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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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I searched the site but didn't see anything not related to addressing problems and by the time I read through some, well, my head was spinning.
I don't use a keyboard - I simply want to add a VST sound to play the midi (melody) track through. I already have a VST piano sound and, of course, if anybody has a recommendation for one, I'm all ears. I do see in the manual where it say's to "Enable the IAC bus (p.248 in hard copy) but, I don't see anything that looks like an IAC Enable and only the BIAB and QT show up in the panel.
Can someone point me in the right direction, please. Thanks
Last edited by Outwest; 10/15/09 11:55 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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I don't know what you mean by VST (that plugin format is not supported by Mac BIAB), but here is a standalone program to do what you want. You can use this to send MIDI notes through the IAC bus to BIAB. It's a bit old, but works well here, hopefully this helps. http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/16702- Jay
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- OS X 10.15.7 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2023 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 11 -- Too many plugins
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Thanks, Jay
I checked out the one you recommended and while it works fine, it doesn't sound any better than the one on-board my mac.
I'm looking for something that sounds like a real piano (and vibes) - admittedly, as a guitar player and never having fooled around the midi interfaces to the computer, I know very little about it - guess I'll need to do some homework...
Thanks
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Outwest
be aware that running real time plug ins adds load to a computer.
some people spend a small trust fund on sample libraries etc etc.
i saw a piano plug in a few weeks ago for mac that was several hundred dollars
for example.
alternatively there are many used midi modules around for under 100 buks with tons of sounds if you hunt around. eg sound canvas.
youll need a mac compatible midi interface. about 50 buks.
the advantage of this is less load on the host computer.
retired puter engr....powertracks on amd......NICE !
"what is the black art of audio engineering ?"
my silly songs...motagator.com/bmanning
see my tips in the tips section.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Quote:
I'm looking for something that sounds like a real piano (and vibes) -
I've put software solutions on the back shelf ever since the day I first connected the Ketron SD2 Orchestral Wizard to the computer and heard BIAB play through it.
Not only very realistic pianos and vibes, but most all of the other instruments, too. Some complain about things like the clarinet patch having too much vibrato, but not about it sounding like anything other than a clarinet.
The piano in that thing is very good sounding indeed, to my ears. Works well in a variety of genres and situations, too.
SD2 is hardware synth, near-Zero Latency, does not tax your cpu or ram, is small in size (I even pack it up in the laptop case on trips), has separate stereo Audio Line Outs plus a Headphone Out for those times when needed. Doesn't stop working when the OS is upgraded either. Sounds very good indeed.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Good feedback from everyone - thanks!  I'm going to check out the SD2 thing, for sure. Not too worried about computer overhead (I can strip lot's of default overhead from the system with a few UNIX commands. Actually, even without UNIX, for those interested, you can unload lot's of overhead by going to the Activity monitor in Applications> Utilites, and Stopping many unneeded things that are running in the background. They run again on re-boot). The panel shows how much memory (hard and virtual) is being used. Thanks again!
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Hey Mac,
Heard your Steely Dan submission on the Ketron site. Very, very cool indeed! From your picture (is that you?), you look to be a horn player. And the horn solos are top notch. Who did the guitar solo? Or are you one of those wise guys who can play anything? And how did BIAB fit in? It sounds like a straight midi arrangement.
Man, you've got a new fan.
Regards,
Darryl
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Quote:
Hey Mac,
Heard your Steely Dan submission on the Ketron site. Very, very cool indeed! From your picture (is that you?), you look to be a horn player. And the horn solos are top notch. Who did the guitar solo? Or are you one of those wise guys who can play anything? And how did BIAB fit in? It sounds like a straight midi arrangement.
Man, you've got a new fan.
Regards,
Darryl
Thanks Darryl.
Well, I am a trumpet player, also keyboards and guitar. Been at this game a long time.
That pic shows me playing one of my Flugelhorns. It is about 4 or 6 years old now. Um, the picture, not the Flugelhorn...
But what you heard there is entirely MIDI domain, all patches done on the Ketron SD2 in Powertracks, using an M-Audio Keystation 88 Pro keyboard controller and also a Japstrat with Roland MIDI pickup to record each part one at a time to the metronome click. With some editing here and there. Done from charts I transcribed a long time ago for a band that did covers and is now a part of personal history as it were. We did The Dan, back in The Day in that little coverband, though. Fun.
Every instrument sound in that file comes from the Ketron SD2. Which was the point of the demo, actually.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Ah, sorry I misunderstood. I thought you were looking for a way to input MIDI notes without a keyboard. I used to use this to send MIDI to VST instruments when I first switched from Cubase to Logic (Logic doesn't support VST). I remember it working pretty well, although I haven't used it in a long time. http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/9388- Jay
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- OS X 10.15.7 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2023 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 11 -- Too many plugins
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Thanks Jay / Mac,
I came across the site you referenced in my searching and found a couple of others, too. But, I learned something that got me 3/4's the way there (though, I may still consider the SD2).
What I learned was that I can switch from the Apple DLS synth to BIAB's output in the midi panel and play BIAB through GarageBand - real simple and much better sounding midi instruments as it uses the EXS sounds in GarageBand.
So, now I have some questions (including a few for Mac re SD2, if you're still checking this post...)
1. The better the EXS sounds, the better... thus, any recommendations on where to get the EXS sounds for GarageBand that are worth the time, effort and money (or freebies's). I see lot's of them on the net but figure others have done a lot of the footwork - no sense in re-inventing that wheel... ?
2 [Question for Mac/others who've used something like the SD2] I'd rather be playing the guitar than messing for hours with tweaking sounds and automation - I wouldn't mind spending fifteen, or so, minutes making midi sounds sound real so, my questions are:
A. What is the approach for doing this, let's say with a horn sound (seems to me a guy's got to look at nearly every phrase or long note ending and ramp down the volume or other) - is that what's done or, do the good sounds in the SD2 naturally sound like someone playing?
B. About how long/how much time do you spend on massaging a tune's midi stuff ?
Thanks again
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Quote:
2 [Question for Mac/others who've used something like the SD2] I'd rather be playing the guitar than messing for hours with tweaking sounds and automation - I wouldn't mind spending fifteen, or so, minutes making midi sounds sound real so, my questions are:
A. What is the approach for doing this, let's say with a horn sound (seems to me a guy's got to look at nearly every phrase or long note ending and ramp down the volume or other) - is that what's done or, do the good sounds in the SD2 naturally sound like someone playing?
B. About how long/how much time do you spend on massaging a tune's midi stuff ?
Thanks again
In a lot of cases, all you need do is hook up the SD2 correctly and play back the file. It will automatically address the GM bank.
Dropping the Patch Map (found on the PGMusic Support pages) for the SD2 into your BIAB folder and properly selecting it from inside BIAB enables you to access the Upper Banks of the synth by Patch Names -- and grouped by instruments. This makes rather quick work of auditioning other sounds for each instrument track. For example, you can look at all available Electric Pianos in one group, select another and hear what it sounds like as the file is playing. Find a better sounding one than the original GM bank sound, a simple matter to invoke that one instead, then use the Save with Patches and Harmony window in BIAB to change the file to reflect your choices.
Usually is the case that it is all you need do, no complicated volume changes manually or anything like that needed, for the most part. Besides that, if you are after that kind of detailed editing, BIAB is not the software I'd choose first, I'd export as MIDI file to a multitrack static sequencing software instead of trying to do all that in an autoaccompaniment generator such as BIAB anyway. Again, I don't find the need to do that with BIAB generated songs at all.
Here are some hotlinks to actual BIAB PGMusic Demo Songs that you can find in your BB folder.
Note that I did absolutely no "tweaking" of any kind, neither in the MIDI nor in the Audio domain. What you hear is what you get.
All I did was hook up the Ketron SD2 properly, with its Audio L and R outputs connected to the Audio L and R inputs of my soundcard and recorded what BIAB played back. What you hear is what you get.
You can load the same songs from your BIAB Demo Songs folders and "Dare to Compare" with whatever MIDI solution you are currently using.
HipHopRockSwDemo_REALDRUMS.WMA
HipHopRockSwDemo_MIDIDRUMS.WMA
TruckinDemoRealDrumsSD2.mp3
TruckinDemoMIDIDrumsSD2.mp3
BigSurDemoRealDrumsSD2.mp3
BigSurDemoMIDIDrumsSD2.mp3
Straightahead_SD2_upperbanks_136BPM.mp3 ( I changed the Tempo of this last one, simply because I like it better at that speed. Also switched a couple of the accompaniment instruments to those Upper Bank patches, as an example. If you want to Dare to Compare at your end, simply change the BPM in the loaded songfile's Tempo block to the indicated 136. )
Have Fun,
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Here are some more of the included BIAB PGMusic Style Demo Songs as played back through the Ketron SD2 Orchestral Wizard. This is exactly what it sounds like through my studio monitors here, no tweaking or the like at all, it is simply recorded to pcm digital audio stereo file as it is played back. No changing of any of the original PGMusic song settings at all. Matter of fact, these songs were chosen at pseudo-random from start of the alphabetical style picker list, using a scripting program to automate the issue. What you hear is what you get. !CAMPGIT_SD2.mp3 BLZTRIO1_SD2.mp3 BOARDWLK_SD2.mp3 Bolero2_SD2.mp3 BritSw16_SD2.mp3 C2_BLAK_SD2.mp3 C2_GRET_SD2.mp3 C!GITWLZ_SD2.mp3 C_2Bt_Sw_SD2.mp3 C_BDUNN_SD2.mp3 Cairo3_SD2.mp3 Calling_SD2.mp3 Campinas_SD2.mp3 CC_CROW_SD2.mp3 DixiFast_SD2.mp3 TBos_250_SD2.mp3 Folks are always asking what Style works with a particular target song they have in mind. One of my favorite BIAB excercises is to juke the Style Demo folders while doing other work at