|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992
PG Music Staff
|
OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992 |
I find that even though I've been involved in music all my life, I've only scratched the surface of what I can learn and explore. If I live to be 140 I'm sure I'll never learn it all. And I guess that's what keeps it interesting.
Insights and incites by Notes
That was such a lovely story. It has been really exciting to read over everyone's journey, and seeing where all the similarities are. Elements of your story reminded me of my own. It also makes me super happy that you and your wife are still playing music to this day. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992
PG Music Staff
|
|
OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992 |
Thanks for starting this topic. Some wonderful memories.
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to respond, and so thoroughly as well. It sounds like you've had a really exciting musical life story so far. I hope it only continues for you!
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992
PG Music Staff
|
|
OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992 |
.. anyway, you asked how we all got started; wasn't much of a choice for me.
If given the chance, would you do it all over again? Do you think you would have still gravitated towards music even if your parents pushed for it?
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,507
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,507 |
If given the chance, would you do it all over again? In a word yes I think I'd have been drawn into it anyway. Your original question was about how it happened. That's how it happened for me. Evidence shows music (especially theory/reading) affects mental growth in a positive way, so yeah, I'd do it all over again. If I had the opportunity I'd try to do it all over again but even better.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Cool thread. I too got started young, about 8 I think with accordian. My mother was a champion swing dancer in the 50's in LA and was even offered a contract at Warner Brothers but declined. Years later I asked why and she said she was pregnant with my sister and that was it. My step father was a big band singer so like most of you music was all over the house.
Everybody loved Lawrence Welk and I really liked Myron Floren so my grandmother started me with lessons. I was in a 36 piece accordian orchestra and we took first place at the Western States Accordian Festival in '57 and '58 playing Toccata and Fugue in Dm and Victory at Sea. I was 12 and 13 then. We had the original orchestra charts and had to transpose in our heads, I was 2nd Trombone, then first. When I started high school accordians were definitely not cool and I stopped playing until I joined the Air Force in '64.
Sitting in the Airmens club in Misawa Japan was a decent upright piano with a bunch of sheet music on it. One was Baby Elephant Walk and I had just seen the movie so I started noodling it off the music and figured it out so I switched to Pink Panther. A guy came up to me and asked if I wanted to play in a GI band on the base. That's where it really started. I picked up what has to be the first version of a Yamaha Electone organ. Now I play all keyboards but the B3 is still my main thing.
I could write a book but to jump forward I got out of the service and joined a Vegas show group in 69 and toured all over North America from Canada to Florida to Hawaii for 5 years and wound up in Richmond Virginia. The group had decided we had enough of the road, the bandleader was from there and we got a house gig at a place called the Black Cat. We did a lot of recording in a local studio.
Pat Benatar became our girl singer, before she made it of course. She was actually our third girl singer and the other two were just as good as she is. We did an album with her and two singles. We tried to be rock stars but it was close but no cigar. That band finally broke up and I moved to Calgary Alberta with my wife who was from there. I was a union booking agent there and was still gigging 6 nights a week for another 10 years. At one point I was in a pretty good country band which was a complete change for me and also a lot of fun. I was playing my B3 with a steel player. Sounded pretty good. Country stompers really like to party and they were good people too.
Another leap forward, I wound up back in LA about 25 years ago and my gigging went to being a weekend warrior. At age 72 I'm still doing it, I did three gigs on Catalina island over this past New Years, and I have a local bar gig booked April 27 and a few more gigs lined up later this year and I know I'll get a few more calls.
Music has been in my life all of my life and I'll never give it up. I'll gig until I can't do it anymore it's that simple.
I've analyzed myself and the results are quite plain. I'm a ham, always have been. When I heard the old joke "When I open the refrigerator door and the light comes on, I'll do 10 minutes in front of a dead chicken" I knew that was me. Deserved or not when people come up to me and say how much they enjoyed my playing, I love it. Give me more, more, MORE!
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,747
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,747 |
My mom used to sing a lot and taught me to sing harmony. She bought a piano and I started piano lessons at 7 yrs of age. Soon I was learning the top 40 radio stuff by ear and singing with the piano. At some point, I joined the school band as a drummer because the sticks and practice pad was only a few bucks and a one time purchase as opposed to buying or renting some other instrument. So I learned drums and percussion and was the only drummer in the school orchestra and the only white boy in the drum section of the HS Marching band. I didn't like the marching band and would miss the games so I was "punished" by being thrown out of the marching band..... gee shucks....!
