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If someone want's covers backing tracks just do a YT search using the name of the song followed by backing tracks. There's tons of free ones. These are not midi, they're audio files but some sound really good.
If you want studio produced pro quality then check out all the commercial websites. To me audio tracks are better because it's real players doing the tracks but midi gives you control over the tracks. You have to have a high quality sound source for midi.
Bob
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It's not necessarily covers that causes Joe V to post the original post, but an educational process for students. Ripping off covers isn't really the goal as far as I understand it.
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I don't play with tribute bands and could not give a rip if I do a song exactly like a record or not. There isn't a high enough percent for me to agree enough!! 1000% I don't care in the slightest about sounding like someone else. When you see major acts, you get a CLOSE approximation of the original but it is never exact. I have spoken to people in major acts and they have told me that after a CD comes out they have to go back and learn the solos as the producer pasted them together because that's what the listening public knows. I am actually, while working on writing for CD #2, working on a bunch of cover tunes done in completely different grooves from the originals. Should be a fun thing when it's done.
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Hey - to be clear, I like doing covers because I'm not half the musician I wish I was, and I can rarely play a cover that sounds as good or better to my ear (not even close) to the original. Also - many people like hearing songs they know and love. ANd of course - many students are interested in emulating their favorite artists.
There is no doubt that creating new and appealing music takes far more creativity and musicianship than playing covers. I wish I was more inclined to do that myself. It's just not where my personality and music take me. And thank God, I don't have to depend on music for a living...so I can do just what I enjoy without the stresses that any full-time occupation brings.
Again - really enjoying and learning from all the posts. Thanks.
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In our duo we do a mix of covers and re-interpretations (for lack of a better word).
I'm not opposed to covers, I make my living playing music, they pay me money to do covers so I don't need a 'day job', and the enthusiasm and positive feedback from the audience is rewarding. Besides, when I was in a concert band, we played music by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and others. Sure they weren't direct covers, as we used band instruments instead of strings, but we tried to recreate the music true to the composer's inspiration.
I don't think there is any shame in doing covers, nor is there any loss of artistic integrity.
But we don't live on covers alone. First of all, even the covers slowly drift away from being covers. Sometimes we'll listen to a recording of a song we've been playing a while and think "Wow! Have we changed that one!"
Others are intentionally done either slightly or radically different from the original (see earlier post for a couple of examples).
Someone mentioned buying cover tracks recorded by musicians instead of MIDI. We have some competitors that do this. They buy Karaoke tracks, and that means someone else playing the solos, no parts left out for themselves, there are 'ghost' background singers, and so on. The audience knows they are Karaoke Jockeys and in the clubs that we play that they also play, we make more money.
Besides, recorded tracks sound like recorded tracks because they are mixed like recorded tracks. If you are playing your music at super high volumes (115dba or higher) it doesn't matter, but at lower volumes, a mix for a recording is all wrong for live. At low to reasonable volume settings you need more snare drum, louder crash cymbals, more kick drum, more bass, and for some parts like horn stabs or "answer parts" of any kind to the lead, they need to be pumped up. The dynamics on a recording are compressed while the dynamics of a live performance need to be exaggerated.
So even if you have an adequate but not great MIDI tone module or synth, you can do better with a MIDI track where you can control the dynamics.
Tone is nice, but it isn't everything. Expression is more important, and the dynamics are one of the most essential parts of expression. If you think tone is more important, how do you explain the popularity of Dr. John, Stevie Nicks, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and hundreds of other pop stars with bad to mediocre voices? I can, they express themselves well, and the audience relates to expression, not tone.
Tone is important, but always remember, you should be chasing expression first, because without expression, even the best voice in the world will not get you anywhere. That doesn't mean we shouldn't chase tone at all, but if there is a choice to be made between tone and expression, choose expression and IMO it will get you farther.
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This is turning out to be a great learning post - thanks to all for sharing the very valuable links to great song files and resources; quite a few are new to me, and they're all filled with great backing tracks....
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Notes, those people who buy tracks, at least in my experience, take that path because they are not musicians, just singers. They simply CAN'T make their own tracks. There is a duo in my area that does this. They are both very good singers, but not players at all. Both of these gals know that their voice is their instrument. The problem is that they acquire only free backing tracks, many of which are quite poorly performed, and 2 outstanding female voices sing over very sloppy tracks.
I will always be in the school that if you want horns and backing vocals, hire some of those musicians and singers that are home and would rather be working. In my area though, clubs are so cheap that bands defer to the gods of the dollar sign and cheap out. The majority of bands around here are trios with a front singer, and nobody else can sing. Rarely do you see a keyboard player. Thus we have a LOT of bands that play with sweetening tracks. As soon as I hear vocals or keyboards or horns that are not on stage, I leave.
But that's just me and I am somewhat of an elitist snob when it comes to music.
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In our area, clubs are cheap too. Places that used to have 4 or 5 piece bands 6 nights a week are hiring duos two nights, putting in a karaoke night, an open mic night, and an amateur comedy night. I'd love to play in a full band, and I did that for many years. The duo is a compromise. The other compromise would have been to get a 'day job' aaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh.  We have a few karaoke jock duos and trios in the area. They undercut live musicians too. Some sing pretty well, but often the tracks aren't in their key, or poorly recorded, and none of them seem to be mixed for live performance. But they get work, so it's obviously a way to make money. There is a KJ trio in the area, the guy can't sing, his wife barely sings, and her sister is OK. But they are entertaining, and they work the crowd, learning everybody's names and personal situations - one schmoozing the tables while two are on stage. They make friends, and that keeps them working. It's survival, and you have to do what you need to do to survive. So to compete with the KJs, we end up having to learn more new songs, many of which are disposable in a month or two (like "All About That Bass" which doesn't work anymore. Since I sequence my own backing tracks, it's a lot more work for me, but I like playing, and don't want to be a KJ for a living. So whatever it takes is what I'll do, and as long as I'm enjoying myself gigging for a living (and I do), I'll keep on doing what it takes. At one time in my life I wanted to play jazz (art music) and quickly found out if you play jazz for a living around here, you need a day job. I tried the 'day job' while gigging with the jazzers, and found out that being 'normal' and having a real job wasn't for me. I'd rather play pop music. But that is just me. I have a friend who still plays 'art music' and is very good at it. He has a day job and it suits him fine. We all gotta do what we gotta do. Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
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& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Notes, your message struck a chord with me. Around here bands are playing for the same amount of money that I did in the early to mid 60's. That is if you can find a gig as KJs and DJs have taken over.
In the late 60's I was in a B3, drum and guitar trio playing jazz. We sounded great but couldn't get many gigs. That's when we went into the wedding band business. DJs took over that business also.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
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Talking about DJ's, Castle has been our favorite TV show for the last few years. One episode Castle and Becket wound up at a high school prom dance and while dancing they were talking about wedding music when the DJ played a Sinatra tune. Castle mentioned hiring a live band and Becket said why does she want to hear someone trying to sound like Sinatra when she can hear the real thing by hiring a good DJ?
This was just a throw away line in a TV show but it caught my attention.
My father was a college radio DJ in the early 40's and knew all the big bands and commented that some of the unknown traveling bands coming through Michigan were better than the big name ones. He was not happy when they started to die out having been replaced by Elvis and the Beatles.
Now we've been replaced. Who knows what live entertainment will look like in another 10 years much less 30.
Bob
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why does she want to hear someone trying to sound like Sinatra when she can hear the real thing by hiring a good DJ
The reverse is also true. I tried out for an R&B band a few years ago and the leader wanted every song to sound exactly like the original. I asked why then would anyone hire us if they could get a DJ and play the record? My bands rarely played exactly like the originals and that did not stop us from getting more gigs than we could book.
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Attention JoeV, Peter and lambada,
I have my 'reverse arrangement/production deconstruction' complete for Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'". If you are interested (I think you were the only folks from this thread interested), I can share a link to the Google Sheets that I made for it.
Joe, for your students, this might be of particular interest to see how much ISN'T being played.
It might also be of interest to them to see how much the dynamics of this song deal with the drops and the relative level changes of tracks, section to section in the song.
This could be instructive to BIAB users to hear this major hit and how few tracks are actually used to accomplish it.
Hit me up if you want the link.
-Scott
Last edited by rockstar_not; 11/05/16 04:39 PM.
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Hi Scott. I would love to take a look. Thanks for doing this.
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I just loved Bob (Notes)'s description of some contemporary songs as "disposable".
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Back in the 1960s, before loud DJs we tried to sound exactly like the record. It was what cover bands did. Then when DJs started getting a share of the business, we drifted away from that. As mentioned, "who wants to hear the Sinatra tune imitation when you can hear Sinatra?" As a live band however, we had the advantage of being less compressed dynamically than the recording. The crack of the snare drum was much louder with greater attack and diminish qualities (better accent). Other instruments have this quality as well. So unless playing at 110dba or higher where your ears start compressing everything, the band still had an advantage for many people. Then came downsizing  After that it became about trying to add some value to the song that a DJ cannot do. One way was to extend the arrangement. Two and a half minutes might not be long enough. Plus using MIDI files I can still get more dynamic range than a DJ, and since I play for an adult audience with volumes around 85dba to perhaps 100 right in front of the speakers, my MIDI files carry much more energy than the Karaoke files that the KJs purchase. In some songs I've even doubled snare drums and/or mixed a high timbale with the snare to get that crack effect that doesn't come through on recordings. I've doubled horn stabs too, one for tone and another for the attack. There are lots of tricks you can use with MIDI that can make the sound more dynamic than a prerecorded track. We learned a line dance song for a private club we play regularly ("Get Into Reggae Cowboy") and our KJ competition does it as well. The dancers thanked us and told us that we do it even better than the record. It's because I expanded the dynamic range of the song, louder accents on the snare and the syncopated guitar part, another on the bottom for the first beat of the measure, a few more tricks like that, and we also extended it to 4 minutes. The instrument sounds aren't as good, but the song goes over much better because the expression is better. But still, many customers and worse than that, many entertainment purchasers don't know the difference. Fortunately there are enough to keep us working, and enough so that we can still charge a little more than the KJ acts. One club we play often gives us $50 more a night than the KJ trio and there are only two of us. It's not a lot of money, but it is good for our pride. And yes Matt, most songs are and have always been disposable. I would guess fewer than 10% become 'classics' that will be good for a long time. The difference between today and decades ago is that the record companies have been making the life cycle of the disposable song shorter and shorter in an effort to sell more 'records'. If a song stays at number 1 for 8 weeks, the public isn't replacing it fast enough. I was in enough Top40 bands to remember learning a song a week to keep up with current trends. During that time when I spoke to older musicians, they told me that once they moved into the country club / adult market they never wanted to go back to Top40. In the 1990s I moved into that market, and they were correct. And the nice thing about playing that market is that I didn't have to learn the 90% disposable songs, because they were already disposed of. Any song I learned would last for years. Good value for my time. But playing the 'adult' market I find that especially the ladies like a little new music. So we still have to learn some and we try to pick what we think will last. We aren't always right. "Love Shack" lasted a long time around here, it looks like "Uptown Funk" is here for a while, but "All About That Bass" faded in a few months. But still, it's not a song a week like it was in Top40 bands. More like a new song every few months, and the rest of the time I can learn new 'old' songs that have already stood the test of time. I enjoy the adult market. - Most gigs are 3 hours,
- there is no pressure to draw a crowd because they are members or invited to a party,
- instead of a manager not appreciating you on a slow night, there are no slow nights and at the end of it people come up and thank us for giving them a delightful evening
- the pay for one-nighers is better per night
- we get to play a wide variety of music from many different genres, making it musically very interesting
- we are not required to do 'like the record' covers and can reinterpret songs and sometimes have them enjoyed even more
On the con side, we do have to schlepp our gear around a lot. I'll never go back to Top40, and frankly, I'm too old for that now anyway. So the covers I do can be close to the record or radically different. I can do rock, Caribbean, Latin American, country, jazz, disco and plenty of other genres in the same gig. And I like that. Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Yep... the live music scene is depressing. Back in the 70's and 80's is was easy to put a band together, book it properly and make a really nice income that was livable or really added some cash to your pocket.
In the town I was in, there were about a dozen working bands at any given time and someone always trying to put something together. And most importantly, there was work available. Enough clubs of varying levels to keep the beginning bands as well as the established road bands working. And this was the situation in neighboring towns. Every town seemed to have a "big" club that booked the regional acts and the good locals, as well as several other clubs.
As a trio, bass, drums, guitar and two of us sang.... we had no problem pulling in between $600 on the low end to upwards of $1000 for a weekend gig, depending on the club, and often playing Wed & Thur for $250 or more per night. Not bad for 3 guys in the late 70's. And we stayed booked solid and working every weekend and throughout the week.
There was a military base there as well that would book every night of the week but the pay was lower and they paid based on the number of members on stage. Supposedly, we were the highest paid band (per member) in that circuit. We used those gigs as practice to work on new tunes in front of a live audience and our stage act. We never used our lights or large PA. We could set up in 25 minutes and be out in 15.
I no longer hang out with musicians who are still gigging live but I talk with a few buds who are still playing and the situation is dire. Gigs, good paying ones especially are hard to find. And the ones out there in this area are paying the same kind of money or less, than we were making playing 30 years ago.
In that town where there used to be a club with live music on every corner, there are now a handful that use live bands, and the military base has stopped booking bands totally.
From what I understand, most of the gigs that are available are low pay..."for the exposure" kind of things. Don't get me wrong, I played many like that. But you can't make a living doing it and often, you don't even cover gas and expenses for the work and time involved.
The music business has changed. Those who can find niche markets and unique ways to make a buck are the ones who will survive. The internet and digital formats like MP3 have forever altered the way people consume our product. You either find a way to change, adapt, and survive, or you get out of the business... or end up playing free gigs.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 11/06/16 03:42 AM.
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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If all are honest, most pop tunes over the decades are disposable. Pick a decade, doesn't matter, lots of same old same old copy of whatever was hot prior month.
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If all are honest, most pop tunes over the decades are disposable. Pick a decade, doesn't matter, lots of same old same old copy of whatever was hot prior month. I agree. However, I don't think pop has a monopoly - it's equally true of all genres.
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The only thing that makes the good stuff sound good - is all the really bad or mediocre stuff it's surrounded by ; )
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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.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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