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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Greetings, I just wanted to let the forum users know how effective BIAB has become as an all around Arranging & Producing tool for Live Performance. I played in a Latin Jazz Fusion band for the Acapulco Jazz Festival and we suddenly had 10 extra minutes of showtime to Produce. I was given 2 hours notice of this. Using BIAB, I was able to compose the melody and chords, harmonize the melody, print out high quality parts AND rehearse the song before playing. The whole thing took 39 minutes, and the guys in the band (and the audience) seemed to be very pleased. Here is a very short Youtube video of the final performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuNzlv71ze0A big thanks to BIAB and PG Music for making my musical life much easier! Ed
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Very nice, Ed, and great band!
Or should I say, "So What"? We just had another thread about songs based on the changes from other songs...
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Nice gig, man.
You havin' fun!
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 8
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Newbie
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Posts: 8 |
I know it seems like I show up on this forum only to discuss BIAB problems,
but I need to say that BIAB has changed my musical life ever since that day
a dozen years ago whenI was strolling down an aisle at NAMM and met Peter
Gannon at the PG booth. After about 15 minutes of his demo, I had my
credit card out (and I'm a stingy guy)! I constantly use BIAB to:
* practice (play along)
* arrange tunes and guitar parts
* print out transposed charts for the horn guys
* illustrate theory examples when teaching lessons
* record backing tracks for some gigs
* reharmonize tunes
* find the right key for singers
* educate myself on Latin rhythms
* burn the head of an unfamiliar tune into my brain
* etc.
I could keep going with this list, but you get the idea. So thanks from me too.
Nate
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2008
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A huge thank you from me too. BIAB has changed my life, and has brought back the fun in arranging. I've used it for a few years now (OSX and Windows versions) and it's the best investment I've ever made in terms of software. The realtracks are truly awesome, jaw dropping insanely great. I'm currently recording an album with a female singer and we're using BIAB on all tracks.
So... thank you PGMusic!!!!
Hens Zimmerman
PS: Those waiting for the OSX version should simply install bootcamp. It's very easy and I kinda regret not having done this earlier.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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So here's a different take. I love BIAB, too, but from a different perspective. I'm using BIAB songs by others and modified by me for my wife and I to play at retirement homes and hospitals. We used to use canned karaoke tunes. Our use of BIAB has save us many hours in cutting and pasting in a wave program.
BTW, could that be a Kanstul 1525, like mine, being played? Now that's a sweet horn.
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
BTW, could that be a Kanstul 1525, like mine, being played? Now that's a sweet horn.
Stan
I don't know what is used in BIAB, but I have one. It is a great horn.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Greetings all,
Thank you so much for the kind comments!
Yes, that is my other ¨Baby¨Kanstul 1525, I´ve had just about every Flugel out there, and for me the 1525 is the bomb. I think Matt Finley is playing one also.
When the new Mac version of BIAB comes out, I will be in total music heaven. Having switched to Mac OS Leopard and the New version of Pro Tools, there has never been a better time to make music on your computer. At least for me, gone are the days of Driver and Latency issues, crashes, odd midi timing, etc.
As Peter says........¨Have Fun!
Ed
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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You are so right on, Ed. I had a Kanstul 1025 which also has a nice tone, but the 1525 is even better. Even my wife, a flute player who hates trumpets, loves the 1525 tone. I got a custome trigger setup on mine to match the 1025 setup. Flute players absolutely will not tolerate sharp D's and C#'s.
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Slide on 3rd valve, trigger on 1st valve slide if needed, plus train the ear.
Don't use any slides or triggers for certain practice goals, "lip" it in.
Then, when you use the trigger, its a breeze to stay tempered.
Nuthin' hampers an ensemble of any genre like an out of tune trumpet section except an out of tune bass...
Judging from the heard evidence, far too many trumpet sections haven't worked on the above, eh?
First thing I do when I lead a section is set up the Stroboconn, give 'em some visual feedback -- really helps a lot for those who get into it and WANT to improve.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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No tempered 3rds in the Brass Band. Circle the note, Pythagorean thirds. Tough on a 3 valved baritone, marching or for brass band. Usually use the 3rd valve in lieu of 1 and 2, it's flatter.
Euphoniums with the 4th valve are easier to play in pitch.
And of course Trombones are the perfect instrument, in the hands of someone who knows what the are doing. Especially if I have an itchy ear. They sit behind me....!
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Modern US military bands tune and play to tempered scale though.
I dig that sound better than the Just or Pythagorean, which actually must be changed, either by lip and ear or sometimes via the slide too, if the song changes keys out of the four that the Pythagorean tuning is set for at the time.
Arrangers shouldn't write modulations outside of the magic diminished quad where that tuning works. The Tempered Scale may be a tradeoff, but it opens up those horizons, among other things.
Recreating the old band sound is another thing entirely though and has its own merits. I know very few players who are able to switch back and forth successfully without needing a time period to acclimate from one to the other or back.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi John,
It is always great to read your interesting, honest and well informed comments
jazzman
BIAB - RealBand - 2022
Windows 10 64
Zoo computer with 7i processor- SSD 1TB -2TB HDD
Roland keyboards
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Now, now, we all know the trumpets are never out of tune except for the ones who play too loud.  I agree that lipping down is the way to go if you can get proficient at it. As for me, the triggers do make life easy.
Cornet Curmudgeon
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By all means use the triggers in performance, especially in ensemble work.
My reference to lipping down is a *practice* recommendation.
Practicing hearing the intonation and correcting like that makes the use of the slide a breeze after a bit of time, of course.
Just a practice tip.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Well, Mac, I had to do some lipping down today. We were playing at a retirment home and the piano there was less than exemplary. Using the trigger didn't get the slide our far enough. As I was relaxing my lips a bit to hit those D's in tune, I thought of your previous post. Irony is alive and well.
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
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Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
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Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
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Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
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- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
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- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
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