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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 733
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OP
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Do any of you experienced professionals on the forum have advice on how best to use BIAB as a backup when playing the melody on a keyboard. Just BIAB, I would rather not get into Realband. Also I don't sing. Some specific examples would be great.
Since many of the styles have an accoustic piano I often substitue another instrument like vibes or organ for the piano part while playing from the sheet music on my keyboard. Sometimes I don't play with my left hand because it seems to clash with the style. I also sometimes add a solo RT and mute it for the first time through. I have always played for my own amusement but now have the opportunity to play in public so I would like to sound a bit more professional.
Thanks
Tony
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I'd just mute the piano part in BIAB. You play the piano part.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2003
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Quote:
Do any of you experienced professionals on the forum have advice on how best to use BIAB as a backup when playing the melody on a keyboard.
1. Make sure midi driver is enabled AND working correctly (in and out).
2 Set up song layout in Biab with part markers.
3. Pick a suitable style
4. Press the play button and play along.
Trax
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 733
Journeyman
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OP
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Posts: 733 |
I obviously didn't express myself very well. I have been using BIAB for more than 10 years and have created nearly 500 songs to accompany my keyboard.
The PG videos and tutorials concentrate on the mechanics of using the program as do most of the discussions on these forums. However what I lack is the skill and imagination to create interesting backup arrangements. I was simply looking for ideas on how to use BIAB creatively. Perhaps it was an unreasonable request.
Photoshop is a similar program to BIAB in that there are hundreds of books and tutorials on the mechanics of using the many editing tools. However it was only when I saw what a professional could do using the tools on an actual photo that I really learned how to use Photoshop.
Thanks
Tony
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
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Have ou visited Youtube and typed, "Band in a Box live" into their Search box?
Maybe watching videos of some others will give you some ideas.
Watch how players of instruments other than keyboards use the program as well, a small but growing wealth of info to be found from that.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Quote:
Have you visited Youtube and typed, "Band in a Box live" into their Search box?
Let me answer.
I have not, and will not.
No more than I would ever turn to youtube when my brand new car has a problem. When I paid a small fortune for that car, along with it comes the implicit support from the people where I bought the car. I expect a clearly written owners manual, and people at the dealership falling all over each other running to help to me when I walk through the door.
A lot of people tend to live on a plane of "If I know how to do this, I will assume that everybody should." That is part of this ridiculous acronym ridden world we live in. We live in a silly world where a second mortgage is glamorized as a "Home Equity Loan", and a used car is called a "Previously titled automobile". Tell any music newbie about his DAW and look at how his eyes become glazed over. I did not know I owned a DAW. I DID know I owned sequencing software. Do we all have to be so "industry hip" that we speak this language like musicians belong to some secret society? The BIAB help files are LITTERED with things like "DAW". An acronym like that should NEVER be in a help file. Never. Help files need to be written for people who are borderline illiterate. That 5% that "gets it" isn't going to be reading your help files. Who IS going to be reading the helps is the kid who just got his first computer and wants to play his guitar along with it and has no idea what he is doing. I have requested in other posts that BIAB have a "simple mode".
"Click here to create a solo". Not generate. Create.
"Click here to create a different solo." Not regenerate. Create different.
In the world of computer help, the top selling books are the "For Dummies" series. They are SO WELL WRITTEN in simple language that those guys who came up with them are brilliant.
When I have to spend 90 minutes looking through help files just to see why when I play my synthesizer into my MIDI interface RealBand is not recording the sound (when I can record just fine with the same hardware connected the same way when I use Sonar) that is a bad thing. I have a BA in Music, an Associate in Computer Science, and an IQ of 162. I have been using MIDI since the standard came out and my old stage rig was a MIDI marvel with a routing box and a remote keypad to send setup changes through it..... I am not a dummy.
Yet to find how to do something as simple as record some Hammond onto a track in RealBand.....
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,163
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Some styles have pushes built in them by design. Some do not. Using pushes, holds and shots can spice up a backing track. It will help break up the monotony of a repeating section or chorus etc.
Starting a song with a few instruments only will also help the song "build" over time by adding in more later on.
Using a different (similar) style in a section or two will also spice it up.
The key is using a style close to the original song when doing a cover, IMO. If you are using Biab every day, the styles will naturally get stale to us after a while. However, if you are gigging, the audience will never be able to tell the style has been played 1,289,429 times.
My advice would be to try the chord and bar settings for those pushes, shots etc . . .
Trax
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2001
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Journeyman
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OP
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I have tried searching for online videos but found that most of them were actually too simple for me and concentrated on HOW to use BIAB, not WHAT to do with it.
