August 31, 2017 User Showcase Song - Living on Hope

This is another instrumental jazz type tune that I call "Living On Hope". It's just sort of a feel-good type song that I enjoy doing. It's a work in progress (probably a little heavy on compression-SoundCloud's compression affected it a little but I will still go with it for now). I may come back and do it with an electric guitar instead of the acoustic. Hope someone likes it. Thanks for listening! Torrey

BIAB
Drums Funk 70's Pop
Drums Funk SanFran
Drums Jazz Funk Sync

Me
Guitar Taylor 812ce Acoustic
Synths
Keyboard
Percussion
Background Vocals

Third Party
Bass
Keyboards

Posted at 09:05 AM

August 30, 2017 Band-in-a-Box Testimonial Video - The Boydstun Brothers

Jeff & Paul Boydstun of the Boydstun Brothers band recently reached out to us with news of their album "Western Hippie Outlaw", and the fact that they love using Band-in-a-Box with the RealTracks for writing their songs!

They've also created their own Band-in-a-Box video testimonial, which you can watch here: Video: Band-in-a-Box Testimonial - Boydstun Brothers

All of the Video Testimonials can be viewed here: www.pgmusic.com/videotestimonials.php.

Posted at 01:29 PM

August 30, 2017 User Showcase Song - Midnight Blue

After Far too many sherbets (drinks).I thought it would be an experiment to try to write a song.
This is what came out.It was only mixed in Biab then transferred to Cubase ,where the vocals were added.
Please Please don't ask my what its about because I haven't a clue.
I sat and scribbled these words down ,didn't change anything and the recorded them.
Woke up this morning to this: https://soundcloud.com/brad-stevens-uk/midnight-blue

****** Song Summary *************
Title: MIDNIGHT BLUE
File:MIDNIGHT BLUE.SGU
Key=C , Tempo 85, Length (m:s)=4:47
No intro. 99 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 99. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Volume Changes,
Style is _JBALLAD.STY (Classic J-Pop Ballad )

RealTracks in style: ~700:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesPush Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 892:Piano, Acoustic, Solo-Accompaniment PopLiverpool Ev 065 (A-simple)
RealTracks in style: 2448:Guitar, Electric, Background, PopDreamyBrent Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 2335:String Quartet, Rhythm PopHall Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 2542:Pedal Steel, Background ModernBalladAtmosphere Ev16 065
RealTracks in song: 1875:Mandolin, Soloist CountryAndy Ev 085
RealDrums in style: NashvilleEven16^3-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat Open

Posted at 09:35 AM

August 29, 2017 #TipTuesday - Like What You Hear? Freezing Band-in-a-Box Tracks...

When you press [Play] in Band-in-a-Box, it will regenerate your song every time! But, what if you're happy with the results, and don't want anything to change? Or... what if you love the bass/guitar/piano/etc. track, but want to hear a variation on the rest?

Use the Freeze feature! That way the next time you play the song, it won't change (or be re-generated).

There are a few ways to access the Freeze feature:
-click on the blue snowflake within the toolbar
-from within the Play menu
-"track settings" accessible when you right-click within the Mixer window

Don't worry - freezing your song (or some of the tracks in your song) is only as permanent as you let it be! You can choose to un-freeze your tracks within the same menu, or hold down the Shift key as you press [Play].

Watch the video: Freezing Tracks in Band-in-a-Box.

This feature was added with Band-in-a-Box 2009 for Windows.

Posted at 12:37 PM

August 29, 2017 User Showcase Song - Let Me Go

Thank you Janice for the beautiful harmonies
Thank you Bud for recording her voice and helping me
Thank you for listening
I appreciate your comments

Drums Nashville Even 8
Bass 366 Electric, Country
Guitar 362 Acoustic, Strumming
Guitar 2051 Fingerpicking
Guitar 2449 PopDreamy
Fiddle 409 Background George
Janice Merritt harmony

Posted at 12:06 PM

August 28, 2017 User Article: Part 2 - How I Write and Produce Songs with Band-in-a-Box®

Forum user Buford recently shared his blog post about writing and producing songs with Band-in-a-Box. He's since added to his blog with the article How I Write and Produce Songs with BAND-IN-A-BOX (PART 2), which focuses on BASIC MIXING. Be sure to check it out!

Thanks for sharing Buford!

Posted at 09:23 AM

August 28, 2017 Xtra Styles Rock-Pop Winner - Great White

Fun little surf rock song inspired by Xtra Styles 3 PAK, POP Category, Bigwave.sty. I grew up loving the Ventures, Beach Boys and all the surf music, though I was totally landlocked and miles from anything resembling a surfable wave. Still those magical guitar sounds inspired me to work on my guitar chops way back then.

I used a Fender Subsonic Telecaster for the lead guitar run through a Johnson J Station set to a maxed-out vibrato preset. BIAB tracks were output to Reaper and guitar added along with the scary buoy bell. Swim faster! Some fun, boy!

Title: Great White
File:Great White.SGU
Key=D , Tempo 155, Length (m:s)=2:56
8 bar intro, 104 bar chorus, from bar 9 to bar 112. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Style is _BIGWAVE.STY (Big Wave Modern Surf Pop w Synth)

RealTracks in style: 2737:Bass, Synth, PepSquad Ev 165
RealTracks in style: 2739:Synth, Rhythm PepSquadPad Ev 165
RealTracks in style: 2740:Synth, Rhythm PepSquadHorns Ev 165
RealTracks in style: 2574:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm SurfRockBrent Ev 165
RealDrums in style: SurfRockIsland: a: Ride, Snareb: HiHat, Snare

Posted at 09:02 AM

August 25, 2017 Video - Generating a Guitar Chord Solo with Band-in-a-Box®

Generating a Guitar Chord Solo is easy with Band-in-a-Box® when you access this great feature by clicking on the "Chord Solo" icon in your main (full) Band-in-a-Box screen, select the "Ch Sol..." button within the Guitar Window, or from within the Melody or Soloist menus.

What does it do? Automatically & intelligently generates a guitar chord solo for any melody!

Learn more: Video - Band-in-a-Box: Generating a Guitar Chord Solo

Posted at 12:54 PM

August 25, 2017 User Showcase Song - Before Saying Goodbye

This is my newest song written for our latest recording session in this summer.
I wrote it with the music style of the late 1950s or early 1960s such as Connie Francis, Neil Sedaka and etc.
I would like to introduce you two versions with the same score, which are the RealTrack version and the live band version.
Any comments encouraged. Have at it.

Style is PERCY!~.STY(MIDI)
Acoustic Bass (33) assigned to Wood Bass
Acoustic Piano(1) assigned to Grand Piano
Nylon String Guitar(25) assigned to Jazz Guitar
Strings(49) assigned to Strings
RealDrums:Pop128^6-a:SideStick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat
Sax Solo: ~490:Sax, Alto
Additional 1st violins scored by me
Strings and 1st violins played with EastWest Symphonic Orchestra
Grand Piano played with Steingberg The Grand
Jazz Guitar played with EastWest Goliath

Posted at 08:43 AM

August 24, 2017 #TBT - Band-in-a-Box® 12 for Mac OS X

Band-in-a-Box® 12 for Mac was released in June 2004, and was a HUGE update at the time - the program was rebuild so that it would run natively in OS X Jaguar or Panther!

There were some great additions to the program with Band-in-a-Box 12, including:
-Odd-Time Signature Support. Added support for oddtime signatures like 9/8, 11/8, 13/16, 19/16, etc.
-Count-in Drum patters (instead of just 1-2-1234), including option sto have "a" or "b" drum fills or patterns play for two bars.
-Automatically Transform 4/4 Melody to a Waltz 3/4 ("Strauss-in-a-Box") or transform "waltz" melody to 4/4 ("De-Strauss" the melody)
-Video and Audio Memo support. Add an audio (MP3) or video (QuickTime) memo to your Band-in-a-Box song.
-Mono/Stereo menu options - easily switch all parts to mono or stereo!

...and a lot more! For a more detailed summary of the new features in Version 12, visit www.pgmusic.com/pdfs/bbmac_version_12.pdf

With this 2004 release, we'd also launched MIDI Styles Sets 41, 42, and 43 PLUS 5 volumes of 101 Intros & Guitar Phrases!

Posted at 01:55 PM

August 24, 2017 Xtra Styles Jazz Winner - In a Latin Mood

****** Song Summary *************
Title: In a Latin Mood
File: BIAB contest July 2017.MGU
Key=Cm , Tempo 110, Length (m:s)=2:37
4 bar intro, 64 bar chorus, from bar 5 to bar 68. Repeat x1 chorus
Melody has 163 notes, Melody harmony is < no harmony >(0)
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Volume Changes,
Style is _BOSSOUL.STY (Electro Bossa Soul w Guitar Solo)
SoloistCustom Synth is Synth/Plugin Loaded

RealTracks in style: ~921:Bass, Acoustic, Bossa Ev 110
RealTracks in style: 920:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Rumba Ev 110
RealTracks in style: 2817:Guitar, Electric, Soloist SmoothSoulFast16thsBrent Ev16 110
Loop in Song: House-Techno-Trance\House - crunchy_120_drums ev16.wav
RealDrums in style: BossaRockFull^2-a:Brushes , b:HiHat

*******************
If I win I will divulge all the secrets to making this. Otherwise, music is the grand illusion, so picture me in the studio with "the band". By the way, any points for being first?

Posted at 12:13 PM

August 23, 2017 Xtra Styles Country Winner - The Music Of Life

this is my submission for the contest. It's called THE MUSIC OF LIFE

I think it should be in the "Country" category.
I used the following style:
_HARPING.STY. Harp and Fingerstyle Boom Chick
RD: TrainBeatBrushes: a: Brushes, Kickb: BusyBrushes, Kick :Shannon Forrest
RT2421: Bass, Acoustic, RockabillySlapBoomChicka Ev16 100 , Dave Roe
RT2708: Autoharp, Rhythm OldTime Ev16 110 , Quinn Bachand
RT2517: Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking BoomChickHighJoe Ev16 110 (Simple) , Joe Robinson
RT2518: Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking BoomChickJoe Ev16 110 (Simple) , Joe Robinson

I also added:
Fiddle, Soloist Bluegrass Ev 130 #596
Accordion, Rhythm TexMexCountry Ev 120 #1292

I also added my own ukulele / banjolele, mandolin, and a little touch of acoustic guitar. And vocals of course.

It's a song about the beauty of nature, expressed in my own words.
The mix is not 100% where I want it, but it's reasonably close. Hope you like it :-)
Any feedback or critique is always very welcome.

Posted at 09:14 AM

August 22, 2017 Calling All Band-in-a-Box® Users - Video Testimonials!

If you've been working with Band-in-a-Box®, and are thrilled with your results, let the world know with your very own Band-in-a-Box® Testimonial video!

Submit your video, and when we use it on our website (and YouTube page) we will send you a FREE Band-in-a-Box® EverythingPAK!

We have received many Testimonial Videos from program users in the past - check them out here: www.pgmusic.com/videotestimonials.php

We even created a Musicians Talk Band-in-a-Box® video using some of these sumbissions! Click here to watch...

Interested in submitting your own Band-in-a-Box® Testimonial Video? Visit this forum post for complete information.

Posted at 12:53 PM

August 22, 2017 Xtra Styles Americana Winner - Captain Arnolds Liquor

I've added some ambiance to this song. Hope it works.

****** Song Summary *************
Title: _SECLUDE - Seclude Dramatic Newgrass
File:Captain Arnolds Liquer.SGU
Key=A , Tempo 100, Length (m:s)=3:02
4 bar intro, 68 bar chorus, from bar 5 to bar 72. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Style is _SECLUDE.STY (Seclude Dramatic Newgrass)

RealTracks in style: 2421:Bass, Acoustic, RockabillySlapBoomChicka Ev16 100
RealTracks in style: 2458:Strings, Rhythm CelticWaltz Ev 100
RealTracks in style: 623:Banjo, Background Backporch Ev 098
RealTracks in style: 1765:Guitar, High-Strung Acoustic, Fingerpicking Pop16ths Ev16 085
RealTracks in song: ~596:Fiddle, Soloist Bluegrass Doc Ev 100
RealDrums in style: PopAmericanEv^1-a:SS 1/2 BB, b:Snare Half BB

*******************
Vocal Myself

Posted at 08:07 AM

August 21, 2017 Announcing the Winners of the Xtra Styles Song Contest!

We've enjoyed listening to all of the songs submitted for our Xtra Styles Song contest - thank you to everyone who entered!

The winners are:

Americana:
Captain Arnold's Liquer Listen to the song here
Artist/Forum User: Rob4580
Xtra Style used: _SECLUDE.STY 
Original Forum Post

Country:
The Music of Life Listen to the song here
Artist/Forum User: Jon Thomas
Xtra Style used: _HARPING.STY
Original Forum Post

Jazz:
In a Latin Mood Listen to the song here
Artist/Forum User: MusicStudent
Xtra Style used: _BOSSOUL.STY
Original Forum Post

Rock-Pop
Great White Listen to the song here
Artist/Forum User: Buford
Xtra Style used: _BIGWAVE.STY
Original Forum Post

Congratulations!

