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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 128
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OP
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 128 |
I play in a classic rock band and am forming a duo so for the most part I am doing classic rock with some newer stuff thrown in. My band doesn't have much time for practice as a unit so when I want to add song I can set up backing tracks and send them a demo to practice then when we are at a gig we can go over the song at sound check and add it to the list that night. Since the band isn't getting as many gigs I wanted to do the duo for my own entertainment. So while I am adding many of the songs I do with the band, I am also putting in songs that "I" like. There is a bit of freedom in not having to worry about whether you are able to dance to a song or not. The other thing is since I went with a tablet for song sets I find that with a chord chart and backing tracks I can really expand my repertoire. The duo thing will be a new thing for me but I have played in a band for 40 years and we have always found danceable songs that were hits to be safest for our audiences.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,802
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,802 |
I play in a classic rock band and am forming a duo so for the most part I am doing classic rock with some newer stuff thrown in. My band doesn't have much time for practice as a unit so when I want to add song I can set up backing tracks and send them a demo to practice then when we are at a gig we can go over the song at sound check and add it to the list that night. Since the band isn't getting as many gigs I wanted to do the duo for my own entertainment. So while I am adding many of the songs I do with the band, I am also putting in songs that "I" like. There is a bit of freedom in not having to worry about whether you are able to dance to a song or not. The other thing is since I went with a tablet for song sets I find that with a chord chart and backing tracks I can really expand my repertoire. The duo thing will be a new thing for me but I have played in a band for 40 years and we have always found danceable songs that were hits to be safest for our audiences. There was a time after one of my bands broke up that I continued to play some of the booked gigs as a solo performer. Just me and my acoustic guitar. It actually worked out well. At the time, there was no such thing as having a home studio since the gear was either not yet available or cost prohibitive. BB has changed that. In today's environment, it would be so simple to put together a good sounding solo act. But doing studio work has ruined me. I'm not interested in being out in clubs after midnight..... or the drive home at 3am... no, I don't miss that. But yes, there was an immediate freedom that came in being able to play anything I wanted. And most of the clubs I was gigging were not dance clubs so that aspect didn't enter into consideration when making up set lists.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 11/03/15 03:54 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,491
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,491 |
I went duo in 1985, and won't go back.
Oh, I miss playing in a bigger band but I don't miss (1) the band member that gets too high to play well (2) the band member who is more interested in the opposite sex than the music (3) the band member who shows up late or takes long breaks (4) the band member who doesn't learn his/her parts before rehearsal.
I do like (1) the better money per person of a duo (2) having a partner with the same work ethics as me (3) the uncomplicated juggling of more than 2 lives with the music business.
I do miss the spontaneity of other musicians in the group improvisation sense (my backing tracks never surprise me), the flexibility of everything live, and more people to help schlep the PA set. But all in all I'd rather do the duo.
Someone mentioned one-chord songs. They are usually difficult to cover, because they have strong identifiable signature licks and kicks, which BiaB by it's nature doesn't do, that's where a good MIDI sequencer comes in.
I find improvising a long solo over a one chord song much more challenging than chord changes. It's more work to keep it from getting boring without chord changes to play around with. And playing with backing tracks, you need a good cue to tell you when the solo is over, because if you get distracted, you might lose the count or the feel of when the solo is over.
Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,530
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,530 |
Oh, I miss playing in a bigger band but I don't miss (1) the band member that gets too high to play well (2) the band member who is more interested in the opposite sex than the music (3) the band member who shows up late or takes long breaks (4) the band member who doesn't learn his/her parts before rehearsal.
Insights and incites by Notes
I have had the same problems. I will add one more that I had problems with: (5) the band member's spouse/girl-boy friend who thinks he/she can run the band.
The bumper sticker said "I'm a veterinarian, therefore I can drive like an animal".
Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 128
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 128 |
Since our band stopped doing bars and really play very limited gigs the band thing has been more enjoyable......we get along pretty well. The core 3 musicians have been together over 20 years.....we have gone thru our share of 4th musicians and also played as a trio when needed. My fiance is now the 4th and that has proven to be an incentive to continue. She was a chorus teacher and piano teacher for about 20 years. She was a concert level pianist but now has shoulder trouble so she has to limit her playing a bit....I never realized how physically demanding playing piano can be as I am just a hack guitar player.
I am looking forward to the duo thing even if it is just so I never have to play "Louie Louie" again....
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848 |
Another source for signature licks and runs if you don't play a particular instrument or you are exclusively a rhythm guitar player and don't play any lead - and don't have easy access to one, are MP3 quality level audio clips from Internet sources such as YouTube.
As BIAB has shown us, wma or mp3 quality level files are sufficient for use at live gigs.
