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So I call songs on the fly. It's a great way to handle things, but it must be darned tough when you're both playing, maybe singing, and producing the show at one and the same time. Respect and some! Even as a DJ when I didn't have to do the playing and singing, it was sometimes hard enough. More songs to chose from isn't necessarily so helpful  Mind, I also used to do a lot of six to eight hour solo gigs, so I was still pretty exhausted by the time I went to bed.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
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BTW, you sound like you were fun on the gig. I might steal your biz card shtick one day. Have your lawyer contact my lawyer and we can negotiate a fee for using the business card gag. I'll charge you the same amount as I paid to the guy I took it from. I also had one where I said "And the punch line of the night is ___________" and deliver a punch line and say "Come up and tell me the joke." My two favorites were "Catch the colonel" and "If I could walk that way I wouldn't need the talcum powder." In 3 years, nobody ever got the first one. ONE girl got the second. One night there was a girl who was, I'll just say she rarely missed dinner. She came to a lot of our shows and would always danced directly in front of me and the front man. ("Danced" is a very loose interpretation of the word. It looked more like lava flowing from Mt. Vesuvius.) One night she wore a pair of Guess jeans. Between songs I looked at our singer, Ron, and said "What do those jeans right there say?" He said "Guess." I said "I don't know. 220? 225?" So my girlfriend of the time, who was an artist as well as handy with a sewing machine, went out and bought a cheap pair of HUGE jeans, and on the left back pocket stitched in "BB", and on the right back pocket a stitched in version of the head of a buffalo. She literally tried to market them with a target market of the larger women, calling them "Buffalo Butt" jeans. And we sent them to that girl (anonymously, of course). AND SHE WORE THEM TO A GIG ONCE!!! I really don't believe in god but that night I thanked god she had a sense of humor. BTW, nobody ever mentioned those jeans. She obviously knew we did it. She never said. We never said. And the heckler in Erie PA. He was sitting at the first table in front of me wearing the ugliest Hawaiian shirt ever and at some point yelled out "Hey man. What do you do for your real job? I KNOW you're not a keyboard player." He just smiled at him and said "You're right. My main job is lining up guys to bang your wife." He got up and took a step toward the stage and our security guy stepped in and said "Dude, first of all, YOU started it. And second, you want no part of that 40 year old Vietnam veteran." He sat down, we bought him a beer, and the next night he got there 60 minutes before start time to get that same seat down front. So yeah, I was fun, and funny. Oddly I am an extreme introvert. That kind of "clown mask" was how I dealt with the anxiety of being around so many people. During breaks I found a quiet corner to sit by myself or if there was a dressing room I sat there. But back to my fee... EDIT: One last fast story and I will get out of this thread because I have nothing more to say on topic. Another night, that same girl was down front dancing, as usual. As we hit a pause I was getting ready to deliver some comedy while the front guy changed reeds (on his beautiful Selmer VII) I took a breath and got ready to talk and just then I heard someone's pager go off. It was right there down front (or I wouldn't have heard it) and I said "Hey be careful down front there. She's backing up."
Last edited by eddie1261; 11/05/22 03:57 AM.
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So I call songs on the fly. It's a great way to handle things, but it must be darned tough when you're both playing, maybe singing, and producing the show at one and the same time. Respect and some! Even as a DJ when I didn't have to do the playing and singing, it was sometimes hard enough. More songs to chose from isn't necessarily so helpful Mind, I also used to do a lot of six to eight hour solo gigs, so I was still pretty exhausted by the time I went to bed. When playing the sax, flute, or wind synth, there are notes I can play with only the left hand. If I'm playing the guitar, I can usually find a place. It only takes a second of two to type a couple of letters. I have another trick, we have a few songs that start with Old, and most often than not, I need Old Time Rock And Roll in a hurry when playing for seniors. So I put an extra space between old and time so it comes up before the others. I can reach over, type "OL" and it's ready to play. I do this for a few others as well. Reading the audience does get me out of the zone for a minute, but I can get right back in. I've been doing it for a long time. Most of our gigs are 3 hours, the minority are 4 and the longest gigs we've done are 6 hours. Playing music is a fun way to make a living, and working the audience is a good way to keep making a living doing what we love to do. Just livin' the dream. Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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<...snip...>
So yeah, I was fun, and funny. Oddly I am an extreme introvert. That kind of "clown mask" was how I dealt with the anxiety of being around so many people. During breaks I found a quiet corner to sit by myself or if there was a dressing room I sat there.
But back to my fee...<...>
The fee? I'll have my people get with your people and we'll negotiate. Good stuff Eddie. I might steal some more. Perhaps we can trade BTW, I was shy when I started gigging. I never had fear of the microphone, but I was shy in person. I got over it, though. I'm not an extravert, although like you on the microphone, I'm a lot more animated than I am in person. We have a few birthday gags. When someone requests a Happy Birthday, we'll sing the song and when the applause dies down, I'll call their name, on the mic which gets most of the room's attention and follow with something like this. Ever since the late 1920s, when Leilani and I started The Sophisticats, (creates a giggle) there has been a long-standing birthday tradition. And (---- name--) we'd like to include you in that time honored, never broken, birthday tradition. That tradition that states that he, or she who celebrates a birthday wherever The Sophisticats are playing has the distinct right (pause), honor (pause) and privilege, (quicken pace) of buying the house a round of drinks. Let's here it for (---name---). We have a few more, because you can't repeat the same one over and over. Oh, back on topic, we don't use a backing track for "Happy Birthday". Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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The fee? I'll have my people get with your people and we'll negotiate. I don't have people. I need PEOPLE? Quick. Somebody get me some people. Have them bring their backing tracks and we'll talk.
I am using the new 1040XTRAEZ form this year. It has just 2 lines.
1. How much did you make in 2023?
2. Send it to us.
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Most of our gigs are 3 hours, the minority are 4 and the longest gigs we've done are 6 hours.
I'm not surprised as I believe for the gigs you do are "we are the entertainment". Hopefully you get at least a couple of short breaks in the 3 or 4 hours. As a DJ I could plan my own toilet breaks with a 12" single or something (which was just as well). Some of the long gigs I did had a break for a meal, so I could just stick on some good music and relax for the duration. Often I'd get fed, too, which was nice. Especially so when they had a proper sit-down and went to the trouble to organise a vegetarian meal for me. Now that's really nice! Long gig I took sandwiches to be sure. I loved doing it and sometimes miss it, but I found my tastes in music were advancing far faster than my audiences' were. I found myself starting to 'accidentally' leave behind songs I couldn't any longer bear to play, and longing to play the really good, newer, more exciting fusion stuff that was still rising. I faced a three-way choice. Focus on the weddings and the like, where music tend to be MoR; go for broke in the high-end clubs; or quit whilst I was still having fun. I chose the latter. With hindsight I think I'm glad I did, because music started to regress (IMHO) into the drum-n-base and similar genres. -- That's not for me. Enough ... I'm off-topic.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
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We often do 3 hours straight with no breaks.
We learned to do that on the cruise ships. There were 6 lounges, and if we took a break, we'd lose the crowd, as they would go to see what else was happening. It's more fun playing for people.
Once on land, I found I could attract a better crowd, and hold them longer by skipping breaks. Then I found I could charge more money than my competitors because when we play, the venue makes more money and the audience has a better time. So we still play 3 hours average, but get paid for 4.
I know a lot of musicians get tired of playing certain songs, but I find the biggest problem is calling a tired out work horse. Once the music starts, I forget I've played it too many times, and enjoy myself anyway.
I could sing and play Mustang Sally and the others forever, as long as the audience is digging it when I'm singing/playing it. I feed of their energy.
It's a fun way to make a living. And at this time, I have no intention of retiring.
Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Once the music starts, I forget I've played it too many times, and enjoy myself anyway.
I could sing and play Mustang Sally and the others forever, as long as the audience is digging it when I'm singing/playing it. I feed of their energy.
It's a fun way to make a living. And at this time, I have no intention of retiring.
Notes ♫ Those are the most important bits. A curious thing ... since I started playing piano, I sometimes play songs that I used, in the past, to hate, but I now enjoy playing them. Sometimes that's because I now better appreciate how good the original song was, sometimes because I can shut out the version I hated and play a version that suits me ... I'm thinking particularly here of Misty. Johnny Mathis never worked for me and I particularly hated his version. The film didn't help. But the music itself is brilliant. Hah! ... nobody who has ever tried to rescue a kitten up a tree would consider it helpless ... 20 needle-sharp claws disabuse one of that idea very quickly indeed :-)
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
Kawai MP6, Korg M50, Ui24R, Saffire Pro 40.
