|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48 |
Elsewhere someone said RB is pretty "basic." What does it lack that most others have?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,539
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,539 |
VST timing for one
Basically this is because it is MIDI based (not sample based) which means less accurate audio edits at times.
Otherwise it likely does what you need, but the the path to getting satisfactory results may be different than other DAWs and the graphic interface less attractive.
For a lot of us the benefits of the regeneration features being available outweighs the sacrifice of the other aspects.
If I 'need' the other features I'll switch, but not until then.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,071
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,071 |
Joe5, have you tried using RealBand?
It's not as feature packed as other DAW's costing many hundreds of dollars, but it has some really great options, is very usable, and supports a pretty reasonable feature list. The fact that it integrates with Band In A Box styles is one of its strongest features.
You need to know what you need to do, and what are your expectations.
One thing is guaranteed, RealBand has features that you won't find in any other DAW (e.g. Track Generation for BiaB styles)
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,891
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,891 |
Elsewhere someone said RB is pretty "basic." What does it lack that most others have? Have you used any other DAWs? If not you may find RB does the trick just fine. As others have said it has a single feature that other DAWs don't...the ability to directly interface with the amazing RealTracks. On the other hand, there are DAWs that are free and that cost as little as $60 that are far more feature-rich and way more state-of-the-art in their GUI. If that does not matter to you then you may be fine with RB. Personally I love my DAW to be packed with features and relatively bug-free. I find RB to be slow and glitchy with a clunky interface that I do not enjoy using. So, I use mainly BIAB and then go straight to my DAW (Reaper). If I want additional options in the RealTracks I will use RB in between to generate more RealTrack options but I try and finish in RB just as quickly as I can so I can get back to my modern DAW!
Last edited by JohnJohnJohn; 08/10/16 04:43 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848 |
Similar to the ability to regenerate a portion of a track, RB has a feature called Multiriff. Multiriff generates 7 versions of the selected audio even to include the complete track.
You can audition each of the 7 multiriffs and select any one of them or save any number of the 7 to individual tracks to edit portions of each into a custom multiriff. The multiriff audio can extend beyond the beginning and end of the selected audio if you wish which helps to create a seamless and professional edit.
You can choose Multiriff from two options. Open multiriff to regenerate the current instrument or open Multiriff choosing a different instrument.
The result of multiriff is that you can create a custom track by auditioning hundreds of variations and edits in minutes that would take hours in BIAB. An added benefit of Multiriffs is that a midi track is created at the same time so that a midi instrument can be chosen to double the riff.
I recently created a guitar track of lead fills that consisted of 18 sections selected to place the fills. 7 tracks each of the 18 fills resulted in 126 takes of audio to choose the best fill for each section. Imagine having a session player doing 126 takes during a recording. There may be hours of recorded RealTracks for the Multiriff to review and generate new audio from.
Another feature I found on that project is by using two instruments from the same style often provides audio clips that compliment each instrument by generating similar riffs so that it sounds like two players working together at the same time during a recording session. This provides very unique and realistic sounding tracks.
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 08/10/16 06:07 PM.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 697
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 697 |
Joe5: quite an impressive response to your question. Here are some videos you will want to see for more info: http://www.pgmusic.com/videos.realband.htmDE
Win 10, 64 bit, love my Lenovo T420, BIAB 2019 (613), RB 2019 (2)
Short term memory is getting shorter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,523
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,523 |
Joe, see my answer to this question in the other thread.
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,801
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,801 |
As I wrote....
Yeah, it's pretty basic. A simple down and dirty DAW. It gets the job done. However, it's not designed to go head to head with Sonar, Cubase, Ableton, or the Mac ProTools....at least not yet.
It has a number of good functions, the main one being it's ability to generate Real Tracks. '
It's lack of timing sync with VST's and awkward audio editing leave much to be desired if you're trying to use it as a production DAW on a music project.
I really gave it a try on a project a few years back. I was determined to complete a project using it. However, I ran into some issues that I could not resolve (and don't remember the details on now) so I had to move the tracks to my Sonar DAW to complete the project as I intended.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48 |
As I said on the other thread (didn't mean to have this conversation going in 2 places, the other one just kind of led there  ), thanks for the replies! J3, it's funny you mentioned Reaper as that's the only DAW I've tried to date and didn't care for the interface at all. It's all so subjective. But as I said in the other thread, it was a pretty cursory look; I'll probably revisit that and try a few others, but my needs are (I think) not too complex; it's just me as a solo artist on a synth, so much fewer concerns about stuff like mic placement, mixing etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848 |
I wasn't aware of this thread and posted some of the additional benefits and features other and the ability to generate tracks in the BIAB 101 thread in the Recording Forum.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
I am interested in knowing how many of those 126 tracks sounded almost exactly the same if not eerily similar. We had a coincidence where Floyd used the same sample and real track as I did and one of his songs started with the exact same riff as one of mine. On one of my current songs I did a multitrack 8 bar solo section, and then did it again, and then again. That made 21 tracks. Of those 21, 14 of them sounded so similar that it was obvious that there were not a lot of sample snippets to choose from in a section of a song that went 1-4-1-1-5-4-1-5..... I ended up cutting and pasting from that pallet and coming up with the intro I needed, but that showed some limitation as far as what is available in Real Band. And you really can't switch real tracks as far as performer, because you'd end up going from Les Paul to Tele to Strat and very different tonal properties, so if you use a Brent Mason real track, you have to use only that Brent Mason real track for the whole thing. for this CD, which is SLOWLY in the works, I am creating sample solos and bringing in players to play live based on those generated segments. The sound generation feature is obviously the bread and butter of PG products, but I now see why people pull the generated tracks out of RB and move it to a better DAW. I just started using Protools and though it takes time to dump tracks to individual wav files and then import to Protools, woking in Protools is MUCH better as far as the DAW side of things. Of course Protools can't create music, but it never claimed to.
Last edited by eddie1261; 08/11/16 08:59 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 697
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 697 |
Joe5 " it's funny you mentioned Reaper as that's the only DAW I've tried to date and didn't care for the interface at all. It's all so subjective." I use Reaper, it's the most flexible DAW I've ever used. I could take up paragraphs praising but I won't. It's extremely inexpensive $60. You can watch Version 5 for free at: http://reaper.fm/videos.phpKenny Goya (?) is the author and has dozens of Version 4 at: https://www.groove3.com/PS: You can buy a monthly pass for $15 per month (and see hundreds (all) tutorials). DE
Win 10, 64 bit, love my Lenovo T420, BIAB 2019 (613), RB 2019 (2)
Short term memory is getting shorter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,539
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,539 |
There are a few variations of real tracks that work well together, don't always have to 'use only that Brent Mason real track for the whole thing'.
Plus, guitarists use FX and change their sound all the time. One section can be one RT and another be a different one, be they verse, chorus or bridge (or solo) whatever.
Your average listener is not going to think about what guitar was used ..
FWIW I find mixing different styles/RTs to be quite enjoyable.
From what I understand, chord changes are given preference (weight) during generation. In other words, this section works well for this change, this one OK, etc
So this would make some generations weighted to use a given phrase at the opportune time more often than another. They do try to 'randomize' it, but that includes using a phrase at the beginning of one multiriff and again at the end of another.
Who knows?
Either one could be inspiring. A signature lick too early in a solo may make the rest mundane, while if you end a nice solo on that same really cool lick it may 'make' it .. so location can be a factor also.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848 |
"I am interested in knowing how many of those 126 tracks sounded almost exactly the same if not eerily similar." Here you go Eddie. Say I Do
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
Was it 126 guitars or 126 between guitars and sax?
Great use of panning as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848 |
126 guitars. I did the same for the sax but did not count them. There were not as many for the sax and I did them after the guitars and had the routine figured out by that time.
This is a later version than I originally posted here on the forum and it reflects changes in lyrics, mixing, panning from suggestions made by several members. Steve Young made the panning suggestion.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,801
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,801 |
how many of those 126 tracks sounded almost exactly the same if not eerily similar. We had a coincidence where Floyd used the same sample and real track as I did and one of his songs started with the exact same riff as one of mine. ...........14 of them sounded so similar that it was obvious that there were not a lot of sample snippets to choose from in a section of a song .............. that showed some limitation as far as what is available in Real Band. And you really can't switch real tracks as far as performer, because you'd end up going from Les Paul to Tele to Strat and very different tonal properties, so if you use a Brent Mason real track, you have to use only that Brent Mason real track for the whole thing. for this CD, which is SLOWLY in the works, I am creating sample solos and bringing in players to play live based on those generated segments. The sound generation feature is obviously the bread and butter of PG products, but I now see why people pull the generated tracks out of RB and move it to a better DAW. I just started using Protools and though it takes time to dump tracks to individual wav files and then import to Protools, woking in Protools is MUCH better as far as the DAW side of things. Of course Protools can't create music, but it never claimed to. Yep.... I have heard some folk's songs that have similar licks in them, and that's to be expected since we're all working from the same palate of samples. Ditto on the guitar tone.... kinda hard sometimes to jump from track to track when, like you said, ones a Strat and the other is a Les Paul. My song THE BEST CHRISTMAS.... on my music page somewhere.... has a compilation of 5 tracks being used to get the B Mason solo. The piano's are 3 tracks I think.... I'm a big fan of using live players for the lead guitars and even the rhythms because of that issue.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
It can be tedious stitching together a good solo, but the end result can be so remarkable that people can't believe it is not a live person. One of the songs on my CD, Here goes nuttin', has a pedal steel solo in it and I got an email from a pedal steel player that asked "Who played that solo?? I don't think I could duplicate that." And that solo was a compilation from 8 different iterations of an 8 bar passage. All cutting and pasting.... and much experimentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Nobody has mentioned this so maybe you're doing it already. Are you aware that you can change the chord grid for each generation? Just make sure you're only generating a new track and leaving the existing ones alone.
Solo's especially tend to float over the chords, not necessarily strictly following them. Try using different but related changes and see what happens. In the key of C try using Dm for 8 bars or make the whole thing EbMaj7 if the tune is in Cm. You can try some of the common jazz changes like using tritone subs which would be using an F#7 for a C7 once or twice during a chorus.
You can put a swing solo against an even beat or vice versa. For drums I'll make 3 or 4 completely different drum tracks with different RD's plus changing the part markers on the chord grid. That puts the fills in different places plus activates the substyles and gives you tons of choices.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RealBand
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,848 |
Good point Bob. I do that sometimes and along that same thought, I may experiment with changing the song style during the chorus. I picked up the idea from songs like Gene Chandler's Duke Of Earl Charlie
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 08/24/16 12:05 AM.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,048
Posts799,340
Members40,015
| |
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