Searching for song specific lessons and tutorials on a site such as YouTube, one can usually quickly find several lessons that are high quality tutorials. Somewhere during such a lesson, the teacher will play specific riffs/runs/chord progressions at the proper tempo and in the key of the original recording very accurately and isolated from any other tracks playing. The audio of these lessons can easily be downloaded to your computer, imported into your DAW and mixed with your BIAB generated tracks to create a very precise, authentic and accurate cover of the song.
As an example there is a YouTube tutorial by Don Felder, formally of the Eagles, of him teaching his licks, runs and fills for Hotel California.
He goes through the complete song so the audio can be cut into individual stems or as RB names them, scraps. One advantage of this particular video for me is that he has transposed the key to Am which is much better for may vocal range than the original key of Bm.
I don't play live gigs and only download stems from the internet for my own personal, educational use. I'm not a lawyer so I cannot make any recommendation to the legality of use of a tutorial clip or even a midi file for use in a commercial setting.
BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
I play in a classic rock band and am forming a duo so for the most part I am doing classic rock with some newer stuff thrown in. My band doesn't have much time for practice as a unit so when I want to add song I can set up backing tracks and send them a demo to practice then when we are at a gig we can go over the song at sound check and add it to the list that night. Since the band isn't getting as many gigs I wanted to do the duo for my own entertainment. So while I am adding many of the songs I do with the band, I am also putting in songs that "I" like. There is a bit of freedom in not having to worry about whether you are able to dance to a song or not. The other thing is since I went with a tablet for song sets I find that with a chord chart and backing tracks I can really expand my repertoire. The duo thing will be a new thing for me but I have played in a band for 40 years and we have always found danceable songs that were hits to be safest for our audiences. I don't want to hijack the thread, but I'm always interested in the gear other duos are using. Stuff like – what kind of amps/speakers/monitors, etc. Could you humor me and give me some details? Regards, Bob
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 128
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 128 |
I have 2 sets of Alto powered speakers 15" and 10". I will probably use the 10" for the Duo. I use the 15" with a pair of Alto subs for the band. I have a Yamaha MG82cx mixer for the duo. We are using hot spot style monitors (I have been experimenting with in ear monitors which I may go to....still undecided on that). I plan on going direct in with everything no amps and use the monitors for stage sound....easier to control the sound.
My fiance has a Korg Krome keyboard and I use a Godin guitar with a Roland GR55. I have 2 TC Helicon Harmonizers so we can add thicker harmonies if needed. I have a 10" android tablet with Mobilesheets which allows me to set up chord charts and backing tracks.
We have just started working on the duo so we need more practice before going live.
Last edited by pedwards2932; 11/03/15 01:45 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
I have 2 sets of Alto powered speakers 15" and 10". I will probably use the 10" for the Duo. I use the 15" with a pair of Alto subs for the band. I have a Yamaha MG82cx mixer for the duo. We are using hot spot style monitors (I have been experimenting with in ear monitors which I may go to....still undecided on that). I plan on going direct in with everything no amps and use the monitors for stage sound....easier to control the sound.
My fiance has a Korg Krome keyboard and I use a Godin guitar with a Roland GR55. I have 2 TC Helicon Harmonizers so we can add thicker harmonies if needed. I have a 10" android tablet with Mobilesheets which allows me to set up chord charts and backing tracks.
We have just started working on the duo so we need more practice before going live. Sounds like a nice setup. The Altos get a lot of love from the SR guys. I'd love to go with powered boxes, but we've got a lot invested in the system we use. The places we play tend to get kinda loud, so we're using 2 Yammy 15's amd ywo Yammy 12's for monitors (and sometimes, we can't hear them!). I wish you luck with the duo. It's about the only format that gets any work these days! Regards, Bob
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,590
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,590 |
TC Helicon vocal gear is just great. It's a steep learning curve at times, but I love my Voicelive 2 and I'm integrating more and more. I also love the TC Electric Nova multi guitar effects unit. They're both a bit old now. I guess if I was buying, I'd take a hard look at the Voicelive 3 Extreme especially for duos or solo acts.
Windows 10 Home 20H2 Build 19042.487
BIAB 2021 (Build 818)
Intel(R) Core(TM), i3-4160, CPU @3.60 GHz RAM 16 GB, 64 Bit X64-based processor
Zoom UAC-2 (USB 3 interface-built in midi)
VoiceLive 3 Extreme, Sputnik Valve Condenser Mic
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 128
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 128 |
I have the Voice live touch that I use and an H1 that she uses. The VL Touch is a nice unit but real easy to mess up the settings live. The H1 is simple and almost bullet proof. She has a much better voice than me so the H1 works great for her. I think the TC Helicon are really great units.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
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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!
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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®.
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