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What are the best sites to download Midi Karaoke or Song files that are truest to the original arrangements ?
I'm into the classic rock and pop from 70's and 80's, as well as singer/songwriter stuff (from the same era - I'm old), and would also like to get into some of the more recent rock and pop.
Quite some time ago (many years!!!) I downloaded everything that "?Allanah?" (forget the exact name) had compiled, and found some really great stuff in there. Many years have passed - I need to update my Karaoke Library - one of my favorite uses of RB is "Karaoke" night using RB in conjunction with downloaded Karaoke MIDI transcriptions, with the option of recording (have any of you tried it ? - it's a real crowd pleaser).
Regards,
Joe V
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Journeyman
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I also use karaoke-version.com the nice thing about them is they have instrumental versions available where you can download each instrument track seperately.
I'm doing allright for Country Trash ....
I used to care, but things have changed (Bob Dylan)
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...just curious about the copyright issues with distributing accurate MIDI transcriptions of other artists' coprited songs - do the authors of such MIDI files have to pay royalties ?
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Quote:
...just curious about the copyright issues with distributing accurate MIDI transcriptions of other artists' coprited songs - do the authors of such MIDI files have to pay royalties ?
Well,we do pay the site for the downloads (very cheap for what you are getting) so we can only assume they are paying on their end also.
Although, maybe just like the new pot laws, you can use it but you can't sell it or buy it. In this case you can sell it and buy it, but the laws prevent you from using it. What a country 
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Quote:
I'm into the classic rock and pop from 70's and 80's, as well as singer/songwriter stuff (from the same era - I'm old) . . .
Whippersnapper!
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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I'm curious to know why you want to do that when you have BIAB/RB, which provide the absolute best way to create your own high quality backing tracks?
I USED to do what you're doing... but I decided long ago that BIAB/RB could get me to an end product that pleased me MUCH quicker. The karaoke files start out strong, but I always ended up at a point where something I wanted was missing, and there was no way to get it back.
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there are a lot of cool files in this site just make sure if you want scrolling lyrics to practice with that you download .kar files or you have to enter them separately http://www.vanbasco.com/here is another http://www.nifter.com/midi_karaoke_songs_free_downloads.htmwhat you do is right click and save to a folder. Also to find more just do a google search for "free .kar files"
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Zoom Livetrack L-8
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I agree with all of the above and I also use karaoke downloads from Amazon sometimes--Only 99 cents each. I mostly do it when I can't find a decent midi song or chart to do my own.
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Quote:
Quote:
I'm into the classic rock and pop from 70's and 80's, as well as singer/songwriter stuff (from the same era - I'm old) . . .
Whippersnapper!
Funny I used that term the other day when asking a guy (probably in his 20's or early 30's) who recommended a website with some great price drops on computer games which particular games he would recommend. He replied that these computer games were "not just regular old - they're very old". I reminded him to be careful - that I remembered when electronic pinball machines came out, as well as pong, space invaders, and asteroids, and proceeded to call him a 'whipper snapper' (which was also a term before his time). BTW - if you haven't done it already, and if you look up the origin of whippersnapper, you might find it quite interesting : )
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Quote:
I'm curious to know why you want to do that when you have BIAB/RB, which provide the absolute best way to create your own high quality backing tracks?
I USED to do what you're doing... but I decided long ago that BIAB/RB could get me to an end product that pleased me MUCH quicker. The karaoke files start out strong, but I always ended up at a point where something I wanted was missing, and there was no way to get it back.
...because I'm more of technician than a creative artist, and obsessive enough that anything I come up with and play doesn't sound nearly as good to me as the original arrangement...and most people that ask to hear a song often expect something really close to the original. But for musicianship, creativity, or artistry - I would be less concerned with the original arrangement and more interested in putting a personal, creative stamp on it : )
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Quote:
Quote:
I'm curious to know why you want to do that when you have BIAB/RB, which provide the absolute best way to create your own high quality backing tracks?
I USED to do what you're doing... but I decided long ago that BIAB/RB could get me to an end product that pleased me MUCH quicker. The karaoke files start out strong, but I always ended up at a point where something I wanted was missing, and there was no way to get it back.
...because I'm more of technician than a creative artist, and obsessive enough that anything I come up with and play doesn't sound nearly as good to me as the original arrangement...and most people that ask to hear a song often expect something really close to the original. But for musicianship, creativity, or artistry - I would be less concerned with the original arrangement and more interested in putting a personal, creative stamp on it : )
I'll give you a different view than what Pat did. I'm a HUGE fan of BIAB and RB, but it's EXTREMELY difficult and time consuming to make accurate backing tracks that contain all of the hooks, phrases and nuances of popular tunes.
If you just want backing tracks in the style and genre of a particular song, but you don't need the hooks, phrases and nuances to go along with it, it's easy to do with BIAB and RB.
It just depends on what you looking for.
I'll probably catch some flak for saying that, but I don't think we should mislead folks about the products.
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Quote:
I'll give you a different view than what Pat did. I'm a HUGE fan of BIAB and RB, but it's EXTREMELY difficult and time consuming to make accurate backing tracks that contain all of the hooks, phrases and nuances of popular tunes.
snip
I'll probably catch some flak for saying that, but I don't think we should mislead folks about the products.
well.. actually, I think it is FAR easier to add the hooks in real band, simply because of the work flow.
If you start by adding the original song to its own track, then use ACW to get the chords, and real tracks to approximate the rhythm section... you can finish up by merging any portion of the original recording with your part.
Typically signature intros, solos and endings occur in parts of the song where there is no singing. Just raise the volume on the reference track and lower the volume on the rhythm tracks, and bingo... you've got ALL the signature sounds.. and they sound better than anything you'll get in a karaoke track.
we could argue about whether this is legal, but the discussion is already about how to duplicate somebody else's (C) material. I'm not saying you SHOULD do it this way, only saying that it isn't misleading to suggest that these products are the easiest way I've found to get from point A to point B (point B being a finished cover song that sounds just like the original)
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I told you I’d catch some flak for saying that! LOL.  If a new BIAB user forks over $399.00 to $569.00 for a first time purchase of the Everything Pak and then sits down and tries to make a backing track for Eric Clapton’s song “Cocaine”, they’re probably gonna be ready to pull their hair out after umpteen hours of failure to get anything that even remotely sounds like the song. I didn’t say it’s impossible, just extremely difficult. Quote:
they sound better than anything you'll get in a karaoke track
Not all “karaoke” tracks are created equal. Some are terrible, many are pretty good and some others are hard to distinguish from the original recording.
Also, not all “karaoke” tracks are .kar files, (MIDI). A lot of the better quality ones are actually MP3+CDW’s. I was surprised to find that virtually all of my karaoke songs were in that format instead of .kar. (I just found that out yesterday).
Back to the OP’s original question:
Quote:
What are the best sites to download Midi Karaoke or Song files that are truest to the original arrangements ?
I wouldn’t even consider answering that question by telling him to “make his own”.
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If you don't think only in terms of MIDI or KAR files, there are available a rather large amount of purchasable backing tracks CDs for just about every popular tune. These are royalty paid, well the legal ones are, and they are recorded with topnotch studio players.
A websearch should bring up vendors.
--Mac
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Quote:
I told you I’d catch some flak for saying that! LOL.
Bob, now this is one time you have got it entirely correct. BIAB is not for covers, unless its a jazz stardard. Not sayin it can't be done, but lets be real here. Just the way it is.
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Dan, Quote:
Bob, now this is one time you have got it entirely correct. BIAB is not for covers, unless its a jazz stardard. Not sayin it can't be done, but lets be real here. Just the way it is.
Ditto Dan. If I was a new user to BIAB, I would be thoroughly pissed if someone mislead me into believing something that isn't true about BIAB, ... especially if I purchased it based on their recommendation.
Instead, I came to the program looking for a good practice tool and was pleased by what I found.
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I would pay to see Pat do this with some of the more sophisticated songs from my favorite artists - like Queen, David Bowie, Steeley Dan, Mark Knopfler...yada yada. (not sure how much I would pay, but I would pay : )
If Pat's the type to prove a point, you could just share some for free ; )
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Quote:
I would pay to see Pat do this with some of the more sophisticated songs from my favorite artists - like Queen, David Bowie, Steeley Dan, Mark Knopfler...yada yada. (not sure how much I would pay, but I would pay : )
If Pat's the type to prove a point, you could just share some for free ; )
maybe I'm just one of those people who is too dumb to know what's impossible, so I went and did it. Repeatedly.
Regarding the request for free songs: what you're asking for is impossible! Everybody here knows that!
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Quote:
If you start by adding the original song to its own track, then use ACW to get the chords, and real tracks to approximate the rhythm section... you can finish up by merging any portion of the original recording with your part.
This has always confused me on 2 fronts. When you say "adding the original song" by that do you mean importing a wav or mp3 into RB? The reason I asked this question that way was if you are importing, okay I understand that. but if you are programming a chord chart..... huh? You knew the chords to put them in the chart, so....
And then point 2, I have tried to use that chord wizard thing probably a half dozen times and never saw it even CLOSE to the right chords. I did it on one of my own songs and it was WAY off. A couple from our band's CD. Same thing, WAY off.
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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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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
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Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
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XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
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