I listened to forum member, Sundance, +++ COVER +++ of Michael Jackson & the Jackson Five's song, "I Wanna' Be Where You Are". One of the things that struck me is how different the cover is from the original recording. That in itself is not new as there are many instances where a cover has taken a song in a new direction. One example is the original "Mother Nature's Son" by +++ The Beatles +++ versus a cover by +++ John Denver +++. It amazes me how someone can hear a song in a new and different way.
All of that is so I can get around to asking this question, "When you use Band-in-a-Box to produce a song can you maintain the song as you first envisioned it or does Band-in-a-Box influence the final production results?"
As a composer I don’t do covers, although I do sometimes do transcriptions for pay. BIAB absolutely always sends me in a different direction than I had envisioned, and I think that’s great!
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
I actually don't use BIAB much, but when I do, that's exactly what I use it for: to take me off in a different direction than I would go otherwise.
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.
I agree with the gentlemen above. Almost without exception, when I approach BiaB with a song idea in my head that I really want to create, that once I get going, I find myself "off the path" that I started on.
I suppose that could be viewed as lack of discipline(bad) or flexibility(good). Forced to choose, I'd say good.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 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.
Jim, my answers to those two questions are yes and yes. Sometimes I know exactly what I want and what style to use to achieve it. But many times BiaB leads me down a different path. BiaB is great for learning and creating new genres. If I didn't have BiaB I wouldn't be doing half of the music that I am doing today.
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
For me it's very easy to fall down the rabbit hole that is all things Band-in-a-Box and lose my original song arrangement or concept in the process. I can easily audition styles and RealTracks for hours! When I think a song is interesting enough to retain the original I'll generally take a couple steps that help me to keep on track.
One is to make a rough draft audio file. It might just be me humming, playing a guitar or singing but I catch what I can while the song is fresh on my mind.
Second is to make audio notes detailing what I want in each segment of a song.
Between the two if I get led too far astray I have audio to remind me of my original idea.
As I use mostly my own playing I have a fair idea of what I want to do and the prog doesn't dictate direction much. I use it occasionally to try a different style or flip between options I'd planned, (like the jazz n rock versions of the same song I recently posted). Mother Natures Son has few excellent covers - Denver's is a winner in the direction it takes the guitars but his vocal seems out of place. Nilsson's voice with Tipton's arrangement made it something different and interesting but "soft" as the mawkishness of McCartney seemed to appeal to Harry. It's part the iconic nature of the original and partly that it's a complex but not very exciting song...soporific even.
Using BIAB to create a cover can be problematic as it can, as shown, make things rather bland/generic unless care is taken. I did one cover earlier this year - my 1st - and I deliberately took it in a different, aggressive direction but the process began with a BIAB style in mind - though it was heavily altered with me adding bass, guitars and "vocal".
Last edited by rayc; 08/15/2210:15 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
I would think the more tracks a user creates for a song project the less opportunity Band-in-a-Box has to take your vision in a new direction. For example I believe it would be difficult to go too far off track with user created keyboard, guitar and vocal tracks.
One of the nice things about Band-in-a-Box is you do not need to be a vocalist or musician to enjoy using it. But depending exclusively on Band-in-a-Box limits a user's ability to determine the outcome.
Some ways a non musician or vocalist user can personalize tracks is through editing MIDI, choosing a virtual instrument or applying loops. All of those choices go outside the Band-in-a-Box norm but are available for use in Band-in-a-Box.
It's always a chart smashing hit in my head..... now, If I can just get that to translate to the demo.
Actually, No. What I hear in my head for a given song always takes a different route when I select the style and start working on the song in BB. I can't say it's a lesser version because that's not true. It's just that it rarely ever turns out exactly like I was envisioning the song. Like I said, different doesn't mean it's not as good. It just means that it took a slightly different route in the audio world. And sometimes, it actually does turn out better than I was hearing it in my head. Those are the magical ones.
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.
It's always a chart smashing hit in my head..... now, If I can just get that to translate to the demo.
You're not using the right magic VST plugin.
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.
Man,some VST plugins ARE magic. I have a close to 1,000.
The one I would never give up is free and it's by Sonible and Focusrite, called "Balancer."
I use it on every mix on almost every track. It is extremely lightweight and non-intrusive but it will, among other things, make that BIAB acoustic, or piano, or cello sound exactly the way you want it to, or close, in half a second.
David, I watched the Focusrite vid for Balancer...interesting short cut thing. I've downloaded it to experiment...can't hurt to play with it can it? Thanks.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
… All of that is so I can get around to asking this question, "When you use Band-in-a-Box to produce a song can you maintain the song as you first envisioned it or does Band-in-a-Box influence the final production results?"
Yes.
It all depends what I’m going for.
BIAB 2025 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5
How do you maintain your first vision of a song project as you heard it in your head while not letting Band-in-a-Box not influence the final product? If I audition styles those styles influence me.
BUMMER, needs an activation code from a current Focusrite account. My Gen 1 Solo is out of date so no go.
Strange, my account for my Gen 1 Scarlet 8I6 worked fine.
I've always had trouble with mine - may just be me CeeBee. BUT it's now irrelevant as Sonible sent a key with the sign up confirmation so I can grab it and David was correct - free.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
When I do a cover I have a certain style in mind and BIAB is great for letting me flush that idea out. That's one of the things I like best about the product. So yes, BIAB does influence the production result. For example my latest cover is a soul song but I wanted to use a Bossa Nova Rhythm. BIAB was excellent in helping me work that out. When I did "Walk On BY' as a Disco Song BIAB Certainly influenced that outcome. So for me I would have to say that BIAB definitely influences the outcome based on Rhythm, key instruments that I use, etc..
BUMMER, needs an activation code from a current Focusrite account. My Gen 1 Solo is out of date so no go.
Strange, my account for my Gen 1 Scarlet 8I6 worked fine.
I've always had trouble with mine - may just be me CeeBee. BUT it's now irrelevant as Sonible sent a key with the sign up confirmation so I can grab it and David was correct - free.
Then again..my problems with FREE suppliers continues. The key isn't enough, nor an account...it required ONLINE authentication.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows 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 Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows 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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