Hi everyone, I’m a musician who plays saxophone, keyboards and loves to sing but I’ve never recorded anything.
My brother has a copy of Band in a Box that he says he can lend me but I don’t even have a computer. I only use my iPhone and occasionally my husband’s work computer. We don’t even have internet here but I’ve learned I don’t need it to use this.
I DO however have a great Roland keyboard, amplifier and microphone.
I’m an experienced player but not very computer savvy.
Could I get some ideas or suggestions and what to get and why.
I’m so excited to finally be able to make my own music.
If you never recorded anything...., but ok with iphone, My suggestion:
Get an MultiTrack DAW app for iphone or similar. The one that can record multiple tracks. You can get multitrack apps from $3-$10.
Get a simple interface like iRig (looks like AA battery, slightly bigger) that you connect to microphone and the other end to iphone. Or even skip the interface and microphone and record multiple tracks using iphone mic, just to see if you are ok with it.
I would say that would be your easiest and cheapest way to get into the magic of recording audio.
If you feel comfortable, and you want to learn more, you can use same interface (if you get one) for PC and explore the endless galaxy of computer world accompaniment / recording software and peripherals.
<< Could I get some ideas or suggestions and what to get and why. >>
First. You don't need to borrow your brothers copy of Band in a Box. It requires a computer and it would be useless to you. I'm not sure if it's even proper for him to loan the program. That may violate licensing agreements he's made when he purchased the program. Although PGMusic makes an IOS product, it works in conjunction with a copy of BIAB installed on a computer I think.
Your solution is to provide your brother a list of songs you'd like to play and sing along to and have him make a CD for you or alternately they can be loaded onto your iphone play list. You have everything else you need to record yourself singing and playing. Rustyspoon's suggestion to use an irig adaptor will provide a great interface for recording to your iphone. As Rustyspoon also said, it's not required or necessary to get excellent recordings. You can record the output of your amplifier speaker using the built in mic's of your iphone. The only obstacle is you will need some type of device to play the BIAB created backing tracks other than your iphone since it will be unable to play tracks and record at the same time. I suggest purchasing an inexpensive Olympus or Sony voice recorder available at Walmart, Target or any music store. They are less than $50 and your brother can put thousands of songs on the device. Most modern amplifiers have line inputs so you can connect the device directly to a line input on your amplifier. It may also be able to connect to your Roland Keyboard. Place the iphone very close to the amplifier speaker, make sure the input of the iphone is not set too high so it distorts, and your iphone can record the backing tracks, you playing your sax or singing along. If you record a backing track onto the voice recording and play the sax and record it using the microphone, you can play that recording back through your amplifier and sing along with that track that now consists of backing track + sax and add your vocals to that. Record and play that back using the same process and you can sing along and add a harmony vocal part.
You are using analog recording techniques to digital recording media.
If you want to get into recording and not be dependent on your brother to provide backing tracks for you or go to the expense of buying computers, software and other accessories you need to digitally record your singing and playing but still have BIAB to create accompaniment tracks, a Digitech Trio uses BIAB to create bass and drums accompaniment, loops and effects you can record yourself playing along with. No computer necessary. No internet necessary. You can also use it to play live solo gigs and for family and friends get togethers.
There are relatively inexpensive digital multi track recorders by Tascam, Zoom, and, on the higher side, Roland. These are four and eight track units that will take you a long way in the area of recordings to backing tracks, Karaoke. It does raise an interesting question, though, and that is, "Are there Band in a Box backing track producers out there who will produce tracks on demand or have tracks available? Once you enter the magic world of BiaB, it's not easy to back out. I'm afraid that does not answer your question as to how to break in to the computer music field. It also opens the door to your making your own companion tracks.
If you can visit your brother and he can assist with running the program, you can record your voice, saxophone etc directly into Band In A Box. That might get you going quickly and easily. There should be no need for separate Mixers, DAW's etc.
I would download a recording app like multitrackstudio for iOS (29.00), or studio one capture duo (free) or capture $9.95 for iOS
Any of these will give you a light weight studio to record stuff on.
If you use the studio one stuff you can Bluetooth the tracks to the main program should you get into computer recording.
Lenovo Win 10 16 gig ram, Mac mini with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2022, Realband, Harrison Mixbus 32c version 9.1324, Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app, Komplete 49 key controller.
As far as the BIAB question, that is licensed to one user, and that one user has three activations to cover three computers (not used at the same time).
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
Thank you so much for your input. It’s much appreciated. I will have to research all this to even correspond back as it’s all gone ‘way over my head,’ but I WILL do so as I REALLY want to do this.
Perhaps I can ask questions as I’m learning. I think I will learn a lot here.
Feel free to ask questions. There is no such thing as stupid questions here (maybe some stupid answers from time-to-time ), but your questions will be well received, no matter how simple or how complex.
We'll do our best to help.
BIAB & RB2024 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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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), but your questions will be well received, no matter how simple or how complex.
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