Trax, you are so right about using a style as close to the cover as possible. The new style filter helps to find the right cover style. On the other hand you can get some good results by using what should be the "wrong" style. I have also saved songs where the syle switches to soemething completely different for the first and second repeats. Turning a swing cover into mambo then perhaps country shuffle can be a lot of fun to listen to and showcases BIAB to the audience.
I am ashamed to say I have never tried using pushes, holds and shots - I will definitely give it a try.
These are the sorts of ideas on how to actually use the program creatively that would be great for us users who aren't already accomplished performers.
Tony
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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1. We hope Eddie gets some calm you the f down pills. My wife has a supply in her purse, and she threatens me with them, or her cooking.
2. Get an Elvis suit. Or two.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2005
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I find the best way to play keyboards with Biab is to use only a few tracks. Your comments about not playing the left hand because it clashes illustrates this. Try just bass, drums and guitar and mute everything else. For some jazz tunes I will even mute the guitar then it's a classic piano trio.
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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Anonymous
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Quote:
1. We hope Eddie gets some calm you the f down pills. My wife has a supply in her purse, and she threatens me with them, or her cooking.
And I don't drink coffee so I can't even switch to decaf!!
Problem solved. Blood pressure back to normal high levels....
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 618
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2007
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Quote:
I am ashamed to say I have never tried using pushes, holds and shots
I haven't either. It all sounds like when I was young and went to bars.
All kidding aside, I've become too lazy, which is ashame because I know I'm missing out of some of the most incredible things this program can do. But when I sit down and start to work, I just whip right through it after I find a style that works for me.
I'm sure it's my age now. Years ago I would spend hours or days working on drums track alone. Getting every beat I wanted. But you're right, when I start again, I also should look into some features I've been avoiding. I seemed to have turned into a Grab the mic, point it at me and my guitar and just press record person. I record lots of songs with only one mic. Years ago, I spent hours picking the right mikes and getting them in the right position.
The funny thing is now with Digital on the PC everything sounds better than what I used to do with hardly any effort.
Wayne,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 618
Journeyman
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Journeyman
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I do the same thing with almost all my BIAB songs. I mute everything down until it's a trio. Then I feel like I'm back in a band situation. I always played and recorded trios. I never had a horn section or any strings. With the songs I do, if a horn section bursts in, I get startled. lol
Good advice, When I used a MIDI guitar I always muted everything exceprt Drums, Bass and changed the piano to maybe an organ, then I played piano solos with my guitar.
Wayne,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
1. We hope Eddie gets some calm you the f down pills. My wife has a supply in her purse, and she threatens me with them, or her cooking.
2. Get an Elvis suit. Or two.
I got ya John. I'm really getting tired of this guy now. I hadn't seen this post.Just one of those guys out to make trouble.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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After thinking this over on a few occasions, I do not agree that Eddie is out to make trouble. One does have to get used to his style (same for all of us), and there is a lot of angst there, but there are also legit questions. Also, he has already started to assist others. I intend to continue helping him where I can.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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OP
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I agree Matt
The problem with email and forums is that you don't hear the intonation in the voice or see the twinkle in the eye. Think of all the rather odd people we know who we still admire because they are "characters" If you are one of those, it's hard to be appreciated when the only communication is via the written word.
Tony
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
After thinking this over on a few occasions, I do not agree that Eddie is out to make trouble. One does have to get used to his style (same for all of us), and there is a lot of angst there, but there are also legit questions. Also, he has already started to assist others. I intend to continue helping him where I can.
Well when all is said and done so will I however I do wish he could see that the public rants don't help him.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2010
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Actually I rather enjoyed the rants - nice to see people are human and have feelings.
Anyway, recently had to do same thing - I played keyboard, friend played sax and I created backing tracks for us in BIAB. Songs were all jazz standards plus things like New York State of Mind, Make You Feel My Love etc.
As others have said the key was to make the backing as simple as possible - normally I only had guitar, bass and drums. If piano was there, then I had the volume down low, and/or changed it to a different instrument like a soft Rhodes.
Pushes / holds etc. - yes, use them all the time.
Intros / outros - tried to make songs different by having e.g. slow intro followed by change in tempo, intro with just brushes and piano. Verses we typically alternated piano and sax and then would do verses where we swapped lead for 2 / 4 bars or whatever.
If it's just you playing, then how about using the soloist to generate snatches to play against you? I don't like the long solos it generates particularly, but snatches of a bar or two or 3 here and there can work well. Or on some of them I created (not generated, as I played it!) some solo bits in BIAB to augment the backing tracks.
Cheers
Peter
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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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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
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