the computer. But I MUTE THE MELODY TRACK. That way, I hear only the accompaniment instruments, the feel of the thing. Quite often is the case that the PGMusic Demo Song uses much the same chord changes as certain targeted songs, they just have to put their own melodies to them to avoid copyright infringements. Mute the Melodies and often you can hear which song the file came out of, so to speak. Songwriters, this method also is a great way to get those creative juices flowing, too. PGMusic Demo Songs with MUTED Melody Track and the Ketron SD2: CC_TONY_SD2.mp3 CELEBRTE_SD2.mp3 Celt_Jig_SD2.mp3 Cesaria1_SD2.mp3 CHET_SD2.mp3 COOL_ONE_SD2.mp3 Cornado_SD2.mp3 Country1_SD2.mp3 COZY_SW_SD2.mp3 Cray1_SD2.mp3 CREEDNCE_SD2.mp3 DADGAD1_SD2.mp3 DOGFUNKD_SD2.mp3 --Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Thanks Mac - lot's of work that cutting a pasting - I appreciate it. I checked out several of the tunes and did a bit of homework. FYI on a couple: * Some software packages also sound really good (for about half the cost of the SD2) * Found one freebie for the Mac that has four or five good sounding instruments and installs easily into GarageBand http://www.d.umn.edu/~bold0070/spymac_mirror/projects/instruments.htmlI'll mull it over but, I'm leaning toward the SD2 - you're a good salesman! Thanks!
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Be aware that you have only heard the GM Bank on the SD2. The Upper Banks can change the convinving sound a lot in the case of some of the instruments chosen. Maybe I can find the time to work up some demos and a tutorial on how to go about that one in future.
Whatever you choose is cool with me.
Just Have Fun,
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Quote:
Actually, even without UNIX, for those interested, you can unload lot's of overhead by going to the Activity monitor in Applications> Utilites, and Stopping many unneeded things that are running in the background. They run again on re-boot). The panel shows how much memory (hard and virtual) is being used.
Thanks for the heads up on using Activity monitor to free up some overhead.
w
Mac Audiophile 2020 2019 2018 2017 USB plus previous years versions macOS Mojave - 10.14.6 @ Aug 16, 2019 iMac i3 3.6 GHz 8GB RAM 4K with Retina display some examples @ sound cloud done with Mac Band and DAW's : https://soundcloud.com/you/tracks
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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User Video: Band-in-a-Box® + ChatGPT = Impressed the BOSS!
Band-in-a-Box User Video Tutorials!
If you've reviewed our Support page, you've probably noticed the Videos page, which separates our Band-in-a-Box® tutorial videos by category: Overview, VST DAW Plugin, Setup, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and there's even an Archive category to go down memory lane... (You'll also find these videos on our YouTube Channel.)
It's always great to hear how other Band-in-a-Box® users create their songs, especially when they explain in detail what they're doing. Like Henry Clarke's YouTube Channel, Henry Clarke - Senior Musicians Unite! There you'll find his ALL Band-in-a-Box Tutorials playlist with over 50 videos! His top-three most watched videos include "How to Get Started with Band-in-a-Box," "How I use the Audio Chord Wizard in Band-in-a-Box," and "How to Create An Effective Solo Using Band-in-a-Box" - however he touches on many other topics and also demonstrates his own Band-in-a-Box® songs in the Band-in-a-Box Created Songs playlist!
You're guaranteed to find some helpful videos when you visit Henry Clarke's channel!
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Ci siamo dati da fare e abbiamo aggiunto oltre 50 nuove funzionalità e una straordinaria raccolta di nuovi contenuti, tra cui 222 RealTracks, nuovi RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 3, Playable RealDrums Set 2, due nuovi set di "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 e altro ancora!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2024 apporte plus de 50 fonctions nouvelles ainsi qu'une importante de contenus nouveaux à savoir : 222 RealTracks, des RealStyles nouveaux, des SuperTracks MIDI, des Etudes d'Instruments, des Prestations d'Artistes, des "Morceaux avec Choeurs", un Set 3 de Tracks Jouables, un Set 2 de RealDrums Jouables, deux nouveaux Sets de "RealDrums Stems", des Styles XPro PAK 6, des Xtra Styles PAK 17 et bien plus encore!
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Video: Making a Song with Band-in-a-Box®, ChatGPT, and Synth V
Take your Band-in-a-Box® project to a whole new level when you incorporate ChatGPT and Synth V to add lyrics and vocals to your song!
We wanted to demonstrate how this is done with our video, where we show you how to go from nothing to a finished "radio ready" modern pop song by combining the features of Band-in-a-Box®, ChatGPT, and Synth V!
Listen to the finished song, so you get a listen to the finished product: https://demos.pgmusic.com/misc/behindthefame.m4a
If you like it, watch the video. Either way, let's hear your comments!
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User Video: Convert MIDI Chords into AI Vocal Harmonies with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box®
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