When it comes to something like a guitar solo, are you regenerating using the program itself, or do you export multiple takes of the entire track and do some comping from there?
My friend's friend was wondering.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
I'm sure you will get many different answers to this... Here is mine:
For a solo track (especially guitars), I typically will generate 3, 4 or 5 right in a row once I have the RT selected. The program seems to work well that way - generating fairly different things if you do it right away (or it's the next thing you do).
I import those (all of them) into my DAW and check each one in the region where my solo is. About half the time one of those comes pretty close to being what I want. Most of the rest of the time, one of them gets most of it and comping in one of the others where it "misses" does the trick. Sometimes, I have to poke around all of the tracks to find just the right phrase to comp into that spot that "missed". Occasionally, nothing in that region works, so I have to find the right stuff in another area of the lead track (I generate an entire track - the full length of the song). I will slide the whole track back - to the spot where the solo is to be and audition it. If it doesn't work, slide it a measure or two and try again. It is REALLY important that you do this with "snap to grid" set or it will never sound right. A guitar solo RT that is slightly off timing ruins it. In auditioning by the "slide method" you might find a whole section that works. Or... find a phrase that works for the first measure (or 2) and make a cut there (in the rest of the full track) and start sliding that to find the next phrase. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat...
In producing over 200 songs, there has only ever been one or two times that I could not find or create what I think is a good sounding (believable) guitar solo...
Great to know. I have been comping them for a while, but need to generate a few more tracks I think.
One specific issue I was having was with a hold. Every time the solo instrument (out of 7 multi's) it did the same thing. So, I tried 7 more, and the same thing. That must be the only default for the hold.
I going to get rid of the hold just for multi-gens of the guitar part to see what I can can get and trim down that way.
Thanks again for the insights!
BTW, on more than occasion I have been fooled by your guitar solos. You do an amazing job of stitching things that make sense together!
Last edited by HearToLearn; 03/26/2008:15 AM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
Yeah, a hold will do the same thing every time. I usually take all the holds out to create solos (and save that as a separate SGU).
Here is a "trick"... or "something to try"...
When a solo is too busy and you want something that holds notes a little longer...
...look for a similar sounding solo that is HALF the tempo of your song. When you load that RealTrack, select "Half-Time" - so that is plays at its original tempo and not twice what it should. You will get a much smoother, more musical solo guy. And you might find some good long notes to use where you need them...
In the StylePicker/RealTrack Picker filter a search for your Soloist Artist...
On a recent project I did this for PG Music session musician Dwight Sills.
There were 8 different RealTracks of him playing the same guitar but each RT was a different feel, genre, tempo or such. Some were Rhythms and some were soloists. But each, the artist was playing the same instrument. From the StylePicker artist search, these RealTracks were used in 76 different Styles that were comprised of dozens of different genres. PG Music staff found these RealTracks to be useful and usable over a wide variety of music... Could I? Yes, it worked for my project.
Using the Artist search yielded a larger search results for my project. Even though a particular RealTrack may be swing and your project may be an Even style, there is likely usable audio contained in a swing style when playing over your specific chord progression. In his video, 'Birth of a Song". Floyd found this to be true with a swing bass in his even feel project.
The same is true for RealTracks with a wide variance of tempos. The stretching algorithm many times causes audio artifacts that are not usable. But not usually to the whole track. If 70% of the audio is unusable, 30% can be usable and will add to the available audio to be used in your project.
I found usable fills and riffs in the Rhythm tracks.
The bottom line, a lot of additional material can be gathered for comping, cut and paste, riffs and solo enhancements with this process.
May work for your project too.
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 03/26/2010:54 AM. Reason: Added Screen Shots
I have used the comping method. Generate 5 or so tracks from the same RT and stack them in the DAW. Then I used volume envelopes to play the parts of each track that I wanted. I used this on THE BEST CHRISTMAS song on my music page.
I started with one track.... had a squanky part in it so I generated a second..... and ended up repeating that 5 times to get the solo you hear in the song. I really haven't used this technique much since then. At least not with 5 tracks. I think I have a few songs with 2 tracks and those are piano tracks IIRC.
For most guitar solos that I record, (live playing) they are either one take, one shot recordings or in other cases, there's some punching going on.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 03/29/2004:46 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add 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.
I often use a SGU that only contains the chords for the solo. I add a half measure before the solo to try and get a few good pickup notes into the solo. After generating three or four that sound acceptable I’ll move them to Logic Pro X for comping if necessary and ultimately mixing.
And I sometimes use Logic’s pitch editor to change the final solo note that segues into the vocal or another instrument if it’s a split solo. And being nothing but an old average bass player I’ll consult with a soloist friend for an opinion on the solo and in particular the note that resolves the solo.
FWIW
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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.
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.
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.
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)
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean