Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#774789 08/24/23 09:26 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Been away for a while. No inspiration whatsoever, of late. So, this morning I was doodling on BIAB, mindlessly going from style to style, trying to find something to spark some sort of inspiration. Long story short: found this style, wrote the chords, let the saxophone solo do its own thing ... lo and behold, a new track.

I just wrote the chords, the rest is all BIAB - an incredible effort from BIAB, I'm sure you'll agree. Nevertheless: I can't tell for the life of me what the end product is; i.e. whether it's "any good", haha. So ... here it is, I'll let you "have at it", as Floyd usually says, haha wink - and I'll of course take your feedback very much on board! Thanks for listening and for any comments! smile


Freedom


THE BAND:

****** Song Summary *************
Title: MM - Magdalen - 24 August 2023
File:MM - Magdalen - 24 August 2023.SGU
Key=C , Tempo 65, Length (m:s)=3:41
No intro. 56 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 56. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Style is _MIRROR.STY (Mirror Smooth Jazz Soloist)

RealTracks in style: 2960:Bass, Acoustic, SmoothBalladNeil Ev16 065
RealTracks in style: 910:Piano, Electric, Rhythm SmoothBallad Ev16 065
RealTracks in style: 1060:Sax, Soprano, Soloist SmoothJazzBallad Ev16 065
RealTracks in style: 1543:Synth Pad, PopBelieve Ev16 065
RealDrums in style:** N/A ** ModernJazzMellow16ths^1-a:Hat,Rimshot , b:BusyHat,Snare

*******************

musician17 #774816 08/24/23 10:25 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,530
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,530
James,

This sounds very inspired to me! Love the melody. The sax sounds great - really stands out in the mix.

Much enjoyed.

Bob

musician17 #774824 08/25/23 01:00 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 4,768
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 4,768
Yeah, that soprano is priceless, James. SO many notes in each measure. Hmmm, seems to me that you are not recognizing the inspiration that runs through you. This whole piece shows your inspiring use of chord structure. There were a few measures toward the end where it sounded like a second sax took over then left. Yet it seemed fitting as it told the listener the end was coming.


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub
Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11, EZDrummer
musician17 #774828 08/25/23 03:00 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 2,686
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 2,686
James,
I like this piece, it is quite relaxing and has a nice flow.
Sometimes the sax is a little too hectic for my taste, but overall I enjoyed listening to it.

musician17 #774831 08/25/23 03:27 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,645
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,645
Nicely done.

Personally, the slow tempo would be better served with a sax that was more relaxed and slower, savoring each note rather than trying to cram dozens of notes into each measure. In several places, it did play perfectly for the tempo and groove. The ending was really nice.... laid back and mello sax playing.... the beginning was a bit over the top.

I run into this occasionally when I'm looking for the perfect track.... just keep searching the real tracks. I look at the recommended tempo of the tracks to see what is in the tempo range of the song. That usually gives me several good candidates.

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 08/25/23 03:29 AM.

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.
musician17 #774840 08/25/23 04:50 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,372
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,372
Very pleasing to the ear, James

Vic

musician17 #774863 08/25/23 09:18 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,686
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,686
James,

Always a fun idea to experiment.

A pleasant progression. Mix is good.

I don't much care for all the fast note runs that the sax does (I was going to say "gyrations").
That is, of course, a personal opinion.
I thought it needed to "breathe" a bit - which it never seems to. That is often the case with BIAB soloing, but if you regenerate (many times) you can usually find enough variation to get what you want/need. That being said, perhaps this IS what you wanted.
Also, I did not hear any kind of "theme" to the soloing. Just random soloing. Creating some repetition would help that.
Opinions. You know what they say about them...

fj

musician17 #774893 08/25/23 07:44 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,989
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,989
A bit too frenetic on the sax for me. By itself it wasn't bad, but it didn't seem to be going anywhere, other than notes for the sake of notes.

It's tough to make a RealTracks instrumental work - especially if you're using the same instrument all the way through the track. It's a bit like poetry written with a Markov chain - the detail is there, but it lacks the coherence of a larger form.

Still, a pleasant listen, and a something of a change as well! laugh


-- David Cuny

My virtual singer development blog
Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?

BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
musician17 #774894 08/25/23 09:17 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,149
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,149
I like to manic sax parts but the rhythm behind it should, in some form or other, match it at the beginning. Once it's established as a motif it rides the rest of it's revisits well.
I like your choices and arrangement.
The chord progression is JD all the way but little different too.


Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
musician17 #775003 08/27/23 08:21 PM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Bob, Marty, B.D. Thomas, Herb, Vic, floyd, David C and Ray:

THANK YOU so much for listening and for your kind comments!

Marty: maybe you're right, maybe I don't recognise the inspiration which flows through me. It's not easy, though, when one cannot at all figure out what to write, next smile but maybe I just need to sit down and write, anyway? Thanks so much for your wonderful support!

Herb, floyd, David C and Ray: yes, the sax has (too?) many notes in its melody. And yes, the melody is going nowhere, so to speak. My own thoughts were that the chord progression is real slow, so, to contrast, I liked the fast notes of the sax. But, if that didn't come through, I have to ask myself why not. Still - that contrast was what I was going for smile As for the melody, that was (believe it or not) deliberate, too. I wanted to hang around C major, as much as possible, only departing briefly, to return quickly - so I didn't really want to take the listener on too complicated a journey, melodically, either. Argh - looks like I need to re-think things, a little? smile That's life - if things don't work out as one intends - thanks for pointing things out smile

David C: agree completely re: "poetry written with a Markov chain" smile . That's my fault ... I guess I need to vary the orchestration/arrangement a little, instrumentally, so that it keeps people's attention from beginning to end, and is not "the same thing" all the time, texture-wise, if nothing else. Something to definitely keep in mind, for me! smile

So: thank you, everyone, again! This was just a doodle (as I said in my original post), for the sake of unblocking my creative block, so to speak. As such, it went better than I thought it would, haha ... thanks for taking of your time with it! smile

musician17 #775011 08/27/23 11:07 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 927
L
Expert
Offline
Expert
L
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 927
Beautiful song. the sound of the saxophone is very good

musician17 #775221 08/31/23 03:43 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,793
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,793
We enjoyed the doodle being longtime fans of a soprano sax.

Over the years, FWIW, our approach to RT solos has been to take multiple regens and cut/splice them to arrive at what our notion was for the feel of the song. RTs are amazing ... they just, at least for us, need a little tweaking to speak to our song concept. No surprise there as the RT session guy/gal is a great musician but has no idea what you are thinking! smile

J&B


Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more.
If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks!
Our Videos are here on our website.
musician17 #775996 09/11/23 09:54 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Thanks laurent, glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you, Janice and Bud - great advice ... I must stop assuming "my" musicians are telepathic wink . Thanks so much for listening smile

musician17 #776005 09/11/23 12:11 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,508
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,508
A very relaxing, introspective feel to your song. I agree with some others: the slower sax parts fit well, but the faster bits go against the grain of the calming mood you've established in your composition.

musician17 #776090 09/12/23 12:15 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,933
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,933
KennyG eat your hear out, James is here.

This is a great song except for those rapid soprano notes. But that is only my opinion. I think the rest of the song is excellent.


It takes courage for a man to admit his wife was wrong.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
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!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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.

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 60 new features in this exciting release.

Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until December 31, 2025. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.

2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49. Browse the full contents of each package and listen to demos here.

XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!

XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!

The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!

Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.

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 1-9 includes 900 styles!

Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!

Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.

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.

Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.

Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!

Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!

It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!

We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!

Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:

Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!

Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,172
Posts789,284
Members39,832
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
Don Juan, Cyril Engram, Celia Pincus, Leila_Ask, Guarhone
39,832 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
jpettit 277
DrDan 201
MarioD 198
Noel96 144
DC Ron 137
Rob Helms 129
Today's Birthdays
ED PLOCKI, Prissíla Garcia
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5