PG Music Home Forums PG Music Product Forums Band-in-a-Box for Windows BIAB lacks 50s and 60s old time rhythms

Biab programmers are of the NOW generation of rap, hip hop and jazz. Well I'm not. I love my oldies ballads done by such groups such as the Platters, the Crests, and a whole host of doo wop singers. But BIAB offers NO 50s and 60s ballad rhythms. Also there is only ONE Big Bands rhythm offered. I know Big band music has been replaced today by rap and hee haw CW music.But lets not just feed one group of your buyers just so you can seel more styles. There is a seniors group out there to BIAB programmers

rd151,

What songs in particular are you referencing as I have found quite a few styles to support the tunes of the 50's and some 60's? Maybe some of us here can help steer you in the right direction.

Later,

The doo wop songs had a piano triplet rhythm BIAB software does NOT offer.If you have the ChordPulse music program, listen to the "slow rock" style at 75 beats per minute.They have it down perfectly. This style was used in such songs as My Prayer, Twilight Time, Sixteen Candles,Red Sails in the Sunset and You belong to me.It is a tragedy that the BIAB programmers have neglected the true rhythm of these classic ballads and many more of the golden era. Thank you for caring

I do a lot of 50's and 60's tunes on my gigs using current BIAB styles, now I am not saying they are exact copies of the originals as BIAB is not that, in fact I personally would not want an exact copy of a track from an original for a couple of reasons. 1st of all to me that would make my gig sound too karaoke and secondly there is no way my vocals and guitar playing is on the same level as say the Platters and any great guitarist. So I would rather my audience say hey he did a good job on that tune, then say he sure screwed up that Platters tune. With that in mind, what is accomplished with the BIAB styles is that the audience instantly relates to the song and my performance is just different enough not to have it compared with, say the Platters rendition of Only You.

My playlist of Oldies is much too long to list here (in fact 5 of the 6 you mentioned above are in my Oldies playlist) but if you are interested in what styles and instrument combinations I use for each song I would be happy to supply you with that info, it will just take a little time for me to put the list together in forum format.

If you are looking for an exact match to the aforementioned styles you might want to use midi. I know that Norton (a big contributor here on the forum) makes some styles that are very close to the originals. And of course there are enough experts here on the forum that can help you with editing these midis even closer to the original sound you are looking for if you ask for the help.

PS: Regarding the triplet piano, try old pop style with a (b green marker)

Best of Luck,

Hi rd,

I'm glad you like 50's and 60's rhythms. So do I.

We have lots of them in BIAB. Remember, we have over 2,000 styles, made over the last 25 years, before 'rap' was even around!

Here's 4 styles that have that piano triplet feel you are looking for...

SAM_COOK
http://64.40.109.32/audio/allstyledemos/SAM_COOK.wma
- 'a' and 'b' substyle have triplet piano feel

OLDPOP_1
http://64.40.109.32/audio/allstyledemos/OLDPOP_1.wma
- the 'b' substyle is the triplet piano you are looking for



These one have a more subtle triplet feel...
BLUHILL
http://64.40.109.32/audio/allstyledemos/BLUHILL.wma


FATS_DOM
http://64.40.109.32/audio/allstyledemos/FATS_DOM.wma
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Also, you may find that you need to mix n match from those styles, for example, you might like the drums in one style, and the bass and piano from different styles.
You can do that easily in version 2012, because we've added the ability to add any part from any style to amy track. This is shown in the 2012 video, which can be seen from the main page www.pgmusic.com, click on the 2012 video link).
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http://64.40.109.32/audio/allstyledemos/CAREY128.wma
- more subtle than pounding triplet chords, has arpeggios instead in 'b' substyle

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And don't forget, you can add a RealTracks, to spice it up.

Here's a MIDI style, that we added some RealTracks to (bass, drums and an Alto Sax Soloist), and it makes the whole thing sound more 'Real'
http://64.40.109.32/audio/allstyledemos/=CAR_BAS.wma

Here's another one, with MIDI piano, and RealTracks instruments (bass, drums, strumming guitar)
http://64.40.109.32/audio/allstyledemos/=BGPOP_B.wma
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BTW, I was easily able to find these styles, by using a new feature of version 2012. Using the StylePicker, Just type the name of a song that you're looking for, like "You Send Me", and you'll see a list of styles that have that listed in the "example" field of the style memo.

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THis one is likely too country for what you're looking for, but I had to include it because it sounds so good.
It is all RealTracks, and includes 2 finger picking guitars (one of them is Brent Mason Fancy GuitarPicking, from version 2012)

http://64.40.109.32/audio/allstyledemos/_FPBTSSW.wma

You could add one of the triplet pianos to that, and get a cool doo wop sound.
That's likely more modern and country than you're looking for, just wanted to show the possibilities....

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As an aside, regarding "Twilight Time", the hit by The Three Suns. I've had the pleasure, at several NAMM shows, of meeting with Joe Vento (one of the Three Suns http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Suns ) , including playing songs with him.

Peter,
thannks Pete for you imput.I will check them out. I am glad a programmer responded to me. I didn't just mean PG Music is just zooming in on rap, jazz and and Pop CW styles, but it sure does seem that way. BIAB still hasn't answered me on why when I use realdrums I can't hear the count in? I could before buying the 2012 upgrade.Pete, there's a bug somewhere. But back to the music.I am a homespun guitar player and just play the melody line. So I need the slow rock styles to at least be similar to the actual style of the doo wops golden songs. It would be great if BIAB brought out a styles pak just for Doo Wop songs.Now that would be something.Thanks again Pete and have a good year

I am confused as to what you still need?! All the styles that Mr. Gannon gave you are similar to those songs. They can't be exact, as that would violate copyright issues. I do a few of these old songs as well, and i have found what i need for every one of them. If I can't get it thru a Style i download a midi file from the net and rework it.

Actually i have yet to see a Rap style. There are plenty of country, and pop, and a ton of Jazz, but Rap?

By the way Peter is not just a programmer, he owns the company. PG stands for Peter Gannon. Pretty cool service i'd say. rd, post a specific song, and let's see what folks come up with.

I've had trouble finding styles to use in the old r&r area, too, but that's because I'm still learning how to properly filter a useable search. I used to think that those styles were not there, but they are. There are some tutorials on how to use stylepicker that I probably need to watch a few more times. Thanks for the great info, Peter and others.

Stan

I also have a number of 'oldie' styles and you can hear them at: http://www.nortonmusic.com/styledemo.html

Mine are different from PG's styles, I try not to duplicate anything that PG has done before I write one, so they do not replace PG styles but complement them.

Notes

.

Bear in mind that many styles sound better when some of the instruments get taken out.

The "Sam Cook" style has 6 instruments. All of them make sense considering the context of the style, but it sound too busy for my taste. I think it works better with MELODY and PIANO muted.



Adding a RealTrack might make sense. In this case, try Hammond Organ #688. Now we are getting further away from reproducing the notes on the familiar recording of "You Send Me," but closer to my way of doing doo-wop.

Doo-be-doo-be-doo.

Its great to be able to filter by "Sam Cook." But the filter failed me several times before it worked.

I got no results when I filtered by "Platters," "Earth Angel," and "50s." When I filtered by "fifties," I got NR_NORJ.sty. Not a bad style, but a long way from doo-wop.

I know y'all are working hard on making the stylepicker more user-friendly. Thanks for that, and keep up the good work.