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.
It's amazing that they can repair damage of that level. Amazing amount of handwork craftsmanship! I wonder how the cost of that repair compares to the cost of a new tuba.
Looks like a lot of work and a very high degree of skill to get these results. To find someone who can do any sort of repair work nowadays is becoming hard to find.
My limited experience in machining metal tells me all this would be difficult to learn to do. I also assume that the metal in certain places has to be stretched out. I wonder how that effects the sound.
The reason for the subject title? Many years ago after working on a project in Europe I was waiting at Heathrow to board a flight back to Australia. I noticed that a nearby plane was being loaded with what was obviously a set of musical instruments from a symphony orchestra. The shapes of the cases were unmistakable. French Horns, Tubas, Cellos, Double-basses, percussion instruments, and more.
The handlers were just 'chucking' the cases from the wagon onto the conveyor belt leading in to the airline's hold. Some made it. Some missed, hit the ground and needed another try. None of it was a delicate operation.
I pictured that Tuba in my mind.
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.
I've seen that many times, though not with musical instruments. There often appears no respect. They're probably time pressured, so it may be a management not a handler issue.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
In the late 1980'ies I worked as bagage handler for SAS in Copenhagen Airport - let me put it this way, I would not let my precious instruments go to the cargo "hole" unless I packed it like a Chinese vase.
I know a lot of aircrafts these day use luggage containers in stead of having to load luggage manually, but still - it wasn't the type of job, where you bothered how you treated "goods" - and I imagine this hasn't changed.
MacMini M1 - BIAB2021 - Logic Pro X - iZotope Music Production Suite - Scaler 2 - far too many Waves plugins and Line 6 Guitars and boards + a fantastic Yamaha THR10ll mini Amp - Avid MBOX Studio
Peters' Garage is available on all major streaming services
As I recall.... UNITED never made it right..... but Taylor stepped in and gave him a brand new Taylor.
By Sierra Robinson and Miriam Raftery
June 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- After United Airlines’ baggage handlers broke the neck of his Taylor guitar, Dave Carroll didn’t just get mad--he got even.
Carroll wrote and starred in a music video that has now had over 12 million hits on Youtube. Titled United Breaks Guitars, the video uses humor to illustrate the troubles Carroll went through trying to get compensated for his loss. Its success has been hailed as a model of how one person can make a difference by using social media.
Carroll battled United Airlines for nine months, getting no satisfaction. He then decided to make the video, which swiftly became an Internet sensation. As a result, Carroll has gone on to a new career as a speaker advising corporations on the importance of customer service in today’s Internet era. Next up, a book authored by Carroll will soon hit store shelves.
After the video was posted, United offered him a flight voucher equivalent to the cost of his custom guitar, but Carroll declined.
“He told them he didn’t put the video up to get the money…it was about making a point,” Jill Carroll, his wife, told ECM. United donated the funds to a charity instead.
Interestingly enough, four days after video was posted online, United Airlines’ stock price fell 10%, according to The Times in London. This cost stockholders around $180 million in value.
Carroll has since made two more related videos. However, his newest project has been his book, Uniited Breaks Guitars: The power of one voice in the age of social media.
Bob Taylor, owner and founder of the world-famous Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, donated two new guitars to Carroll following the incident and has praised the impact of Carroll’s video on the company’s business.
“Dave Carroll’s United Breaks Guitars is a brilliant use of social media,” said Taylor. “The exposure we gained from the message, well placed, was essentially free and had a very positive effect on our brand and our business.”
As I recall.... UNITED never made it right..... but Taylor stepped in and gave him a brand new Taylor.
By Sierra Robinson and Miriam Raftery
June 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- After United Airlines’ baggage handlers broke the neck of his Taylor guitar, Dave Carroll didn’t just get mad--he got even.
Carroll wrote and starred in a music video that has now had over 12 million hits on Youtube. Titled United Breaks Guitars, the video uses humor to illustrate the troubles Carroll went through trying to get compensated for his loss. Its success has been hailed as a model of how one person can make a difference by using social media.
Carroll battled United Airlines for nine months, getting no satisfaction. He then decided to make the video, which swiftly became an Internet sensation. As a result, Carroll has gone on to a new career as a speaker advising corporations on the importance of customer service in today’s Internet era. Next up, a book authored by Carroll will soon hit store shelves.
After the video was posted, United offered him a flight voucher equivalent to the cost of his custom guitar, but Carroll declined.
“He told them he didn’t put the video up to get the money…it was about making a point,” Jill Carroll, his wife, told ECM. United donated the funds to a charity instead.
Interestingly enough, four days after video was posted online, United Airlines’ stock price fell 10%, according to The Times in London. This cost stockholders around $180 million in value.
Carroll has since made two more related videos. However, his newest project has been his book, Uniited Breaks Guitars: The power of one voice in the age of social media.
