|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 62
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 62 |
Just about had enough with the hardware side of synths.
So can anybody help me on the road to software synths.
Looking for good piano and guitar sounds etc.
will be looking forward to any replies and the big how much to get a decent sound.
Does anybody on here use the Roland xv 2020 and do the expansion cards work ok through general midi in biab,just another avenue I was looking at.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 716
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 716 |
Just about had enough with the hardware side of synths.
So can anybody help me on the road to software synths.
Looking for good piano and guitar sounds etc.
will be looking forward to any replies and the big how much to get a decent sound.
Does anybody on here use the Roland xv 2020 and do the expansion cards work ok through general midi in biab,just another avenue I was looking at. I cannot help with a soft synth recommendation because I abandoned them years ago on favor of hardware. Perhaps I am missing something so perhaps you could enlighten me. Tony
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 62
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 62 |
Tony
I posted a thread a while ago as I bought a Roland jv 1080, My intentions at the time was to load it with a few good expansion cards, love the sound of the jv1080,just wanted a good variety of sounds .
I bought one card to start and could not access it along with the general midi sounds tried patch files, ins files the lot.
Now I don't know what I was trying to do is achievable at all.
Visiting Roland's site I get the impression you can do this buy only on the xv series.
So I thought before I spend any more money maybe I should look at software synths that I could use along side the roland and forget about expansion cards etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,726
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,726 |
Regarding software based synths.
Getting a good piano is possible. The better sounding piano's will cost a bit.
However......
Sonar's Sound center has good pianos... approx $70 +/- for the DAW and the sound center with the piano add on pack. Not bad sounding pianos and that's the "all in" price plus you get a basic sonar DAW in the process. You can hear the cakewalk steinberg piano on my song Fool's Errand about 2/3 the way through the song where I'm playing very simple quarter notes and the piano is the only thing playing.
Kontakt: has some pretty nice pianos in it. A couple hundred dollars gets you in the game.
Ivory: dedicated to pianos and a bit pricey unless you are piano player specifically and looking for a really nice acoustic piano.
Stay away from TTS and Coyote and GM midi pianos. They sound ok, nothing great, but lower quality.
Guitar synths: In my humble opinion, there are no really good realistic sounding guitar synths. Yeah, they are nicely sampled and sound good....BUT.... they are stiff and have very little articulation played straight out of the box so to speak. Real Strat is one that I would recommend only if you are a keyboard player and can play the keys really well while manipulating the wheel and using other lower notes as controllers with your left hand at the same time you are playing the melody with the right. It's a skill set you need to learn to do it right. Without the articulations in the playing, any guitar player will nail it immediately as midi. I have heard a keyboard player using Real Strat over in the Cakewalk songs forum. He is quite good and the part was very hard to tell that it was a synth. In the end, with a very close listen (several times through), it was evident that the part was not a guitar but in fact a synth. It did sound pretty good.
I know that if you're looking for a nice piano sound (and guitar) you most likely want to play the parts yourself with a midi keyboard. I'd be using the real band piano and guitar tracks if I wasn't able to play the instruments myself. They are very realistic, sound good and have articulations in them. So unless it's a specific melody you need played, use the RT's.
If you do need a specific melody, then pick up one of the better piano synths and ..... well.... good luck with a guitar synth. I'd call on a buddy who plays to lay the occasional guitar melody line you specifically want.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 62
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 62 |
Herb
Thanks for the input you have gave me food for thought.
It makes me look at it all in a different light.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
Addictive Keys has several outstanding pianos.
Guitars, well, that's a different story. Most will leave you unimpressed from a synth standpoint. Put a shingle out here in the forums when you need guitar parts and you'll find willing participants to contribute actual real parts.
The above assumes you don't really need the parts as live MIDI.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,281
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,281 |
Agreed with Rockstar. Addictive Keys have a good (I'll say very good)pianos. They offer a grand piano demo version which you can use for as long as you want. I use it a lot. Check it out.
Mike B.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732 |
+1 here too. Got one free as a monthly Focusrite plugin giveaway. Love it. I have the Studio Grand.
 Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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 new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,742
Posts795,655
Members39,946
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean