Whether I listen or not listen, does not have anything to do with this. Nor is that a solution to anything. It appears that folks here do not know what respectful and disrespectful even mean.
Yeah. It appears that some don't....
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.
Yes, that is making more sense. All this business about un-baking the cake is new to me. I did know about Spleeter and derivatives, but I didn't think they had progressed so far.
Although technically impressive, I put this usage of AI in the same category as a gimmick or low-brow entertainment. So what if someone painstakingly copied a Sinatra sound, reproduced his voice and changed the lyrics for a single song. The real "gold" is for an application to seamlessly do this for any song with the user having full edit control of the output; and my prediction is that some company will provide exactly this within 5 years.
BiaB and AI could be a perfect marriage to allow the creation of fully editable custom styles and chord sheets (much like we have today) based on giving it a target audio sample. So if you want a Sinatra style, feed it a Sinatra audio sample. If you want a Frank Zappa, Chicago, chanting Monks meditation music or any other style, just supply the appropriate audio sample and the output would be a ready-to use SGU file. The days of scrolling thru and auditioning hundreds of pre-programmed styles would be replaced with laser focussing on the style you want.
This technology needs to move from the novelty/consumer/listener domain to the creative/editable/musician domain.
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.
So what if someone painstakingly copied a Sinatra sound, reproduced his voice and changed the lyrics for a single song.
In 2005, Paul Anka released on the album "Rock Swings". The album is covers of rock songs done in the big-band style.
The arrangement you're hearing in the video was created Brad Dechter, and played by studio musicians.
All that was done without AI.
The only thing that AI did was:
Split out the vocal from the backing track; and
Replace the timbre of Anka's voice with Sinatra's.
While that's technologically impressive, it's orders of magnitude less than the sort of thing you are describing.
Originally Posted by Bass Thumper
...and my prediction is that some company will provide exactly this within 5 years.
You've got expertise in the field to base this prediction on?
Because that's not the sort of predictions I hear from people who are actually trying to accomplish this. They're saying there's a world of difference between working with temporally stable pixels and time-changing audio.
Predicting that audio will follow the same timeline as AI generative graphics ignores the huge difference between them.
David answered my question. The band in this example is a real band with real musicians and a very talented arranger who has mastered the style of Nelson Riddle. Not easy!
Eddie, I should have been more precise. It is this thought that AI emulated a real big band playing a Nelson Riddle arrangement that I was skeptical of. Apparently we are not there yet. I’m glad because I write big band jazz charts.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
I wonder... what musicians of 1890's thought of Pianola(Player piano)? Was it something similar to what some people tend to think now about effects/influence of AI on music?
"an inventor in Germany, Edwin Welte, was working on a player which would reproduce all the aspects of the performance automatically, so that his machine would play back a recorded performance exactly as if the original pianist were sitting at the piano keyboard. Known as a Reproducing Piano, this device, the Welte-Mignon, was launched in 1904. It created new marketing opportunities, as manufacturers could now get the foremost pianists and composers of the day to record their performances on a piano roll. This allowed owners of player pianos to experience such a performance in their own homes on their own instruments, exactly as the original pianist had played it." - Wiki.
I certainly admire those skills that came before our time, but somehow would not be so certain that their delivery matched to quality of today's delivery.
Regardless, given time, these things will just continue to improve.
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 play music live for a living in a duo with Mrs. Notes.
Most of my competitors are using Karaoke tracks. I make my own backing tracks. Sometimes with the help of BiaB, sometimes from scratch, depending on the song and how close I want to cover it. It's a lot more work than downloading a K track.
I guess I could accuse the karaoke track duos of cheating, but what would be the point?
My goal is to sound better than my competitors. I think my tracks sound better. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Regarding bands using The Wrecking Crew, The Swampers, or other studio musicians to record their songs, I suppose that could be cheating too. But it sells records. The bands then have to learn the licks the studio musicians played when they go live. Even The Beatles couldn't reproduce many of their songs live. Is that cheating?
I've done some, but not a great deal of studio recording, but enough to know there is a difference between playing in the fish tank or playing in stage. Some bands also have the studio skills, but not all do.
I'm amazed at the deep fakes, and feel that ethically, there should be some notification. But I know even if one was required, it wouldn't be universally used, and there is no way to enforce it.
Respect? Isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery?
When The Knickerbockers recorded “Lies”, it was so close in style that most people thought the song on the radio was actually recorded by The Beatles. Actually, I thought the band was tighter than the early Beatles.
We aren't going to answer the ethical questions here, although it's interesting to discuss them.
Me? I'm going to be amazed by the technology, and make a mental note not to believe what I see or hear. Then I'll go about my daily life, trying to get as much pleasure out of each day, for however many I have left. I have gigs to play, new songs to learn, food in the fridge, a roof over my head, a wonderful wife, I woke up this morning, and everything else is extra.
Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Last edited by Notes Norton; 11/18/2307:27 AM. Reason: speling misteaks
If one form of backing tracks is cheating, then ALL forms of backing tracks is cheating. You making your own doesn't elevate you to some higher plane of "cheating", despite your high opinion of yourself. (You failed to brag about your 15-20 gigs per month. You slipping in your old age? And the cruise ships. Don't forget the cruise ships.) Backing tracks in any form still results in keyboard and horn players being unemployed.
There was a female duo here that sang over tracks. Nobody cared because they were both very good singers, and both extremely hot to a level where none of the men in the audience actually came to hear them sing. Their tracks were nothing more than a mutual producer friend removing the vocals with software, so they literally sang over the original band sans vocals. Cheating? Or just a shorter way to get to the same finish line every backing track group gets to eventually?
Several years back I was meeting a guy who wanted me to do some keyboards for him. The place we met had a small stage and there was a guy setting up. I paid no attention to him beyond noticing movement on that little platform. When he started I looked over and saw he was playing bass. BASS!!! How DARE he present himself as a solo act when all he did was play bass along with backing tracks? I mean guitar solos were tracks!! Short of putting a bass solo into every song, what is entertaining about watching somebody play the easiest instrument in the world of backing tracks? I mean, it's BASS! As I once told the bass player from one of my bands when he started to get too full of himself about how good "we" sounded, "Dude, WE (gesturing in a circle toward the actual real, actual, playing pieces like the horns and the keyboards) sound good. YOU are just here. If you were to have a stroke and die before a show, there are probably 5 or 6 people right in the audience who could come up and play your parts." A bass player can be replaced by the keyboard player's left hand. But by my own logic, that would also be cheating too, because iIf you want bass, hire a bass player (and pay him 3/4 scale). If you want horns, hire horns.
It becomes clearer and clearer why I can't keep a band together, doesn't it?
Y'all ain't seen her yet? Wait till you see her jamming with Steve Vai. On stage.
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.
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.
BTW Eddie, since you asked. When we did cruise ships, we used the backing tracks I made myself, and set all-time revenue records in the lounge we played in. We were rewarded with a passenger sized cabin with a porthole, allowed to sell cassette tapes to passengers, and lasted 3 years on a 3-week contract which ended when Mrs. Notes' mom got sick, and we needed to jump-ship to become her caretaker.
But that's all off-topic
I mentioned various things that could be considered cheating and answered, “what would be the point?” That was to compare it with subbing Sinatra's voice over Anka's tracks.
Cheating or not isn't the question. My conclusion was:
Quote
We aren't going to answer the ethical questions here, although it's interesting to discuss them.
Me? I'm going to be amazed by the technology, and make a mental note not to believe what I see or hear. Then I'll go about my daily life, trying to get as much pleasure out of each day, for however many I have left. I have gigs to play, new songs to learn, food in the fridge, a roof over my head, a wonderful wife, I woke up this morning, and everything else is extra.
So I guess you missed the point.
OT, years later when they sold the ship, the entertainment purchaser on the ships told me that our revenue record stood the test of time, and was the highest on that ship, and her two sister ships, ever. He asked if we wanted to come back on. I had so many land gigs, and we were still taking care of mom, so I had to say, "no"
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!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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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.
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This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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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?
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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)!
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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.
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