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No problem, Don. Thanks, Mac
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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I guess Ray Charles, Leon Russell and Joe Cocker didn't get the memo about needing a pop filter to run the SM57 live onstage...
--Mac
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They can/could afford a new mic every once in a while  You don't HAVE to paint a wooden house, but a few coats of paint or varnish will make the house last longer.
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Quote:
They can/could afford a new mic every once in a while
You don't HAVE to paint a wooden house, but a few coats of paint or varnish will make the house last longer.
Mike,
If you stop looking at all the cute stuff out in your audience you wouldn't drool as much on your mic. LOL 
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Quote:
Mike,
If you stop looking at all the cute stuff out in your audience you wouldn't drool as much on your mic. LOL
And quit singing in the sauna (steam bath). That is hard on SM57s.
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Quote:
They can/could afford a new mic every once in a while
You don't HAVE to paint a wooden house, but a few coats of paint or varnish will make the house last longer.
Well, they used the '57 "back in the day" when options weren't as prolific. And they turned in strong performances that are still valid today, using that mic. That was my point.
Since that time, Ray Charles used quite a few different mics, all to good advantage. I've witnessed Ray using the ~$1000.00 or more Neumann dynamic. A fine mic, absolutely (Harry Connick Jr. uses one as well) but likely way outside the scope of affordability in this discussion, eh?
Shure sells a boot, the A81WS windshield for the SM57 that was designed by physicists to get the most out of the design, but unfortunately far too few musicians and singers take advantage of the thing. Cost of the windshield is a likely factor.
But again, I would not select the venerable '57 today, as there are better technologies available in the two (and more) Neodymium magnet designs now anyway.
--Mac
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Worked with a keyboard player for years, who's SM57 smelled like Marlboro and Johnnie Walker Black.
Later,
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Quote:
Worked with a keyboard player for years, who's SM57 smelled like Marlboro and Johnnie Walker Black.
Later,
I can't remember giggin' wit' youse, my friend, mus' be gettin' old...
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In High School, I was in a touring choir on Saturdays, and a touring vocal ensemble on Sundays - most of the school year. Choir was in existence starting in the late 1960's and is still running today - on about the 3rd director over that time.
We used SM 57's exclusively for everything with the exception of the crown PZM we would slap inside the local church's piano if it was in tune, we did have a live band off and on where we used the 57's as instrument mics, but we had 57's that well pre-dated my time (85-90) and my guess are still in use today - beat up by high schoolers and thrown under the bus (literally - we had GMC 4104, 4107 and what ever they are running now) buses where we had the mics in their vinyl zippered cases with clips on them, tossed into suitcases we bought at yard sales and kept in the underside cargo-holds) and they worked for years and years and years.
We used the black foam windscreens if we had them, but they would take on 'character' and we used them without them as well until we had budget to buy another grip of them. You can take out most of the plosive sensitivity with a 57 by just singing across the top instead of directly into the end. Predictable gain before feedback, legendary durability, etc.
Here's the deal, if you ever want to sell the mic, whatever you buy, there's always a long list of folks looking for 57's and 58's.
If you don't have your own sound engineer; showing up at a gig with an SM 57 or 58 will raise no eyebrows and the engineer can probably pre-dial in the gain to within 5 dB of where he/she will leave it for the rest of your gig. Show up with some lesser known mics and that's adding to the engineer's list of things to slightly worry about.
-Scott
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Well stated, Scott and Mac. You covered all my bases for me. As an aside, I like the cosmetic design of the 57 much more than the 58's "ball" design. Way mo' kew! Both models can serve double-duty as a tack hammer with no ill affects.
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Quote:
Worked with a keyboard player for years, who's SM57 smelled like Marlboro and Johnnie Walker Black.
Later,
On gig nights that's how we know whose mic it is when hooking things up.
Smoke - guitar player
mint - bass
rancid raw meat - drummer
Actually, Barry and I really do mark our personal use 57's with permanent marker to keep them separate .. so we get to use 'ours'.
Weird?
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Quote:
Quote:
Worked with a keyboard player for years, who's SM57 smelled like Marlboro and Johnnie Walker Black.
Later,
rancid raw meat - drummer:)
Now I am on the floor!
Great one rharv.
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Yes, I do have another suggestion -- nothing against Shure since most times I'm using a 55 SH2 -- go to your local dealer and try some of the ElectroVoice N/D series.
For whatever reason (the last time I compared them to other brands, about two years ago) they seem to produce lower handling noises. EV mics are in about the same price range as Shure.
They have different characteristics so you really need to find the model that gets the best out of your voice.
Guido
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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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Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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-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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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- 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 PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
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What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
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Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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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.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
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