I recorded a bunch of YouTube videos some years back and the way I did them was to use ONLY the built-in microphone in my Toshiba Camileo X416 camcorder. Needless to say the sound left much to be desired.
This time I want my vocals and guitar to go directly into my computer. However, I'm clueless about how to do it. I mean, the PC only has one input for a microphone so how do I record vocals while playing my (electric) guitar while playing along with a jam track/BIAB track and, also, while video taping the preformance at the same time?
The "TASCAM DP-03SD 8-Ttrack Digital Portastudio" was recommended to me for recording but I really don't know how to put it all together while videotaping the performance.
But heck if I know if the answer I'm looking for is even in there.
Help!
TIA
P.S. Oh, also in the past, I've recorded some stuff ALL ON COMPUTER and uploaded it to SoundCloud. Actually forgot all I did to accomplish the songs but when I get back into that I'll probably remember. But, unfortunately, that doesn't matter for what I now want because I need to know how to do the recording while videotaping the performance at the same time.
buy a small mixer or interface with a usb output then you can input the output from the mic and the electric guitar directly into the pc. I am assuming that the backing track from BIAB is playing through the pc?
and it will take the guitar and the vocals and record to BIAB whilst the backing track is playing. mind you balancing the guitar against the voice might be trial and error.
i think in RealBand you can record the guitar and vocal on separate tracks so that would be better.
start the camcorder to record your performance. I am also assuming that the BIAB backing track is playing through speakers so you can hear it - headphones will spoil the look of the performance! you won't get too much problem with sound bleed from the backing onto the live recording of the vocals (the guitar won't be affected).
you will now have a video on the cam corder and a soundtrack on the pc. mix the soundtrack to a single wav file. assuming you have a very basic video editor you can then marry the two together. you might need to clap before the performance ( that's why movies have a clapper board) so you can synchronise the sound and the video - when you see the clap the noise should be at the same time. then edit it off to leave just the performance. if the backing track does bleed onto the vocal if you synch things properly it shouldn't matter.
here's a link to a free video editor but you'll have to look hard for the link to the feee version for home use
I'd have to give this some thought. Have had varying degrees of success with selfie video, even after having good equipment and quite some experience shooting and editing videos for other people, including musicians. You'll almost always get better results if the sound comes directly from a board. That's a reason for the digital recorder recommendation you were given, that Tascam. You can send a good mix to the camera jack while playing along and have levels control. There is also an 08 model Tascam that's cheaper and a whole bunch of used digital multi tracks on line, used. They don't wear out. Still, my gut feeling is that you will be fighting the limitations of that Toshiba every step of the way. While still in research, have you considered looking into a web cam and the software to screen capture? https://www.toptenreviews.com/best-webcams I can't say I am talking from experience on this point, but feel confident the direction is worth your looking into. Producing a good audio track is half the battle. I think you could use an audio interface. Many on this forum could advise you, there. Left and right aux out into either an interface or the computer's line in would do it. You then sing and play into the recorder's inputs. That content goes into the mix. I think the best results come from either lip syncing or a combination of recorded and lip sync. It worked for Elvis Presley. That's the other half of the battle. The third half is the editing. With lip sync, you can do multiple takes from different angles and distances. Use cutaways to cover rough spots in the video, while the audio rolls along, consistently, since it has been pre recorded. It does not vary. In conclusion, this settle nothing. If you keep us up to date on your progress and thoughts, we'll be sure to provide you with our thoughts.
bykhed01, yes as long as your audio interface accommodates it .. otherwise you can still do one track at a time and do 48 different tracks Most interfaces have a left and right input, so you could do a MONO vocal and guitar track with that (by separating the L/R inputs to separate tracks). To do this, set the target track to be MONO Audio as the Type (right-click) and in Prefs-Audio set RB to record both L & R channels (images below) With these settings you should get 2 separate inputs on 2 separate tracks .. and more is possible if your interface supports it, but at least 2 is pretty common.
I have recorded 16 tracks at a time before in RB, and the current setup on this machine is capable of 18-20, (though 8 is more realistic).
Not sure how that relates to the original posters question about a youtube video
How to get that end result audio into his youtube video seems to be the real question. Especially without knowing what he has for a source file and other software available .. but yeah, RB can record mulitple tracks at once .. I use this feature quite often here.
To the OP; you really need a stereo input recording interface (at the very least) to do what you want. If all you truly have is a single microphone input you need to upgrade the audio interface as metioned above
Last edited by rharv; 10/11/1902:40 PM.
Make your sound your own! .. I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Okay, I've read the suggestions and I'm pretty sure this is what I need to do.
For starters, I already have a Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 that I purchased a few years ago. (I guess I was planning ahead. ) Thus, I will NOT need my Toshiba camcorder for the video as the webcam will do.
I will need to purchase an audio interface with 2 inputs for the electric guitar and microphone. I will NOT need to (also) purchase the TASCAM DP-03SD 8-Ttrack Digital Portastudio as the audio interface along with my (soon to get upgraded) BIAB w/RealBand will take care of the audio.
You have assessed the comments positively, in my opinion. I do think, while you have the attention of the experienced users on this forum, it might be a good idea to describe your computer system and ask the forum for an evaluation with respect to minimum system requirements. There is not much worse than investing in an interface only to find out the computer cannot handle the data -- the result is called latency. It sounds awful and the cure is more power, more RAM. In the same vein, I wonder if down the road two inputs might not be enough. Not that I know much about them, but I do know a lot of newbs go for the low end. There again, a good question to put to the forum. A few years ago, I found screen recorder program named Flashback Pro 5. It saved my neck. Free trial, not too expensive for small business. Check it out. By the same token, that book you mentioned might not be a bad idea. Kind of expensive for a book. At this stage, I feel the Tascam would not be a good purchase for you. I say that because the field has moved into DAWs. One of the main shortcomings of the digital recorder, though the sales people won't mention it, is in the area of interaction with the DAW. It is ponderous and limited. Zoom claims to be leading the way out; I have my doubts. After all, how many users come out of the gate with a five or six channel backing track? I know, if we are talking about is Band in a Box users, the answer is "all of them." That will get sorted out, in time, but right now, exchanging files between the Tascam and the PC is tedious. Those are my thoughts, for what they are worth. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, Band in a Box Folks!
What about doing it old school? By that I mean a kind of lip-synch approach.
Record and produce your song with your vocals, your guitar and RealTracks.
Put your produced song on your phone or iPod or whatever and put it in your pocket. Put bluetooth earbuds on or regular ones and hide the chord.
Now record the video while the song is playing in your ear. Play along and sing along.
Take the video into your video editing software and delete the audio track. Add back in your fully produced song audio track and make sure it is synched up properly on the timeline.
And now you have a nice "live" video with studio quality audio!
And you can mix it up a little to make it even better! Take your guitar and record next to a mountain stream or on a bus. Anywhere you want! Also you can easily change the scene during chorus or whatever. Maybe record the complete song several times always using the same produced recording in your ear. One video will have your closeup while another has a wide shot. Maybe a shot of you walking on a dusty trail. Then in the video editor you just combine the video parts being careful to line them up properly.
You could end up with a pretty cool "pro" video on a budget!
Yeah, I made the same suggestion above, 3J's, just in a little different way. Aux right and left out from the deck into right and left in XLRs on the camera. Direct, no noise. Eighth inch jack from headphone out to aux input on the monitor speaker. I know the song. Play guitar along with the monitor and pretend to sing into the mike. Takes will sync, since the sound track is always the same. Show off a bit with cutaways and wiki commons graphics. Good to go. Low stress. Better results.
I was busy writing a response to JJJ while you posted. Here it is:
I think edshaw was talking about doing something like that in a previous post. And now, thinking more about it, I like that idea!! I mean, from experience, it sucks to do everything LIVE because if you make a mistake you have to do EVERYTHING all over again. Including the video taping. Been there done that and it sucks.
Yeah, I think your recommendations are great. Just record all the AUDIO and mix it all to where I like it and then record the VIDEO (multiple times if I desire to) which would enable me to use different shots and whatever else I might want to do to it to enhance the video.
Thanks!
P.S. By the way, I have a DELL Optiplex 760 running Windows 10. I got it upgraded from Win 7 after frying the motherboard and power supply but when it was upgraded to Win 10 no files were saved. (Thankfully, I save most my stuff to my external hard drive every so often).
64 Bit
4.00GB RAM (3.84GB usable)
152GB used out of 465GB on my C drive
359GB used out of 1.81TB on my Hitachi external hard drive.
P.P.S. edshaw, thanks, more stuff to think about. But, yeah, getting the AUDIO recorded first is the way I'm going. However, if I use my Logitech webcam there is no "right and left in XLRs on the camera". Or are you saying it might be worth another few hundred(?) on a better camcorder than my Toshiba which have those?
JohnJohnJohn <<< And you can mix it up a little to make it even better! Take your guitar and record next to a mountain stream or on a bus. Anywhere you want! Also you can easily change the scene during chorus or whatever. Maybe record the complete song several times always using the same produced recording in your ear. One video will have your closeup while another has a wide shot. Maybe a shot of you walking on a dusty trail. Then in the video editor you just combine the video parts being careful to line them up properly.
You could end up with a pretty cool "pro" video on a budget! >>>
Rokq22 <<< (G)etting the AUDIO recorded first is the way I'm going. However, if I use my Logitech webcam there is no "right and left in XLRs on the camera". Or are you saying it might be worth another few hundred(?) on a better camcorder than my Toshiba which have those? >>>
For nearly two decades, my son in law owned one of the largest DJ/Event/Festival/corporate entertainment companies in the southeast. I worked with him and help him learn about audio, live sound, video and photography from the beginning. I've personally had some type of home recording studio since 1960's and I've done a ton of field recording, video recording and recording 'live' events and some videos/commercials over the years. I've ran live sound for an Eagles Tribute Band for 1 1/2 year and still help them program their digital console when they need me to.
It is the easiest it's ever been to make 'pro' quality videos on a budget. That's good news, because if you watch any YouTube or Facebook music videos, you'll see the competition is fierce and filled with quality content. I'll offer a bit of my experiences and suggestions to add to the good suggestions and recommendations you've already received and also explain my reasons to some of the alternate hardware I'll make.
First and foremost, video and audio should be addressed separate from each other. They are two different format's with different elements. Video is visual and it's primary controlling component is light. Audio is sound and it's primary controlling component is aural. They should not be put together until they are in your video software program. The audio should be finished, mixed and mastered to stereo. Just treating each separately will improve your video noticeably better than 95% of videos that record video and audio at the same time if you don't do anything else in editing. This is especially true for a music video.
Addressing video and audio separately overcomes many limitations and allows much more creativity and control as well as taking full advantage of the strengths of each format's recording and editing software. For instance; Every video software has a storyboard. This is where the videographer develops, organizes and tells the story. In a music video, the song is the story. Unless you're making a static video in front of a single camera and the audio is being recorded straight into your DAW, you need a story for your music video. Every DAW has the tools, editing and plug-ins to make a DVD quality 48/24 stereo or in some cases, 5.1 surround sound audio file. You should tailor your videos to take advantage of these strengths.
You also have the freedom to develop each apart from each other. You can write and record a song after you've thought of a storyline for a video and filmed many scenes that will be included in the final video. You can create a video strictly from a song. Your video can be as simple as you standing before a mic in your living room. Even if that's the case, the two format's should be recorded and processed separately before being merged into a final video project.
You can make a 4:00 minute music video with only 10-15 seconds of synced (lip syncing, instruments synced, etc.) audio in the video. You can have 3:45 of video telling the story... Once you have a story, your video editing becomes a lot easier and so does the audio recording.
. The audio function of your camera is irrelevant. . You can use any camera regardless if it has sound or not. . You can record video out of sequence with what the audio will ultimately be. . You can record your story scenes without need of the song audio except where synching is necessary. . The camera placement and shot angles can be made without regard of the camera audio function and recording. . Video recording can focus solely on lighting, visual content and not sound. . Ambient noise is irrelevant. . Multiple cameras can be used recording scenes (with caveats)
For recording music away from recording direct into an audio interface into the DAW, a discrete recorder is absolutely necessary. Advance amateurs, semi-pros and pros all use audio field recorders. Always. Most audio recording brands such as Zoom and Tascam make dedicated multi track field recorder that are rather expensive. Consumer/semi-pro/pro level devices such as the zoom H5 or H6 and the Tascam dr-5 or dr-40 are more than sufficient and are better suited for video sound than the Tascam Dp-008 or DP-03 units are.
