Background: I wrote this after I went through a DVD guitar instruction course by the master jazz guitarist Robert Conti. He liked it enough that it is a featured video on his web site, https://www.robertconti.com/players-gallery/
It's a short fun video that features some of the concepts from the course.
****** Song Summary ************* Title: Weighed Down File:Weighed Down.SGU Key=C , Tempo 120, Length (m:s)=1:44 No intro. 48 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 48. Repeat x1 chorus No Melody No Soloist track. Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0, Style is _LAZYJZM.STY (Piano Trio Medium Slow)
RealTracks in style: ~768:Bass, Acoustic, Jazz Sw 110 RealDrums [in style:JazzBrushes: a: Brushes Swirling b: Brushes Busier
*******************
I used the DAW Reaper, No effects on the BIAB tracks Guitars were through a Quilter Micropro amp mic'd with an sm57, EQ and compression plugins in Reaper Vocal, MCA SP1, In reaper EQ Compression Tape Saturation, In a bus ReaVerb plugin with a smallplate IR
Stuck in the pentatonics, eh? Nice break out! I love this type of simple jazz blues. I can't comment on the recording aspects of guitar work, but I really enjoyed the performance and the overall sound. Very pleasing!
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
You certainly delivered a smooth vibe to the song and production, something like a cross between Michael Franks and Vince Jones.
Really liked it.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Totally loved it! I, too, finger pick on almost all my songs. Nice tone on both guitars and really smooth playing. You have a nice touch on the strings.
Sounding good, Frank! No surprise to me that Conti would enjoy that. You get great guitar sounds and your mixes are crisp.
Speaking of Conti, I found a .50mm Tortex Jazz III pick the other day and have been using it since. (Conti uses a .38mm Nylon pick which makes a feather seem stiff.)
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
Wow all, thanks for taking the time to listen and comment.
Originally Posted By: Tano Music
Stuck in the pentatonics, eh? Nice break out! I love this type of simple jazz blues. I can't comment on the recording aspects of guitar work, but I really enjoyed the performance and the overall sound. Very pleasing!
Yeah, "pentatonic box" made for a good phrase for a bit of a tongue in cheek lyric. Thanks
Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
Pretty cool jazz number there Frank
You certainly delivered a smooth vibe to the song and production, something like a cross between Michael Franks and Vince Jones.
Really liked it.
Michael Franks and Vince Jones, those are some smooth voices! 62 years old and still trying to figure out my voice. We've got to work with what we have. Cheers.
Originally Posted By: Dero13
Hello Well done composition with a well worked guitar solo. The video really plunges us into the atmosphere you wanted to create.
Best regard
Dero13 alias JaniJackFlash
Thanks... I really think I sold it to Conti with the line "Until Set Free by Robert Conti"
Originally Posted By: MarioD
You have excellent chops Frank. I liked the tonal differences between your jazz box and your tele!
Thanks... Listening back, that Tele is kind of squeaky clean, definitely a contrast. I often like a little bit of overdrive to thicken it up a bit.
Originally Posted By: Chris Dent
Cool!
Thanks for listening.
Originally Posted By: Chris Dent
Cool!
Originally Posted By: Al-David
Hi Frank ...
Totally loved it! I, too, finger pick on almost all my songs. Nice tone on both guitars and really smooth playing. You have a nice touch on the strings.
Best to you. Be safe ...
Alan
Yes, be safe... It's been an evolution and recently I realized I'm using fingers much more than a pick. I've had some health issues and my nails have become prone to chipping and cracking. So now I cut my nails short so there's pretty much just flesh hitting the strings. Turns out, I really like the tone of flesh on the strings. Cheers
Originally Posted By: Milkweed
Sounding good, Frank! No surprise to me that Conti would enjoy that. You get great guitar sounds and your mixes are crisp.
Speaking of Conti, I found a .50mm Tortex Jazz III pick the other day and have been using it since. (Conti uses a .38mm Nylon pick which makes a feather seem stiff.)
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing ... excellent!
Great tone with those fingers. We do think there's something special to that tone as we tend to like it with many of our fav blues players.
The vid was cool and well illustrated.
Nice all the way around...guitar, vocal and backing tracks.
Enjoyed it!
J&B
PS You asked about snare doubling in your response to our current song. If you look in the respective BiaB drum folder for your RD you will find an audio file that has the drum playing for a few minutes and at the end of the file are the sounds of each component of the drum kit. I cut out, for example, the snare sound and import it to my DAW (Logic Pro X) where I use the "groove track" function to get the doubled track immediately aligned with the RD snare hits. Dunno if your DAW has a similar function but you can manually align them...takes 20-30 minutes to do it that way. Since the RD is a, well real drummer, all of the hits will not be perfectly timed so you can't just align the doubled snare to the bar counts. Been doing it for years. And, of course, you can put whatever processing you prefer just on the snare or whatever you doubled. Hope this makes sense
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
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.
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.
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.
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)
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.