Welcome. I'm sure you understand that's a fair question to ask of a first-time poster. Are you a user of Band-in-a-Box? Is the question about the plugins in PG Music products? As a professional consultant on recording and sound, you should already have some idea of the answer.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
Yes I am a very new user on the Mac platform. I'm curious to hear about what others are using. I'm happy with the results of mixing in BB. I'd like to see better metering. If also like to know what mastering plugins are available within BB.
This isn't necessarily in the wrong forum, but I wonder if it would be better in the BIAB for Mac forum. I could talk about Ozone or Waves, for example, but as a PC-only user, I don't know if those work on a Mac.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
As a Mac user I mix with Logic Pro X using a host of Izotope plugins including Ozone 6, Alloy 2 and Nectar 2. Everything works seamless on the Mac. I am running 20 gig RAM and have no latency issues. On occasion I will run Waves multiband compressor - again with no problems.
Ok... fair answer... And Welcome to BB/RB.... I won't hold it against you that you're on the Mac version. #all_DAWs_matter
So I don't use any metering in BB or RB at all. I take the files as they are. The assumption on my part is that they were recorded in a professional studio and the levels were looked after in a professional manner.
I use them at whatever their original levels are and so far, I have not had any issues with tracks being too loud or over the top compressed. On a few occasions, I have found a few that were weak and needed to be bumped up a bit.
I export them to my DAW, Sonar. (X1) In X1, I use the DAW's default meters and simply "keep them out of the red" for the most part. For my "mastering", I use Ozone 4 to do the polishing to add the sparkle and shine to the music.
I don't do a whole lot to the music actually. Use good tracks, and you shouldn't have to spend hours of time finessing it to sound good.
Hope that answers your question and points you in the right direction.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 08/20/1601:58 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.
You don't really mix in BIAB unless you are doing very simple productions and are satisfied with a few simple plug-ins to do 4 track mixes and such. (I am speaking of EQ, Amplitube and such.)
BIAB is for exporting .wavs you can important into the DAW of your choice and you mix from there.
In that context, I use a full array of software compressors, EQs, effects and almost everything by IK Multimedia and Ozone, including Nectar Production Suite.
But the ONE plug-in I cannot live without now is this, recommended by a forum reader. It tells you what your dynamic range is at a glance, and if you have used too many plug-ins and need to start deleting some of them.
Not sure if you're a Mac or PC user Steve but as a Mac user I find most of what I need within Logic Pro X. As David says you need to bounce your tracks to a DAW. For a while I was using Logic's mastering preset chains and fiddling a little to get pretty good results. But now I use Ozone and getting much better results. Ozone includes metering tools.
David I've looked high and low for that plugin you mention. It's old and apparently not distributed anymore according to the link you provided. How did you find it? (Maybe it's only the Mac version that has gone AWOL.)
It appears the new version is 64 bit for Windows and you have to register as a user to see download now, but there is no MAC version at the moment, though they are working on it. (Go to their site and you will see.)
I too have Ozone, and the level meters are useful, but they are relative loudness and peak levels. That is different than dynamic range and that is why I love this meter.
Ozone will tell you how loud you are and you can see spectrum graphs, but you can't get a number for the dynamic range. I find those simple numbers to be very useful. If you have a dynamic range in the 11 to 12 range you know you have a Cat Stevens, Pat Metheny or Steely Dan mix, it will be crisp and resonant.
If you have a dynamic range of 3 you will be sounding like the Clash through busted speakers. You probably have over compressed the heck out of everything and need to go back to the drawing board.
Everyone is so focused on volume these days they have completely forgotten about dynamic range--that is the wood of the guitar, the bell like sound of piano high keys, the skin on the drum. You know, the good stuff.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
I know Dave, I know. I really like the idea of the meter you have and read all the background to it. It would be a great tool over the output bus. Ozone should have it.
They're pricey, but I'm a huge fan of FabFilter's Pro-Q, Pro-C, and Pro-L (eq, compressor, and limiter). They sound great, and provide visual feedback I haven't seen in other plugins, showing an analysis of the signal pre-effect and post-effect, in real time.
Ozone is a great all-in-one solution as well.
I do my mixing and mastering in a DAW, but there'd be nothing stopping someone from using them directly in BIAB itself.
For those that bought the cheap $19 Tracktion 3 years ago, the FinalMix plugin was a great mastering/metering plugin.
It was property of Mackie, so when Tracktion went dark several years ago after Mackie turned it into abandonware, I was worried I wouldn't be able to use it once Tracktion quit working.
About 3 years ago, Tracktion was bought back by the original developer, and I am now running version 6 and I successfully got FinalMix to work with it.
I always said FinalMix was worth the price of Tracktion by itself. I use it on individual tracks as well as a mix bus plugin.
I can't vouch for MasterMix as compared to FinalMix. FinalMix was coded by Acuma, which was a software house that wrote code for Mackie's digital mixers back in the day.
That's where you can assign any plugins you have installed to your Band-in-a-Box tracks. The only ones we currently provide with the software are SampleTank and Amplitube.
Just about any VST or Audio Unit plugins by other companies will work with Band-in-a-Box, whether they're synths, samplers, or effects.
User Video: Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box®
The Bob Doyle Media YouTube channel is known for demonstrating how you can creatively incorporate AI into your projects - from your song projects to avatar building to face swapping, and more!
His latest video, Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box, he explains in detail how you can use the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box with ACE Studio. Follow along as he goes from "nothing" to "something" with his Band-in-a-Box MIDI Melodist track, using ACE Studio to turn it into a vocal track (or tracks, you'll see) by adding lyrics for those notes that will trigger some amazing AI vocals!
Wir waren fleißig und haben über 50 neue Funktionen und eine erstaunliche Sammlung neuer Inhalte hinzugefügt, darunter 222 RealTracks, neue RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, abspielbare RealTracks Set 3, abspielbare RealDrums Set 2, zwei neue Sets von "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 und mehr!
Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
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