|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 878
Expert
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 878 |
I am a guitar player who wants to build backing tracks to play out.
I'm thinking BIAB drums & bass & sometimes keyboards.
Record my own rhythm guitar and perform the lead/solo live.
I need an overview of how to build a backing band using the following gear.
Currently I have biab 2012 PC (win7 64 quad core I7 3ghz 16gb).
I have a MacBook Pro Retina 15 (loaded) with Logic.
I have a Pod X3 for recording the guitars.
I have some familiarity with biab & logic
Some questions
Midi or Real Tracks from Biab
Real Band or Logic.
If I need to purchase biab2015 now i will. Otherwise I will probably purchase later in the year.
If midi should I purchase something like the Roland SC. The midi stuff out of my PC sounds like toys.
A general overview of people's approach would be great to help jump start my effort.
If this has all been covered perhaps just point me to the links
Thanks
biab2025(Mac) Latest Build
Mac OS (Latest)
Apple Mac Mini M2 pro 32GB Ram
Logic Pro (latest or pretty close)
Heddon Super Spook XT (Mullet)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 393
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 393 |
Lots of tough questions, and you'll probably get all kinds of opinions on them.
midi or Real Tracks - I'd suggest to use both - whichever fits your particular need better (you can edit midi tracks)
Real Band or Logic - depends whether you want to work in Windoze or Mac - BIAB for Mac does not include Real Band, but if you've got Logic you wouldn't need it
midi stuff out of PC sounds like toys - that's a function of whatever midi synthesizer you use - Logic has some good quality midi synths available - probably way better than your default Windoze synth - take some midi creations into Logic, see what you think about the sound
Bruce
Macbook Pro 2018
2.6 GHz 6-core Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM
OS Monterey
BIAB for Mac 2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
You might want to keep it simple to start. BIAB using RT's into Real Band, record your rhythm guitar parts, mix and export to WAV or MP3. Real Band has everything you need to make a very good sounding backing track.
My only admonition would be to do your final mixing/mastering through the PA system you intend to use live. A mix can sound great through phones or good monitors, but horrible through a PA.
Regards,
Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 110
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 110 |
Welcome
I'm using BIAB 2013, so I'm not familiar with what features 2012 doesn't have.
For recording and playback, I use a PreSonus AudioBox USB interface which came bundled with Studio One Artist.
Real Tracks generally sound better than MIDI, although for Bass and keys, sometimes I will use MIDI for those. I take the rough tracks from BIAB and drop them into StudioOne for polishing and editing. MIDI parts are dropped into StudioOne and I use the MIDI instruments that came with StudioOne for my sound module.
I'm not familiar with Logic, so I can't help you there. I'm also not a big fan of RealBand for a DAW, but there are some cool features built-in that you can't get in another DAW.
My general approach is to lay out the song in BIAB in a straight line, with no repeats or choruses. If it's an 8 bar song with three choruses, I lay it out as a 24 bar song. At the beginning, I'll add 4 to 8 bars for an intro. At the end, I figure out if I want any repeats and add those bars, as well. After that, I'll add a couple of bars of held chords of the root chord and then let BIAB generate an ending. If there are open parts like the solo or melody, I'll find a solo instrument part that fits in and add it to those tracks. At this point, the more parts the better. Next I'll play around with different drum sub-styles on different parts of the song. Once I get everything close, I export each track as a wave file.
Once I get the individual WAV files of each part, I drag those into StudioOne. As I listen to it now, I decide what parts I want on each verse and chorus and mute the parts I don't want. The parts I added in the last step in BIAB may not be used at all in the final mix or I may use bits and pieces of them a dead spots in a song. The ending of the song is created by using a combination of the BIAB generated ending, the held chords from BIAB or parts in the song.
Sorry this was so long, but hope it helps.
Rich
Windows 10, 64 bit | BIAB 2019 PlusPak | Studio One 2 Artist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 10
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 10 |
Before spending money and sweat equity on this project, you would be well-advised to check what your competition is doing at the venues in your area you are considering working at since your end goal is to play out.
While BIAB is a good tool for a lot of purposes and would certainly do well for backing tracks, playing with a "canned band" gets a mixed response in a lot of venues. If there are others working with backing tracks in your area at the venues you want to play at, more power to you. That said, backing tracks will get you laughed out of most venues in my area (which has a surfeit of world-class musicians living and gigging locally). Before getting too heavily invested in backing tracks, make sure they're not going to hinder more than help you in pursuing the end goal.
Take this advice with a grain of salt, but I'm coming up on a 45th anniversary of making music for a living and I reckon that entitles me to an opinion on the subject. As an aside, the only gear I use for 95% of my gigs are a guitar, a mandolin, a dobro and a bouzouki and I usually sing/play unamplified unless there are more than 100 people in the crowd. Your mileage may vary.
Cheers,
Ed
***********************
"We know what we are, but not what we may be"
- Noted bluesman Blind Will Shakespeare
***********************
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,551
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,551 |
I am one of the few musicians here that uses mostly all MIDI. These are my views based on that. There are plus and minuses to both MIDI and RTs/RDs.
If I were you I would for now use RTs and RDs. They will give you instant gratification. The plus side of these is they sound great right out of the box so to speak.
The minus side is you get what they give you. You can cut and paste sections together and in RealBand (which I do not use) you can regenerate areas of your choice. However in most cases you can not get them to play exactly what you might want them to play.
The plus side of MIDI is that you can get them to play exactly what you want them to play. You can add parts, change sounds and notes very easily.(Personally I find this easier than cutting and pasteing RTs/RDs but YMMV).
The minus side of MIDI is that it costs money to get great sounds and you have to learn MIDI to get convincing parts. As you mentioned MIDI sounds from computer motherboards a terrible, but MIDI sounds from more expensive VSTis like Kontakt are quite good. But, and this is a big but, you have to learn how to control MIDI via various MIDI messages (CCs, mod wheel, pitch bend etc. Don't worry its really not hard.) If you buy a good MIDI sound source and drop a BiaB file into it and expect it to sound like a RT good luck. For piano, organ and drums it's great but for wind and string instruments not so great. This is where those messages come in.
So I would start with RTs/RDs. If you want more control I would start with a good MIDI drum sound source for my MIDI drums. Drop a BiaB MIDI drum track into the VSTi and modify it so it fits what you want to do. After you master that do the same with piano and organ and continue to the wind instrument and strings.
I will try to drop a good example of what MIDI can do in the Off-Topic forum a little later.
Again this is just my ideas and it may or may not be what you are looking for.
Good luck from one guitarist to another.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,076
Posts799,797
Members40,028
| |
Most Online44,367
Mar 4th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean