My New Years resolution... try to record at least 1 song per week.
This week... "Samba Da Fifi", by me, Steve Mohacey. This is the first song I ever wrote. It was written for my wife (then the elusive girl, who had no idea I felt the way I did), back in late 1985/early 1986. I didn't have the nerve to play it for her (what a mistake). 4 years later, we were married, living in Monterey, CA. I was with the US Army's 7th Infantry Division (Light) Band. One day, I dragged Karin up to the band hall, brought the song in, and had the jazz combo play it for her. One of the guys (thanks Ray) said, "You should call this "Samba Da Fifi"... and the name stuck.
Saxophone was recorded using a Sennheiser 441 with the "FETHEAD" to boost the gain.
Backing tracks via Band In A Box 2024 ultrapak for Mac.
Recorded in Logic Pro 11.
Selmer Reference 54 Tenor sax. Mouthpiece- Dave Guardala MB1 (handmade). Reeds- Boston Sax Shop Black Box 3.5 (BEST REEDS EVER!!)
Filmed on iPhone 15 Pro Max.
This video was edited using Final Cut Pro
Key of C Major. Tempo is 240 bpm.
Memo: This samba style features an acoustic trio of guitar, bass, and brushed drums with the addition of an electric piano playing held chords. -Examples: Samba Pa Ti, Insensatez, Genre "Intensity" Score=40/100 _TELE.STY. Tele Samba Quartet All RealTracks. Quartet. Tempo=235 (220-260) Instruments: Ac.Bass, El.Piano, NylonGuitar, Drums RD: SambaBrazilFastBrushAlex: a: SambaBrazilFastBrushAlexb: SambaBrazilFastBrushAlex :Alex Acuna RT717: Bass, Acoustic, Samba Ev 190 , Neil Swainson RT2495: Piano, Electric, HeldChords 120 , Miles Black RT3256: Guitar, Nylon, Rhythm SambaRamon Ev 240 , Ramon Stagnaro
Beautiful! Nice composition, great solo-ing, and smart use of the BIAB trio -- you don't really need anything fancy to make something like this come alive! Production is first-class. Completely enjoyed it.
PS--makes me think that on Valentines Day we should have had a "Here's what I wrote for my spouse/sweetheart" posting day!
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
Steve, cool composition and lively playing. The BiaB jazz trios like this one usually sound great, and the EP was a great add. Great job! Also love how tidy and music-focused your studio is. If only...
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
It's a style I love very much, and I partly learned to love the saxophone with Stan Getz and then the great jazz saxophonists. When I was young, we only talked about electric guitar, but that was blinding ourselves, and over time, I learned to love all instruments when they're played by great artists. Thank you for championing your instrument and your beautiful music so well. Laurent
Some favourite Waoist Adages: #1: Play on the Way. #13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you. #58: Bring consciousness to it. #63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made. #92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
Definitely lots to like about this very creative musical piece. Really enjoyed your performance. Masterful playing.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
Steve, Not only did you make a really good backing track and play your saxophone beautifully, you also recorded it very, very well. Sounds absolutely professional
Beautiful! Nice composition, great solo-ing, and smart use of the BIAB trio -- you don't really need anything fancy to make something like this come alive! Production is first-class. Completely enjoyed it.
PS--makes me think that on Valentines Day we should have had a "Here's what I wrote for my spouse/sweetheart" posting day!
Tano- thank you for the vote of confidence. I wanted to keep the recording close to what I'd usually have out on a live date. As far as the production goes, I'm feeling much more confident with Logic and Final Cut Pro. I usually record in the evenings, so lighting is from the overhead ceiling lamp. For this one, I did it in the late afternoon. I think I get better results with the overhead lighting.
Steve, cool composition and lively playing. The BiaB jazz trios like this one usually sound great, and the EP was a great add. Great job! Also love how tidy and music-focused your studio is. If only...
Thank you. The studio is to the far right of my loft. On the far left, I have a PC setup for everything else. I am trying to keep the studio space dedicated to ONLY music.
It's a style I love very much, and I partly learned to love the saxophone with Stan Getz and then the great jazz saxophonists. When I was young, we only talked about electric guitar, but that was blinding ourselves, and over time, I learned to love all instruments when they're played by great artists. Thank you for championing your instrument and your beautiful music so well. Laurent
Laurent- As a working saxophonist, it is expected that I play flute and clarinet as well. These are standard doubles for saxophonist.
I am also a middle school band director. I've learned to play oboe and bassoon as well (though not to the same level). I also play trumpet/French horn/trombone/euphonium/tuba/drums. My keyboard skills are pretty basic. I can teach beginner guitar and bass, but have found that it is best for me to get a specialist to work with my jazz band kids on these instruments.
Steve, Very cool tune. Excellent playing. Clear mix and listens very well. Thank you for sharing, Misha.
P.S. I discovered Fethead couple of months ago. Neat little gadget.
Misha- Thanks for listening. The Fethead made all the difference in the world. The Sennheiser 441 is an absolutely fabulous mic for recording and playing live. But my chief complaint has always been that I had to push the gain so much that it was noisy. Fehead to the rescue.
Steve, Not only did you make a really good backing track and play your saxophone beautifully, you also recorded it very, very well. Sounds absolutely professional
I'm still learning about Logic Pro 11. But I think I have figured out how to mic and record the tenor sax. I need to dial in the rest of the saxophones better. But that is a project for when the school year ends and I have some extra time on my hands.
Ah, somma say Sambas are for Summer, but I say they make me move in every season. Nah, just kidding about the somma says stuff. But, no doubt this is some outstanding music here, Steve. Your ability and craftsmanship on those reeds is something special. I really dig this one-take samba. SO glad you share these wonderful pieces here. Thank you.
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
Thanks for having a ReverbNation link to follow. This sounded great. Crystaline sound. Impressive.
BYOBand-
Thanks for visiting the ReverbNation site. I've been on that platform 2010. I've never tried to sell any music from the site. I mainly use it to publish my gig calendar (it used to have an app that would put up the play list and show calendar on my band facebook page... that no longer exisits). It still interfaces with my band facebook page, but only for publishing show dates and announcements. It also used to work with twitter... but that no longer works either (thanks "X").
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.
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.
![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/thumbs_up.gif){kind=icon}
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean