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Joined: Sep 2013
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What styles do you need to create good sounding big band backings? I am buying a new version of BIAB and want to make sure I get the right version. Any help
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Welcome to the forum.
Can you tell us more about what you plan to do? Will you be using BIAB to create backing tracks, or to write big band arrangements? As backing tracks, BIAB is limited to several rhythm tracks and at most a melody and harmony part, although the melody and harmony parts can each have three or four-part harmony. I often use BIAB to generate parts for a section at a time, such as trombones, then take that into a sequencer. BIAB also comes with a free sequencer, RealBand. Or are you intending to produce written scores? I use BIAB for all these purposes, so give us some direction or more specific questions.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Sep 2013
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OP
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Ah, thanks for your response.
I plan to create tracks that I can use to play to in small shows. I am a trumpet player / singer and I have got hold of quite a few big band backing tracks from Hal Leonards books and used them to perform - however, some of them are too funky and I want to adjust the styles. So for example, Christmas is coming and I'd like to create some good backing tracks for a bunch of both carols and traditional pieces.
I do not want to write pieces or orchestrate them myself - I don't have the know how for that. Plus I am a performer.
Any guidance you can give me would be really helpful. Thanks
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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OK, thanks, that helps a lot.
I'm familiar with a few of the Hal Leonard backing tracks. They are well done and I cannot promise you will easily be able to replicate their quality.
I have made backing tracks in BIAB for a few Christmas carols, jazz versions, and performed on trumpet, flute or sax with them in small venues. To do this, I took the chords of the song and did some modifications to enhance them, although fakebooks with jazzed-up chords for carols do exist.
Do you have access to chords for the songs you want to do? That's how BIAB works: you enter the chords of the song, then experiment with different styles and/or RealTracks to obtain sounds you like.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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The automatic Arranger function inside the Sibelius Music Notation program can instantly turn a single note entered Melody line with the fake chords entered also, into a full 17-piece bigband arrangement in any one of several wellknown bigband arranging styles. Instantly.
Some of the choices are, "Basie" - "Nestico" - "Duke" etc.
It is amazing and can be done with a single mouseclick once the Melody and Chords are there.
The resulting arrangement can be exported as a MIDI file and opened up in any good DAW sequencing program, Patches change to suit a good quality MIDI synth, a bit of editing here and there in the way of Note values sometimes, or Velocities, and the resulting performance saved as an mp3 file for use onstage.
While I am a lover of Band in a Box, its Bigband capabilities are limited by the available Style files and the lack of interest in same is likely the reason that there hasn't been a push to develop any more of those styles. For example, the "Baaie" BB style is now and older MIDI style that is limited in what it can do. Couldn't use that same style all night long from song to song...
There is another big advantage to using Sibelius for Bigband work: If you ever get the chance to perform your work with a live bigband, a simple revisit to the project in Sibelius and you can print out each part as charts, including full score if desired. Pass it out and get on with the show. It will be identical to the arrangement you have already been playing along with.
--Mac
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wow, Mac.. that's awesome! and a very compelling reason to own that program (unfortunately, I don't... but sounds like maybe I should)
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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I also use Sibelius on some projects, in conjunction with other music software. There isn't one tool that does it all.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Sep 2013
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OP
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Thanks Matt - lots of answers. I have the chords so that's not the issue. So, as I am desperate to put some things together, would you suggest going with the Pro version of BIAB, or the MegaPak, or would you suggest a better idea is to go to Sibelius. By the way, I thought that Sibelius was purely a notation software, and wouldn't provide arrangements.
The problem I have with a lot of the Hal Leonard arrangements is that they are often either way too fast, or are funky. As I play to an older audience I figured they would be better off the sorts of backing that a Sinatra would have gone for.
Again, really appreciate your responses, and that of others.
Michael
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Michael, Sibelius is a notation program with some sequencer functions. BIAB is an auto-accompanying software with some notation functions. BIAB can make its own arrangements using MIDI sounds, or construct tracks using your choices of RealTracks. When you buy BIAB, you get the same base program no matter the version. What you pay for with the megapak and ultrapak is more styles, RealTracks, and some other add-ons. This is nicely described on a page on this website: http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.packages.htm A basic question for you is, can you play other instruments to record your own tracks? If you can, then a notation program and a sequencer will probably do. If not, then BIAB is an outstanding tool to help you. The more experienced you become with the program, the better the results. It will require time, effort and some skills to do your project.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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...As I play to an older audience I figured they would be better off the sorts of backing that a Sinatra would have gone for... A registered copy of Sibelius, from version 4 upwards, would make this happen. Just enter the Melody and the Chords, or alternatively, you can even find a fair sounding MIDI file of the two, sometimes stripping out the original file's accompaniment leaving only the Melody line and the Chords, then import into Sibelius, opoen the auto-arranger and pick either Basie or Nestico and a near-instant 17 piece bigband arrangement is done entirely by the software. Sinatra's best performances were arguably the ones in which he used the Basie band with Quincy Jones as bandleader and arranger. At any rate, the arrangement would certainly be well within the area of the folks you mention as the audience. --Mac
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Oct 2008
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Expert
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I like Mac's idea but I have Finale so I'm not going to buy Sibelius in addition. I had a student version of Sibelius for years, but they would not let me reinstall it on my new desktop sooo....
I also play trumpet and like big band stuff--especially Sinatra arrangements. I've found some freebie big band stuff on the web and re-arranged some of it for my wife and I. I've also just used some karaoke tunes downloaded from Amazon for 99 cents. I've almost always had to change stuff on that as well. I really do prefer to try and get by with BIAB because there is so much flexibility with midi than audio--at least for me. YMMV
Last edited by Shastastan; 10/19/13 11:25 AM.
Cornet Curmudgeon
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...I've found some freebie big band stuff on the web... What is the URL? I've used www.bigbandcharts.net that offers some pretty good arrangements for a relative low price. BTW: I use NOTION for my notation software. It's only $99.00 and is giving Finale and Sibeluis a run for the money. Good review in Sound On Sound. Wally G
Yamaha Montage 6 Roland J80, D50, Integra 7, BK-7m, FR-8X, 1967 Fender Jaguar, Fender Strat, Fender 1965 Twin Reverb reissue, Selmer Trumpet, Akai EWI, Studio One 4 My WEB Site: www.gontowski.com/music
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Thanks Wally. I'm just now getting back to your post. Wish I had sooner since I just renewed Finale for more than Notion costs. Finale does have a new file format. The new format cannot be used with older versions. The version can work with files created in older versions though.
As to a url for midi big band arrangements. I've only tried a couple and that search was done by song name. I also have some karaoke songs that that I bought from Amazon. Of course, you editing choices on those are very limited. I checked out the url in your post and I really like it. thanks!
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
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Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
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