I was going to a summer camp where the councilors would play acoustic guitars and sing Bob Dylan songs and other folk songs and I determined that the guitar was my real calling. So I asked my mom for a .22 rifle for my 14th birthday. I really wanted a rifle..... but my mom thought the rifle was a bit too dangerous and she told me no rifle. So, I selected the next thing on my wish list.......a guitar. So at 14 I got my first guitar. I'd come home from school and head to the bedroom and put records on and learn the chords and play along by ear. It didn't take long until I got an electric guitar and started a jam band with some friends. Little did my mom know the damage I would wrought with that guitar..... looking back, the rifle would probably have been the safer option.
So, I essentially grew up in a house where there was music all the time. We had records playing more than the TV would be on. I was encouraged to play music. My dad grew up in the depression and told me that if I could play the piano and guitar and sing, I could always use those talents to get a meal. Musta been some hard times in the 30's.
After growing up, I played in a few garage bands..... no gigs, but tons of fun..... then I started playing in better bands where I actually made some money..... tuxedo bands (hated those), country rock bands ( we starved), and a few bands that knew how to connect the dots on the business end. I actually made my living from music with a band for the better part of 3 years. No daytime job..... just work on music, practice with the band, go play gigs. Now that was a fun time. And yeah.... the money was really good as well so what's not to like about that?
After that band, I took a few daytime jobs and got a call to play in a house band. A house band will ruin you. It was easy..... close to home, no set-up tear-down, no late night drive home, and good money. I played there for 2.5 years until I saw the signs the end was near. At that point I started buying studio gear and started working on writing and recording more than I had because the technology was starting to fall into place at affordable prices.
Long story short..... BiaB and Sonar..... here I 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
My mom used to sing a lot and taught me to sing harmony. That really hit a note with me. My mother was a singer in a local Slovenian singing group, and when I was starting music she spent an hour with me almost every day teaching me abut harmony and melody. And I remember to this day that we used to sing "The Blue Skirt Waltz" over and over again. We would go through it a few times and then she would say "Okay. Now you switch to the harmony part." And I would whine and whine abut having to change parts. She sat me done and said "Listen tome. If you really want to be a musician, you HAVE to know how to hear harmony parts and hi them clean the first time. Hear those parts in your head. Above the melody AND below it. It's just something you have to do if you want to play music." Interestingly enough, she also made me learn how to dance to the waltz and the polka. She told me "One of these is in 3 part time and the other is in 4. This will help you with your sense of rhythm." And of course, she was right. My strongest suit in my band years was my rhythm and my accuracy singing harmony. Perfect pitch helped, but the ear training was key. The down side is that to this day I can't hear The Blue Skirt Waltz without tears forming (as they are right now). You just don't know when you are 5 or 6 what life lesson is going to be important. I tried to record it a few years ago and I can't get all the way through it without the memory sticking its head in and causing me to choke up. I should try again. I really wanted a rifle..... but my mom thought the rifle was a bit too dangerous and she told me no rifle. Did you get the official "You'll shoot your eye out" thing like I did? I wish mom were alive so I could tell her 'I have a rifle now, and still have both eyes. They may not work as well as I wish, but I never shot my eye out!" I got an electric guitar and started a jam band with some friends. And soon after, she bought you the rifle because gunfire is quieter than a band practicing? Isn't it great to have supportive parents? I only had one. My father never understood, but I get it. He was raised during the depression, and to him it wasn't work unless there was a time card and a lunch box involved. They were truly yin and yang as far as supporting my craft. I remember the time I finally had enough and told him something close to "Why is it so hard for you to understand that I don't want to be what you are? Arts isn't your thing but remember you guys sent me to music lessons all those years. Now when I am using that training to work in the field you are fighting me on it. What do you think I do every night? I load equipment. I set it up. I play 3 hours of music. Then I load equipment into the truck and then my stuff into my car. My average work day is from about 5pm when I leave my apartment until about 4am when I am finally home and unload everything. I go to sleep about 8 and get up about 3 so I can do it all again. And on what you'd call a day OFF, I get up even earlier to go to rehearsal or to the recording studio. This is a JOB. And I work hard at it." Blank stares. Envious of all of you who had complete support in your formative years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 887
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 887 |
My story is going to be completly different from everyone elses. My mom was a vilionist and a my dad play the radio, but his dad was a local radio DJ in a small town in Florida near Orlando. Anyways, I have two other siblings, a brother and a sister. We all were requiered to take piano lesson at the privite school we attended. I started piano at age fives and used the Thompson books. While I was still playing piano, in fourth grade,I had to take band. I had just learned to play recorder the year before, so my mom suggested I play clarinet, but I choose the sax. I hated playing the sax! I had issues trying to blow into the mouthpiece to produce sound and I would chew up every reed I owned. Then in fifth grade, for no reason, I switch to playing snare drum. This lead up to me learing to play drum kit in middle school and high school. I performed with a firend at a talent shown at my high school and I even played one time with the praise team, I went to a catholic hight school. Learning to play drums made me want to go to music school and I ended up going to college to study music production while playing music. It was durring my college years that I discoverd the steel pan and join the ensemble callded the Sunshine Steel Band. Learning to play the steel pan really made me want to continue with my musical career. Som as a musician now, I mainly play steel pan with the band and as a solo artist. I mainly play tenor, but will start playing double second when my new pans arrive.
