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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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Many of you it seems also have BIAB as your practice partner. Sometimes I like to throw up a progression and choose various "soloists", just to compare the styles. I like some more than others, but it has to be said, from someone who in the 80's at university spent months as part of a team of researcher students using early AI to teach a computer to "emulate" Handel's "Water Music", it's freakin' incredible!
So to my questions, who codes these? How? Why are there several variations on a soloist, eg there are quite a few Parkers? How and why are these different from each other? If you run 2-5-1 through the circle of 5ths for 40 full repetitions, how many phrases get reused? If I run 2-5-1 in just one key, will the same number of phrases eventually be spat out (albeit in the same key)? Do the soloist algorithms try to resolve smoothly across bars? Do some more than others?
Which are your favorites?
Some of mine so far (I don't have them all) are - jazz piano 16ths, -longer phrases- yardbird, -blues piano (even for changes)- and Herbie Hancock's pop as well as blue's. The Trane one's I've heard are disappointing as are many others though.
Are these soloists worthy of analysis do you think?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
Are these soloists worthy of analysis do you think?
Yes.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Let me expand on my deliberately flip answer.
I am but a lowly blues-rocker, nowhere near the class of someone who can dissect Trane and others. (If I chose to spend time analyzing the Soloists as you suggest, I might get there.) Nevertheless, I have an ear and some training in theory and performance.
Even putting together pop-based numbers with BIAB, I notice that someone has taken great care in assembling Styles. Little variations on riffs are shuffled about while playing, just as a human player would. Not perfect, as anyone who has spent time with the program knows, but at its best, really, really good.
Unless I'm shown otherwise, I do not believe that BIAB incorporates Artificial Intelligence, but is rather an Expert System (no mean feat in itself. Medical Expert Systems have been demonstrated to be right at least as often as real doctors--and that's an old stat.). I love listening to the variations BIAB wrings out of my compositions. The more complex my piece, the stranger the changes. (But I SWEAR there's a sense of humor in there at times.)
I originally bought BIAB version 7 to generate the drum parts I and my second-generation drum machine couldn't. Once I lost my fear of it, it became much, much more. I actually think of BIAB as a co-composer at times, or at least an extension of my own brain, which after all is the proper role of computing. I go places I would not have gone did I not have the program.
So, yeah. IMO the Soloists are worth analyzing. A lot of talent, skill, thought, care, and (dare I say?) love went into making this thing go. We each reap the benefits in our own way. Go for it. If you don't like what you find, maybe you'll figure out how to do it better, and create Soloists for the rest of us to enjoy.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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creating your own soloist would be awesome! Imagine, you'd painstakngly work out all your ideal riffs and lines for certain situations and sit back and listen to how you'd ideally like to "make the changes" with your own playing! 2 to 3 hundred "motifs" should be just about enough to sound like a "style". Sure, you can't program in things like "taste", but every once in a while you will hear something that you'd be proud to sound like. Then you work it out, memorize it and internalize it, like you do when you shed other people's solos, only this time, you're ripping yourself off!
Anyone know the actual "DNA" of the soloist function?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
Anyone know the actual "DNA" of the soloist function?
Yeah, Peter Gannon and trust me he ain't talkin. The subject of rolling your own soloist has come up many times. This is the definition of the word "proprietary". About all that's leaked out is they hire world class players to help them with this including Peter's famous guitarist brother Oliver and Miles Black on piano. Beyond that, nobody knows except the Shadow...
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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pardon my ignorance, but who/what is the Shadow? or is that a figure of speech....
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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It's a figure of speech: "Who knows what evil lurks . . . ", etc. Sorry to raise your hopes so; I did know better.
OTOH, it is possible to tweak the Soloist to a degree. I came up with a pretty good Bruce Hornsby for one project by 'jazzing down' a jazz pianist (don't recall which). Part of it lies in the changes over which it plays. There is much there for you to study and play with.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Expert
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Expert
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They used to play them late at night (along with may other great Radio shows) through the early 60, I used to listen to them a very low volumn under the covers while parents were sleeping (2:00 or 3:00 a.m.)
At some point I became aware that not only the Shadow knows, but DOD also Knew (kean ears on that one).
PM
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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Quote:
The shadow was a radio program Pre Television, and the was the catch phrase.
The show aired from 1932 to 1954. 740 episodes, you can hear a snippet here http://www.megaloradio.com/shadowradioshow.html
here is some downloads http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/template.php?show_name=The%20Shadow
Cool, then this Shadow fellow woulda heard Bud Powell, Bird, Diz and Miles, and maybe a young Trane. Let's hunt this Shadow fellow down and hold a gun to his head till he makes good with a customised Soloist that incorporates at least all of the above. Maybe he's hiding under some old bridge in Kansas.....
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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We are not in Kansas anymore Toto.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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If you have to explain who Toto is...
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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... an awful 80s rock band if I recall correctly!
Best wishes
The man with no culture
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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--an' yer little dawg, too, Fifer!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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Where can I find out the updated full list of Soloists available? Is there a Cannonball Adderley one yet?
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Here is a list of MIDI soloist sets #2-#20, less #12-#15.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Toto, awful!!! Wow you never heard Africa! Singature song of the 80's was Roseana! Dude! That fella Boby Kimball had some pipes, and Steve Luthaker could play that guitar pretty well i thought.
Last edited by Robh; 06/19/09 10:58 AM.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Zoom Livetrack L-8
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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!
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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!
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