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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92 |
For starters, I just got biab and i have never dabbled in home recording. Well, I had a 4 channel cassette recorder 15 years ago that I mixed some stuff up, but thats about it.
I play guitar, Im just getting back into it as I have not played it for around 15 years ago. (marrige,kids, career,etc)
I have a few guitars but my main is a fender strat that I run thru a digitech pedal processor for tones.
Thats about it.
1.What equipment do you guys recommend I need to develope good music? What equipment do you guys use?
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I noticed in biab that when I do a chord progression sometimes the chord changes are not clean.
2.I have setup biab to vsc dxi with asio4all audio.Is this good? Or does it make the chord changes dirty?
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This next question probably relates to the first but, I dont have a dedicated soundcard. Im thinking, now that Im dealing with sounds and want great quality, I should get one.
3. Do I really need a dedicated soundcard?
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I noticed in some of the files that there is tutorials with instruction audio clips.
4. How do I view the tutorials with audio clips in biab?
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Relates to question 1 but my guitar runs through my processor and gets alot of feedback from nearby electronics, computer monitors,etc.
5.Now that I got biab and practising with it, Im finding the area feedback unbearable at my desk infront of the computer. How do you guys deal with it? what can I do to get a clean sound?
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I have a few more questions but I dont want to make you guys read a book. lol
Cheers!
6 strings. 24 frets. An infinite amount of possibilities.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
A small mixer (I have a Behringer) and some earphones would solve that pronto. You can record into band in a box, but I suggest you start with the videos. You can find them on the site. Long and McQuade man..... http://www.long-mcquade.com/departments/33/21/0/0/check the 5 channel mixer 58 bucks, must know the store, Bloor get off at Ossington..not open on Sundays though. List your gear after your signature, computer, guitars, operating system, best way to get help. I'm a keyboard midi guy with too much gear, last trip to Toronto I got the Bose L1 Model 2, it was only 4 grand. Only.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
by the way look at this thread from a few weeks back and read what Carlos wrote....his english is not great but then listen to his songs. http://www.pgmusic.com/ubbthreads/showfl...ge=7#Post240572
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 39
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Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 39 |
Hi,
I'm a guitarist too, here's what I would suggest:
use headphones to record your guitar sounds and turn off your external speakers and any other equipment you don't use to reduce interference & hum when you're recording
As you have a strat - standard single coil pickups are inherently noisier than humbuckers (premium modern single coils are sold as noiseless however). Make sure your guitar has shielding inside to reduce noise. Also roll the volume and tone pots back on the strat, that might reduce noise too
use quality leads between your guitar and digitech, and digitech to PC
experiment with gain and volume settings on the digitech and pc soundcard input mixer. You might find that a little less gain on the digitech reduces signal noise alot. If you don't get this right, your recordings will still sound distorted regardless of how much you spend on soundcards
To answer your specific question on 'great' sound quality...
Get a decent soundcard, inboard or outboard. You will find the separation of instruments and depth of sounds is amazing compared to a standard card. I have an EMU 0404 outboard - lots of inputs & outputs, mixing of signals etc and the clarity of sound is impressive
Get the best monitor speakers you can, they will bring out the best in your music. Monitor speakers are designed to faithfully reproduce the recorded sounds i.e. there is no coloration that you can get with hifi speakers. I have Tapco monitors by Mackie and again, they sound fantastic
Once you have a decent soundcard, don't forget your headphones may need upgrading. And always use quality cables to hook everything up!
hope this helps
regards,
Martin
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92 |
Thanks for the link John...
it indeed answer a few questions.
Im off to long and mcquade...
Cheers!
6 strings. 24 frets. An infinite amount of possibilities.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92
Enthusiast
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|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92 |
Thanks Martin,
Im going to pick up an out soundcard/mixer things. Or at least see whats out there. I havent been to a music store in a decade. I might break the bank!
Cheers!
6 strings. 24 frets. An infinite amount of possibilities.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
With the Digitech and the Strat, good cables and a fair to good soundcard with Line Inputs on it, you should be able to make a pro quality recording with just that stuff. Not kidding.
As for noise of single coil pups, we Strat lovers wouldn't have it any other way.
Biggest noise prob in home recording with the PC may be noise emanating from your video monitor. You can tell real fast if the monitor is the noise source by switching it off midstream and continuing to record a bit more, then switch it back on and hit Stop, give a listen. Sometimes simply moving away from the monitor a bit or turning a 90 degree angle away from it while recording reduces the interference enough.
It is practice, both at the instrument and with the recording system, that makes good recordings. Equipment is a factor, but not as big a factor as many want to make it to be. You've got two pieces of very good equipment in that Digi and your Strat. It is a poor carpenter who blames his tools.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92 |
True Mac.
You can have the best equipment in the world, it doesnt make u a better player.
But having the right equipment does motivate one to practise more. And practise is what I need and now is effortless with biab.
6 strings. 24 frets. An infinite amount of possibilities.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
If you are playing guitar and wish to record it, you don't really need a mixer.
Matter of fact, it would just be sitting there adding one more level of thermal noise to your signal chain, needlessly.
The Line Outputs, Stereo, of the Digi, into the two Line Inputs L and R of the soundcard and record to a Stereo track.
Why Stereo? Because many of the digital simulations take advantage of the Stereo field. You can still PAN a stereo track L or R in the mix later if need be. This goes doubly so for effects like rotating speakers, speaker simulators, etc. Or a slapback echo that slaps from side to side. Or Stereo Tremolo moving back and forth. etc.
The Digi can handle any EQ or tone situation needed here.
Be sure to use the Speaker Cabinet simulation. Nothing sounds as sparse as a Direct Injected electric guitar. The speakers of your amp are part of the sound. Digital Speaker Simulation is a good thing, allowing us the freedom to use Direct Injection and heaphones so as not to disturb, yet have the sound of as many speaker cabinets as your virtual guitar amp pedal can provide. Totally silent recording technique that plays back like six Marshall stacks in an arena, if that's what you want.
--Mac
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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.
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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!
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Video: New User Interface (GUI)
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!
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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.
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