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I'd like to make one last point. In my mind it's more important to learn how to use the tools you have than acquire more tools. You can have access to the most expensive and best sounding recording equipment available but non of that counts for much until you learn to use it.
Record with what you have! Have fun! Make mistakes! You haven't experienced recording until you recorded the perfect track ... and then accidentally erased it! I've heard recordings on the internet that were recorded with a media player (MP3 player) that sound better than anything I'll ever record. But these people have spent hours learning the limitations of their equipment and how to use the equipment to their best advantage.
Record and share the joy with us!
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Howdy Cathie....But, I think it's prudent in the long run to exceed that 2 input perception if it's within one's budget.
...It's a bottomless abyss of learning but has many rewards for those that stick with it.
Good luck on your quest.
Hi chulaivet, thank you! I appreciate your encouragement. Had to laugh at your comment about the bottomless abyss! It does feel that way some days.
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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I'd like to make one last point. In my mind it's more important to learn how to use the tools you have than acquire more tools. You can have access to the most expensive and best sounding recording equipment available but non of that counts for much until you learn to use it.
Record with what you have! Have fun! Make mistakes! You haven't experienced recording until you recorded the perfect track ... and then accidentally erased it! I've heard recordings on the internet that were recorded with a media player (MP3 player) that sound better than anything I'll ever record. But these people have spent hours learning the limitations of their equipment and how to use the equipment to their best advantage.
Record and share the joy with us! Now, Jim, I can't begin to tell you what this means to me. All this ongoing frustration has taken the joy of music out of my life. I was listening to a song I recorded in 2015, just me and Gizmo the keyboard in the dining room, and it's not perfect by any means and certainly not professional, but nothing to be embarrassed about either--and hey, it's done, it exists, and I can listen to it! And when I finished recording it, I was on fire to do more... but these days when I finally give up on a song I'm ready to tear my hair out and walk away from music forever. Definitely need to change that energy and get back the flow and love! Having all these songs waiting, waiting, waiting for me to be able to get them to work just feels stagnant to me. I want to get them in, get them done, and go on to the next one--not that I'm not willing to put in the time to make them sound good; I truly am. But I never seem to get that far. You definitely have my deep sympathies on that erased track!!! I had to do all my songs in one track before because I didn't know how to splice takes together, so the thing which got me was finally doing a perfect take and the cat meowed loudly in the last bar. **headdesk** I learned pretty fast to record at night with the air conditioner off and all the critters locked into a bedroom!! Thanks again for your encouragement. I'll keep going.
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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Hi chulaivet, thank you! I appreciate your encouragement. Had to laugh at your comment about the bottomless abyss! It does feel that way some days. You're welcome. Regarding the 'abyss'  ....I'm 74, been doing this for 40 years and I still haven't landed on the bottom. (isn't that a reassuring thought for you ) The more I learn the less I seem to know....the irony. Have a good one.... (EDIT: and Jim is correct. Learn to get the best out of the tools you have before. Great recordings have been done on MOR gear. )
Last edited by chulaivet1966; 06/02/21 01:39 PM.
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Regarding the 'abyss' ....I'm 74, been doing this for 40 years and I still haven't landed on the bottom. (isn't that a reassuring thought for you ) LOL... um... ever so reassuring? Ah well. A lifetime of learning is a good challenge to accept. I **haven't** been doing this for most of my life--dropped out of college--you might remember when they started firing music teachers wholesale and then shutting down the grade schools because "the baby boom was over"? There went MY career up in smoke. Spent the next 37 years silent inside, and the music only came back 7 years ago. It's been a challenge every step of the way, not least because my mental image of myself as a musician was a 19 year old multi-instrumentalist with speedy fingers and an impeccable sense of rhythm. OY that did not carry over! Beyond rusty!! OY! But I kept at it. After a couple years I went back to school (theory made my soul sing) and probably would have graduated and gone on for my master's but I got cancer and had to drop out again. I had expected BIAB would let me pick up where I left off but sheesh, was I wrong. Still, I think I will eventually get it. Last night I tried the song I started this thread about with a different style (Drama Pop with Thump, lol) and was just utterly blown away by how right it was and how good it sounded. Now we're back to the weak link: I still have to sing it. A person should not have to deal with stage fright in her own dining room, but yanno... microphone. **eyeroll** But I'll get there. I have tons of help from everyone here. It's going to work, maybe not on my timetable, but eventually, it's going to work.
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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Yes, you will get it to work. If I can do it anyone can!
It sounds like you have BiaB down when it come be adding chords and picking a style. That's great! Just remember baby steps. Don't try to accomplish everything a once as that is a road to total failure.
Don't feel to embarrassed as I also have in my room stage fright when it comes to a mic!
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Thank you, Mario!
I'm working on bar and chord settings now. Bar settings seem pretty straightforward, but oy, chord settings... they don't work and for the life of me I can't figure out why. It seems like a no-brainer to set shots or held chords, but so far they have zero effect.... oh, wait a minute, I'm wondering now if that's because I froze the tracks once I got a good sound? Maybe chord settings doesn't work on frozen tracks?
I made myself sing today, warmed up and everything... it was awful, really truly awful. Sheesh. My fingers are crossed it's because I put the recorder in a different place--the keyboard is usually between the recorder and me--evidently having it closer made a bigger impact than I expected, and in the opposite direction than I expected! But the good thing is that I managed to listen through the headphones while I was recording, so I had something to sing with.
And THEN (good grief, this DAY! This crazy day!) Audacity wouldn't accept the files because I brought them in the way I always do, pulled the card out of the recorder and used the card reader. So I put them on the desktop, discovered how harsh my voice sounded, and decided to check out the rest of the files on the recorder before I gave up for the day.... only to be most emphatically told multiple times that the rest of my files couldn't be moved because my desktop doesn't exist!!! This DAY... OY.
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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Yes, if a track is frozen then you can't add or delete anything. A frozen track is set in concrete, well the kind of concrete that when unfrozen turns into mud again  Just hang in there! Some days are diamonds and some days are stone, hey that may make a great song  I have had a lot of stoned days, er days of stoned, oh hell some really bad days!
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Ha! You're making me laugh, Mario! Okay, I'll unfreeze the tracks, make my changes, and refreeze them--crossin' my fingers that's the right way to do it. And today when I sing, I'll set the recorder like I do when I'm playing Gizmo. Got my fingers crossed that'll be enough to give me back my voice, sheesh... really hate to think it's actually changed. Really hope that mic placement is everything!!
Although I confess, "Rock... it's not pretty or sweet" DID cross my mind... I haven't forgotten Herb telling me it's in the attitude. I just didn't expect my attitude to be a washed-up hard-bitten country waitress with throat damage from a lifetime of smoking. **big eyes** (Never smoked a day in my life, lol!)
I really like that image, "Diamonds and Stone." It could go a lot of ways. Got lyrics? This is what I pulled from your post.
"Some days are diamond, some days are stone
Some days I'm down in the mud
Some days are concrete, I'm frozen alone
Ain't nothing flowing, no song in my blood"
I can hear a chorus coming...
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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......................
I really like that image, "Diamonds and Stone." It could go a lot of ways. Got lyrics? This is what I pulled from your post.
"Some days are diamond, some days are stone
Some days I'm down in the mud
Some days are concrete, I'm frozen alone
Ain't nothing flowing, no song in my blood"
I can hear a chorus coming... Actually I got that from a John Denver song: http://www.songlyrics.com/john-denver/some-days-are-diamonds-lyrics/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUt2zDrddIQ
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Actually I got that from a John Denver song: **laughing** Well, then. **harrumph** Dagnabble it.
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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[quote=chulaivet1966]LOL... um... ever so reassuring? Ah well. A lifetime of learning is a good challenge to accept. Agreed....that's what I was emphasizing. I was a music/geology major and glad to have some theory under my belt. That was a while back. Yep....lots of knowledgeable people here. I've had BIAB since 2012 and I've only scratched it's surface compared to others here. Have a great day....
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Gosh Cathie, All that music theory locked inside for all that time. I'm glad you now have the opportunity to seek your passion. I lucked up. I received the Band-in-a-Box ProPAK as a gift. Receiving the smallest content package forced me to concentrate on learning how to use the capabilities of Band-in-a-Box and RealBand. It took me two years to save up the money to advance to the UltraPAK; by then I had a better than average understanding of both programs. Every now and then you'll come across a forum post by a user with an older version of the programs. Generally speaking follow the links in their signature and listen to songs they've posted and I think you'll agree the tools they have they've learned to use well. One part of audio has drastically changed over the years; that is the transition from analog to digital. You also need to spend time learning how digital audio works; it differs significantly from audio. +++ Home Recording for Dummies +++ does an EXCELLENT job of presenting the basic building blocks of digital audio and home recording. One reason I suggest this book for beginners is it has been constantly updated. Edition six was released November, 2020.
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…
One part of audio has drastically changed over the years; that is the transition from analog to digital. You also need to spend time learning how digital audio works; it differs significantly from audio.
…
Home Recording for Dummies… Oh yea, When I think that my first AAW (analog audio workstation) was an Akai R-R with 'sound-on-sound' in 1968, things have come a long way. When I first recorded to an Ampex 300-4 with Sel Sync (1970?), I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Being a high school kid, I couldn't afford one of my own but my dad worked there so I had access. My basement has become the place where analog goes to die with a quartet of 4-tracks, a couple 8-tracks and over a half dozen 2-tracks of various formats. Some get dragged out to convert analog to digital. Otherwise, if I never take a razor blade to a piece of tape again, it will be way too soon. Digital is certainly different but it's skill like any other. I'll restate the recommendation I made earlier: Learn the one thing you need to know right now. Then learn the next, then the following… At some point, you'll realize that you've learned quite a bit. I'll make another. Stop reading this thread. Look at the videos, play with the demos. Heck, read the pages in the book that Jim recommends that apply to what you need to know right now. Have some fun, make some music and you'll be surprised by what you learn.
BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac
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Gosh Cathie, All that music theory locked inside for all that time. I'm glad you now have the opportunity to seek your passion. Thank you! Already had carpal tunnel syndrome when the music came back, so I had to find a different focus than playing. I've had a lot of fun learning songwriting. I suspect once I figure out how BIAB "thinks"--so that it's not such a struggle for me to find even basic info--I'll have a lot of fun learning music production, too. Thank you for the book recommendation!
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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OH MY GOSH GUYS!!! I got a vocal track in!!!!
This song's real obviously a freshaman effort and I can tell I need to remix it and maybe even change some instruments out (or add more) but I DID IT!!!!! I started with chords and a style, brought in two MIDI tracks that I wrote myself, added a RT rhythm guitar, used the bar settings to mute and unmute, and then brought in a vocal recording!!! I did it I did it!!!!
Thank you so much for all your help!!!! Woooohoooo!!!!!
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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OH MY GOSH GUYS!!! I got a vocal track in!!!!
This song's real obviously a freshaman effort and I can tell I need to remix it and maybe even change some instruments out (or add more) but I DID IT!!!!! I started with chords and a style, brought in two MIDI tracks that I wrote myself, added a RT rhythm guitar, used the bar settings to mute and unmute, and then brought in a vocal recording!!! I did it I did it!!!!
Thank you so much for all your help!!!! Woooohoooo!!!!! Congratulations. I'm impressed with how you stuck with it and worked your way through it all. Wonderful journey following along with you.
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Fantastic! This is good news. I am also impressed with how you stuck with it. I am also impressed that you asked for help along the way and didn't start complaining about how bad or difficult working with BiaB can be. I know from personal experience that most all of the difficulties I have had with BiaB were directly caused by the idiot that is typing this message
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Way to stick to it! I hope you'll post a link to it in the User Showcase.
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Thank you, guys!!! GOSH I aprreciate your support!!
I'm disappointed to tell you the vocals just aren't up to snuff. My rhythm's off just enough to make it sound out of sync. So this time I've made myself a new MuseScore with a piano and without the Ah Choir and the guitar part. (The Ah Choir was really tripping me up. Guess that just isn't a clean enough sound to sing to. 'Nuther lesson learned, eh?) I'll be able to stay in rhythm with a piano, and hopefully my pitch will be better as well----and once I've got the vocals recorded, I can rewrite that track for rhythm, bring it in as a MIDI to augment or replace the RT Piano in the style (which doesn't quite fit the mood of my song). And now I'm seriously considering using violins instead of background vocals because I like the sound better and the vocals are a little high for me. Hmmm... might even bump them up another octave!
Mario, I knew it had to be operator error because sometimes things worked right and sometimes they didn't. I just didn't understand that BIAB requires a certain order in the workflow--for instance, having to make shots and held chords before you freeze the tracks--and I didn't know to look for things being checked off by accident, like the MIDI drums being forced. My guess is that nearly all of what frustrated me so badly in the beginning was due to my not understanding the order BIAB requires.
Guys, the manual still reads like Greek to me so I'm just working my way through this OJT as best I can with all ya'lls help. **grin** I know I have a long way to go. Learning the techniques and how BIAB thinks is only the first step. Then I have to learn to mix and sheesh, I think that's gonna take some practice to train my ears to hear what fits and what doesn't. I know my song is too full right now; it should start fairly low key with a steady build to the coda but I'm already at full bore by the first chorus and it doesn't drop back as effectively as I want it to on the next verse. But then, I can fix that with a new piano part... and by dropping that rhythm guitar I was so thrilled with, shoot. Like the RT piano, it just doesn't quite fit. But that's okay, I can work around it.
Still so chuffed that I actually did it, start to finish. First draft! Now for some serious editing and revisions, and we'll see if I can come back all excited again with something you can listen to. **grin**
Love is always worth the risk.
HP laptop; Windows 10 Home 64 bit; core i5; 2.40 Ghz; 8 GB RAM; 256 GB hard drive; BIAB 2021 Build 835.
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With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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 PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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