The thing I have always liked best about them is the user programmability. The ability to hold one guitar and with the turn of a knob tune down a half step, moved to open E, open G or dropped D tuning alone would make it worth my while. Especially to switch to and from slide guitar tuning. When you get into the timbres it's beyond remarkable how much they do. From 50s Les Paul to 60s Strat to Martin acoustic to 12 string... I saw a guy once doing a solo with a Variax, a looper, and a drum machine. A blind man would not have known it was not a whole band.
But Pat makes the most cogent point of all by bringing age and end of life concerns into the equation. He has chose to spend some money to own things he enjoys rather than worry abut an ever expiring future. I can't tell you how many people live a contradictory life where in one sentence they want to push every dollar into paying off their mortgage "So I can retire" and then never retire. I love and appreciate having good credit and not a lot of debt, but I will soon hit that threshold where I say "Screw the credit", run my credit cards to the max buying toys I want to enjoy, and wish the creditors well when they try to sue a dead man to recover the debt. That "richest corpse in the graveyard" mentality is just baffling to me. But I understand it from this aspect. Most of us in a certain age group are children of parent from the depression. We were taught that money is the way to keep score. And people work themselves into a stress induced stroke by age 60 trying to squeeze that last dollar out of the consumers. Just consider how it was some strange badge of courage for parents in the 60s to brag that they put their kids through college, because at that time, again based on THEIR history where college was for the elite and affluent, that made them somehow feel like they succeeded. Well, with the changing times came the changing mores. Everybody goes to college now. Most end up back in their parent's basement because they chose some obscure major that doesn't relate to the 2020s workforce. Nobody wins that scenario but the college that took $200,000 from the student (loans), and you have a 22 year old kid starting life in massive debt for an education that is meaningless in this world.
My own different drummer beats outa pattern of "Earn it, spend it, and don't worry about a tomorrow that never comes." Now, for perspective... I have always marched to my own beat. It has not always worked out, but I am what I am and would not change for anything. I am 70 and I don't even HAVE a savings account. I don't need one. Every month, you wonderful taxpayers give me enough money to pay my bills (by way of Social Security and disability) and have plenty of toy money left over. It is stable, it can never stop, and I have no threat of a medical event taking my money due to the VA taking care of veterans. So my situation is specific to me, though I won't say unique as there are a lot of me. I had a guy do some handyman work for me. At the time he was 69 (I was 65) and he said he was going to work until he had 1 million in the bank due to his all-consuming fear of a medical event that could wipe him out. He was heavily invested in order to speed up that process. I once asked him "What happens if your investments crash and burn? Then you love what you have invested. Does that mean you will NEVER retire? And what if you DO hit that million dollar goal and then NOT have that medical even that you worry so much about? You then die and leave one million bucks for the state to absorb into the state troth? And give it away to welfare people? Who wins then? Wouldn't it be a better plan to stop drinking yourself into a coma every day, to quit smoking, and improve the odds of that medical event never happening? Wouldn't that work too?
So Patrick Marr, you enjoy those new toys my friend. You worked long and hard through your life to have the stuff around you that makes you feel good! We truly have no future. We have a series of "presents", so you enjoy those new presents you bought yourself to enjoy your present!!
In a nutshell, its like owning every guitar and every amp and every effects pedal ever made. Imagine the possibilities.
I get your point... I already have almost all that (except the banjo, I threw that down in a well) in my Home Studio... but to have "virtually" all that at a live performance, would be way cool. I just don't know if I have enough live gigs left in me, to make the jump.
The thing I have always liked best about them is the user programmability. The ability to hold one guitar and with the turn of a knob tune down a half step, moved to open E, open G or dropped D tuning alone would make it worth my while. Especially to switch to and from slide guitar tuning. When you get into the timbres it's beyond remarkable how much they do. From 50s Les Paul to 60s Strat to Martin acoustic to 12 string... I saw a guy once doing a solo with a Variax, a looper, and a drum machine. A blind man would not have known it was not a whole band.
But Pat makes the most cogent point of all by bringing age and end of life concerns into the equation. He has chose to spend some money to own things he enjoys rather than worry abut an ever expiring future. I can't tell you how many people live a contradictory life where in one sentence they want to push every dollar into paying off their mortgage "So I can retire" and then never retire. I love and appreciate having good credit and not a lot of debt, but I will soon hit that threshold where I say "Screw the credit", run my credit cards to the max buying toys I want to enjoy, and wish the creditors well when they try to sue a dead man to recover the debt. That "richest corpse in the graveyard" mentality is just baffling to me. But I understand it from this aspect. Most of us in a certain age group are children of parent from the depression. We were taught that money is the way to keep score. And people work themselves into a stress induced stroke by age 60 trying to squeeze that last dollar out of the consumers. Just consider how it was some strange badge of courage for parents in the 60s to brag that they put their kids through college, because at that time, again based on THEIR history where college was for the elite and affluent, that made them somehow feel like they succeeded. Well, with the changing times came the changing mores. Everybody goes to college now. Most end up back in their parent's basement because they chose some obscure major that doesn't relate to the 2020s workforce. Nobody wins that scenario but the college that took $200,000 from the student (loans), and you have a 22 year old kid starting life in massive debt for an education that is meaningless in this world.
My own different drummer beats outa pattern of "Earn it, spend it, and don't worry about a tomorrow that never comes." Now, for perspective... I have always marched to my own beat. It has not always worked out, but I am what I am and would not change for anything. I am 70 and I don't even HAVE a savings account. I don't need one. Every month, you wonderful taxpayers give me enough money to pay my bills (by way of Social Security and disability) and have plenty of toy money left over. It is stable, it can never stop, and I have no threat of a medical event taking my money due to the VA taking care of veterans. So my situation is specific to me, though I won't say unique as there are a lot of me. I had a guy do some handyman work for me. At the time he was 69 (I was 65) and he said he was going to work until he had 1 million in the bank due to his all-consuming fear of a medical event that could wipe him out. He was heavily invested in order to speed up that process. I once asked him "What happens if your investments crash and burn? Then you love what you have invested. Does that mean you will NEVER retire? And what if you DO hit that million dollar goal and then NOT have that medical even that you worry so much about? You then die and leave one million bucks for the state to absorb into the state troth? And give it away to welfare people? Who wins then? Wouldn't it be a better plan to stop drinking yourself into a coma every day, to quit smoking, and improve the odds of that medical event never happening? Wouldn't that work too?
So Patrick Marr, you enjoy those new toys my friend. You worked long and hard through your life to have the stuff around you that makes you feel good! We truly have no future. We have a series of "presents", so you enjoy those new presents you bought yourself to enjoy your present!!
In a nutshell, its like owning every guitar and every amp and every effects pedal ever made. Imagine the possibilities.
I get your point... I already have almost all that (except the banjo, I threw that down in a well) in my Home Studio... but to have "virtually" all that at a live performance, would be way cool. I just don't know if I have enough live gigs left in me, to make the jump.
I totally get that. When I retired, my goal was to gig again, because I stopped when I got married and I thought I could pick up where I left off. Apparently times have changed. Didn't take me long to realize gigging live is hard work. Especially the part about moving gear.
That's where online streaming got interesting. There are a LOT of ways to stream music live, and you can actually earn money that way. Twitch, Facebook, StreetJelly.com, Stageit.com and many more similar sites let you turn on the PC and webcam and start playing music to the world. Danny Campo and I are both on Streetjelly, and some other BIAB forum people have also given it a whirl.
I don't need the money. Like Eddie said, my bank account automatically recharges once a month whether I need it or not. But I like the fact that I can keep all my gear set up and stream on a moment's notice.
A lot of people on these sites are amateurs, but that makes the seasoned players stand out. I figure most of the people here on the BIAB forum have been playing for years and have some chops.