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Yes, his rants are some of his best videos.
I do like the videos when he has tracks and can isolate parts etc. Very informative and educational.
The odd one or two are okay but ranting is only spasmodically entertaining. Beato gets on the his high horse a lot more often as he ages. I'd be afraid to walk on his lawn. His "Makes This Song "videos are often both entertaining & educational. The cross pollinating YouTuber Mutual Admiration Society staff is a drag though. I have, in the end, trouble feeling empathy for him over his business model problems. Careers built on Utub - from Beato to Mr Beast?
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Beato is a knowledgable fellow but he's also inclined to post click bait topics or just rants when it suits his purposes. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you probably didn't watch the video. It definitely wasn't click bait or a rant. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you probably didn't really read my post. I wasn't commenting on the linked video but on Beato in general. With regard to the particular video, (and yes, I did watch it a few days ago), "Is Performing With A Backing Track Cheating?" Clearly this is a title designed to peak the interest of people with polarized opinions, to generate comments and to get CLICKS. Beato doesn't rant in this one...I didn't suggest he did. At one point he says "Does it bother me? No." OF COURSE he said this...he's, in fact, justifying what he used to do and made money from, so he's not really an unbiased observer with a considered objective opinion.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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"Is Performing With A Backing Track Cheating?" Clearly this is a title designed to peak the interest of people with polarized opinions, to generate comments and to get CLICKS. So what?
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If someone posts a link on how to sew a wedding dress, I wouldn't watch it, many others probably would.
If someone posts a link about music backing tracks, I would watch it, many others probably wouldn't.
I watch the material I am interested in. That doesn't indicate in any way that I've been baited by the topic. It only indicates that there is a topic that I am interested in. If some of the material in the presentation is passionate about specific events, it's the author's absolute right to include. I wouldn't want it any other way.
No one is compelled to view. And there is always the stop button. Easy.
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<...snip...>
A curious thing ... since I started playing piano, I sometimes play songs that I used, in the past, to hate, but I now enjoy playing them. Sometimes that's because I now better appreciate how good the original song was, sometimes because I can shut out the version I hated and play a version that suits me ... I'm thinking particularly here of Misty. Johnny Mathis never worked for me and I particularly hated his version. The film didn't help. But the music itself is brilliant. <...> Erroll Garner, who wrote the music, was a gifted jazz pianist and composer. There is a lot of harmonic interest in the chord changes, and as a young man, when I first learned it, it was a challenge for me to improvise over those changes. We still play it occasionally, but like most of the "American Songbook" tunes, they don't go over as well as they used to. There are some really nicely crafted pop tunes that get overplayed. They were probably popular partially because the song was crafted well, plus people liked the band, words, and/or singer's expression. Hotel California comes to mind. I like playing over a well crafted and challenging song. It keeps my brain sharp. Others like Mustang Sally or Seventh Son are just good ol' blues tunes. The simple songs are the musical equivalent to junk food, fun to play but not very nourishing. And bonus -- they won't make me overweight and unhealthy  Since I make my own backing tracks, either from scratch or with the help of Band-in-a-Box, I can make the song longer, leave room for the solo hog (me), take it a few beats faster, put it in the optimum key for our vocals, rearrange it to get to the hook sooner or remove a drawn out intro, exaggerate the groove if needed, and mix it for live performance, emphasizing the drum and bass if necessary to encourage the dancers at the lower volumes we perform at. It's a lot of work to create a backing track (I also play drums, bass, guitar, and keyboard synth), and I put extra time into it to make it as good as I can. I'm sure the audience doesn't consciously know the little things I do to make it better, and might not even care, but if lucky, I'll get to play along with that track hundreds of times, and if there is something I slid past to save time, I'd hear it every time I play the song, and that would bother me. I've become a decent singer (hardest instrument I've ever learned), and I enjoy that almost as much as sax and wind synthesizer. I sing and/or play sax, wind synth, guitar, and flute on stage. If the vocals are challenging for me, I have a little drum controller on stage and I'll play hand drums on it. My partner, Mrs. Notes is a fantastic singer and she plays guitar and synth on stage. All in all, I'm living the dream, doing what I love to do, with a wife that I love, to an audience that I love, and at the end of the gig, they give me enough money so that I can pay the rent so to speak. I'm not living a life of luxury, but I am living a life of bliss, and to me, that's the dream. Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Notes, when it comes to backing tracks and the results (success or otherwise), I would consider you to be probably one of the most knowledgeable users in these forums. You bring significant long-term skills to the table, explain what works, what doesn't work, why a live band might be better, and why backing tracks might be better. Thanks for sharing that knowledge.
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I am still stuck on a song list of 600! The biggest I ever had was probably 80-90. I think of it that if you have 600 songs, 550 of them don't get played at a show. And if you aren't playing them, jettison them. I always had a top end limit and when we learned a new song, another had to go. We'd sit down as a group and say "What on this list don't we really play?" and decide what to drop.
I was in a band in the early 80s that tried to be versatile (more on that in a minute) so they insisted on learning a little of everything. I led a discussion that was loosely this.
We do shows that call for 45 songs. How about if we have a core of 20 that we will play EVERY night, and then a list of 205 that are harder edged rockers like "Get Out Of Denver" and "You May Be Right", and 25 that are more country leaning like "Today I started Loving Her Again" and "On The Road Again", where some of each list can be in the core list. From the remainder of the rock and the country lists we can mix in 20 songs to play with the core 25 and there's our night. When we walk in and see big belt buckles, boots and cowboy hats, we lean heavier on the country list. But pulling out an obscure ZZ Top sing in a stone cold country place would be a wrong move.
The real issue, and SO MANY BANDS don't get this, is that your band needs a fingerprint. That whole "song list all over the place" just doesn't work where I am. Rooms are known as "____________" kind of room or "___________" kind of room, and the best Merle Haggard songs in the world won't work in a room that wants metal. We have a club here called Thirsty Cowboys. Their band had to cancel at the last minute because of a car accident in which the bass player and his singer wife were injured. They scrambled to find ANYBODY and ended up with a rock band. Only due to the most morbid of curiosity did I go see the place. At 11pm, there were 25 people in there. Any other Friday night at 11pm there are 250. So rooms have a fingerprint, and it's a good idea for a band to have one too. Remember, it's easy to dazzle the 50 friends who will come to see you no matter what. The strangers matter most.
We have a Spazmatics franchise band here. 3 playing pieces and a front singer. The music is about 65% tracks. They are very popular and very busy and nobody cares that they are more tracks than live play. The guitar player is a producer at a studio he owns, and his tracks are CD worthy so it works well for them.
I am using the new 1040XTRAEZ form this year. It has just 2 lines.
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Others like Mustang Sally or Seventh Son are just good ol' blues tunes. The simple songs are the musical equivalent to junk food, fun to play but not very nourishing. And bonus -- they won't make me overweight and unhealthy Mostly I play jazz, and far less well than I'd like, but when we have our jam sessions, we often use a blues number to get warmed up. I like those "good ol' blues tunes", not least because they give a simple but good and solid foundation on which to build and improvise. Often we'll just start with "a 12-bar blues in F" or something and see where we go.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
Kawai MP6, Korg M50, Ui24R, Saffire Pro 40.
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Technology has reached the point that the bands that have recorded some pretty intricate music with way more parts than people need tracks to sound like the band people are there to hear. It is only common sense to have the tracks there to support the songs. Is it cheating? I guess that is a point of view. Using 40 tracks and overdubs is cheating too then.... Thing is, of those "40 tracks," that's not 40 different parts. 10 - 12 of them are often drum mics. The bass often has a DI in addition to the miked amp. Guitars might have 2 mics on the cabinet and possibly a room mic and a DI too. Often those parts are doubled. There might be several different takes of a guitar solo so the producer can pick the best one. Possibly several takes of other parts as well. It all adds up quickly. I was actually referring to parts and not tracks specifically. There are recorded songs with 4 to 5 guitar parts, all played by the same guitarist doing overdubs. It is almost impossible to recreate that live. That was my point. Sorry I confused anyone.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
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It is almost impossible to recreate that live. Thus, the use of tracks. During Van Halen and Billy Gibbons solos in live settings, don't you hear rhythm guitar parts behind them? And they performed Jump live with the Oberheim synth parts, all on tracks. Everybody (not literally) does it.
Last edited by eddie1261; 11/06/22 01:20 PM.
I am using the new 1040XTRAEZ form this year. It has just 2 lines.
1. How much did you make in 2023?
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"Is Performing With A Backing Track Cheating?" Clearly this is a title designed to peak the interest of people with polarized opinions, to generate comments and to get CLICKS. So what? That was a great song by The Cure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSTrE7EDctsHad you been following the related strand within the thread you may not have needed to interject in such a way. I see your so what and raise you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYkqLm9cM3Y
Last edited by rayc; 11/06/22 03:01 PM.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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I am still stuck on a song list of 600! The biggest I ever had was probably 80-90. I think of it that if you have 600 songs, 550 of them don't get played at a show. <...snip...> You are correct, some will be played over and over because the audience wants them, and others will be pulled out on one gig, and different ones the next day. We want to be usually predictable, but also partially unpredictable in our song choices. Here is why 600+ songs are useful for us. - We play the same venues week after week, currently we are playing one 3 times a week and if we played the same 80 songs over and over and over, the gig would be very boring for us
- We have people that come to see us once, twice, or three times per week, and if we played the same songs every time they came in, it would be very boring for them
- We play a variety of gigs. In our beachside gig, a lot of tropical songs get mixed in (Reggae, Soca, Musica Latina, and/or Tropic rock like Jimmy Buffett songs). Last week we played for a senior citizen dancing crowd at a private party, so mostly baby boomer songs came out. On our Oktoberfest gig we played a few German songs and a couple of polkas. When we play at the RV resort with hundreds of French Canadian guests, we know what they like. If we see pointed yoke shirts and cowboy boots, the Nashville songs enter the mix. And so on.
- Playing a variety of songs lets us size up the audience, test and see what works best for them, and then giving them more of what that came here for
Yesterday we played at our beachside gig, which we do 3 days a week. There are 2 or 3 bands there every day, and we are the only band that gets more than one day. We were followed by a 5 piece band that plays there once a week. They play on the other stage and got there early. One of the band members said, "I've never seen so many people here!" And I responded, "Those are OUR people." It was full to capacity, and people were standing. When we packed up, all but one table (who weren't our people) got up and left. That's why we play there 3 days a week. If we played the same songs every time, we would get boring. Plus, when someone who comes to see us every week requests a song, and if we can cover it, we'll learn it. We learn new songs all the time anyway, why not play what the people want? The beachside gig attracts a varied audience, from the bikini gals to folks ambling in with walkers. Having different genres of songs to choose from, enables us to attract those walking by, and keep the drinkers/diners there longer. Years ago when I was in a show band, we did things differently, the same show in a different place with a different audience so other than a few variables, we did the same show every time. But I'm not doing shows now, I'm playing a party, and we are the life of the party. Yesterday was Mrs. Notes' birthday, so the place was full for shoulder season, but in mid season we do this at least once a week. We played a mid-week party at a competitor's venue for 12.5 years. In our 13th year COVID came, the place was sold, and the new owners wanted a single act playing quiet, background music. So we lost the gig. No hard feelings, they seem like nice people and they wanted something different. 2 years later, when COVID gig-blight started to die down, we tried the place we are gigging at now. The owner had heard of us, and hired us on the spot on our reputation. The first week he put one waitress on. The bartender was bringing food out and kitchen help was bussing the tables. The next week he put on 4 waitresses. That's job security. So what we are doing, works for us. - Better Backing Tracks (because I put in the time to make them better) -- Looky there, I'm back on topic
- Variety of songs to work with (from Sinatra to Elvis to Beatles to Clapton to Zac Brown to Adele)
- Variety of lead voices, Mrs. Notes and I sing, I play leads on sax, flute, guitar and wind synth (which can emulate many other instruments) and Mrs. Notes plays leads on synth
- We pay attention to and work the crowd, doing our best to make sure they have a good time and want to come see us again
- When appropriate we MC, talk to the aucience, tell them short stories about us, joke around a bit, and generally have a good time WITH them.
Our philosophy is if they are having fun, they will come back, and we will get to have fun again and get paid for it. So far, so good. Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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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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Forums66
Topics81,587
Posts734,745
Members38,500
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Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
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