Without watching the video yet, there are still so many Guitar mags, whether anyone finds the time to learn all the tabbed songs and exercises in there is a different story, I certainly don't.
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
I was a subscriber to Guitar Player magazine for decades. I stopped when I realized it had changed and veered off course and was mainly advertising. The in depth stories were not nearly as good as they had been. I had kept every single copy from the very first one thru the last. I eventually sold the entire collection.
It was a great resource for a young guitar player to read about the gear other's were using and learning the back stories and struggles of so many of the players. Frampton, Billy Gibbons, Vai, Santana, Charlie Daniels, Robin Trower, Nancy Wilson, Leslie West, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, BB King, Wes Montgomery, and hundreds more.
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.
Many of the music magazines I used to subscribe to, Guitar Player, Keyboard, Electronic Musician, PC World, and others were always vehicles for advertising. Many of the feature articles/reviews were always covert advertisements, but as time went by, more and more of the featured articles became advertisements, and the informational/instructional articles became fewer and fewer.
One month, many years ago, I think it was Keyboard magazine, they reviewed my BiaB styles and recommended buying them. I didn't ask for that, but I suppose because I was giving them hundreds of dollars in ad money, they thought it was a good idea to help me in return. The review was fair, but I don't think they would have done it if I wasn't a regular advertiser.
As the mags became more ad oriented, I went from reading cover-to-cover to scanning. Many of them I got for free because I used to run classified ads promoting my Band-in-a-Box aftermarket software, and as time went on, I would have dropped my subscription if I was paying for them.
Then came the Internet, where you could get the information you wanted, when you wanted it, and the tree-ware mags started disappearing.
Some of the old mags have Internet presence now, and others are just a fond memory.
Some of the old mags have Internet presence now, and others are just a fond memory.
Times change.
Such a shame. I'd guess that there's still a market for a high-quality mag (digital or paper) that drills deep into, learning, production, performance and gear.
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.
I used to get both Guitar Player and Keyboard Magazine, but like several have said they turned into more ads than content so I quit getting them. Plus I realized that none of what I was reading had even the tiniest thing to do with my playing. That still, and will always, come down to putting in the time and the repetitions. No articles are going to be a substitute for practice time.
One magazine that is available (for FREE! in the US) is +++ TapeOp +++ . Back in the days when tape recorders were king the tape operator, or tape-op, was the person that operated tape recorders during a mixing or recording session. Now days +++ TapeOpe +++ is one of the few magazines that is still available with lots of editorial content.
The publisher of all my main mags (Guitar Player, Bass Player, and Keyboard magazines) retired. I even got to correspond with him privately. The quality of all of them has gone way downhill, they being as concerned with product placement as they are with artist interviews or any of the other old columns they used to run. I even subscribed to BP for a year, but it was no good.
Even the electronic music mags I used to enjoy have become unreadable, although for entirely different reasons.
Sorry.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
I learned a lot about MIDI in the early days via Keyboard and Electronic Musician. But I guess once a subject is covered well, there is no need to keep writing about it.
Although the product reviews can be covert advertisements, it doesn't mean they are negative. I read about the Yamaha WX7 Wind MIDI controller in Keyboard (or another mag) and gave it a try. I'm using the 3rd generation now (WX5) and it's an essential part of my gig gear.
I saw ads for Band-in-a-Box in those mags, gave it a try, and it enhanced my life. It also gave me a second part-time business (side-hustle in today's terms).
All these things can be done on the Internet these days. However, the “menu” is huge and there is a lot of disinformation out there. In the Magazine era, we knew who to trust, and we had new products announced to us by the reviewers we trusted.
On the other hand, they are no longer cutting down trees for that purpose.
I used to get Guitar Magazine and Keyboard Magazine. I remember when they came with a little vinyl record in them that you played on your turntable! I used to pickup a copy of Down Beat every once in a while for jazz stuff.
Now I only get Premier Guitar magazine. I skip over a lot of it but it does have some interesting articles on guitars and basses. A lot of the musicians they feature are not on my top ten list but I do listen to many of them via youtube to make my decisions.
I much rather get it as a magazine instead of a digital copy. I prefer reading magazines and books over reading from a screen. I know I'm old!
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
<...snip...> I much rather get it as a magazine instead of a digital copy. I prefer reading magazines and books over reading from a screen. I know I'm old!
I like to read books and magazines on paper better than on-line. It just seems to be more convenient.
