BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
Guitars that sound good need the structure to be very lightly damped. 3D printed structures have too much damping. Mouthpieces for brass instruments are more of a possiblility with direct metal laser sintering method. But they would have to go through a significant polishing routine because DMLS results in a very rough surface. Possible though since they make ball and socket joints this way
In case anyone really is interested, they use computer-controlled lathes to scrape mouthpieces out of a block of brass. Increasingly though, they can make mouthpiece parts (particularly rims that contact the lip) by molding materials such as Delrin. So I was thinking more about having a player like me who doesn't have a machine shop be able to tinker with designs inexpensively. The smallest of adjustments to a myriad of different surface angles in a mouthpiece makes a HUGE difference in playablility. If it didn't, we brass players wouldn't constantly be searching for a better mouthpiece (no matter what we might say in public).
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Matt the issue with 3D printing anything that needs to be smooth is that no 3D technique is inherently smooth and needs post processing. I. Was responsible for 3D printing of custom earpieces for hearing aids and hearing protection using light cured acrylics and the smoothing technique was quite complicated and was just external surfaces. A mouthpiece would need the internal surfaces quite smooth, yes?
I could easily see trumpet mouthpieces designed and printed on a 3-D printer. Would save a lot of time prototyping. Maybe they're already doing it?
Well if they can print full on guitars, I'm sure they are making other stuff too (Like trumpet mouthpieces). Would be nice if someone can find a pic or two
Matt the issue with 3D printing anything that needs to be smooth is that no 3D technique is inherently smooth and needs post processing. I. Was responsible for 3D printing of custom earpieces for hearing aids and hearing protection using light cured acrylics and the smoothing technique was quite complicated and was just external surfaces. A mouthpiece would need the internal surfaces quite smooth, yes?
Oh, absolutely. Inside and especially outside (the rim, where it meets the lips). But I've been mentioning prototyping only. If I had a few minutes with a new mouthpiece shape, I could put up with a rough surface long enough to see if the design worked.
Just to give you a quick example, most people don't know that trumpet maker Vincent Bach made his mouthpieces with a hole of .27" because he expected the user to ream it out. I've taken a mouthpiece all the way from 27 to 17 (wider) in increments of .01 to feel the effect. It's huge. I like mine around .22. But once you get there, going down to .21 ruins the mouthpiece. It works like that, and there are a dozen such places you can adjust. I'm sure you can see the appeal of printing inexpensive prototypes to experiment on. My mouthpieces aren't the inexpensive store Bachs, either.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
If that's the case that reaming is needed anyways, then the rapid prototyping of choice would be machining rather than 3D printing.
3D printing is still generally misunderstood by the public as to what you can realistically fabricate with performance features that come close to more traditional manufacturing. Not even close to making actual guitars with it. Re read the article and you will see that this is a traditional guitar with just the cosmetic body shape printed. The heart of the guitar is wood as well as the neck. The "brighter" comment in the article is because of the lack of resonance in the printed structure.
I was interested in getting a flugel-ish sound from my trumpet, and the Trent Austin ACB-TF looked pretty cool.
But money was (as always) lacking. Fortunately, my co-worker had access to a 3D printer. I found a parametric trumpet mouthpiece model and learned OpenSCAD. I learned a lot about trumpet mouthpieces than I though I'd ever know, and eventually came up with two different models a friend printed for me.
The first was a complete bust. It looked good, but I couldn't coax much sound from it.
The second (based on the ABC TF) was a lot more successful. It required a bit of sanding, but the deep V cup came out with something closer to a flugelhorn. As a novice, I appreciated it being a lot easier to play in the middle register.
As an added bonus, it was - for a number of reasons - a lot quieter, which my family appreciated.
Brass players are not the only ones constantly checking out mouthpieces. I have several sax player friends and it's the same with them. One who has the money will spend $6-700 on a custom piece, use it for a few gigs and go, naaaah.
Then there's the B3 fanatics like me. Don't get me started on all the organ clones out there plus the aftermarket leslie sims. I've got em all. On stage does anybody care except me? Of course not but hey, I'm the man...
Bob, you're right about sax mouthpieces. I've had both my soprano and tenor pieces refaced. It might be easier to print a sax mouthpiece than a brass one; fewer critical angles involved, I think.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Dcuny, some use a Mark Curry piece to approximate a flugelhorn response out of a trumpet. It's popular with those travelling who can take only one horn.
And there's always a flumpet.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
For brass mouthpieces, Schilke has been doing this for decades (to the extent possible concerning technology at the time). I had a few experimental mouthpieces made by them. Rim curve, depth/shape of initial recess/cup, taper to the bore, and bore depth/diameter all customized. Heck, they even stamped my name on the side as a custom mouthpiece back in the 90s. There is an actual RHarvey trumpet mouthpiece in their records somewhere. If I recall (and this was long ago) I think their code was a 6B8C made for my MFHorn bore (large) back in the day .. I think I customized it further by adding a pickup to it .. I'll dig it up and post a pic for fun.
For 3d printing; I found it quite interesting that the military could 'sample' say, a tank part and have it created overseas years ago.
It IS fun to see another technology reaching the point where it is accessible to us musicians. Edit: Sure enough; found it in the MF Horn case with a BB pickup still epoxy'd in .. hey it works! If anyone wants a one of a kind custom mouthpiece like this I have 1 left. Starting price around $120000000000000000000000000000 Hey it's one of a kind! Soft rim, shallow initial cup, tapered bore to the deep end (on a curve) and large end bore to accommodate air flow for large bore horns ..
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Dcuny, some use a Mark Curry piece to approximate a flugelhorn response out of a trumpet. It's popular with those travelling who can take only one horn.
And there's always a flumpet.
What I really wanted was a C flugelhorn!
I got a Bb trumpet off Craigslist last year for $70. It was in decent shape, and the poor guy was letting it go because his arthritis had bent up his finger something awful. I eventually got a Tromba plastic trumpet in C. Lots of fun, but I'm still nowhere near to being good enough to play in public.
I've seen some attempts at 3D printed trumpets, but the technology isn't really there. And a completely plastic trumpet isn't all that great - that's why I went with Tromba instead of Tiger - some parts still need to be made out of metal.
I've managed to acquire an inexpensive flugelhorn since then, as well as a used plastic Tromba flugelhorn. I think the Tromba trumpet works better than the flugelhorn, but it's nice to have an instrument and leave out and not worry about breaking.
The flumpet looked cool, but it's way out of my price range! The Phatboy looks even cooler, and just as out of reach!
My birthday is coming up, and I was considering getting a Wedge mouthpieces (made of Delrin) or even the Trent Austin I had cloned, when I found out that Nuvo had come up with a new instrument: the jSax, a plastic kid's soprano sax in C. I've already go their plastic flute and Clarineo (a C clarinet) - both of which are very cool.
Although their instruments are made out of plastic, I don't think you could 3D print them - getting a flexible plastic spring would be quite a trick. And that's ignoring any issues with the pads. (The jSax looks like it's got plastic o-ring seals).
I ended up getting a C Melody sax on Craigslist instead, and am getting ready to disassemble and re-pad it, because that's what happens when you buy an old sax. Wish me luck!
I probably should have stuck with the jSax. It's a toy, but cute!
Somebody said above you couldn't make decent guitars. I have seen (but not heard) nice-looking 3D-printed electrics, and I have seen and heard a nice violin. Given composite and carbon-fiber axes like the Ivation Adamas series, I don't know why you couldn't do decent acoustics, too.
Richard
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 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 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 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 Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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!
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.
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