Posted at 11:37 AM

August 21, 2017 User Showcase Song - Little Things

My wife and I are celebrating our 40th. Here are a few of the reasons why...

And here is the BAND:

RealTracks in song: ~684:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesSync Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~2201:Guitar, Nylon, Background CountryBrent Ev 120
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2106:Piano, Rhythm PopUpliftA-B Ev16 120
RealTracks in song: ~522:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~1677:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 698:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ElecRockDirty Ev 120 (A:muted)
RealTracks in song: 633:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopAmericanMuted Ev 120 (A:sync)
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleEven16^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
RealDrums in Song: BossaRockPerc^1-a:Congas , b:Percussion Busy

We've had fun.
Hope y'all do as well...

Posted at 11:07 AM

August 21, 2017 The Complete List of Xtra Styles Song Contest Entries

Listen to all of the songs submitted for the Xtra Styles Song Contest! We have organized the entries by category, listing alphabetically by song title - Click here to view the list.

Posted at 11:05 AM

August 18, 2017 Band-in-a-Box® User Feedback - Thank You!

Take a look at some of the recent feedback we've received from program users just like you:

"I started using Band-in-a-Box October 2016 . It's been money very well spent. I'm now nearing the finish of my first All Originals Cd. I let a local musician hear some of the songs and he was amazed at the quality. Guys it takes time and effort to learn but its worth it 100%!"
-John S.

"Amazing RealTracks I have used these on 30 or more songs! Some even used complex chords that amazed me how well the Banjo still worked. Unbelievable Software! All the backup band you will ever need no matter what your skill level!"
-Tom C.

"Like lots of others I use it all the time, putting in the chords of a tune, choosing the right style and tempo is a godsend, I'm a jazz musician and playing tunes and improvising with chords in front of you is brilliant, less than an hour ago I was playing my tenor sax along with my Band-in-a-Box backing band."
-Barrie M.

"I love Band-in-a-Box! I use it every day to practice, compose, and teach guitar lessons. Keep up the great work, PG!"
-Brian P.

"A Great business....a great program and a fantastic way to easily create your own songs....or backing tracks to play along with.....a program that everyone should get...."
-Leonard A.

"Band-in-a-Box has been one of my favorite programs since it first came out. Wonderful concept, very well executed."
-Doug S.

"Amazing Software. Use it all the time. Makes very convincing backing tracks!!!"
-Paul P.

Thank you everyone!

Let us know what you think! Post a review on our Band-in-a-Box Comments page, visit our Facebook page, or contact us directly.

Posted at 02:11 PM

August 18, 2017 User Article - How I Write and Produce Songs with Band-in-a-Box®

Listen to the SoundCloud account for forum user Buford, and you'll see that has written and uploaded more than 20 songs!

Want to know his secret? Check out his recent blog post: How I Write and Produce Songs with Band-in-a-Box, which he was nice enough to share to our Songwriting Forum - Thanks Bob!

Posted at 01:56 PM

August 18, 2017 User Showcase Song - The Hanauma Bay Lullaby

Composed by myself for the lapsteel
The Hanauma Bay Lullaby. Kept the backing really simple and hopefully pretty nearly authentic
Hawaiian

RealTracks in style: ~2476:Bass, Acoustic, Held Sw 085
RealTracks in song: ~526:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Hank Sw 065
RealTracks in song: ~1984:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm EZListening Sw 085
RealTracks in song: ~688:Organ, B3, Background Pop Ev 065

Posted at 01:32 PM

August 17, 2017 Another Great YouTube Find - Arpeggios For Dobro - Vol. #2

Troy Brenningmeyer uses Band-in-a-Box backing tracks in his latest tutorial video, Arpeggios For Dobro - Vol. #2 - 7th Extensions:

Video: Arpeggios For Dobro - Vol. #2 - 7th Extensions

Another great example of how you can use your Band-in-a-Box creations in your own projects!

