|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,932
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,932 |
In music, what hits the ear is important, not how it was done. I think you have summarized it perfectly with this statement! I remember back when I bought my first Atari/ST computer and started making Band-in-a-Box aftermarket styles, other musicians considered computers cheating. I find it ironic/hilarious that we are all here because we use software to create music for us while discussing whether using a capo is cheating!  (To be fair, pretty much everyone who has responded has agreed a capo is OK.) Auto-tune - now that's cheating I assume you are kidding because this also complies with your first statement! I actually loved Cher's first use of this technology and most recently love how Fun used it! I read where some rock star (forget who) wrote note names on the back of his bass neck. Cheating? Nah. Whatever gets you by. What do Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Elton John and Barbra Streisand have in common? They use teleprompters during performances! http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-...prompter-lyrics
Last edited by JohnJohnJohn; 06/24/13 12:33 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492 |
As others have written, a capo is not cheating, if you can play. A capo is a tool. Even Buddy Holly used a capo on "That'll Be the Day", and he showed more than once that his playing skills would allow him to play that particular song without a capo, but it'd sound different. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0VPxYAM698Guido
Desktop; i7-2600k, 8 GB mem., Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Laptop: i5-2410M, 4 GB mem, Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,987
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,987 |
It may help the think of the capo as the nut then strive to disregard the fret markers. Your left hand quickly learns to adapt and becomes your eyes. Practice determining by touch exactly where you are on the fretboard. Possibly even paint over the markers temporarily. Trust your touch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
I've known and also enjoyed the playing of far too many absolutley skilled blind guitarists who cannot see the frets nor the markers...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,251
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,251 |
One of my favorite musicians to play with is blind. He's the guy playing mandolin on my Soundcloud link in my signature. He's also a really good guitarist.
I started playing with him before he lost his sight completely. Even though his sight got worse by the day, his playing just kept getting better.
He introduced me to playing Dawg music and I introduced him to some classic Jazz tunes. We both already played bluegrass and fiddle tunes.
I haven't seen him in a few years but I do know he's still playing, even though he's been totally blind for the last 15 or 20 years.
In short, ... you can play without fret markers if you have to. I've never had to so I still use them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
Every time "auto tune" works it's way into these conversations I wonder if you all mean the same thing by auto tune. That is NOT that stupid vocoder/talkbox effect like Cher and Roger Troutman and a host of others have used. Auto tune is a tool to pull up a sour note by a cent or two. The talkbox is not autotune, and if you have evidence Cher has ever used auto tune, I'd love to hear it. I can't stand her but pitch control has never been an issue for her. Her taste in men, maybe.... but not pitch.
NOBODY valid goes on tour and sings like a foghorn and has an auto tune effect at the board correcting his pitch from 4 half steps away and I think a lot of you think that is the case from the silly youtube examples like the drunken fat guy singing Bohemian Rhapsody...
So what is you you guys are defining when you use that term?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Eddie,
The "Cher Effect" as it became to be known, did indeed use an early version of Autotune set to bizarre settings to create that certain sound of what I call a "mechanized yodel" snapping the sung notes ridiculous distances, complete with the digital sounding artifacts that yield a certain "artificial" sound.
It was rather successful, so of course, as is the way in the popular recording industry, there have been MANY to copycat the effect.
Last summer, while teaching the summer church school, I was walkng from the car while the kids were playing in the courtyard and I heard a young lady singing a popular r&b tune out there - and managing to near perfectly mimic the hardsnap Autotune Cher Effect with nothing more than her natural voice. I don't think she even knows what Autotune is, but I signed her up for the Youth Choir the very same day...
--Mac
Last edited by Mac; 06/25/13 11:16 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116 |
if you have evidence Cher has ever used auto tune, I'd love to hear it. As this Sound on Sound Article notes, the Cher Effect on her song "Believe" was done with Antares Autotune software. The producer of the recording deliberately put out the misinformation that the effect was done with the Digitech Talker vocoder pedal in order to keep the methodology a secret.
Keith
2026 Audiophile Windows 11 RYZEN THREADRIPPER 3960X 4.5GHZ 128 GB RAM 2 Nvidia RTX 3090s, Vegas,Acid,SoundForge,Izotope Production,Melodyne Studio,SONAR,3 Raven Mtis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
.... The producer of the recording deliberately put out the misinformation that the effect was done with the Digitech Talker vocoder pedal in order to keep the methodology a secret. Every one of us who had seen and heard Autotune at the NAMM show the previous year knew *exactly* what it was, though... Matter of fact, it emphasized the exact same things that we complained about. --Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116 |
Every one of us who had seen and heard Autotune at the NAMM show the previous year knew *exactly* what it was, though...