P.S. My mom does not play the violin anymore eventhough we got her lessons and an electric vilion years ago. My brother played sax in school band, andsister plaied flute. My brother switched to guitar and my sister did muscal thearter......... in highschool.
Computer: Macbook Pro, 16 inch 2021
DAWs: Pro Tools, Logic, and Maschine
plays drums, percussion, bass, steel pan, keyboard,
music producer/engineer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992
PG Music Staff
|
|
OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992 |
If given the chance, would you do it all over again? In a word yes I think I'd have been drawn into it anyway. Your original question was about how it happened. That's how it happened for me. Evidence shows music (especially theory/reading) affects mental growth in a positive way, so yeah, I'd do it all over again. If I had the opportunity I'd try to do it all over again but even better. Interesting! I appreciate you taking the time to respond again and indulge my curiosity. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992
PG Music Staff
|
|
OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992 |
Cool thread. I too got started young, about 8 I think with accordian. My mother was a champion swing dancer in the 50's in LA and was even offered a contract at Warner Brothers but declined. Years later I asked why and she said she was pregnant with my sister and that was it. My step father was a big band singer so like most of you music was all over the house.
Everybody loved Lawrence Welk and I really liked Myron Floren so my grandmother started me with lessons. I was in a 36 piece accordian orchestra and we took first place at the Western States Accordian Festival in '57 and '58 playing Toccata and Fugue in Dm and Victory at Sea. I was 12 and 13 then. We had the original orchestra charts and had to transpose in our heads, I was 2nd Trombone, then first. When I started high school accordians were definitely not cool and I stopped playing until I joined the Air Force in '64.
Music has been in my life all of my life and I'll never give it up. I'll gig until I can't do it anymore it's that simple.
I feel like the accordion is such an underrated instrument. I really like the sounds it can produce. Also, thank you for sharing your story -- that's so insanely cool that your mom was offered a contract with Warner Brothers! We actually have a pretty large swing dance community out this way. I've never been, but I'd like to go sometime! The music is so fabulous.
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992
PG Music Staff
|
|
OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,992 |
I didn't like the marching band and would miss the games so I was "punished" by being thrown out of the marching band..... gee shucks....!
I was going to a summer camp where the councilors would play acoustic guitars and sing Bob Dylan songs and other folk songs and I determined that the guitar was my real calling. So I asked my mom for a .22 rifle for my 14th birthday. I really wanted a rifle..... but my mom thought the rifle was a bit too dangerous and she told me no rifle. So, I selected the next thing on my wish list.......a guitar. So at 14 I got my first guitar. Wow, a rifle or a guitar ... crazy! I can't imagine ever asking my parents for a gun. I had a hard enough time with asking for a guitar!  I had to cut so many lawns in order to pay for half of it. That sucks you got kicked out of the marching band, but I suppose if you didn't like it it's not too much of a loss? Hopefully you weren't too disappointed!
