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2B, Let me correct myself, as Matt pointed out in jazz, drums are not the loudest. I am using a generality that applies to rock and pop if there ARE drums. Yes it is about radio ready, but it also about sound in general and the phenomenon of perceived loudness which I will get to it just a bit. (Fingers on a chalkboard are a good example of perceived loudness. They may not actually be that loud but boy do they sound loud, and boy are they as annoying as all get out.) You start with drums and move them to the loudest level you would get to in your head room, let's say that is -9 dB. The drum track if you have a single one from Real Tracks (though I always triple the Drum Real Tracks and add different EQs to each track) or the DRUM BUS if you have many different drum tracks (kick, snare, etc.) will fluctuate from about -12 to -9 as the drums are hitting. (Or something in that range.) -9 is considered your "crest". This is more of a level thing than a "loudness thing" but I was using loudness as a relative term. Because guitars are more "cutting" their levels have to be lower by a hair than the drums. This gets into the science of "perceived loudness." Technically they may not "be" louder but they will "sound" louder if you are not careful. Now you want to to nudge the bass up until it just hugs the drum line at -9 but is not louder than the drums or it will sound wrong. We are talking fractions of a dB here. You have have to use a bass-specific EQ and compressor with bass specific presets or the bass will bleed over on the bottom and make things sound mushy. You have to experiment. The bass and drums are by far the most important elements of any song that has them, except for the vocals. Don't believe me? Go listen to Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor and tell me what the two loudest instruments are. You may be surprised. You have to experiment with the other instruments, but generally they will be -.3dB to .-.5dB lower than the drums or people will say "all I can is guitar and where did the drums go!" THEN, on vocals, GENERALLY speaking, you want the vocals to be about 1 dB to 1.5 dB higher than all the instruments (called the "bed), though you have to ride the fader. When I mix all my other instruments (drums included) I am "in the green" on my master fader meter at about -9 to - 8 dB. By this I mean that whenever I get to the almost final mix, I adjust the master bus fader until the bed minus vocals is mostly green and somewhere between -9 and - 7 db with just a hint of orange on the right hand meter strip on the master bus that shows actual dB levels. When the vocals come in, I want to see that they add about 1.5 dB (or as high as 2 dB at times) to the mix which will give me what looks like a little orange "cap" on the mix but I will have plenty of headroom because I am far from 0 dB. (The color scheme I am referring to is in Sonar, but all DAWS have some sort of color scheme for DB level levels on the master.) Now, I will listen and tweak until it sounds about perfect. Using meters, I am looking for these numbers: About 12 LUFS about 12 RMS about 10 to 9 Dynamic range. If I see these number and I know my vocals are on top because I can see them, and I ride that fader to keep them consistently higher than the bed, I know I am ready to mix down. Once you have the mix, you will have plenty of room to boost it in the mastering process without getting distortion. This is critical. If you have already made it as loud as you can before you master, your song will be ear-splitting and no one will want to listen to it. If you listen to my latest song Judgment day, I used exactly this process to get that sound which Joe at PG Music called "good timbre." It is a complex mix because there are three electrics coming out of an amp, and three acoustic parts, plus piano, vocals and strings. But I used exactly the method I just described and I believe the separation of the instruments is good and the sound is clear. What I just described is exactly how I did it. Hope that helps. https://soundcloud.com/david-snyder-gigs2/judgment-day
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Ed,
That Joe Walsh video is GREAT! What a nice tutorial about guitar set up. Entertaining as all get out too.
Thanks for taking time to share the link with us.
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Just realized that the original post in this thread was the poster’s only post
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Ed,
That Joe Walsh video is GREAT! What a nice tutorial about guitar set up. Entertaining as all get out too.
Thanks for taking time to share the link with us. Sure thing, Jim. He goes thru it for demonstration purposes. When lengthening a string, be sure to release the tension first to avoid strain on the adjustment screw. Just sayin'
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Thanks, David. This helps a lot and makes sense.
2b
i5-3210 laptop. Win 10 Home. 2.5ghz, 64 bit. 6gb RAM. Focusrite Scarlet 2i2.
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Thanks for saying thanks, 2B.
It takes a lot of time to respond to a poster's original question with specific technical instructions on how to do what the OP was looking to do (to the best of one's knowledge.)
That is really nice etiquette on your part and I appreciate it. It is that type of etiquette that makes people willing to help.
Happy Holidays.
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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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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!
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-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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- 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
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- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
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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!
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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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows 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 Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows 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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