Bob Taylor, owner and founder of the world-famous Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, donated two new guitars to Carroll following the incident and has praised the impact of Carroll’s video on the company’s business.
“Dave Carroll’s United Breaks Guitars is a brilliant use of social media,” said Taylor. “The exposure we gained from the message, well placed, was essentially free and had a very positive effect on our brand and our business.”
The whole flying experience is a perfect case study in how NOT to do business.
Last time I had to go across the country, I drove.
Byron Dickens
BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency.
The event I witnessed didn't appear to show that there was any urgency to get the orchestra's equipment loaded. It simply showed a "couldn't care less" / "couldn't give a damn" approach. And just as Dave Carroll witnessed, it didn't happen behind the scenes, it happened in an open viewing area for everyone to see.
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.
With Australia's leading Airline - QANTAS - the situation would be very similar...the handlers jobs were cancelled, with COVID as an excuse, and a hire company brought in, wages lowered, staff numbers reduced, pressure added and rosters wrecked. All while the airline received billions of the tax payers dollars to retain jobs n services. Now the CEO & snr exec have received HUGE bonuses for the savings they've while the company has lost its status, market share and reputation. Stuff gets lost, damaged, held back becasue the handlers can't get the load done with the reduced numbers and time frames. Consumers lose out on care and caution and the workers on job security, superannuation, company loyalty and the bigger picture.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
The explanation is pretty simple - the glamour of aviation is far gone. What is offered now is a bus ride in the sky - unless you pay Premium or first class, which very few people find affordable.
The issue is, that airline companies are still trying to tell the passengers, that they deliver exceptional service like the old days. PR wise they ask for trouble. It's a race to the bottom of ticket prices, wages, comfort and security.
Sad but true - said the aviation fanatic...
MacMini M1 - BIAB2021 - Logic Pro X - iZotope Music Production Suite - Scaler 2 - far too many Waves plugins and Line 6 Guitars and boards + a fantastic Yamaha THR10ll mini Amp - Avid MBOX Studio
Peters' Garage is available on all major streaming services
Yep, definitely agree with that...a race to the bottom. WalMartAir is just around the corner!
I used to fly extensively both domestic and international. It was fun, special and comfortable. Today it's a bus ride in the air. I wish it wasn't so, but it is. Crowded flights, rude people, cramped seating, lost luggage...not too much going for it anymore. Faster than walking but I'm not so sure about anything else.
I cringe at the thought of another flight these days.
yes this happened in my industry as well. When I started my business over 30 years ago, it was possible to sell an alarm system to a customer....residential or commercial, and make a nice return for labor and markup. Over the years, a lot of trunk slammers came in and were willing to work for much less, hoping to make up the difference on volume and higher monitoring (recurring revenue) fees. I saw install prices dropping drastically, especially in the residential markets. Then came the DIY stuff like simpli-safe, ring, and several others who destroyed whatever perceived value remained in the minds of residential customers for a full service, experienced, alarm installation company.
Then... covid hit and the whole stay home for 2 weeks thing which lasted well into a second year. I saw my phone literally stop ringing by the end of the second month into the shutdown. People were laid off, businesses considered "non-essential" forced to close.... literally no one had any money. The only good thing in this was I was literally only a few weeks away from full retirement age so I decided to pull the plug so to speak. I decided to retire and stop taking a paycheck and keep the company running on a part time basis. We still haven't recovered from the disaster that was wrought by means of that shutdown. A friend of mine in the business has also seen the same thing happen to his business. He's also at retirement and decided to do the same thing. We're both part time right now. I might do a couple of hours in the business one day a week. He spends a lot of time at the river relaxing. I literally spend more time just keeping the books and govt requirements than I do working productively.
From what I'm seeing in other industries.......
The race to the bottom is almost complete.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
From my perspective, a big part of the problem (at least in the US) is that globalization and the "gig-economy" has all but done away with loyalty in the workplace. Employers are not loyal to their employees and vice versa.
There was a time that a blue-collar worker could steadily work his/her way up the company ladder over the course of say 30 or 40 years and retire with a relatively nice nest egg and their house paid off. For their part, white-collar workers could expect a comfortable retirement check each month until they die and in some cases a hefty death benefit for their surviving spouse.
These "perks" have all but vanished due to global market forces and so nobody is loyal to anyone. Small business owners can't afford to pay decent wages because their competition isn't. Employers pay the minimum they can get away with and in return they get low quality/low motivation workers who quit for an additional 25 cents per hour somewhere else, creating turn-over and churn. Meanwhile the ratio of CEO salary to average worker salary continues to climb.
Ever call tech support for a problem with your cell phone or smart TV? 1. You better have good communication skills because the person answering the phone probably won't and 2. The better educated you are to help them help you is invaluable.
On the 2nd point I'm slowly reaching a point of cell phone knowledge that's beginning to rival that of the tech support people I call for help.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
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.
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)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
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 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available 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 Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
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.
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 as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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