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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
I would add that I'm a jazz guy. I only thru in the new age and classical because I'm not entirely sure what I am trying to do musically with this. Probably jazz/instrumental pop of some sort. But NOT the R & B groove of smooth jazz. Likely mostly latin stuff.
Going back to saxgentleman67's initial querying, I would encourage you to use the StylePicker in BiaB to get a sampling of the latin-based styles and tracks available. I spent an hour yesterday doing just this, and found a lot of useful things. I initially bought the Pro version about a month ago, and within a few days upgraded to the Ultrapak. So, for example, when I put a filter string of "bossa" into the Stylepicker and ask for Realtracks only, I get 158 styles back. Not all are totally unique, but they do show the variety available. That should give you an idea of the results you can accomplish with Realtracks (or you can choose MIDI - just realize the sound source will make a big difference).
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 299
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 299 |
As cwiggins says, there are some exciting Latin Styles, Real or Midi.
Though I am critical of the lack of modernity, Pgmusic’s recordings are top notch: Kenny Barron, Danny Gottlieb, Ron Carter. But, that’s just name dropping. The “unknown” heroes of Band in a Box, like Miles Black and all the other musicians, though not contemporary enough to my liking, these cats can play. And I’m sure they could do more contemporary, too.
Realstyles, as they are now, play like sitting in with the Stan Getz quartet in the eighties. Or, at least, the closest amateurs like me will ever get to sitting in with the Getz-band. My, my, what a band that was: Kenny Barron...
Just, for me, I enjoy more contemporary playing: Dave Holland, Jarrett, Joshua Redman, Garbarek, Hancock, Charles Lloyd. And Realstyles often lack certain chords, or more “today” rhythm.
And, of course, they lack hose wonderful MIDI VST libraries.
Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
For my particular needs, the less flashy players like Miles Black and Oliver Gannon work better - I think their tracks are more plug-and-play than some others who take more liberties. I'm shooting to make recordings that sound as if I had some unsung hero studio musicians providing the foundations of tracks without drawing too much attention to themselves. I haven't investigated the details of how RealTracks are recorded, edited, and reassembled (and as a software engineer I'd love to know more), but I think some players have a better understanding (or coaching) as to how to play for these general purpose tracks.
Not to muddy the water for saxman, but I do know that my 15 year old Yamaha Motif ES workstation has some amazing sounds and a very versatile "arpeggiator on steroids" that does a great job at creating believable instrument tracks - especially in the guitar and keyboard world. That's at least 3 revisions back in the Motif product line, so can only imagine they have improved drastically. So it's fairly easy to assemble usable, professional quality tracks with these kinds of keyboards and without a computer/DAW involved. You do have to play or step enter the chords. So it's another way to approach things. I do like being able to type out a chord chart in Biab and see my whole arrangement like a spreadsheet. If I get time (it will be a while), I'll hook up my Motif and see how some of the MIDI styles sound. I haven't invested in Kontact or other expensive sample players, so won't make a rash judgment, but the onboard demos/sample projects I heard on the MOTIF years ago still have a better pro quality to my ears compared to online demos I hear from various software instrument vendors. I have to pull that keyboard out of the basement for a gig in a couple of months, so I'll revisit it a bit.
Last edited by cwiggins999; 05/16/20 01:40 AM.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 299
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 299 |
@cwiggins, you like more studio musician style, I like more spicy stuff, but, hey, that’s just how the world works.
Talking Motif... There are, I am sure, some better Kontakt libraries, but the Motif is just a different beast altogether.
It’s proof that you not always need big Gbyte size sample pools. The programmers with Korg, Roland and especially Yamaha have worked wonders with limited sample memory. Their use of dynamic filters, oscillators and all things synthesizer is so intelligent and sophisticated that they reach levels of realism and playability that are rarely matched. On the other hand, the MOTIF already had a decent memory.
But Motif is still a very good choice and compares quite nicely to today’s keyboards and sample libraries. I played a MOTIF XS recently and it blew my mind.
Biab, Kontakt, Sampletank and lots of nice libraries, from Fluffy audio to Abbey Road drums. Check out these great contemporary Jazz Styles: www.jazzstylezz.com
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 93
Enthusiast
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OP
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 93 |
Not to muddy the water for saxman, but I do know that my 15 year old Yamaha Motif ES workstation has some amazing sounds
I checked a demo of that out. The sounds still don't sound real to me. Maybe it's just over-processed to me. They also sound a bit dated. It's funny because when you say studio musicians, that's how I would describe what I am looking for. I guess it depends which studio musicians and when:) Just a plain electric bass, good drum sounds, and a nice piano/keyboard sound. Sounds like the real tracks might be the best starting point.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 21,633
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 21,633 |
If you have yet to check out RealTracks .. you may soon find why so many of us have left keyboard composing behind.
It's a whole new world.
I have a keyboard on my desk that can create samples/patches, do step entry, record (and bounce) 4 audio tracks at 16/44 along with a MIDI sequence file .. and I don't use any of it anymore.
It's simply a sound source and physical keyboard to play on these days.
RTs and recorded performances beat it every time for what we do here.
And to be honest (and this is the important part) it is easier on the PC.
Last edited by rharv; 05/18/20 12:21 PM.
Make your sound your own!
.. I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,753
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,753 |
If you have yet to check out RealTracks .. you may soon find why so many of us have left keyboard composing behind.
It's a whole new world.
I have a keyboard on my desk that can create samples/patches, do step entry, record (and bounce) 4 audio tracks at 16/44 along with a MIDI sequence file .. and I don't use any of it anymore.
It's simply a sound source and physical keyboard to play on these days.
RTs and recorded performances beat it every time for what we do here.
And to be honest (and this is the important part) it is easier on the PC. Yeah, that's why I did not replace my controller only keyboard when it went bad. It wasn't getting much use anyway. For what midi I do input a simple Yamaha YPT-400 or even the little iRig Keys 37 works fine. I'm going to edit it on the computer afterwords anyway.
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
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.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
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!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
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!
Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.
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.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed!
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