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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343 |
Does anyone use any of these combinations of tools, Kontakt, Guitar Rig, BIAB and or RB?
I am looking at getting Kontakt 5, Guitar Rg 5 Pro and some other tools as they are 50% off. I was thinking that with quality instrument sounds and using BB or RB as a way to create your melodies etc this could be a formidable combination.
I am not the most accomplished guitarist or keyboardist so have a real player playing stuff that I can manipulate would be great.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated…thanks again…
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,724
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,724 |
Fair questions especially this time of year when the sales are on.
But Kontakt 5 versus Guitar Rg 5 Pro is not an either or question since Kontakt is a soft synth and Guitar Rig is a audio processor. You actually need one of each type.
I have Sample tank 3 from an end of year sale. I am not overly impressed with the sounds other than there are a lot of them. So maybe Kontakt has a better track record. Don't know.
I tried every Guitar amp simulator on the market (well at lot of them at least), including Guitar Rig. GR was OK, but I finally settled (actually fell in love with is a better way to say it) on an external sound module which I use for both recording and live. No more soft ware amp sims for me. The Line 6 Firehawk FX replaced them all.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343 |
Ok good info and I am aware that they are not the same kind of software, doing 2 differnt jobs.
I have tried the demo version of both and liked them, but this was before my BIAB days.
My thinking process is as follows...
If I can get a quality instrument sampler along with a quality guitar amp simulator then maybe some of the MIDI tracks in BB and RB could be used with more regularity.
I love what is in Real Band, however it's chief limitation for me is not being able to play the melodies and or notes one wants specifically.
This is what I would be trying to achieve, or get closer to with the combination of these tools...
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,724
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,724 |
Exactly. You are on a very well travelled road. Good Luck and have fun.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343 |
My main thought is, that I forgot to put in...DOH
Is it worth while to invest in these other products, (monitarily and will it do, what I think it will?) I have recently started taking in paying clients at my studio and not all of them can afford to pay for studio time and hire musicians to record. This combination (if it works well enough) would be a great alternative to that for them...and myself of course.
However even at 50% off the cost would be nearly $400 Canadian...which I don't mind putting out, provided it will get used.
Thoughts people?....
Thanks
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,724
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,724 |
Not trying to be a smarta$$, but we can only point the way down the road. You have to decide if you want to travel it.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343 |
Ahhh...I see...I do want to travel it... I guess I will see if the toll for the road is worth it's passage... 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,724
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,724 |
In the long run it is a lot cheaper than Golf. 
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 343 |
Yup...agreed..and I'm actually getting some money back, small bits at a time... all is good..
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,196
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,196 |
Kontakt is fantastic. There are many third party sounds for it, some very expensive and some very inexpensive. I some some of each. No matter what sound you are looking for someone has it for Kontakt. I highly recommend it.
But, and here comes the but, although Kontakt has both 32 bit and a 64 bit programs if you install the 32 bit you will be limited in a lot of the sounds as the better sound require a lot of ram. You can use jBridge to use the 64 bit program with PGMusic's programs I have found it to be a PITA. YMMV.
My boss calls me "the computer".
Nothing to do with intelligence. I go to sleep if left unattended for 15 minutes.
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: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,947
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,947 |
Hi Tony
I've got Kontakt 5 player which I use with NI Session Strings. However, I generally drive this setup with Sonar and not Real Band, although BiaB and RealBand can certainly handle them.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,827
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,827 |
Go for it ! they both work great you can load Guitar Rig after Kontakt to give FX if you use a clean guitar in Kontakt with your midi.
Guitar Rig works great with RT Direct Input Guitars.
You just need to manually set the tempo in Kontakt if they don't fix the vst sync bug in 2016.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,196
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,196 |
Go for it ! they both work great you can load Guitar Rig after Kontakt to give FX if you use a clean guitar in Kontakt with your midi.
Guitar Rig works great with RT Direct Input Guitars.
You just need to manually set the tempo in Kontakt if the don't fix the vst sync bug in 2016. The VST sync bug is in PGMusic products not Kontakt.
My boss calls me "the computer".
Nothing to do with intelligence. I go to sleep if left unattended for 15 minutes.
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: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,701
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,701 |
Kontakt and the Komplete Collection is a great deal. Not cheap, but worth the price of entry. But understand what it is.... and what BB/RB can and cannot do. You will really like Kontakt if you're into good quality synths. It takes you into the low end "professional quality" synths.... perfect for working up synth parts to be used in commercial projects for film & TV. It will easily replace the basic patch synths in BB or RB with a sampled synth giving you better quality parts to work with.
If I can get a quality instrument sampler along with a quality guitar amp simulator then maybe some of the MIDI tracks in BB and RB could be used with more regularity.
I love what is in Real Band, however it's chief limitation for me is not being able to play the melodies and or notes one wants specifically.
This is what I would be trying to achieve, or get closer to with the combination of these tools...
Therein, lies the problem. The amp sim works with AUDIO tracks only. You could convert a midi tack to audio and process it, of course. I'm also not a fan of amp sims. I find them to mostly be stiff and harsh. others will disagree. I like a hardware solution with either the POD or the Mesa. Real Band will NOT let you play a specific melody or a custom lick. I have tried every way I know to get a track out of RB, using the real tracks that played a freaking amazing piano part, converted to midi and played with a high quality piano sample in Kontakt..... it doesn't work. Oh it will convert to midi BUT, it becomes a generic track at that point that doesn't play anything even close to the real track part. So.....You either have to be able to play that part on guitar or keyboard and then you can use the tools in Kontakt to replace the synth with Kontakt and a sweet sample. I find that Real tracks work extremely well for fills and solo's where they do NOT need to follow the melody. That's how I use them in my songs and projects. If I have a theme or need to have the solo instrument follow a singer's melody, I play the parts live into my DAW. Actually, in a proper DAW, you can play Kontakt live, which is what I do, and I'm fairly sure you can do that in BB/RB as well. BB is limited to a few tracks...... Real Band lets you use many tracks. So using Kontakt in it is the way to go. If you're running a commercial studio, I'm curious which DAW do you use?
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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