PG Music Home Forums PG Music Product Forums Band-in-a-Box for Windows Root-5 or power chords?

It's easy. I record them live, in real time using the appropriate MIDI controller then I use a good MIDI sound source to play them back.

I do this when I make my Norton Music aftermarket styles. Everything gets recorded live, in real time, using the appropriate MIDI controller.

You have to record "Real Tracks" in real time so there is no difference there.

Of course with MIDI you can step-enter a part in a style but I never do that, it doesn't sound musical to me.

I use a lot of my own MIDI styles for that reason. I played all the parts into a MIDI sequencer in real time and then imported them into BiaB.

There are plenty of PG Music MIDI styles that are also well done (I wish had written some of them myself). I use these quite a lot as well.

I never use BiaB to play a melody or solo. Why? Playing solos or the melody is the most fun part for me, so why should I let the machine have all the fun?

At it's core Band-in-a-Box is the best auto-accompaniment program on the market. Auto-accompaniment is what BiaB started out as, new features have been added, expanding the capabilities of BiaB, but it still is primarily auto-accompaniment.

It's easier to change dynamics and other expressive devices on the comp parts than it would be if I tried to do that with the melody or solo.

One nice thing about playing melodies or solos into a sequencer in real time via MIDI is that if you hit a wrong note and keep going, you can fix the note without changing the expression of the part you played in.

On difficult parts, I'll practice them before recording until they are under my fingers. Occasionally even after practice I might flub a note or two, easy fix. I've learned to play with conviction and not be concerned about a wrong note or two.

Most of the time I get it right though, and sometimes I play too many wrong notes which means I just haven't practiced enough first - back to the woodshed.

I'm most particular when writing my styles. They get the most practice before recording and eventually inputting into the BiaB StyleMaker. It would really bother me to sell something with my name on it that I could have done better, so the extra time and work is a matter of pride.



I do preliminary work in Band-in-a-Box, export to a DAW, finish the work there, and never import back into BiaB. Why? Although I am a huge fan of BiaB and think it is a genius app, it has its limitations. There are things I can do in my DAW or MIDI Sequencer that won't go back into BiaB. One example would be ritardando and accelerando. BiaB can't do these subtle or sometimes gross expressive devices on a gradual basis (there are plenty of other examples).



I generate the parts first in BiaB, then export the very good BiaB music to a DAW and turn that very good output into something better.

I suppose you could do the same in RealBand, but I prefer single dedicated apps to multi-purpose ones. Not that either is better or worse, just personal preference.



Exactly!!!

Besides for pushing and delaying some beats to create a groove, there are also subtle things you can do like put the bass a couple of ticks in front of the kick drum to bring out the notes or a couple of ticks behind to bring out the thud of the kick drum. Move the crash cymbal a bit ahead for some aggression and so on.

BiaB styles are by their nature rather generic. They have to be. When I was new at writing styles, a customer asked for an Elvis Presley "Don't Be Cruel" style, so I wrote one. Trying to play that sequence, with it's signature guitar figure on another song just 'shouts' "Don't Be Cruel"

After exporting my BiaB song as a MIDI file, I can add any song-specific licks I want, change instrument sounds (that Rhodes might sound better as a Grand piano), move drum rolls around, change cowbells to ride cymbals (or omit them), add rit or accel and other tempo changes, change the inversion of some chords, add rhythmic kicks that the generic BiaB shot won't do, add an extended intro or ending, get rid of 3rds in "power chord" intervals, and a zillion other things that cannot be done with audio tracks.



IMO The best way to input horn parts is with a Wind MIDI controller. It takes a better keyboard player than I to get the subtle dynamics a horn player does naturally with breath. If they are just horn stabs or background sustain chords with little dynamics, I'll use the keyboard.

Same for drum parts. I use a drum controller.

I do this when I make my styles as well. Drum parts with a drum controller, wind instrument parts with a wind MIDI controller, keyboard parts with a keyboard MIDI controller, and so on.

There is more than one tool in my toolbox. Different music apps and different MIDI controllers. I try to use the most appropriate tool for the job.

In the years I've been doing this, I get better at it (practice eventually makes perfect).

And since it's music, it's all play.

If I wanted to listen to someone else's music I'd put on a CD or stream something. When playing with the music, the time passes too quickly as it does when I'm having fun.

Notes

Very well stated!

So, do you use guitar synth controllers and brass synth controllers?



Maybe. My floundering around on an instrument that I don't play could be a lot less musical, though. I wondered that back when I was working with a keyboard player who sequenced. I never felt that his bass parts sounded right. Too staccatto. He considered bringing in a guitar synth so that I could play the bass parts more "live", but that never materialized. However on a static bass part with 8th notes, I pointed out that his staccato notes generated from the keyboard would be much better served as legato into each other. He elongated the notes and the whole part grooved much better.



I agree, but often I'm putting together practice tracks for my students, with and without melody. The younger kids have a hard time understanding the Melody if it doesn't sound like it's the same instrument. If it's a uke, I can play it on the guitar, but being able to step-entet notes that sound like a uke would be easier.


I've often thought about that. In defiance to my old keyboardist's insistence of "garbage in,garbage out", why couldn't I play a part piece-meal, with rhythmic and dynamic conviction, but with a lot of my [*****]-up notes, and fix the notes later, as the phrasing and attacks are still preserved?



But then how do you get that better output back into BIAB as a style?



What about brass parts? Do you use a trumpet MIDI controller? I watched someone use the breath-control tube for a keyboard to get realistic horn parts in Beatles tunes a few years ago.

Same thought here. Keyboard players tend to play these on on keyboards and then quantize. My old keyboard player felt that the majority of the parts needed to be played in. However, he played them in on a keyboard, which seems to defeat the purpose.

<<< But then how do you get that better output back into BIAB as a style? >>>

BIAB generated tracks whether it's MIDI generated or RealTracks/RealDrums generated that have been edited and improved in a DAW can be returned to a BIAB project and replace the BIAB part or parts as User created Artist Performance Tracks (APT).

APT's can be whatever you create. APT's can be created from every sound media source recognized by BIAB.

The best way to get that better audio back into BIAB is simply import the audio back onto the Audio Channel and make the import permanent as an APT.

Here's a few reasons why and some Examples:

. An APT can be created from any single instrument, it doesn't matter if it's MIDI or RealTrack/RealDrum;
. An APT can be created with or without BIAB dynamics and plug-ins added;
. An APT can be created with volume settings, panning applied;
. An APT can be created from multiple BIAB Mixer Channels;
. An APT can be created from any BIAB Style;
. An APT created from multiple BIAB Mixer Channels can be any mixture of MIDI, MIDI Super Tracks, RealTracks, RealDrums, Samples, Loops, Live Audio and Pre-Recorded Audio;
. An APT can be created from a Channel using RealTracks can have up to 10 variations of RealTracks on that Channel;
. An APT, once it's created can easily be removed and the Channel returned to its prior state and instrument residing on the Channel before conversion to an APT;
. An APT automatically freezes the Track it's on from regeneration;
. An APT automatically saves a WAV or WMA file of the track exactly as it is at the time the Channel is converted to an APT;
. An APT automatically names the WAV or WMA file of the track;
. An APT automatically created WAV or WMA file can be imported into RealBand providing the ability to import 'Frozen' tracks that do not open when opening a BIAB song;
. An APT works with all versions, formats and years of BIAB that accept audio. (At least since 2014 releases)
. An APT is easy to share between collaborators regardless if the participants have different year and different model versions;
. An APT track retains volume settings, panning, dynamics and VST Plug-in data so Plug-Ins do not have to be reloaded into the project;