If you love to play but you hate to schlep gear around, maybe online streaming is the right idea for this time of life. I'd love to see you on Streetjelly. And you can do that without spending a dime. You already have a ton of gear! (you might have to buy a web cam if you don't already have one)
My nick on Streetjelly is "Classy Croc" (pronounced like "classic rock") if you see me there, let me know you're from the BIAB forum
/relevant in a musical way //sorry if I just wasted an hour and a half of your life, but I don't think that will be the case ///I bought the DVD twice; the extras make it worth it, like seeing the storyboard for the show, this show is planned from start to finish, like a lot of other top notch performers of the time
If you make it to the hour mark, the theatrics (lighting, costume, performance) become really original for the time
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
/relevant in a musical way //sorry if I just wasted an hour and a half of your life, but I don't think that will be the case ///I bought the DVD twice; the extras make it worth it, like seeing the storyboard for the show, this show is planned from start to finish, like a lot of other top notch performers of the time
If you make it to the hour mark, the theatrics (lighting, costume, performance) become really original for the time
Speaking of which, the Helix is also capable of sending MIDI commands to external devices, like DMX lighting to create specific lights shows for each song. Or, to switch an amp from clean to dirty channel... or to change patches on an external midi controllable pedal, such as a Strymon or Eventide. But you don't need either because the Helix can already do what either of those high end pedals can do.
sorry if I just wasted an hour and a half of your life, but I don't think that will be the case
Talking Heads is one of a few bands I would do a tribute to. To put it in the time they were performing, they were WAY ahead of their time. Tina Weymouth is one fine bass player!
I've been wanting a Variax for quite a long time, not so much for live performance, but for the infinite sonic possibilities with studio recordings.
This guy pushes the Variax technology to the limits, and I believe he's been awarded with a world record of tuning changes in one song! Even if you're not a fan of this style of music, I think this demo will show you just how much is possible.
The price is not outrageous, i.e. 1 for the price of 4. Pretty reasonable for a nice guitar. Yes, the Variax cable from the Helix will power the guitar send all the programming and sound from the digital side as well as from the pickups if you turn off the Variax modelling. Yamaha makes the guitar quite nice and the Non Variax sound from my model sounds good as well. The wide range of sound is well worth it to me. Especially in a live setting. Works great in the studio as well.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
I've been wanting a Variax for quite a long time, not so much for live performance, but for the infinite sonic possibilities with studio recordings.
This guy pushes the Variax technology to the limits, and I believe he's been awarded with a world record of tuning changes in one song! Even if you're not a fan of this style of music, I think this demo will show you just how much is possible.
I think the beauty of the Helix and the Variax is using the pedal, switching tones and switching guitars and tuning with every button. You can have set lists all made up with every sound imaginable all controlled by the pedal board, so you never have to change guitars, or amp settings etc. you can assign the volume pedal to anything for each patch, you can add 2 more volume pedals (or controllers really) and assign each one to something you want to vary (delay, volume, distortion, chorus, flange, phase, you name it) Each patch on the Helix can have an assigned Variax model and custom controllable aspects.
Very intuitive and quite easy to do either on the Helix with controls there or using their software to make the patches and save them to the unit.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
great video to illustrate some of what's possible when you combine a Helix with a Variax.
I liked what he said about the complex things people do in the controlled studio environment, which may sometimes be difficult to reproduce on stage. The programmability and flexibility of this system pretty much makes ANYTHING possible on stage.
I am also reminded of the complex pedal setups artists like Eric Johnson have, which enable him to switch between dirty and clean amps and entirely different lead and rhythm guitar sounds. But his pedal board produces approximately the same 2 sounds on all of his songs. The helix/variax can give its owner the same kind of flexibility, but with the added benefit of making the lead and rhythm sounds almost infinitely variable.
What do the native sounds in the Variax sound like? Our guy used the 12 string a lot and the old Les Paul. He HAD the Helix but he didn't always have it engaged.
I found his explanation of the advantages of the longer scale length interesting, but could have used much more depth...Afer all the hype, I was disappointed in the video... I do see great potential in the Variax... I'd love to know more about the tuning, and pitch shifting/correction, how well does this work if the strings are slightly out of tune?? I also wish he had left off the fuzz, and demonstrated more of the tonal qualities of the different guitar models... I'm sure there are a lot better videos online... I'll be checking them out soon.
Looking forward to hearing what you do with it Pat.
I found his explanation of the advantages of the longer scale length interesting, but could have used much more depth...Afer all the hype, I was disappointed in the video... I do see great potential in the Variax... I'd love to know more about the tuning, and pitch shifting/correction, how well does this work if the strings are slightly out of tune?? I also wish he had left off the fuzz, and demonstrated more of the tonal qualities of the different guitar models... I'm sure there are a lot better videos online... I'll be checking them out soon.
Looking forward to hearing what you do with it Pat.