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,013
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,013 |
I (Bud) was late to the musician party. However I grew up listening to all night radio and walking around during the day with a little transistor radio -- loved music from my absolute earliest memories. Later I had a band booking business in college and along with a biz partner recorded garage bands on leased studio time. After grad school and early into my long hospital admin career I decided I was gonna learn an instrument. I was surrounded by friends who played bluegrass so I took up guitar and stuck with it until I became reasonably proficient. At that point my friends had formed a band and told me they didn't need another guitar so I was to be the bass player  And for decades I played that upright - the one that now gathers dust in a corner. Janice has been musical all her life. She played clarinet in high school and her 96 year old mother still plays piano. I showed her a few chords on the guitar and along with encouragement from our friend and mentor the great Randy Howard she quickly became a fine rhythm player on guitar and mandolin and began to sing. We had been married for seven years before I even knew she could sing -- not sure she knew either. But Randy was a grammy nominated artist who had recorded with Nashville's best and when he heard her first vocal efforts he knew there was something there. He passed away too soon and we never do anything musical w/o thinking of him. Had he not heard her singing under her breath and encouraged her I wouldn't be typing this! For anybody interested here is a one page summary of him on our website. We do miss him. Randy Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,475
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,475 |
I feel like the accordion is such an underrated instrument. I really like the sounds it can produce.
I agree. It can be quite an expressive instrument in the right hands. I played in a band with a Cordovox player, and since at that time accordion was considered hokey, he split it in half, put it on a stand and it became an organ to the audience (Cordovox accordions could be played electric). Many years later I played an "Italian Fest" in our town, on our breaks a strolling accordion player walked around, and he played so beautifully, so sensitively, and so emotionally it put the accordion up in my mind as one of the most expressive keyboard instruments. But then, every instrument in the right hand sings, doesn't it? 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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,747
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,747 |
I didn't like the marching band and would miss the games so I was "punished" by being thrown out of the marching band..... gee shucks....!
I was going to a summer camp where the councilors would play acoustic guitars and sing Bob Dylan songs and other folk songs and I determined that the guitar was my real calling. So I asked my mom for a .22 rifle for my 14th birthday. I really wanted a rifle..... but my mom thought the rifle was a bit too dangerous and she told me no rifle. So, I selected the next thing on my wish list.......a guitar. So at 14 I got my first guitar. Wow, a rifle or a guitar ... crazy! I can't imagine ever asking my parents for a gun. I had a hard enough time with asking for a guitar! I had to cut so many lawns in order to pay for half of it. That sucks you got kicked out of the marching band, but I suppose if you didn't like it it's not too much of a loss? Hopefully you weren't too disappointed! Nahhhh... getting kicked out of the marching band..... an answered prayer. My mom was mad.... but I just told her I forget there were games that were mandatory.... no big loss. I still played in the band and the orchestra in school..... just not permitted the "privilege" of dressing in gold and black, wearing a goofy hat, and standing on a football field sideline freezing my butt off.... Regarding the rifle.... my mom never did buy one for me... I had to wait until I was 18 and in the USMC stationed in NC where I could walk into a gun store and fill out some paperwork and walk out with a cool new rifle. Nothing like the hoops you have to jump through in gun hating NJ where I was born and raised. I bought a Black Star Nylon 66 with chromed parts and a scope. Still have that same rifle.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
I feel like the accordion is such an underrated instrument. I really like the sounds it can produce.
Just not at the nudist place. You'd hear some interesting "sounds" from the accordion player when those bellows closed.... Particularly if is it Vlasta, the Polka Queen! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,408
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,408 |
I started playing the trumpet when I was 8 years old. When in middle school I was marching in the high school band. Our band won a number of NY State marching championships.
When I was a sophomore our symphonic band needed French horn players so I changed from trumpet to French horn. A year later I was first chair French horn in the symphonic band and first chair trumpet in the marching band.
When I was 14 I started playing guitar.
After high school I was in a rock and R&B band playing guitar and trumpet but severe asthma forced me to quit both trumpet and gigging. But a couple of years later I got an offer to play in a wedding band because at the time I was one of the few guitarist around here that could improvise, play rock and read music. The places wedding bands play are better than the bar scene so along with my asthma meds all was good. Thus I stayed with the wedding band scene for a long time, fronting my own group for years.
About 15 years ago I got full lung capacity back and a few years later I bought my wind controller. I also started playing bass around the same time and I have been teaching guitar since about 1969 and bass since about 2010.
Love is grand.
Divorce is twenty grand!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
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.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,904
Posts797,553
Members39,982
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean