Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#589795 04/04/20 03:20 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 236
K
KGU 2 Offline OP
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
K
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 236
Hey all,

How are you quantizing

1 . In your DAW of choice?

2. In realband?


thanks.

Last edited by KGU 2; 04/04/20 03:23 PM.
KGU 2 #589815 04/04/20 05:17 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,448
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,448
Are you asking about MIDI?


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
KGU 2 #589818 04/04/20 05:27 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 236
K
KGU 2 Offline OP
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
K
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 236
Good question Matt Finley.

In general, no, I mean how do I send my 6, or whatever # BIAB tracks to my DAW. Then-- In my DAW, How to I quantize my vocal tracks from biab --- or any newly recorded DAW tracks. [ Or any newly recorded instrumental/ drum track additions?]

I heard it was easier with Midi, right? But most biab export tracks and vocal tracks won't be midi.

How are the pros doing this?

thanks

KGU 2 #589825 04/04/20 06:01 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173
I wouldn’t class myself as a pro and I do not use RealBand except for minor changes in RealTracks.

What I do is export the RealTracks these rarely if ever need much in the way of quantisation. I tend to use Reaper for mixing etc.

For MIDI I export the parts and usually pull them into Cakewalk by BandLab and there I might Quantize the file then “humanise” again (set them just a little bit of from being exact) using CAL scripts. I do similar to velocities.

For recording I pull the backing into Cakewalk then sing or play the part (I use Cakewalk because I’m more familiar with Cakewalk for this purpose and have stuff set to go.). Once the part is recorded for voice I might put it into Melodyne where notes can fairly easily be put to key and also have the timing adjusted. For guitar I might just pull the track into Reaper make splits or stretches where necessary. Why Reaper, I find doing the splitting and stretching far easier in Reaper.

So in reality the tool depends what I’m trying to achieve.

Do not over quantise. Over quantising makes things sound false as does overdoing the editing of singing. Musicians rarely if ever play as exact as the computer.

My thoughts

Tony
Stay well


HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home,
Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612
BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
KGU 2 #589832 04/04/20 06:31 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360
Melodyne is great for aligning vocals with tempo.

Other than that, in Reaper, I sometimes use stretch markers. These work best if added to a quieter region and at a point where the waveform crosses the horizontal axis. There is also a smoothing option for any stretching/shrinking that occurs as a consequence of vocal alignment.


MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2026
KGU 2 #589854 04/05/20 12:24 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,457
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,457
Set the tempo in the DAW to be the tempo of the BiaB song before bringing the tracks in.
90% of the work is done.
Image below is a 7/4/song at 112 .. dragged right into Reaper on the beat.

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
dragReap.jpg (327.75 KB, 151 downloads)
Last edited by rharv; 04/05/20 12:48 AM.

I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
KGU 2 #589863 04/05/20 01:36 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,691
R
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
R
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,691
Quantizing is a term for midi. You are really referring to tempo mapping. 80% of that is done during recording. Some folks play and sing to a click or drum track. I usually make sure I have at the minimum drums base and one instrument track prior to vocals. This helps me stay in time. Most timing issues are resolved by careful setup when using BiaB or RB.

If by chance a word or phrase gets out of time like I start a verse to soon or to late I split the piece on both ends and drag it into time. The same can be done with live played instrument tracks.

Also I usually do at least 4 or 5 takes of a vocal and comp them together. That way I can cut out weaker phrases mis-spoken words etc. lastly I solo the vocals and edit out any background noises and sounds like a swallow or breath I don’t like the sound of. Another good practice is to solo the vocal, one instrument and drums. Listen carefully to the phrasing against timing. Just be careful not to over think it and make it seem unnatural. Don’t lose uniqueness.

If none of this is what you are asking then maybe you’re talking about putting tracks together from different sources recorded in different timing. In that case it is truly a situation of tempo mapping. That requires that you be very careful in setting up your temples to start with in your bass tracks, and using as Bob said a program like Melodyne, or learning to use tempo mapping in your DAW

Last edited by Rob Helms; 04/05/20 01:42 AM.

HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
KGU 2 #589867 04/05/20 02:28 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
No I absolutely never-ever quantize anything unless it's a style of music like techno or EDM that needs to be quantized.

IMO Music needs to breathe, and when it is too rigid, it takes the life right out of it.

The solution is to practice the part until you get it right, starting with the drums. Lock with the groove the drummer and bass player sets up.

It'll keep your music from sounding stiff and mechanical.

Insights and incites by Notes


Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,022
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,022
I also never quantize, but I'm not sure of your reasons why you wish to do this. Perhaps to align notes to make a melody line more readable would be one good reason.


BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,286
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,286
Put me in the I never quantize group also. Subtle variations are what make it human. If the timing is more than subtle it is time to record it again.


Principal: Your child always causes trouble in school.
Me: My child causes trouble at home, do I ever call you?

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
MarioD #589922 04/05/20 05:41 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 236
K
KGU 2 Offline OP
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
K
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 236
thanks guys, good comments. Just a couple replies off the
top.

WHY?

-------------------

A producer who heard my track said it needed quantizing.

-------------------


NOTES NORTON


No I absolutely never-ever quantize anything unless it's a style of music like techno or EDM that needs to be quantized.

IMO Music needs to breathe, and when it is too rigid, it takes the life right out of it.

The solution is to practice the part until you get it right,


-------------------

One experienced video on Quantizing, or tempo mapping-- said "Time is money" today in studios, they don't have time waiting for musicians to get it right.

-------------------

ROB HELMS


Quantizing is a term for midi. You are really referring to tempo mapping. 80% of that is done during recording. Some folks play and sing to a click or drum track

-------------------

Gotcha. this producer said quantizing, and then I got confused 'cause my searches turned up midi.

-------------------

KGU 2 #589929 04/05/20 06:58 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,448
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,448
Skimming the follow-up posts, it appears Rob got you started down the right path. Your producer either misspoke or was trying to give you an equivalent concept.

If you recorded a bunch of audio vocal tracks not sung to a click track, or less likely, a bunch of tracks sung badly in time to a click track, now you have a serious problem trying to align these tracks in your DAW. Is that what is happening here? If so, each DAW may have a way to do what Cakewalk calls 'audio snap' (or at least that's what they called it in SONAR; don't know about now). It is also possible to micro-manage each track, snipping them into pieces (called clips) and manually moving them left or right to fit, and/or tempo stretching a clip to fit. This is painstaking work, but sometimes it's the only answer. Your audio engineer will have good skills to do this most efficiently.

KGU 2, could you confirm if I'm on the right track here?


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
KGU 2 #589997 04/05/20 10:25 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 299
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 299
I use a pdf to midi converter to help me decipher tricky Bill Evans, Charlie Parker, Jarrett, Hancock transcriptions. The output is highly quantized and every note has identical velocity.

Even then, the performance is often remarkable. There is a (quantized, even velocity) midi of Jarrett’s My Funny Valentine, somewhere on the net. The harmony, the variation between straight and triplet playing, the sudden changes from eight notes to flurries of 16th notes or 16th triplets, the changes in octaves, largely make up for the quantization.

Real good players have great time and you’d be surprised how close they get. As stated above, play it perfectly or... imo... quantize it, or like in Ableton “warp” it if it’s audio.

Some commercial midis of Pat Metheny’s music are quantized (to help reduce the file size in MIDI). But with varying velocity. Anyone who has ever heard the Midi of Third Wind or Are you going with me, James, American Garage... can agree: quantized music is not necessarily sterile or lifeless. Rather, it blows your mind.

The human ear is quite tolerant of little lags or leaps, but has little tolerance for sloppiness. And I know, cause I’m not a great musician and it even bothers me. smile

There’s two possible answers, I think: play really good, quantize... both will do.


Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums.
Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
KGU 2 #590023 04/05/20 02:15 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,970
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,970
I took what the producer told you as you need to improve your timing.

Be it midi or audio the root of this discussion is timing. The practice button in Band-in-a-Box has a wonderful tool where a song will play for "X" numbers of bars and then there is silence for a number of bars. The goal is to learn the "feel" of a song's tempo by playing along to a song and discovering if you speed up or slow down during the silence.

Good musicians and singers can work all around the beat without loosing track of where they are at. While they can work around the beat they remain as rock solid as a metronome.

By-the-way my sense of timing is terrible.


Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1224) RB (Build 7) - Ultra+ PAK
DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8
Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD
Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
KGU 2 #590067 04/05/20 07:42 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 236
K
KGU 2 Offline OP
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
K
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 236
thanks guys,

good discussion here.

Last edited by KGU 2; 04/05/20 07:48 PM.
KGU 2 #590068 04/05/20 07:47 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,022
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,022
Great. Did you post it here in the User Showcase also?


BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
KGU 2 #590074 04/05/20 08:49 PM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 299
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 299
An extreme example could be this...

[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/JKY7TmB2TYY[/video]

Hope you like it. Sounds not really perfect, but still has a lot of power, even if velocity is even and quantizing was done.


Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums.
Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
Dzjang #590085 04/06/20 12:19 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,022
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,022
Jan,

Oh Wow, this is so well done. So much is played in the cracks. Quantizing it to make it too rigid would have destroyed everything.

I really like the way this floats, ignoring the underlying rhythm completely, but never breaking the rules.

Quite sensational.


BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
KGU 2 #590096 04/06/20 02:41 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,471
Originally Posted By: KGU 2
<...snip...>

One experienced video on Quantizing, or tempo mapping-- said "Time is money" today in studios, they don't have time waiting for musicians to get it right.

<...>


The answer to that is to practice, prepare, and get it right BEFORE you get into the studio.

Back in the tape days, and especially before multi-tracks, musicians and singers practiced until they knew their parts, then rehearsed with the band and ironed out the song before recording.

Once in the studio, they simply played the song from start to finish, usually getting it down in one or two takes.

When we had a pro studio in town and I was a first call saxophonist, I got a lot of work because they called me a "one take Jake". I spent some of my time, off the clock, practicing what I was going to record.

In all the band recordings I did 'back in the day' we rehearsed until it was right and never did more than two takes.

Today in my personal MIDI studio, where recording time isn't more expensive than practice time, I still practice until comfortable with the part before recording.

I find when I'm comfortable enough so I don't have to think about what I'm playing, but instead just let it flow, the timing and phrasing come out many times better.

I think the three worst enemies of music are quantizing, auto-tune, and needless compression. Quantizing takes the human breathing out of it, auto-tune takes the vocal expression out of it, and compression takes the dynamics out of it.

IMO there is a lot more to music than dots on the page and/or notes in a grid.

Insights and incites by Notes


Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
Dzjang #590098 04/06/20 02:47 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Originally Posted By: Dzjang
[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/JKY7TmB2TYY[/video]

When you post the YouTube link, take out the "https://youtu.be/" part and just leave the "JKY7TmB2TYY" (Unique video code). It would look like this except brackets instead of braces: {video:youtube}JKY7TmB2TYY{/video}





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
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
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®!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,738
Posts795,559
Members39,945
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
Diddlysquat, pun61, smitoz, Jonnyfartpants, Gengiz
39,944 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 193
Noel96 117
DC Ron 116
DrDan 105
rsdean 103
dcuny 93
Today's Birthdays
brassauditions, EddieV, glauber, Holly, MyZone1958, PLS, Tobin - PG Music Inc.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5