If the guitar is out of tune and you change the tuning using the knob to say 1/2 step down which is one of the options, it will still be out of tune but a 1/2 step lower. The Tunings are changed digitally of course but the change is done to the signal created from the strings and "pickup" in the bridge so they need to be in standard tuning to begin with. I have no idea about any pitch correction. As far as I know it does not do that but I could just be ignorant.
As to the native sound, mine is the sort of strat copy/body and you get a similar strat sound using just the normal magnetic pickups. since there are varying body styles and pickup combinations available, the only real way to find out is to play them.
The modelled sounds are all quite good. I am not too fond of the 12 string stuff on its own but in a mix it sounds fantastic. The Les Paul, Strat, Tele sounds are all good. The hollowbody stuff is good as well. There is a 335, Gretsch, Good resonator stuff and even a Sitar. The jazz guitars are modelled nicely too. Really good overall, in my opinion.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
I have a first generation Variax 300 electric. There is also a first generation Variax 300 acoustic. The two modeling guitars have different guitar models installed.
All the first generation modeling algorithms are based on a standard guitar tuning. If the guitar is out of tune, the output will be out of tune. If you tune down half a step all the output will be down half a step.
The James Tyler Variax uses second generation hardware with more on board memory and a faster cpu compared to the first generation. The modeling algorithms were updated to take advantage of the hardware advances. It will be interesting to follow Pat's journey to see if the enhanced algorithms essentially follow the same tuning rules.
Pat, does your guitar have a tremolo (whammy) bar? If so, how accurately do the models follow the pitch shift versus how it sound with the pickups?
Second question, can you blend the sound of the pickups with a modeled output?
I have a first generation Variax 300 electric. There is also a first generation Variax 300 acoustic. The two modeling guitars have different guitar models installed.
All the first generation modeling algorithms are based on a standard guitar tuning. If the guitar is out of tune, the output will be out of tune. If you tune down half a step all the output will be down half a step.
The James Tyler Variax uses second generation hardware with more on board memory and a faster cpu compared to the first generation. The modeling algorithms were updated to take advantage of the hardware advances. It will be interesting to follow Pat's journey to see if the enhanced algorithms essentially follow the same tuning rules.
Pat, does your guitar have a tremolo (whammy) bar? If so, how accurately do the models follow the pitch shift versus how it sound with the pickups?
Second question, can you blend the sound of the pickups with a modeled output?
Hey Jim! Thanks again for weighing in!
After my experience with a Roland guitar synth, where glitches, latency and artifacts are all to be expected, I'm quite impressed with the realistic quality of the Variax modeling. I think its better than the Roland COSM modelling, which is also quite good. I can't differentiate between the Variax models and the real thing.
Yes, it does have a whammy bar, and it sounds just as it would on any Strat.
Yes, it is possible to combine the magnetic pickups with the modeled sound, but that is handled by the Helix. You have two separate paths in the Helix, each with a selectable input. Input on the first track can be VARIAX MODEL while input on the second path can be VARIAX MAGNETIC. To the best of my knowledge there is no way to use both sounds simultaneously with the Variax by itself.
Since you're right here in town, you're welcome to come over and play with it. You can PM me for my address. Or not. If you're as busy as I think you probably are, then you might not have time
What do the native sounds in the Variax sound like? Our guy used the 12 string a lot and the old Les Paul. He HAD the Helix but he didn't always have it engaged.
I guess the realistic answer, (without trying to make it sound like the Helix/Variax combo is the greatest thing since sliced bread)is to say that modeling provides a convincing representation of a guitar that was modeled under specific settings. If you have ever used Impulse Responses, you have noticed that a typical set of IRs will include a LOT of different files with slight differences in one setting. Differences in mic distance from the speaker cabinet, or mic used for an acoustic guitar. That is a limitation of modeling.
A good amp with a good guitar gives your guitar player all the flexibility he needs to extract the full spectrum of sounds out of his gear, and that's probably why he doesn't always use the Helix. Given enough time to tweak parameters by trial and error, it might be possible to get the same sound out of the Helix, but your guitar player probably has an understanding of his gear that lets him get from idea to tone with a lot less effort.
But I'm not a pro by any means. For me, it's way better than anything else I've ever used to duplicate sounds on the songs I'm trying to replicate.
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)
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!
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.
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