I created this song from a stereo scratch track recorded in 1992. I decided to attempt a complete demo using only BIAB/RB with one of the new Xtra Styles. The original is a very rough audio recording done without a click track or metronome and the tempo varied from 99-105 bpm in the initial Audio Chord Wizard tempo map. I accepted the challenge to see if I could create a decent recording maintaining the original vocal track and use vocals from the original track to create harmonies using the TC Helicon feature as well as some backing vocals. I worked with Band in a Box, RealBand, the new click track feature and the Audio Chord Wizard to even the tempo to a fixed 102 bpm and then created a backing track with one of Band in a Box's new Xtra Styles and added effects, harmonies and mixed the tracks in RealBand. I started a discussion in the forum and first felt the song was not worthy of entry into the XTRA Styles contest due to the low quality of the original audio recording. A thread about my production notes can be found in the Recording, Performance and Production Forum. That discussion includes a link to an earlier version of the song prior to finishing the mix and a portion of the original recording is attached to the end of that song for those interested in seeing the dramatic difference the final mix is from the original. Production Notes Thread All effects, processing, editing and mixing of the original audio was done in RealBand and all of the harmonies and backing vocals were taken from the original vocals and processed in RB and TC Helicon. Title: Sweet Eyes Key=D , Tempo 102, Length (m:s)=3:10 Style is _INSPIRE.STY (Inspire Cheery Indie Pop) RealTracks in style: 1253:Bass, Electric, PopShiningHeld Ev 120 RealTracks in style: 1262:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopShiningHeld Ev 120 RealTracks in style: ~405:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 120 RealTracks in style: 634:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopAmericanMuted Ev 120 (B:8ths) Loop in Style: House-Techno-Trance\House - crunchy_120_b drums ev16.wav RealDrums in style: MetalSlowBigTomGroove: a: Toms, Snare b: Busy Big Toms, Snare
Great effort. Consistent and I like some of the chord changes.
Top job.
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.
Charlie, This is a good song -the chorus is beautiful and the style nicely restrained & hypnotic. I haven`t read the original thread but can tell a lot of work went into fitting the vocal track with BiaB... to me its a worthy effort because the vocal might be unpolished, but it has a nice feel.
Great effort! Some of the chord changes is very good. This song reminds me of The Hollies a little bit. I also sometimes rearrange my songs with RealTracks and the vocal tracks recorded in the past in order to post to this forum. But if only multi-track files are rest in my computer. Your effort is definitely wonderful.
Charlie, This is a good song -the chorus is beautiful and the style nicely restrained & hypnotic. I haven`t read the original thread but can tell a lot of work went into fitting the vocal track with BiaB... to me its a worthy effort because the vocal might be unpolished, but it has a nice feel.
Robert
Hi Robert. Thanks for your kind comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the song. It did take several hours of fairly intensive work and in the end, I hated to just end up with wasted time so I did some more tweaking and entered the contest.
Indeed this is good work Charlie, one of your best so far I think. Some interesting chord changes throughout the song. Well sung too.
Rob
Thanks for listening and taking time to comment Rob. My wife informed me today there is a version on an old Ipod she has with a 2nd verse. Memories and moments fade with time.
Great effort! Some of the chord changes is very good. This song reminds me of The Hollies a little bit. I also sometimes rearrange my songs with RealTracks and the vocal tracks recorded in the past in order to post to this forum. But if only multi-track files are rest in my computer. Your effort is definitely wonderful.
Best Regards.
Shigeki Adachi
Thank you for your kind comments. I appreciate you taking time to listen. I truly enjoy your posts. They are always so professionally done.
What I particularly love--of all things--and I know this sounds strange--is the drum sound and the effect you are using on the left guitar (electric.) Straight off a U2 album. How did you do that? Can your share your fx recipes for those tracks?
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
What I particularly love--of all things--and I know this sounds strange--is the drum sound and the effect you are using on the left guitar (electric.) Straight off a U2 album. How did you do that? Can your share your fx recipes for those tracks?
Thanks for listening (and closely I might add)
All effects were from RB stock effects.
Drums - accessed by the FX button on the track Guitar - accessed by right clicking the track, selecting Audio Effects then select Compressor
EDIT: I forgot to finish the guitar effects. I found that specific guitar track to be repetitious so in an area in the verse and another in the chorus, I changed the major chord to a minor and minor 7th to force a variation and that is what produced the U2 effect you hear. I thought it was a very pleasant changeup. The change in the chords were c to Am7 and after the A7 pause, used a Bm instead of the D major.
Hope this helps and I'm looking forward the hearing a little of "The Edge" from you soon.
Thanks Floyd. I'm glad you found it. I always appreciate your thoughtful and insightful comments.
I hope to one day be as adept as Guenter (Boehm) in the remix category but still a long way to go for me.
I didn't think the mix quality was good enough to enter the song into this contest at first, so I initially posted an earlier version of the mix with some of the original track tacked onto the end of it in the Recording, Performance and Production Forum and I'm not sure adding another post wouldn't be overkill.
I made a post with links to both this entry and the Production Notes discussion into the User Showcase.
I think the forum and the contest are two different things, so I would post it man. I am with Floyd.
This is a great lesson in "back to the basics" I guess. Your drum sound and guitar sounds are really great and not over-produced, and gosh, they were just stock RB effects. Same thing happened to me in Sonar the other day. I had put together a whole string of high dollar drum effects and they were sounding horrible, so I went into Sonar, and under generic effects chose something with a title like "Good Sounding Drums." And it was 1000 x better!!!
Maybe I have learned yet another lesson here.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 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 22 requires the 2026 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 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 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 22 requires the 2026 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.
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac 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 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean