the rest of us to do, keep practicing and hope someone calls us or go out and make your own gig. I choose to make my own gigs. I worked 4 to 5 nights a week up until the economy went south. Would I love to play completely live, sure who wouldn't. Again my apologies for misreading your comments, that's a bad habit I have. In the future I'll read more carefully.
Dell Studio 16 Laptop i7 with 256 gig SSD
BIAB, Reaper, Encore, Sibelius
Roland SD-50
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 78
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 78 |
Quote:
I just wanted to say that all the complaints I made in this topic have been corrected in the RealTracks 1-121 Updates - May 1 2008 to Feb 4 2011 (Full) which I downloaded for my Audiophile version on an external hard drive two days ago. I tested the different jazz walking bass lines today and I cannot find anything to complain about. In fact, everything we suggested has been done. An excellent job from the PG development crew!
I did post a separate topic advising of this but did not like to leave this one looking as though nothing had been done. It has and personally I am well pleased!
Sorry to disagree Graham, but from my observation, apart from adding simple and very simple variations to Jazz Ballad Sw 60 and Jazz Sw 110, the actual programming of the bass lines of the other jazz Sw styles remains unchanged, and they are still illogical lines compared to the midi bass lines. (I play jazz piano here on Gold Coast) I realise that triplets and grace notes are reduced in the simple styles, but the programming still needs to be improved greatly as was discussed previously. Slower tempos and simple chord structures are not too bad, but using faster swing songs, with more chord changes I find the bass lines jumping all over the place. Try punching in the chords for songs like Undecided (T200)Pick yourself up (T192) or Just Friends (T190) and you will find that the programming of the bass lines has not changed at all.
Sadly for these type of songs I will stick with midi bass via my SC88 Pro, and use real drums.
Mal
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 824
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Expert
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 824 |
Hi Mal,
That is exactly what I did. I put up the chords for "All The Things You Are" in Ab and tested 3 different tempos for a couple of midi styles, and the Normal, Simple and Very Simple RealTracks for three tempos.
For instance at 210 bpm, I used midi styles J!~NAT2 which is a kind of swing style and J~OLEO. Then for RealTracks I ran _JAZZBOP with Normal, Simple & Very Simple. I printed out the resulting bass lines for each and compared them.
As far as the midi styles were concerned, both styles produced reasonably logical bass lines but there were far too many eighth notes in the J~OLEO style and also large octave and fifth jumps - especially between beat 1 and 2. Every bar, without exception, started on the root note of the chord, even if the chord went for two bars.
The RealTracks were also quite logical and I thought were better at linking one bar to the next. Six bars out of 32 did not start with a root note but they used a better linking note in the chord to the previous bar. They were thirds or fifths of the chord.
On the whole, I thought the lines were better in the RealTracks than the midi.
It took me almost a whole day to run the tests and I don't think my conclusions are wrong.
Mind you, I won't be using anything else but Simple and Very Simple because there are still far too many enhancements that break up the walking rhythm in the bass track that comes with the style, which is what I have called Normal.
I could give you an even larger breakdown of my findings but the above it about the general conclusion I reached.
I've still got all the printouts to prove to myself I am right.
Grah Jive Talk
"Don't worry baby, they'll swing their arses off."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
Expert
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OP
Expert
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616 |
Graham,
Check out the JAZSIMP Midi style. Very simple bass line in both A/B sections. I use this bass part in all of my swing songs.
As far as RT vs Midi bass, I tend to agree with poster that said the audience (for the most part) does not hear or care about the difference. I tried a RT bass in a song at a gig and found that my ears were used to the Midi bass line - simple yet solid. The RT bass often danced around the root at a time when I didn't expect it. Did the audience notice? Probably not directly but I'm sure they felt something different in that song. With the ambient lounge noise, having that solid simple bottom present is key. I'll play around with the 'new' Very Simple RTs, but in the meantime will stick with Midi at gigs. I do use RT Nylon Guitar in my Bossa songs.
...and I'd love not to take BIAB to a gig if they would pay for a bass player and drummer.
R
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 824
Expert
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Joined: Jul 2001
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Thanks Rachael. I am familiar with most of the midi jazz styles and I agree that generally the bass lines are not that bad. However, the bass lines in the RealStyles, particularly those generated from Neil Swainson's playing, were just awful. This is not a criticism of Neil's playing but of the programming that followed. I don't know if it was my whinging that got them changed but the updates of a few days ago are in my opinion a vast improvement. But I am not a bass player even though I have studied how to construct walking bass lines. So last night I gave my printouts to the only pro bass player I know well. He is acknowledged as one of the best in Australia - Graeme Bell called him "Everybody's bass player!" - and we'll see what he has to say.
There is a more important reason that I like the RealTracks. I know that 'swing' is often claimed to be a subtle element and difficult to define, but for me the RealStyle/Track rhythm sections 'swing' whereas the midi styles are a bit stolid. I have joked before on this forum that even the midi tracks swing more than some of the musicians I have played with, but RealStyles/Tracks were a revelation for me. So I just want them as good as they can be!
I'll leave the propaganda about using real musicians on a gig after this short rant, because I am not a pro and I do have some sympathy for those that try to earn a living from playing music, as opposed to teaching or, like me, just having fun with jazz. Just don't expect me to listen to the dreaded duos - keyboard and female vocalist with backing tracks - for longer than five minutes. I would rather there be no music at all. Anyway, I'm too busy playing with big bands and a couple of six-piece traditional jazz bands. The real problem in Australian clubs and pubs is the pokies, which have almost killed live music. More power to Senator Fielding!
Grah Jive Talk
"Don't worry baby, they'll swing their arses off."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 131
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 131 |
Graham... I totally agree with you regarding NS's bass RealTracks... they were basically unusable to me. I do 90% swing tunes, and was so dissatisfied with the swing bass (& much of the guitar), I returned the 2011 package, and am back using 2008..
I do take offense at your statement "Just don't expect me to listen to the dreaded duos - keyboard and female vocalist with backing tracks - for longer than five minutes. I would rather there be no music at all".
I am a kybd player and my wife is the vocalist - our song selection, arrangements, and BIAB backing tracks are complimented at every gig by "non-pros" (as you describe yourself), as well as other REAL musicians. I would love to work with a bass player & drummer, but no one wants to work for $50/gig... So unless you are 'out there' as working musician....
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 92
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 92 |
dmrodes...I couldn't have said it better. I too get the same compliments from musicians and non-musicians about the real tracks. Where do you and your wife gig?
Jakob
Dell Studio 16 Laptop i7 with 256 gig SSD
BIAB, Reaper, Encore, Sibelius
Roland SD-50
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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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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 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.
Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac 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 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
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