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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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I'm enjoying BIAB a lot, but unfortunately I don't have enough musical training to write my own BIAB files. Would anyone with such knowledge be willing to write a BIAB file for me at a reasonable price? Thank you.
Bill Crowell
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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What kind of song are you thinking of doing?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Would need a little more info to go on friend.
toucher
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Like others have said, a bit more info and many here will be glad either help write a million dollar hit or be glad to help in several different ways.
Wyndham
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Of course, they'll want part of the royalties of any million dollar hit!  Bill, try this instead. Use the Melodist feature. Take a song you like, and a style you like, write the chords in, and then using the Melodist feature, set it so as not to write over your chords. Now, you can gather parts of the song, or the whole song if you like, and put it together into a finished product. If you don't have a favorite song, just don't put any chords in at all, and Melodist will come up with those, too. Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Citaat:
Bill, try this instead. Use the Melodist feature.
Oh, that's just not fair Gary. I was gonna do that! And then ask a large sum of money for it 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I have a dumb follow-up question for you. Before you can write out the chords to a song, you have to know what key it is written in, right?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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"Before you can write out the chords to a song, you have to know what key it is written in, right?"
True, but pick a key, any key. After that BIAB can transpose it to any other key to match your singing range.
Kevin
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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What you should do (ducks from the people thinking you have sacks of cash) is get google fired up and type in : Allanah Band in a Box, find her website and dowload some files. Start with A. Sort through and play them, keep what you like. Then once you have a folder of keepers, songs with melodies and proper chords, you can start changing styles and adding realtrack instead of midi tracks. Test drive the Dxi snyth, and listen to the Ketron demos on the pgmusic website.
Check out Google for Notes Norton Band in Box, you can order fake books from him. They have the right chords and good styles, but no melody. You get the book and the chord changes and style and provide the melody by singing or playing along....
I have about 12,000 songs on my system, all band in a box...
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thank you all for your help. Mac McDonald has kindly agreed to write the song for me. I know he'll do a great job. Thanks again, Mac!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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Bill,
While it's fine someone has offered to do the job for you, I think you're missing out. BB and RB are fantastic tools and you need not be a musician to get some fantastic results, especially with those offering help and advice (for free and the love of it) on this forum! You would find it far more rewarding to persevere with it I'm sure.
Regards,
Dave.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks for the advice, Dave. The problem is that, in order to follow your advice, I would need some detailed guidance. Would you like to listen to the song I'm trying to do in BIAB and give me some step-by-step instructions? I'm afraid I'm going to need it. If you don't want to spend all the time on this, I will understand. Here's the song: http://www.directcon.net/retroguybilly/baby_come_back.mp3I don't even know where to begin! P.S. to Mac: I still would like what I know will be your dynomite arrangement!
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I tried to post this last night, and was unable to because of network problems with PG Music's server. Since you never specifically stated what you were looking for, it was kind of hard. I'm glad Mac offered to do it for you, I know you'll be getting a fine quality product. However, this is what I wanted to post last night, just to show you the capabilities of BIAB. One set of chords, taken from a well known song, Real Tracks, and the Melodist with a Real Tracks Soloist. Bill, Do you remember the theme song to the 60's sit com 'I Dream of Jeannie?' I took the chord progression from that song (you can't copyright a chord progression), slowed it down a bit, used a jazz style, and the Melodist feature. On top of that, I used Real Tracks and a Real Track soloist. The melody is a DXi synth, the Cakewalk TTS-1 DXi, so it's nothing fancy. This is only a foundation for something else, but I used someone's else chord progression, and the Melodist feature to come up with my own song. Took me all of five minutes, since I already had the chord progression in BIAB. http://www.catsmeowcafe.com/Music/MP3s/Melodist%20Test.mp3Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OH!!! You wanted a 'TRANSCRIPTION!' Totally different animal.
Mac should be good at doing that.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Oops, sorry if I was unclear on the terminology.
Yes, I know that Mac will do a fantastic job.
Last edited by Bill Crowell; 01/29/09 09:08 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Apprentice
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Quote:
Thank you all for your help. Mac McDonald has kindly agreed to write the song for me. I know he'll do a great job. Thanks again, Mac!
Just because we are all curious, could you tell us how much you are paying Mac? 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I told him to pay what he thought it was worth after the deed is done.
It is a simple song, chordwise. Have it laid out as "One Long Song" right now, still looking for the closest match in a pgmusic BIAB style to go with it, there are some, but I want to audition some more before going further.
Likely will redo the thing using chorus repeats at some point.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thank you SO much for your careful work, Mac! I really appreciate it, and am very much looking forward to hearing it.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Bill, That is what is a God send about Biab. Load up Peter Gannons BIAB 7 tutorial I much prefer that to the new one. Shut off from preferences Real Drums and Real tracks so that you can see midiwise what all componants of a song are. Put it in notation mode and pick a soloist and use loop screen. Building songs is taking seperate parts individually. Work with the tutorial you can get it off the PG website. It's good. I did not like the new one that came with the 2009 edition. Oliver Gannon does another one for Power Tracks Pro also that is good. There is the Van Boscoe Collection of Midifiles about 6000 that are great arrangements and some BIAB song file site. But truthfully. There is so much in BIAB that I can't imagine not having enough. Shuffle through the different parts and slow the tempo down don't be afraid to feel frustrated. The body can handel it. I would rather try new things and feel stupid then not try at all. Try changin markers in various places from A to B
Best of luck
Leighton
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Bill, I understand the reluctance to get into BIAB. For several years I had the program but didn't understand how it worked, so I didn't try to go any further.
For me, I got motivated to learn because my wife was wanting some backing tracks for her singing.
I started by typing in the chord window several chords and hitting play, change the chords and play again. Then I changed the styles using the same chords and started to learn what BIAB was all about.
I am not a musician, nor can I play any instrument, so many here, I'm sure chuckle at my questions, but have helped "larn me a thing or two"
I am amazed at the talent and patients that those who I ask for help, have. Once I heard the chords and styles, BIAB becomes more intuitive. Our songs are simple by any standard but fit what we are doing.
Stick around and dabble, there's a lot going on with this program.
Best of luck Wyndham
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