That being said, I suggest for amateur use that will also serve as an all around video/audio studio/home video/school and church videographer, one of the Zoom R series stand alone multi track recorders is ideal. Here's why.
. They provide from 2-8 inputs. . They provide phantom power. . They provide two built in mics. . They are battery powered. . They are quite portable and solidly built. . They can record up to 48/24 DVD quality audio. . They are excellent field recorders. . They are excellent studio recorders.
The H- Series of field recorders do all of the above including higher resolution audio capability. You don't need the higher recording resolutions.
The R- series are designed for more of the audio functions the music videographer will need for field AND studio recording plus they function as USB storage, USB audio interface, DAW Midi controller, guitar modeling, amp modeling, dynamics and timed effects and more. The R8 and R24 both also have looping and sampling capabilities. The R16 does not have those two features that I think are valuable assets to music video making. For instance, you've written a song with a train in the lyrics. While you can download a train sound from the internet, you can also create your own custom train sample that perfectly matches your video. It's not an absolute necessary feature but it is a very handy one. The same can be said for looping. With the Zoom R8, you get the audio recorder and audio interface and controller as All In One. The same for the R24 with the added benefit of 8 simultaneous inputs. If you don't think you'll make use of the sampling and looping functions, then the R16 will also give you the 8 inputs at a lower cost than the R24.
DSLR's with multiple lens are the best choice for video cameras. TV programs (House comes to mind), TV commercials and many music videos are made using DSLR's. However, you can get high quality results with any point/shoot camera if it has manual controls, specifically white balance and aperture control.
The bigger point/shoot have better lens, optical zoom and view finders and normally have more features. Look for manual controls and along with a small screen, a view finder. The view finder will greatly extend battery life plus it allows better framing of your views when out in sunlight. Many also can be connected to mains power supplies for when you're shooting indoors.
There are many more camera and audio recorder options out there and you can decide what best fits into the different type videos you'll make and the budget you need to meet. The bottom line is you can start with what you have, especially with video. I think for audio, a Zoom multi track is by far giving you the most bang for your buck.
So the Zoom R8 has an audio interface built in?? Meaning I wouldn't need to purchase a separate interface such as the Behringer?
TIA
P.S. If the above works it looks like I'll be getting:
1) Upgrade to 2020 BIAB w/RealBand 2) Zoom R8 (with built in audio interface) 3) Audio Technica AT2020 Cardioid Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
Yes. The Zoom R8 is an Audio Interface. There's no need to purchase a separate interface. It is a good quality interface and is similar in quality to any other interface in the price range. Because it operates on battery power, it works great as a field recorder. It also has phantom power for the condenser mic you're purchasing.
It's also a midi controller for DAW's such as Reaper, Sonar, Studio One and any other DAW with Mackie Control.
"P.P.S. edshaw, thanks, more stuff to think about. But, yeah, getting the AUDIO recorded first is the way I'm going. However, if I use my Logitech webcam there is no "right and left in XLRs on the camera". Or are you saying it might be worth another few hundred(?) on a better camcorder than my Toshiba which have those?"
The audio and video is recorded with the capture program (I suggested Flashback Pro 5) The audio in puts are on the interface, unless I am missing something. Also, the 1/8 input on the recorder is stereo. Video editors can often record, too. Here, again, I yield to the forum members with expertise using the computer as a recorder or as a movie camera. The web cam is strictly picture.
Great find, that Zoom R-8 by C Fogle!
I didn't see any comment on system requirements, but I would keep asking. Also, I would consult with support at Flashback Pro or one of those companies.
<<< The audio in puts are on the interface, unless I am missing something. >>>
As an interface, the Zoom R8 has two simultaneous inputs. The R16 and R24 have 8 inputs that can be recorded simultaneously. All three of the Zoom recorders can also be used as a stand alone recorder. The R8 has 8 tracks. The R16 has 16 and the R24 has 24 tracks. These recorded tracks are stored on a SD card on the device. Audio files from all three recorders can be put into a PC either by direct recording from the Zoom being used as an audio interface, files transferred by USB or the SD card can be physically removed and inserted into the PC. Once loaded into the PC, the audio files can be imported into a DAW or if the file has been completed and rendered to a stereo file, import that into the video software.
