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
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
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