I get the local newspaper to keep up with events that affect my gigging business. I get the physical paper twice a week, and on-line the other days.
Here is the comparison.
Paper newspaper:
Take the plastic bag off
Open the paper and read
Digital newspaper:
Open the tablet
Enter the password
After it boots up, 'click' the newspaper icon
Click the X to get rid of the pop-up ad that covers 90% of the screen
Click sign-on
Enter my username and password
Do that stupid CAPTCHA thing from one to 4 times, depending on Google's mood for the day
Wait for the page to load, the ads come first, then the menu
Click e-newspaper in the menu bar and wait up to 10 seconds
Click the X for the next ad that covers 75% of the page
A choice box drops down for about 5 seconds. Since the paper is related to three counties, I have to click the one I want to read while the choice box drops down
Optional: (If the ad doesn't disappear in time, the choice box disappears. Then I have to click the editions box on the sidebar, wait for the dialog box to load, click my county's edition, then click submit)
After step 11 or 12, wait up to 15 seconds for the e-newspaper to load
FINALLY I get to read the paper.
Sooner or later, while reading, another full page pop up ad will appear, and the little X to get rid of it won't appear for another 15 seconds.
>> And if that isn't bad enough, the on-line edition is buggy. Sometimes I have to scroll to finish the article, and when I do, it might jump up to 5 pages away and land in the middle of another article. Arrrrrrggggghhhhh.
Don't get me wrong, some things are much better digitally, and if it's better on-line I'm delighted to use it that way. But there are some things that are better off-line, and IMO reading books, magazines and newspapers are better on paper.
So I guess I'm old, too. I just like to think of it as being efficient though.
Notes, you forgot to add that you never have to stop reading a book or magazine because the battery was low!
The only thing I have on my Amazon Fire are my docs for my music programs. That way I can keep the music program on as I read the docs. Lately more companies have the docs included with the program, mostly on F1.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
I have a good internet connection and none of the problems that Notes describes arise.<…snip…>
I have a good Xfinity Internet connection, the problem is the paper site itself. No other site is consistently delayed like that.
Even if there were no delays for the pages to load, I'd still have to go through all 15 steps that I listed previously. With the paper newspaper, I just open it up and read. Instant gratification.
I've written about the CAPTCHA. After I put in my username and password, why do I need to solve the CAPTCHA puzzle? They give no answer. I assume it is so that Google can put a cookie on my tablet, and log ever article I read to sell to advertisers. In other words, it's spyware.
And why does it sometimes make me do it a few times, even though I definitely clicked the correct boxes? That one I can't figure out a reason for.
And sometimes I get the “we are having trouble—try again later” type message. Saturday, they don't print a paper newspaper, so everyone has to go online, the delays in the morning are horrendous, and the try again later message is not uncommon.
They have an app, a friend of mine warned me. He said they disturb you dozens of times per day with updates that contain ads, and there is no way to turn that off.
Originally Posted by MarioD
Notes, you forgot to add that you never have to stop reading a book or magazine because the battery was low!
That, too.
And if you like, you can read before bedtime without that blue light pollution that supposedly makes it harder to get to sleep (I never have that problem, even with blue lights).
Plus, I'm keeping a local person, the carrier, working. I've met him, he's a nice guy, drives an older car, and definitely needs his job. He spends money in our town, which helps our local economy.
There are some things that work much better online, but IMHO the newspaper and books are not better that way.
I read non-fiction books. Sometimes I put little bookmarks in pages I may need to go back and refer to. I can flip back and forth between the bookmark page and the one I'm reading.
And sometimes I come across something that I need to look up, and my trusty tablet is by my side, that's one great thing about the Internet. And I don't even have to close the book. The paper book and the Internet reference sites complement each other.
Some of the apps are more user friendly than others, my partner used to buy the print edition of a newspaper here every day, probably over of a year, it was in excess of £300, changed to digital edition less than half the price, and a lot easier on my tired ole eyes.
Think of the print copies, you have usually to go to newsagent to get them or through post.
Digital for me anyways is the way to go, I use the Pressreader app a lot, newspapers from all over the world. I am lucky where I live that the local library will pay for the sub, just put in my library card number and away I go. Some of the newspapers are in excess of £1 to buy, but free with the library sub.
Ok with Pressreader you have to do a few clicks to get what you want, but no big deal, its a free sub here so saving big time.
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
But for the life of me I can't figure out why they never ran a good review of bass amps
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.
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
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!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean