Can I record my singing from BIAB? Do i just plug in a microphone with a USB port to my laptop, or do i have to configure anything inside BIAB? Thx.

I actually would like the computer to play the midi file in BIAB as an accompaniment music and at the same time I can record my vocal in it. Is this possible? Thx.

The answer to the main questions is yes. The answer to the last question is why would you use band in a box to do be a midi player. If that's all you really want to do you have lots of other options. Midi is kind of an 80's thing, but you can use it. Band in a box is meant to take a chord progression and play a style over that. You can find tens of thousands of pre-made band in a box files or more. The style can involve midi styles, or Real Tracks type styles.

There is an audio track inside Band in a Box. You need to set up your device in windows, and then use the audio record button. You need to get the sliders right in windows.

All that said you never stated:
1. The version of Band in a Box
2. The Operating system you are using.
3. The computer type/soundcard etc.

The above are often required in order to give intelligent advice from the other end.

It would be helpful if you also posted the actual song you want to do, and if you are trying for a note for note cover or a 'this is close', type of rendition.

Thanks for replying.

1. The version of Band in a Box: BIAB for Windows Version 2009(282)
2. The Operating system you are using: Windows Vista
3. The computer type/soundcard: My Dell laptop / From device manager of my windows vista, it is stated SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC as my sound.

You said - "There is an audio track inside Band in a Box. You need to set up your device in windows, and then use the audio record button. You need to get the sliders right in windows." So, can u show me step-by-step how do I do that please? Thanks.

I am trying to record a demo on my singing of Only You by The Platters purely using my laptop and a microphone, and I am trying for a note for note cover.

Thanks.

By the way, may I know where can I find the BIAB file for Only You song? I have searched for "only you .sgu file" on google (bcoz I am trying to use real tracks instead of midi), but can't find any. Thx.

Hi cychan7570,
I have a version of BiaB version of Only You by the Platters. If you send me a private message with you email address I’ll sent it to you.

You may be able to do what you want to do in BiaB but it would be much easier if you used a sequencer. Using a sequencer you can record more than one track, you can record only a section of a song, have more than one midi out port etc. I don’t recall if BiaB 2009 came with RealBand or not. If it didn’t you may want to consider upgrading. Also there are a number of free sequencers here.

If you’re looking for a “that’s close enough” version of Only You than BiaB generated tracks using midi, RealTracks or both will work. If you’re looking for a note for note cover you will have to use midi. (Note that John and I totally disagree about midi; midi is alive and well. However it does take money to get realistic sounds using midi.) Using midi you can change every note to match the original version of the song where you can not do that with RealTracks. However if you are using an inexpensive midi source than RealTracks will sound much more realistic.

You haven’t mentioned a mic yet. What are mic are you planning to use? More information on that will help us help you.

Good luck.

It would be virtually impossible to get any band in a box song to do a note for note cover.

I'm not in the 'studio' yet, so running ubuntu here, however from recollection try google

Alannah Band in a Box

OR

Wesley Dick Band in a Box

I see in Wesley's O songs he has a version of that. Once you have it it's very easy to transpose or fix a chord or two, change intro lengths. Almost no one, unless they have a perfect memory is going to be able to remember how it was done, and unless you sing very high you cannot reproduce the original..LOL

As far as recording is concerned setup a 4 or 5 bar song with just chords, find the rec icon, mess with the volumes, record something, fool with it, try the harmonizer on it. You can waste a lot of time with long songs and stuff if you don't have a fast computer.

There are vu meters there.

It's tough to control everything without a small mixer but can be done but I suggest anyone who's serious about this to spend a few buck and get a 40 to 60$ 4 channel mixer like a Behringher UB802 (Newer ones out, that's discontinued) where you can plug a mic and closed headphones and monitor your voice and the track.

The audio track in Band in a box worked fine with just a computer mic/headset though as shown when it was first released.

Yup you can make midi sound very close to the original. Will fool most people. Starting from just a very basic understanding of midi, it would take about a year, once you get the pitch bends and other stuff done.

I so very much dislike covers. Very much. I like have the feel of the original, ie tempo, etc, but don't give a hoot if at 1:34 it has the same guitar lick.

I have a friend doing an Elvis show for charity I donated 500 bucks of gear to him last month. It's almost note for note midi bought at 20 bucks a song from somewhere. I'm no Elvis fan. I thought I was fond of the Animals but saw their Ed Sullivan show where they did Rising Sun and I didn't like it. I remember not being able to hear the Beatles do the ed sullivan show so I rigged up a reel to reel tape drive and giving it to the neighbour so he could tape the show for me. Weird or what?

You can certainly record your voice in BiaB, but for me it is easier to use RB to do vocal recordings.