<<< . . . the 1/8 input on the recorder is stereo. >>>
Regular stereo (TRS) cables can be used with 1/4" to 1/8" adaptor to feed the output from either the headphone jack or the two main outputs into the 1/8" input of the webcam if desired. A single TRS cable is all that's needed if you use the headphone jack from the R Series recorders. Also, the R- series recorders headphone jack can have a separate mix from the main outputs using internal menu routing.
Great write up, Charlie Fogle. Not all that long ago, you and I discussed the merits of Zoom vs Tascam. Remember that? Your suggestions cause me to revisit that discussion.
I checked out FlashBack (quickly), downloaded the free trial for the heck of it, recorded something real quick but since I have low disk space on this notebook I deleted it (might install it on my PC however).
So wondering, what is that for? (I really didn't want to spend too much time on it when I could ask here).
Frankly, I had plans on purchasing VideoPad for video editing but is Flashback better or is it even a video editing program? Or what?
The Flashback is screen capture software enhanced with other features, but, briefly, it produces the raw motion picture stock to be imported by the editor. Plug the camera into a USB, the audio into an interface, enter settings, press record. That is production. Post production begins when that those video scenes are imported into a new project in the editor, be it Video Pad or some other, to be arranged into a movie. I use Video Pad.
BTW, my comments re: the Toshiba had to do with recorder quality, some adverse review. It has been discontinued.
Flashback may be used as an editor, claims to be one, but it really excels as screen recorder -- sound and picture. Yeah, MS Moviemaker and Video pad work fine. They would be considered entry level. I once had a project due and only MovieMaker available. I thought I was cooked. Surprise, it turned out to be one of my best projects ever.. a music festival. Good stock = good movie.
While you guys are waiting on the equipment, here's something you should try while you wait. You may already have some of this gear on hand. If not, it's inexpensive and readily available.
From the likes of Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, Office Max, Office Depot - Get a digital voice recorder. Sony, Phillips and Olympus are some major name brands. These are excellent field recorders for video. Paired with a lavalier mic, they will match much more expensive shotgun mics. Wireless is acceptable but not necessary or worth the increased cost because the same result is achieved. Hard wired negates the possibility of interference, drop outs or moving out of the wireless range.
Features to look for: These are not all crucial to video recording nor in most cases necessary but they are valuable to the overall and many other uses for these devices.
. Better than MP3/WMA record quality - if proprietary format, usually comes with MAC/PC software to convert to WAV/AIFF . Stereo recording capability (Device has input jack and not just built in mics) . Stereo input that 1/8-35mm cable will connect into (normally labeled mic) . Stereo headphone jack . USB connectivity (negates removing micro sd card continuously) . Stereo vue meters (not necessary but great to have) . Active headphone monitoring when recording (you won't know this until you try out the unit. I've never seen this spec listed. Great to have) . PFL listening (active headphone monitoring when in record mode) is worth asking to audition and review before purchasing. It's an invaluable feature with lot's of uses . Multiple mic sensitivity levels . Multiple record quality levels . Voice Activation (you may not use this much for video, but it is very handy for other applications) . USB Mic capability
Features to avoid or have the capability to disable
. AGC - Auto Gain Control . Noise Reduction
Indispensable Accessories (for Video and other applications)
. Lavalier mic (You'll find this to be a necessary device to have) . Shotgun mic . Telephone suction cup Pickup device . 1/8"-35mm to 1/8"-35mm cable (known as Stereo to Stereo Cable) . 1/8"-35mm to 2 RCA cable (Known as Stereo to RCA Cable) . Cable end adapters (XLR, 1/4" TS (mono), TRS (Stereo)
Free Bonus tips regarding the shotgun mic and telephone suction cup pickup
Most shotgun mics contain what's called an FET - there is modification that allows this type of shotgun mic's sensitivity to be increased to a level that matches commercial surveillance mics in the $2,000 range. No kidding. You'll likely never need this capability however, you'll find lots of benefit and uses of a shotgun mic with video recording.
Likewise, there are many uses for a telephone suction cup (TSC) Very common use for audio recording is the TSC when placed near a speaker functions as a transformer. It passes the electromagnetic waves of the speaker through the TSC transducer, through the wires and into the digital voice recorder (or any recording device). This effectively records the audio from the speaker as if it were a direct wired connection and eliminates all of the ambient room noise, talk, wind noise, etc. It's only mono but you can capture flawless audio in a room that a party is going on. The same if you're traveling in a car, boat or plane - place the TSC up to a speaker and eliminate car noise. Like the shotgun mic, there are some uncommon uses and ways to capture audio as well
Using a digital voice recorder in video recording allows the use of any video recording source and camera regardless if the video source or camera has audio capability or not. The digital voice recorder adds audio capability to any video source or camera. It also is useful if multiple cameras are being used for b-rolls.
Note that micro cassette recorders will work also with the caveat that capstan motor noise may be captured along with the other audio.
While you guys are waiting on the equipment, here's something you should try while you wait. You may already have some of this gear on hand. If not, it's inexpensive and readily available.
From the likes of Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, Office Max, Office Depot - Get a digital voice recorder. Sony, Phillips and Olympus are some major name brands. These are excellent field recorders for video. Paired with a lavalier mic, they will match much more expensive shotgun mics. Wireless is acceptable but not necessary or worth the increased cost because the same result is achieved. Hard wired negates the possibility of interference, drop outs or moving out of the wireless range.
Features to look for: These are not all crucial to video recording nor in most cases necessary but they are valuable to the overall and many other uses for these devices.
. Better than MP3/WMA record quality - if proprietary format, usually comes with MAC/PC software to convert to WAV/AIFF . Stereo recording capability (Device has input jack and not just built in mics) . Stereo input that 1/8-35mm cable will connect into (normally labeled mic) . Stereo headphone jack . USB connectivity (negates removing micro sd card continuously) . Stereo vue meters (not necessary but great to have) . Active headphone monitoring when recording (you won't know this until you try out the unit. I've never seen this spec listed. Great to have) . PFL listening (active headphone monitoring when in record mode) is worth asking to audition and review before purchasing. It's an invaluable feature with lot's of uses . Multiple mic sensitivity levels . Multiple record quality levels . Voice Activation (you may not use this much for video, but it is very handy for other applications) . USB Mic capability
Features to avoid or have the capability to disable
. AGC - Auto Gain Control . Noise Reduction
Indispensable Accessories (for Video and other applications)
. Lavalier mic (You'll find this to be a necessary device to have) . Shotgun mic . Telephone suction cup Pickup device . 1/8"-35mm to 1/8"-35mm cable (known as Stereo to Stereo Cable) . 1/8"-35mm to 2 RCA cable (Known as Stereo to RCA Cable) . Cable end adapters (XLR, 1/4" TS (mono), TRS (Stereo)
Free Bonus tips regarding the shotgun mic and telephone suction cup pickup
Most shotgun mics contain what's called an FET - there is modification that allows this type of shotgun mic's sensitivity to be increased to a level that matches commercial surveillance mics in the $2,000 range. No kidding. You'll likely never need this capability however, you'll find lots of benefit and uses of a shotgun mic with video recording.
Likewise, there are many uses for a telephone suction cup (TSC) Very common use for audio recording is the TSC when placed near a speaker functions as a transformer. It passes the electromagnetic waves of the speaker through the TSC transducer, through the wires and into the digital voice recorder (or any recording device). This effectively records the audio from the speaker as if it were a direct wired connection and eliminates all of the ambient room noise, talk, wind noise, etc. It's only mono but you can capture flawless audio in a room that a party is going on. The same if you're traveling in a car, boat or plane - place the TSC up to a speaker and eliminate car noise. Like the shotgun mic, there are some uncommon uses and ways to capture audio as well
Using a digital voice recorder in video recording allows the use of any video recording source and camera regardless if the video source or camera has audio capability or not. The digital voice recorder adds audio capability to any video source or camera. It also is useful if multiple cameras are being used for b-rolls.
Note that micro cassette recorders will work also with the caveat that capstan motor noise may be captured along with the other audio.
I have two Olympus Digital Voice Recorders ( identical models ) that I can no longer use due to my stroke.
They record in .wma format by default but .wav and most audio formats also. I paid $85 each and will consider any reasonable offer. PM me.
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.
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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."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
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.
) Thus, I will NOT need my Toshiba camcorder for the video as the webcam will do.
) 
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