We are a bit weary of posts that are overly didactic and filled with imperative sentences.
You're not alone...
No, you are not alone.
So agreed.
I am hoping my comments yesterday did not cross those lines. I've seen so much of it I felt I should say something. That could be taken as me doing the same. Let me straight out say, if my opinion is different than anyone else's I do not think I'm superior. We are all human. I don't understand how some people come to the conclusions they do. No amount of "facts" they present will entirely do that. That means things like this bring out the best and worst of us. I try to focus on the person. I very much believe we are all equals. Although we have strengths and weakness unique to us; I believe we are meant to fill in the gaps for each other.
I've said my peace. Now I'm grabbing popcorn and sitting back. Stay safe all!
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
Noel-my children had to start online schooling last Tuesday. There were a few small hiccups in adjusting, but overall it has gone very well. My kids enjoy it; but do miss their friends.
In full disclosure, my children are MUCH better students than I was. They feel like they have slept in when they start their school (self paced) at 9:30am. Most days they are done around lunch, aside from waiting back for answers/feedback on what they have done.
The teachers are to be truly commended for their efforts. I can't even begin to imagine the adjustments on their side. You are one the people I would believe would adapt very well. The other side of the equation would be the willingness of the students. Of course, many will do fine. But there are the less motivated, or some that have issues at home that would make it difficult. School will be taught; with lessons coming from it far beyond the required lessons.
I truly wish you the best of luck!
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
Just informed - my doctor has discontinued routine monthly lab tests to minimize my exposure to virii. Phlebotomists are the ideal host/carrier as they make their rounds from the hospital to nursing homes.
You might ask your doctor if he/she will postpone routine labs.
We appreciate your calm, studied data-based approach. We are a bit weary of posts that are overly didactic and filled with imperative sentences.
Thank you,
J&B
Good morning, J&B.
After reading the above this morning, I went and had another look at those picture of your property that you sent a while back. Wow! I cannot imagine a better setting to self-isolate. Your wild azaleas must be coming into bloom around now.
Sitting here at my computer, when I look out the window, I can see my back fence about 15 yards away and two side fences. It looks like these are destined to be my new best friends for the immediate future
COVID-19 is worrisome. The good thing, though, is that there is a huge amount of knowledge and experience in the world that is now accessible to all of us via the internet and global media. This makes things a whole heap less frightening.
Australians experienced the value of having ready access to information in our recent bushfires. The fires were the worst that we'd ever seen but the loss of life was the kept well below what had become the norm for such events. People even survived in their homes with fires raging all around them because they had a plan that was based on expertise. Here is one brave young woman who captured some of her journey through the fire on video.
This was pretty amazing to me because I'd never heard of this kind of bravery happening before to such an extent as we saw in these fires. It made me realise that what might seem "impossible" today truly can become "I'm possible" tomorrow.
I cannot imagine what the Spanish Flu epidemic back in the early 1900s must have been like when all anyone could see and know about was their own back yard.
It greatly reassures me that when I want to find out the latest way to deal with COVID-19, all I need do is consult Google and read what experts around the world are saying. Their strategies increase my chances of getting through today. Then, when the worst passes, I'll worry about what comes next.
I hope that all is well for you both and that you stay safe.
Noel-my children had to start online schooling last Tuesday. There were a few small hiccups in adjusting, but overall it has gone very well. My kids enjoy it; but do miss their friends.
I truly wish you the best of luck!
Thanks, Caaron.
Face-to-face contact is definitely important for emotional growth. Some subjects thrive on discussion and the bouncing around of ideas from student to student. While this is possible online, it's a little harder to manage.
I teach years 11 and 12 and, because of this, I have it a bit easier than many teachers. So far, it's been an adventure for my classes and me and everyone has approached online lessons with good, positive frames of mind.
It will be interesting to see where we go with this as the future unfolds.
I wish you and your family the very best in these times of uncertainty.
Just informed - my doctor has discontinued routine monthly lab tests to minimize my exposure to virii. Phlebotomists are the ideal host/carrier as they make their rounds from the hospital to nursing homes.
You might ask your doctor if he/she will postpone routine labs.
Hi Don,
That's a really good thought about postponing regular testing. I haven't read that before. Thanks for passing it on.
My next door neighbour is in her mid-90s and lives by herself in her own home. I'll pass this thought on to her.
I hope that things are going well for you and that you and your family are travelling through this in the best way possible.
Australia's unemployment is at record levels because of corona virus. Centrelink is the government agency that handles all those who are unemployed. The queues at these agencies are enormous.
This morning I read a really heart-warming story in the paper and I thought I would share it. Sometimes it seems like there are just not enough good news stories at the moment. I hope this article inspires. As I read it, I tried to imagine how the people at the receiving end of this good deed must have felt.
Originally Posted By: The Age
In these bleak times, it's nice to be reminded of just how extraordinary people can be.
Take lawyer and businessman John* (who did not want to use his real name), who rolled up to the Box Hill Centrelink this week and started handing out $100 notes, or as he calls them, "lettuce leaves".
"I came here as a six-year-old from a village in Greece and this country has been good to me," he said.
"I was watching the queues at Centrelink – all those people lining up just so they could buy food for their families – and it made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't take it anymore."
John went to his bank and withdrew the maximum amount of $10,000.
"I started at the back of the line so I didn't miss anyone," he said. "I still had money left over so I went in the building and made sure everyone inside got some too.
"That day they just needed instant relief. These are just innocent people who, through no fault of their own, can't put food on the table.
"There is a lot of wealth in this country and we can ship some of that off so people can get back on their feet, that's all there is to it.
"If everyone who is a little better off can take out what they can and hand out some lettuce leaves, do you know how much better we will be?"
Just as well, I'm not keen on sitting around in waiting rooms trying to stay 6 feet away, nor do I feel comfortable going to a place where sick people need to go.
I have a routine teeth cleaning appointment at my dentist - cancelled
Same for the waiting room and sitting in a chair with my mouth open while someone who may have touched a COVID person without knowing it hovering over me.
We're learning how to disinfect things with dilute Clorox so we can grocery shop safely.
Since all our gigs until October have been cancelled, we are in economic isolation.
Fortunately 24/7/365 is not enough time for Leilani and me to spent together. It's actually fun to be together all day and night with no other commitments. We're working on style and fake "disks" for Band-in-a-Box.
It's warm out mid 80s in the day and upper 60s at night, the windows are open, the sea breeze is drifting through, the birds chirp all day long, and life is pretty good this way.
It's like we are musicians on a 7 month break.
But we do miss gigging. It's a very fun thing for us to do.
This too will eventually pass.
Stay healthy every one.
Notes
PS, if I crossed over the line airing my frustration, please accept my humble apologies. March is supposed to be our big money month and April tied with February in second place.
Our doctor visits have been cancelled. Our vet and dog grooming appointments have been cancelled. Our routine dentist appointments have been cancelled. My dental implant appointment has been cancelled. So here I sit with a gab in my teeth, a very noticeable gab as it is in the front. Think Alfred E. Newman with the gab in a lower tooth.
But things could be a lot worse.
I hope everyone on these forums are safe and healthy.
It takes courage for a man to admit his wife was wrong.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I totally understand economics is not well understood among a group of musicians. Notes made a point that he doesn't care if hedge fund managers go broke. Ok, what would make them go broke? What is their money based on?
The stock market. What is the stock market based on? All the companies we all know and some love. Apple, GM, IBM, Chevron, Airlines, Tech, Healthcare and on and on. If the wealthy people who own tons of stock go broke it's because the market crashed. Why would the market crash? Because all these companies crashed. What makes them crash? Nobody is buying what they're selling. What do these companies do? They hire people to work for them, millions and millions of people who are then out of work.
So no, you do not want all the hedge fund managers and everybody else in the market to go broke. Very, very bad for all of us.
Here's the breakdown of the top 10% wage earners by income in 2018:
Top 0.1% of Earners $2,757,000 5.2% Top 1% of Earners $718,766 13.4% Top 5% of Earners $299,810 28.0% Top 10% of Earners $118,400 39.1%
Look at the Top 10% number. Is 118K some greedy filthy rich person who rapes and pillages the "little people"? I have a client who's a deputy sheriff, he makes 75K and his wife is a nurse who makes the same. 150K household income. Where is their retirement money? In the stock market along with millions of others in mostly 401K plans. It crashes, the hedge fund managers go broke what happens to their 401K retirement?
I'm only giving this very basic lesson in economics here because it is the main point I made earlier that we WILL be going back to work relatively soon regardless of what the virus does because we have no choice. Government emergency financial bail outs do work but they're only a temporary bridge to help us get through the emergency then everything gets back to normal. All that is what the government is there for, it's why we "mostly, haha" agree to pay taxes. They take our tax money and then pay it back out for our general welfare. All good and normal in a free society.
But, with no tax money coming in how long can a government keep giving it back to us? If you want to use the Great Depression scenario, they can do it for 10 years but that would mean the majority of the population is barely living at a minimal subsistence level.
That's why we're all back to work sooner rather than later. Could be next month, maybe 3 months, I can't predict that. But stretch it to a year? Dunno, but I doubt it. At some point we will accept the stats and just deal with it.
What would you call it then with some of the comments here?
"I Don't care how long it takes, I don't want to die" seems to be a fairly common sentiment. Remember I'm also in the high risk group and I don't want to die either but that doesn't matter to my point.
Anybody who can't understand the reasons why people need to be getting back to work sooner rather than later doesn't understand economics.
Good news is it's looking like this could be moot anyway. Even though the numbers in the hardest hit areas are still going up, the rate of growth is beginning to look linear rather than exponential. Even when someone says that's only due to everybody being home and not working still misses a very big point. When we all get back to work, it will not be like before this virus hit. There will be very strong sanitary measures being taken so no, I don't see the virus starting to rage through the population again.
The other thing I believe is that now that everybody is totally shocked into being so clean and sanitary the rates of infection from all the other things we are at risk from like flu, colds, bacterial and all that will be down a lot. That should offset some of the COVID 19 numbers.
And, these two comments doesn't take into account new therapies being worked on right now that can handle this thing. I'm getting fairly optimistic about this.
I'd be interested in seeing those reports that show the spread is now linear. Looking at today's CDC data I am not seeing that.
As for "new therapies being worked on right now" this is something to hope for but nothing exists yet. The malaria drug "solution" has already killed healthy people.
We def need to remain hopeful but the problem with unwarranted optimism is that it encourages unsafe behavior that makes the problem worse.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 60 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until December 31, 2025. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49. Browse the full contents of each package and listen to demos here.
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
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 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.
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.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
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