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OP
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There are several interesting threads going on here about mixing and mastering. And this leads me to some questions about RealTracks.
Are they ready for the mix as-is or should they be considered raw, recordings?
Have they had EQ applied? If so is that a problem when I apply more?
Have they had Compression applied? If so is that a problem when I apply more?
Any other effects applied?
When I apply a new RealTrack style BIAB applies values for volume, panning, tone and reverb. Are these just suggested starting points or were the RealTracks recorded/tweaked to sound better in these configurations?
My work flow so far has been as follows,
1) start a new song in BIAB
2) set tempo
3) enter chords to my song
4) choose a style that a) I like, b) is the right time signature and c) is 100% RealTracks
5) set volume levels the same on each track
6) pan each track to 0
7) set tone for each track to 0
8) remove reverb on each track
9) render one WAV file per track
10) bring all tracks into my DAW and there set volume, EQ, panning, reverb, compression, etc.
Is this the best way to work if you know in advance you plan to do your mixing in your DAW?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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related to my post above, are there any "best practices" I should use when integrating my recorded tracks with RealTracks to make them all sound like they were recorded in the same studio? (other than I need to get better at playing and singing to better match the quality of the RealTracks!)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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As far as I can tell, the RTs are recorded with very little processing, in order to leave as much choice as possible open to the user.
Your method of working seems to me to be very logical and efficient and I wouldn't see any reason to change it.
As far as getting your recorded tracks to sound like the RTs, I think you answered your own question! Other than that, just watch the EQ to make sure your own tracks don't end up too bright or too dull compared to the RTs.
ROG.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2004
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Journeyman
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Quote:
There are several interesting threads going on here about mixing and mastering. And this leads me to some questions about RealTracks.
Are they ready for the mix as-is or should they be considered raw, recordings?
Have they had EQ applied? If so is that a problem when I apply more?
Have they had Compression applied? If so is that a problem when I apply more?
Any other effects applied?
I haven't done much engineering personally, but I've been around top pro studios for a lot of years.
IMHO, if you have to ask the above questions then the answer to each might as well be "no." What I mean by that is if you can't tell whether compression or other effects have been applied then you might as well assume they have not and proceed to add any effect YOU LIKE.
And what YOU LIKE is the key. There are no rules---at least none that anyone should follow robotically. Best thing to do is read up on some of the top sound engineering books so you know what the BASIC RULES are...and then break them until you hear what you want to hear.
(-:
Best,
Jim
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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Quote:
IMHO, if you have to ask the above questions then the answer to each might as well be "no." What I mean by that is if you can't tell whether compression or other effects have been applied then you might as well assume they have not and proceed to add any effect YOU LIKE.
so if you were my guitar teacher and my guitar was badly out of tune you'd just let me go on trying to learn to play like that?  I'm asking the questions precisely because I'd like to know the truth!
Quote:
And what YOU LIKE is the key. There are no rules---at least none that anyone should follow robotically. Best thing to do is read up on some of the top sound engineering books so you know what the BASIC RULES are...and then break them until you hear what you want to hear.
I appreciate your point here but I disagree for newbies like me. I have so little mixing experience you might say I shouldn't even be allowed to do it! But I wanna so I'm gonna! And it will be very helpful to me to start out learning basics and best practices before I start breaking the rules. Heck I'd even be willing to try some of the plug-ins with presets as my starting point for everything (if they were not so damn expensive!!!)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi John, I virtually never change any of the Realtracks when I'm putting together a song. They sound just right the way they are. (I subscribe to the 'if it ain't broke, why fix it' philosophy.) If you have a listen to the demos at the following link, you'll hear what I mean about the sounds being already optimized. http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.realtracks.htmPeter Gannon has mentioned many times in these forums that the demos are put together using instruments exactly as they're shipped with the program. Since BIAB is 'out of the box' accompaniment software that's designed to be used in live situations, PG Music have paid a great deal of attention to getting the sound right without need for modification. My view is that if the tracks sound this good, there's no need for me to do anything else other than mix them. Recently, I've started using the Ozone plugin in a master bus so that the final mix goes through this plug-in. I've found Ozone great at adding a bit of 'sparkle'. As mentioned, though, I do that to the whole mix and not the individual tracks. That's just my tuppence worth. Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Some of the earlier RTs were absolutely processed. And one of the problems I've had in the past (now pretty much solved, just a matter of going through and changing default settings) is that BIAB wants to slap reverb on pretty much everything.
Fortunately, the most I've ever heard on a RT that couldn't be changed is some guitar distortion, and usually the idea is to mimic a particular guitar (e.g., the Dire Straits RTs, which I love to heck).
The RTs labeled "Direct Input" for sure do not have processing on them. That little flag was added when BIAB started shipping with Amplitube, so you could have clean guitar, etc., to use with that.
Best, Tom SmithWin10/64 • i7-8700K • 24 GB RAM BIAB 2026 • Reaper 7.57 • Izotope MPS AKG C1000S • IK iRig I/O Pro
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Craig Anderton's First Rule of Recording: "If it sounds good to you, it is."
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
Craig Anderton's First Rule of Recording: "If it sounds good to you, it is."
And I'll add that Duke Ellington also once made much the same statement, regarding bigband arrangments and songwriting: "If it sounds good, it IS good!"
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2023
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Enthusiast
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Craig Anderton's First Rule of Recording: "If it sounds good to you, it is." Ask any noobs if something 'sounds good' and then ask a mixing engineer the same, and you'll be very surprised. And the difference is this: the noob doesn't have any references to compare what he hears. The mixing engineer does. 'Sounding good' means how it sounds compared to other sources. Otherwise you might just say: 'this rope is long.'. Long compared to what? Anderton just meant: 'don't be a total perfectionist, otherwise you'll be getting stuff done at the pace of a snail'. He didn't mean: 'You don't need to learn a thing: just trust your ears, because they surely are brilliant.'. As for the original question, I still haven't seen an answer. It's quite simple: either the realtracks are raw recordings, or they are mix ready, meaning that at least they have no bad resonances, etc. There's nothing wrong with them being raw recordings, if they are. We just want to know so that we can treat them as they need. My impression is that they are 'raw' but they don't contain bad resonances or spectral imbalances. Then again, I am a musician, not really a mixing engineer.
Last edited by ghgtu7yrtfg6e67u; 07/07/25 03:20 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Veteran
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There are several interesting threads going on here about mixing and mastering. And this leads me to some questions about RealTracks.
Are they ready for the mix as-is or should they be considered raw, recordings?
Have they had EQ applied? If so is that a problem when I apply more?
Have they had Compression applied? If so is that a problem when I apply more?
Any other effects applied?
When I apply a new RealTrack style BIAB applies values for volume, panning, tone and reverb. Are these just suggested starting points or were the RealTracks recorded/tweaked to sound better in these configurations? The recordings used for RealTracks have been "gently" processed, with the exception of the Direct Input versions and drum stems. This generally means that there has been some light compression and EQ done for the purpose of volume leveling and removing anything distasteful. Further EQ and compression can be applied if desired, however I'd wager most BIAB users skip that. As for any other effects, the only times those are used are in places that are obvious, such as distortion on a guitar. Reverb is added by the mixer in BIAB, meaning it can be turned up or down or off as desired. I would personally approach RealTracks as "mix-ready", meaning that some processing has been done but more processing won't hurt.
I work here
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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This is an old thread revived, and I do not remember when the feature was added, but go to Help, Drop Station and read what's there about flat, dry and centered having to do with sending tracks to a DAW. Very important. I do the reverb, EQ, and panning of each track IN THE DAW.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
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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
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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
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