I'm guessing that it really didn't fool too many people who actually had played around with the software because it was easy enough to get the Cher Effect purely by accident while learning to use Autotune.
Keith
2026 Audiophile Windows 11 RYZEN THREADRIPPER 3960X 4.5GHZ 128 GB RAM 2 Nvidia RTX 3090s, Vegas,Acid,SoundForge,Izotope Production,Melodyne Studio,SONAR,3 Raven Mtis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
I hadn't even played around with it at that point in time, actually their demos made it rather clear.
Still, geek that I am, I thought it exciting development at the time and looked forward to them being able to make it sound better, purer, etc. And, really, they have. Its just that the Cher Effect became THE thing. And today we have so-called singers who couldn't hold a tune in a paper sack sellin' recordings, apparently to people who can't tell or don't care.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
Back on topic, re: capos
Try different models. Make sure you know why you are capoing in the first place. Learn different techniques with the capo.
I almost always capo directly onto the fret-wire with the front edge of the rubber pad. It seems to avoid pulling the instrument sharp, but can crowd your fretting hand if you are playing 'open' chords.
I have a classic Shubb, a Kyser (2nd one - spring broke on the first one) and recently have acquired a G7th Newport model. The Kyser is the easiest of my 3 for one handed adjustments, the G7th stays out of the way the most for fretting at the relative first fret, but is a bit fiddly to get the pressure set right.
-Scott
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116 |
I've always preferred the Shubbs. I started using them on the banjo and then bought their capo for my 12 string and six string guitars.
I was trying to figure out how to address the Fret marker issue, put a capo on my Hd-28 last night and suddenly realized that I don't really look at the fretboard when I'm playing.
Keith
2026 Audiophile Windows 11 RYZEN THREADRIPPER 3960X 4.5GHZ 128 GB RAM 2 Nvidia RTX 3090s, Vegas,Acid,SoundForge,Izotope Production,Melodyne Studio,SONAR,3 Raven Mtis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,932
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,932 |
when I put the capo on I always fine-tune to fix any sharpening or intonation problems the guitar may have. that seems to address the problem quite well (except I have to adjust the tuning again when I remove the capo).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
when I put the capo on I always fine-tune to fix any sharpening or intonation problems the guitar may have. that seems to address the problem quite well (except I have to adjust the tuning again when I remove the capo). If you capo directly onto the fretwire, with a guitar that has setup of string height done fairly well, you won't need to do the fine-tune thing before using the capo, or after removing it. I have photos of this on imageshack - lemme see if I can find them.... Here's how to capo with a spring loaded capo if you want to have to tune after applying the capo - apply capo half-way between fret wires:  And here is how to capo if you don't want to have to re-tune:  Clicking on either thumbnail should enlarge the image size. By applying most of the downward pressure of the spring loaded capo from rubber pad to string to fretwire, there is less tension put on the string itself, which is where capos usually pull strings sharp when used like in the first photo. Give it a try yourself. One thing that this sometimes doesn't work so hot on is if you do some pretty strong bending of strings in the first couple of frets. The method I show in the 2nd photo can keep the string 'bent' which is usually a bad thing! -Scott -Scott
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,932
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,932 |
thanks Scott! I do usually try to put the capo just behind the fretwire to provide room for my hand. maybe I need to get a smaller capo and then move it as you have shown!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
I have rarely had to retune when applying a capo.
Those who experience that should investigate the winds around the tuning peg, are they concentric, one layer only and TIGHT around the peg. That is the place where guitars will slip out of tune.
The other factor is tuning DOWN to the target pitch rather than UP.
Tuning downwards can create the situation where the string tension is correct, but only for a little while, because of friction between string and nut. Pick hard on that string during the next tune and it is likely to pull that wee little bit of slack back over the nut - and the string is now flat.
It is glaring, the number of good guitarists whom I see tuning downwards to pitch in the bands around here. If you overshoot, turn the peg the other direction until the string is below the target pitch and then tune only in the UP direction to match the pitch or the tuner indicator.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,932
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,932 |
thanks Mac! I sometimes get sloppy when re-stringing and didn't really think about the problems that could cause. also the tune up tip is a good one that I feel I should have known (but didn't!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,251
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,251 |
If anyone is looking for a really good lightweight capo, this is the best one I've found: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/N...CFUaZ4Aodmz8A4QI don't know if most local stores would have it. I had to order mine online.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
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.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-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
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 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!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
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.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
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.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,301
Posts802,961
Members40,086
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean