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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hello, this is my first post as I'm new here.
I first discovered BIAB about 2/3 months ago but realized that they release a new version around December each year so I thought Id wait. At that point I discovered Garage Band for my iPad which was alot of fun but soon realized it's limitations like no intros or endings to songs. Well here we are and the BIAB has been discounted until tomorrow so I need to make a decision. I'm a casual dabbler in music but I play in our church band weekly for rehearsals and play monthly on a rota. I've also written some basic songs that I would like to develop if I had BIAB plus I could use BIAB to create some backing tracks for a friend who wants me to play for him when he sings to some old folk doing his gospel hour.
Here's the thing, I only play rythmn guitar. I cannot play lead or play keyboard so I'm wondering if BIAB is the write route for me to take. Having said that there's not much else to chose from that better? With a severe lack of being able to create my own midi melodies is BIAB worth buying? If I were to buy I'd buy the FULL Pack [one down from Audiophile] because it would give me the best selection of tracks to choose from at the cheapest price vs buying as I need, however I won't need any of the jazz tracks.
I know this is my decision to make and no one can make it for me but I do like to hear peoples opinions which helps making an infirmed decision.
Thanks
Paul
Last edited by PaulH; 12/30/12 01:01 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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How are your computer skills. It is readily acknowledged that to really take advantage of (or maybe even to work with) music applications like BIAB you really need to be part computer technician. That is simply the way it is! Add to that you need to appreciate the learning curve and complexity of both the program and also of music itself. Ask yourself, do you have a short attention span or do you get frustrated quickly - cause if you do you may not want to go there. Those who get the most out of thie application have a fundemental love of music and understand that they are in it for the long haul. And they have a technical side which allows them to jump over the "technology hurdles" which come with computer assited music. The music takes a lifetime to appreaciate and the technology is simply not intuitive. You have to put in the time (and enjoy the progess). All those things you mentioned you want to do with BIAB can be done - or BIAB will be a launching pad to do them in realted applicatons. But it is a jouney not a destination. Have I scared you off? 
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paul, Band in a Box is really amazing software when you use RealTracks. the accompaniment it generates is really unbelievable! personally I do not care for midi so I would never have purchased it were it not for the RealTracks.
so I have two suggestion should you decide to purchase...
1) buy a version that includes all RealTracks. like you I have no interest in jazz tracks but the individual RealTrack packs are very expensive compared to buying everything up front
2) buy today or tomorrow while they are running a sale. I bought 2012.5 in Sep at full price because they had no special offers for first-time buyers. then, less than 3 months later they released version 2013 with a big discount for first-time buyers. I not only missed out on the big discount but had to pay for an upgrade! So if you wait until 2013.5 you may miss out on the nice discount.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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BIAB and it's free DAW companion program RealBand will probably do just about anything you are looking to do and open a lot of doors to things you haven't even thought of. Like all computer programs there can be a bit of a learning curve to access certain features but with the help of the video tutorials here at the PG Music site and also many which are on youtube, the very responsive PG Music support staff and the equally helpful members here on the forum there are probably very few problems you will not be able to solve. As a rhythm guitarist who needs a lead you may love this feature. You can read up on here: http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.p...&PHPSESSID=It tells how out can tap out a lead/solo part by just hitting one of your computer keys in tempo with the song, then after you enter the Piano Roll mode, move each tapped note to the correct place on the staff to create any midi lead you want. This can then be assigned to any midi instrument. Very cool! Sometimes just by regenerating several versions of a Realtrack or Midi track you can end up with a lead solo very close to what you are looking for. Then you can Freeze that version to protect it so it isn't regenerated and try it again with another track Dropping and dragging tracks from BIAB to RealBand can give you over 40 tracks to cut and paste together to really make the song your own. As an amateur songwriter with limited musical abilities, BIAB has opened up a whole world of professional sounding possibilities to me. I'm sure that after you type in your basic chords, hit play and then hit play again you'll be hooked on the potential these programs have for you. Start out simply and then try other features (there are a lot of them)and don't hesitate to ask for guidance no matter how simple the question. They have all been asked before and everyone here is willing to offer their solutions. Buy as much as you can afford and realize that there are also additional Realtrack and Midi track sets you can buy to focus and expand on your specific musical interests with more being added about every 6 months. Since there is a 30 day money back guarantee, you really have nothing to lose. Go for it and enjoy the ride! Carkins
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thank you JohnJohn and Carkins.
I have at least one question. Does regeneration, when compiling a track, reduce the audio quality or not?
Actually, Another questions coming. I'd like to go for the AudioPhile package but the cost of it puts me off for something I have no idea whether it will be for me or not. Seems good now but I can lose interest. The only advantage I see with AudioPhile package is the fact that you get a hard drive + uncompressed audio tracks, im guessing .wav as apposed to what, mp3? Are the uncompressed worth it or only for those who want to sell their music on CD?
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Hi jazzmandan, I missed your post originally.
Yes I am a computer technician and have been for many years servicing computers house to house. I am not a novice to computers or playing the guitar but I do have my limitations in both. I appreciate what you said and have no illusions that its going to be a 5min per song and I'm done. I'm guessing it will be one of those programs that will suck time out of my day. I know one thing, I really enjoyed playing around with Garage Band on my iPad and to have something I could play along with and that is whay I started to look for something better than GB.
No, not scared me off
Last edited by PaulH; 12/30/12 02:42 PM.
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Not scared, thats good. You seem to know what you are getting in for. Enjoy the ride. Quote:
Does regeneration, when compiling a track, reduce the audio quality or not?
Absolutely no change in quality.
Quote:
The only advantage I see with AudioPhile package is the fact that you get a hard drive + uncompressed audio tracks, im guessing .wav as apposed to what, mp3? Are the uncompressed worth it or only for those who want to sell their music on CD?
Both Audiophile and Regular come on a Harddrive. All compression is via .wma. These can be all uncompressed to wav by a push of a button in the regular version or maintianed compressed (to save space) and upon each use the file will be adjusted. Yes, the Audiophile version is .wav (not positive on this one, but it must be?). And I agree with your conclusion regarding "...those who want to sell their music".
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Confirmed, the audiophile version uses .WAV files. There was a good recent thread about the difference in quality. I'll see if I can find it... EDIT: Paul, read this thread: http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.p...true#Post389203
Last edited by Matt Finley; 12/30/12 03:30 PM.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Just. Do. It. (The 3-day no questions asked return policy is real. Because I have a hunch that very few would want to return this great program after checking it out for about a month...)
And, at first, things may seem daunting due to so many features.
We are here on this forum to help with that.
--Mac
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Quote:
I've also written some basic songs that I would like to develop if I had BIAB plus I could use BIAB to create some backing tracks for a friend who wants me to play for him when he sings to some old folk doing his gospel hour.
Here's the thing, I only play rhythm guitar.
Bottom line, if you can use a Word Processor you can use BiaB. You play Rhythm guitar, so you know chord structure, right?
Then all you do is type in the name of the chords where you want them, select a style, and hit play. Say you did the progression in a Rock Style, how would it sound in a Jazz Waltz Style, and at 88bpm instead of 120bpm? A few clicks and you will know! LOL
Of course there is a LOT more to it than that, but that is the basics to get rolling, after install you could be up & running within an hour I would say, then dig in deeper as you go. These forums are a HUGE help, with a lot of great folks. And here is a link to a good beginners series.....
https://www.youtube.com/user/tenic/videos?query=BIAB+Made+Easy
As far as he Audiophile verses the Regular Version. Yes, the Audiophile is in the .wav format and the rest are in Windows .wma format. You can tell a difference with a close listen-to, but most folks would never be able to tell. I think it is Mac that has used them the longest, both recording & live, and says they sound fine. I have been using them for Demos & Tracks for clients and have had no complaints either.
While it is true that you can convert the .wma's to .wav format, it will NOT increase the quality, only the size of the file. .wma, like mp3 and .ogg formats, is a lossy format that REMOVES part of the signal that it feels is "not needed", and that the human ear can "fill in the blanks" for. Once that is removed there is no way to replace it. So if it is important to you to have the BEST quality, head for the Audiophile set.
i5 3.20GHz, 32gb RAM, 1tb SSD OS, 12tb HDD, 4gb gForce vid card, 32" monitor, Audient id44, Win10 x64, BiaB/RB 2023, Reaper 6,IK Multimedia Total Studio 3.5 MAX, Waves 10
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Hi Paul, BIAB is brilliant software and, from what you describe of your situation, you'll have a truckload of fun writing songs and preparing arrangements. You'll also find it incredibly useful for your performances. Below is a link to a song that I recently co-wrote with Floyd Jane. Apart from Floyd's singing, everything you hear was created directly in BIAB. No live instruments were used. This will give you an idea of the quality of the sound. (I have the UltraPlusPak.) ...link to What A Crazy ThingThe 30-day moneyback guarantee that Mac mentioned is well worth considering. You should ask PG Music Sales about this. LiveHelp (found under the "Support" link at the top of this page) is probably the best way to do this. All the best, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Quote:
Here's the thing, I only play rythmn guitar. I cannot play lead or play keyboard so I'm wondering if BIAB is the write route for me to take.
Thanks
Paul
Paul welcome to the forum . . . just one thing I want you to do for me. After you get into the software for a month or so write us back and let us know how much your musicianship has improved. My bet is that you will be soloing on tunes you never dreamed you would have before.
Later,
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Quote:
Hi Paul,
Apart from Floyd's singing, everything you hear was created directly in BIAB. No live instruments were used. This will give you an idea of the quality of the sound.
So when will we have an Floyd-Vocal Realtrack? 
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BiaB is the most effective music learning software there is. Do you have any desire to get better as a musician? If you do, you need Band in a Box.
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Its actually better in my mind if you are mainly a guitarist as the whole "system" is based on the chords you want to play. Yiu then then choose yiur style/band and they follow YOU.
I have said it before but this is the only software where i paid in fulll, upgrade twice a year and have NO buyers remorse everr ....
In fact i find more and more ways to tweak it to wring out more fun from it ....(as per instruction from PG)
I'm doing allright for Country Trash ....
I used to care, but things have changed (Bob Dylan)
BIAB 2026W + RB
M-Audio FastTrack C600, Rode NT2-A
Digitech VoiceLive 4
Epiphone Sheraton, Ibanez 12str, Washburn 6str, Cort 6Str Nylon
Yanagisawa Tenor Sax
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Thanks people for taking the time to help me through this, much appreciated.
Noel96; I like your song, sounds really professional! BUT, I can hear compression in the song when played from the second link. First link didnt work for me. It's on the drums mainly, hi hat, symbol crashes etc. VERY noticeable on the opening crash symbol! Was that song compressed further beyond what BIAB produced? Is there any web compression from uploading it to that website? (like you can get from youtube)?
I have a good understanding what compression sounds like. Obvious one is listening to an average song on YouTube then comparing it to a purchased iTunes version = WAY better! I guess it all comes down to how much the songs have been compressed in the first place. WMA is a good compressor but if the bit rate is average (128 or less) then compression can be heard only if compared to the original of course. Compression is a file size saver but the down size is you can lose stereo spacing and high end sound dampens down or it sounds less smooth or unatural.
I like hi end sound, my computer has a £200 sound card and my PC is connected to a sub and two very good B&W Hi Fi speakers. That said, I can't justify forking out for Audiophile based on my usage cause I'm not a pro only a hobbyist. But if that song is typical of what BIAB produces on symbols and hi hats then I may be quite disappointed.
It's 08:30 here in the UK now and if I buy it has to be today. I would intend downloading the 60Gb rather than waiting couple weeks for a hard drive to turn up, risk it being faulty or at the very least pay the import juty.
Last edited by PaulH; 12/31/12 01:42 AM.
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I've listened to a few samples people have posted up. Are there any samples people can point me too where they have used the uncompressed AudioPhile versions instead please?
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Hi Paul,
You have astute hearing!
Amplitude compression (not filesize compression) was applied to the mix via Ozone. This was to level peaks and to adjust volume ranges of the individual wav files (44.1 kHz/16 bits - CD quality) so that they sat better with one another in the mix. After that a wav file of the mix was created (again, 44.1 kHz/16 bits) and, from that, a variable bit mp3 (192 kbps) was made using filesize audio compression.
I don't know the answer to your question regarding Floyd's webpage but I suspect that no additional compression has been applied. Also, please keep in mind that I'm only a home recording studio enthusiastic. I am not in the league of the musicians who create professional audio such as that found on iTunes.
Hope this helps,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Hi Noel, listening again but from my iPad connected to my Apple Hi Fi speakers hides it somewhat. So it must be my computer sound system which is giving sound high clarity. Forgot to mention that even the audio lead from my PC to my NAD amp a few years ago cost around $100.
It's not your recording, that sounds great, great vocals and everything, its just the highs, particularly the crash symbol. Can you hear it?
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Hi Paul,
My ears are not as sensitive to the high frequencies.
In Ozone, I did follow the 6dB roll off curve that is common to a great deal of today's music. That might have impacted on the cymbals. Also, in the rhythm, at least as much as I can tell, crashes seem to occur on a variety of different types of cymbal: hi-hats, crash cymbals and splash cymbals. This leads to the timbre sounding slightly different at different points in the drums. This might also be impacting on what you hear.
Your sound system certainly sounds like it might be spectacular!
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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