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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 48
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 48 |
Hi, everyone. I'm back. First of all, I want to say that this group is awesome. Great people here. I hope I haven't been a nuisance to anyone. Perhaps I can say that my quest is approaching an end. I've been reading all day long for days, passing out in bed with the tablet on my hands, and I've learned a lot about many things. My quest is not over yet, but there is a lot less haze in my sight, everything is clearer and should be resolved soon. Now on to the latest comments. Bob, I'll reply to you last. Herb, sorry if I sound stubborn, but I really loathe Windows. I used it for a few years then moved to Linux and never looked back. Learning was hard, but definitely worth it. I also used to think that Linux was too limited, but I've been investigating that over the last few days and I'm having a pleasant surprise. There is a lot more music software than I thought, and some of it is really good. I'm just not happy with the plugins, I think I can do better on Caustic even with its limited number of effects, but the whole scenario is certainly better than I'd thought. And I'm not so sure that Windows is the best bet for serious computer musicians anymore. Take a gander at this thread, for example: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_devices/windows-support-for-usb-audio-20/0d633b9f-3193-4c63-8654-fb10b3614a04?page=9Weird, wild stuff. Charlie (I assume c_fogle is Charlie), I have ruled out a multi track recorder for the time being, simply because it's too expensive. Everything is too expensive in my country, it's the worst place in the world for people who love technology.  I found the Tascam DP-24 for sale here and whoa, too much for my wallet. Not gonna happen now. I had considered the Tascam DP-008ex, but after further investigation, I don't want it anymore. It's 16-bit only and two inputs only. It's 8 track on playback, not on recording. I would have to do a lot of overdubbing, and that I can do already without buying anything. For a tad more, I could get a Tascam DR-40 or even stretch my budget to the max and get a Zoom H5. I really like the way you think and it seems to be a very good piece of equipment, I just can't afford it. Now here is a full-length reply to Bob (jazzmammal): Alright, let me separate all the ideas. For the sake of clarity, let's say I have three distinct projects: 1) my band 2) other bands 3) myself alone 1) My band. That one is irrelevant to the discussion at hand. You see, I am a drumkit apprentice. I make some pretty good beats on the beatbox, but I am a big nerd who takes studying seriously and decided that it would be very beneficial to me if I had true drumkit lessons, so I would understand the whole beating business better. I like the classes, I have a good teacher. He loves jazz and hates percussionists.  The school set me up with a band so we can practice, the whole bunch of newbies. It's a plus that the school offers for free. I could turn it down, but I understand it will be a very good experience so I accepted it although I have, strictly speaking, no time for that. I've been pulling time out of my sleeves like magic to accommodate it. Well, incidentally, I am very, VERY interested in learning all aspects of production, so yes, I can use the rehearsals as an opportunity to learn and practice, but I don't really have to do that if it becomes a problem, like say, buying expensive equipment just for that. But it kind of overlaps with the second project: 2) Other bands. I have many musician friends, including one who is a close friend and very talented, he has an album and he's asked me to produce his performances. I can't, I'm not ready for that, but I am willing to learn. Besides that, I am assistant producer of a monthly event, a sort of a cabaret with pre arranged guests and it's also an open mic night. It's the best description I can provide. Anything goes. That's why I strongly considered buying a mixing board. The one we have now is not ours, it belongs to the bar, it's old and kind of lame, and nobody seemed to know how to operate it, not even the bar staff. I had to learn and I was promoted to mix desk operator. Mind you, it's just a leisure thing put up by friends having fun, and it's loads of fun, but we care about the quality of production. We are better than most similar events in our city, except for the sound. We really have to put more effort into that, and it's a matter of honor to me because I always loved all things related to sound, I just had to be realistic and pursue another career in life, now I have to catch up with my passion. So that project involves producing live performances and recording them. That is more or less important to me. I can postpone it, and I HAVE to postpone it if it becomes expensive, but I would be a happier person if I could pursue it to the fullest. 3) Myself alone. This is the one that really, really, absolutely matters above everything else. It involves me writing songs, plus production, recording, mix'n'mastering, everything. I'll have to learn production from scratch, but that's all the more fun. I'm a huge nerd at heart, I love learning and I gobble up heaps of information quite fast. I know it's going to be one heck of a ride. I've been writing my songs on Caustic, a phone/tablet application that has an excellent beatbox and many synthesizers. It's very good for the sounds and has excellent workflow within its own restricted context, but it's made for mobile and it wants to stay that way, so there are serious limitations. I am forced to deal with a lot of overdubbing. At least I can hook up a MIDI controller to it (over USB), but I can only hook the tablet up to the computer through an analogue TRS cable, or Caustic can dump the track into a WAV file that I can edit on the computer. It can dump each instrument into a separate file too, that helps, but the whole process still is a bit clumsy. I guess I would have to use the exact same approach if I used a multi track recorder (such as Tascam). Caustic also runs on desktop, both on Windows and Linux, and I still don't know how much I can leverage that. The jackd server on Linux is very good for routing inputs and outputs all over the place, but it's complicated like hell even to a seasoned Linux user like me, I still haven't learned that, and I don't think Caustic can provide multiple individual channels except on dumped WAV files. If I route its output through the jack system, it's probably going to be the one channel only. It's not made for the desktop and it's not made to interact with other tools directly. I have Caustic on two tablets, plus one or two other applications that might help a lot, so I would like to be able to combine several inputs. Don't forget there is my singing, it's an input too, and I am probably going to have someone over to play the guitar. Other instruments are not out of the question. I know some people. I am now preparing to wean off Caustic and embrace some other music authoring application on desktop. When I posted here for the first time, I had no idea of equipment (obviously) and I also wanted to solve all the problems at once. Hence my original idea: get a mixing board, hook the whole world up to it, monitor on headphones, beam the output to the computer through an analogue cable (clueless, I know) and get busy. Now I see that having separate channels neatly arranged in a decent DAW will likely make a huge difference in my creation workflow - mixing board and musician friends be damned. So my current plan is to buy an audio interface then a better recorder. For the interface, the jury's still out. Buying for Linux is never easy. For the recorder, I've been lusting after the Zoom H6. Too expensive for me, so I'll settle for the Zoom H5, it's a good compromise. I'd love to buy the Tascam DP-24, but that's really steep for me right now. Thank you very, very much y'all again.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
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 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.
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.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 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 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 9 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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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