Posted at 10:56 AM

August 17, 2017 User Showcase Song - The Glitter of the Cove

This is my new song titled "The glitter of the cove". It is a pop ballad and I categorized it to the ambient genre. My last post "Sincerely Yours (Classical Version)" was made on June 29, so it took me about two months to complete it. The point I cared about most was its arrangement, and the most time-consuming part for me was the choice of the instruments. As usual, the title of the song came from my wife as she has much better artistic sensibility than me.
***** Song Summary *************
Key=D, Tempo 75, Length (m:s)=4:35
Style is _MDBALCL.STY (Medium Pop Guitar Ballad w/ Orga)
RealTracks in style: ~700:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesPush Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 2045:Piano, Acoustic, Solo-Accompaniment CountryPopJohn Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 838:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopBalladClean Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~~702:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Spirited Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 1680:Guitar, 12-String Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 085
RealDrums in style: NashvilleEven16^5-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

Instruments:
(CSC) Brass Section 1
(CSC) Solina Full Strings
(D-PRO) DX Tines
(D-PRO) Almost Together
(D-PRO) FG Eclectic Gibson
(R-PRO) Granular Electric Guitar 1
CSC: Cakewalk Sound Center
D-PRO: Dimension Pro
R-PRO: Rapture-Pro
*******************

Posted at 10:30 AM

August 16, 2017 User Showcase Song - Tornado!

It’s no secret to many forum members that Janice and I played in several bluegrass bands over many years before moving to our mostly blues and Americana format. And many folks also know about our love of mountain biking. This video includes a BiaB RT bluegrass composition and photos of the two of us from the mid 90’s to the present. We attempted to combine two things we love into this production.

Hang on for a short fast ride! Your comments are always welcome.

Song Summary:
RT 427 Bass, acoustic. rhythm
RT 431 Guitar, acoustic, rhythm
RT 427 Banjo, rhythm
RT 426 Banjo, solo
RT 429 fiddle, rhythm
RT 430 fiddle, solo
RT 432 mandolin, rhythm
RT 436 mandolin, solo

Multiple generations of each rhythm and solo tracks were comped to create a single track for each instrument.

All tracks were processed with Neutron and an EMT 140 Reverb simulation.

Mixed in Logic Pro X and Mastered via Ozone 7 advanced

Posted at 12:14 PM

August 16, 2017 The Xtra Styles Song Contest has Ended - Over 50 Entries!

Thank you to everyone that submitted their entries in our Xtra Styles PAK 3 Contest!

We are listening to all the entries, and will be announcing the Winners on Monday, August 21st.

Good luck everyone!

Posted at 12:11 PM

August 15, 2017 Xtra Styles Song Contest - August 15th is the LAST Day!

Hurry! This contest ends at midnight tonight! Submit a song you've created with the new Xtra Styles PAK 3 to our Xtra Styles Contest forum for your chance to WIN $150 USD coupon to use on your next PG Music Inc. product purchase!

Complete contest information and contest rules list here.

Posted at 11:00 AM

August 15, 2017 YouTube Find - There Are No Bad Guitars

The latest video from EricBlackmonGuitar is a great demonstration of the different types of guitars out there, and how there really is no such thing as a bad guitar!

Video: Multi-Guitar Solo Review Of INEXPENSIVE GUITARS

Eric uses Band-in-a-Box backing tracks in his tutorial videos... Just one of the many ways program users can incorporate their Band-in-a-Box songs into other projects!

Posted at 10:44 AM

August 15, 2017 User Showcase Song - "I Remember Wes"

This composition, "I Remember Wes", is, of course, a tribute to the ground-breaking electric jazz guitarist, Wes Montgomery, with a little a Jimmy Smith -- the equally great Hammond B3 electric jazz organist -- thrown in, and arranged in a style inspired by the late arranger, conductor and composer, Claus Ogerman.

Posted at 10:15 AM

August 14, 2017 User Showcase Song - Zest for Life

Zest For Life

A simple country pop song with a joyful story about finding a long-lost zest for life. Thanks to Miira for her gentle interpretation.

RealDrums: TeenBeatUptempo

RealTracks:

#684 Electric bass
#405, #1119, #1681 Acoustic guitar
#1684, #1718 Electric guitar
#2201 Nylon guitar

Vocals by Miira

Mixed in Adobe Audition 2017

Posted at 03:21 PM

August 11, 2017 Xtra Styles Song Contest - Ends August 15th!

If you've purchased your Xtra Styles PAK 3 for Band-in-a-Box® 2017, don't forget to create and submit a song usings one of these new Xtra Styles to our Xtra Styles Contest forum for your chance to WIN $150 USD coupon to use on your next PG Music Inc. product purchase!

Hurry! This contest ends at midnight on August 15th! Complete contest information and contest rules list here.

Good luck everyone!

Posted at 10:46 AM

August 11, 2017 User Showcase Song - Tired, Drunk and Stoned

This song has a very authentic Nashville style sound to it with western and bluegrass influences. The story comes from my experiences playing many shows and getting worn so thin that sometimes you wonder if it's worth it to go on. I used all Band In A Box real tracks for the instrumental. The final mixing and vocals were done in Cubase LE AI Elements 8.

tempo 204bpm
Real Tracks used:
519, Bass, El, Pop Half Note
426 Banjo, Bluegrass
406 Guitar, Ac, Strumming
621 Pedalsteel, Bckgrd Easy
619 Guit, Res, Bckgrd, Cowboy
410 Guit, El, Rh Ctry Cowboy
601 Fiddle, Soloist, Train
436 Mandolin, Soloist, Bluegrass
412 Guitar, Electic, Soloist Cowboy

Posted at 10:36 AM

August 11, 2017 Hip Hop - Happy 44th Anniversary!

Today we celebrate the 44th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop!

Learn more about the history of Hip Hop, courtesy of Google: https://www.google.com/doodles/44th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-hip-hop

Now, you may not associate Hip Hop with Band-in-a-Box, but you should!!! There are over 50 hits when you search for the Hip Hop genre in the StylePicker window, including Sets:
28: Smooth Jazz
32: Alternative Contemporary Rock
36: Rock On! (check out Dance 5 - Rock On)
46: Requested 4
47: Contemporary Country 2 (check out CC_Town)
56: Pop
62: Requested 6
65: Requested 7
71: Urban Pop MultiStyles

Hip Hop specific RealTracks are available too! Check out RealTracks Set 7: Acoustic Jazz Bass and Rock Sax! and Set 272: Rap and Hip Hop.

RealDrums Sets? Yup! Ed (Great Oz) Clare has some great Hip Hop RealDrums with RealDrums Set 16: Urban Pop, Franklin Richardson's contribution of the SmoothJazzCoolSw16^ drums in RealDrums Set 28: Smooth Jazz, and Craig Scott's drums in RealDrums Set 3: Fusion, Hip-Hop and More! are great too!

Posted at 10:33 AM

August 10, 2017 #TBT - Band-in-a-Box® MIDI Setup on Windows 95

If you visit our About page, you will read that Dr. Peter Gannon founded PG Music Inc. in 1988!

With that in mind, there are a lot of video tutorials we've released that answer many of the technical support questions frequently asked, including this blast-from-the-past: Band-in-a-Box (1997): Windows 95 MIDI Setup, narrated by Peter! Click here to view the video.

Posted at 09:44 AM

August 10, 2017 User Blog Post - Eight Reasons Why I Use RealBand

If you're a Band-in-a-Box for Windows user, did you know your purchase came with RealBand?

RealBand is a fully-featured and powerful music arranging, sequencing, and digital recording program; it combines sequencing features with the automatic accompaniment features of Band-in-a-Box!

For some great user feedback about RealBand, be sure to read Joanne Cooper's latest blog post: Eight reasons why I, as a Band-in-a-Box user, use RealBand as my DAW of choice.

Posted at 09:24 AM

August 10, 2017 User Showcase Song - Summer Chaser

Summer Chaser (7-12-2009)
Lyrics by Lawrence Olivier and Lisa (Ellis) Veraza, Music by Lawrence Olivier

Realtracks:
1827 Elc Bass
1725 Acu Piano
1582 Acu Guitar
676 Acu Guitar
1680 12-string Acu
1947 Mandolin
508 Elc Guitar
524 elc Guitar
666 Elc guitar
689 Organ
2203 Elc Soloist PopPromiseBrent
RealDrums PopCountry16ths

Posted at 09:01 AM

August 09, 2017 Band-in-a-Box® 2017 Feature - Natural Arrangements!

With Band-in-a-Box® 2017, we added the Natural Arrangements option!

If you give a pro musician a complicated chord progression, with fancy extensions like C7b9b13 or Gm11, the musician may reinterpret these rather than playing them exactly as written. This can achieve a much better sounding arrangement because the musician has freedom to choose from similar chord extensions. Now you can get Band-in-a-Box to do the same thing, with options to set this on a global basis, song basis, or individual tracks!

How?

There is an "Arrangements Options" dialog accessible within Prefs - simply choose "Arrange" and you will see on the bottom left of this dialog the option for "Natural Arrangements (re-interpret complex chords)". Within the drop-down menu for this, you can choose:
-Never (even if set in song settings)
-Disabled (unless set in song settings)
-Always for Jazz (unless disabled in song settings)
-Always for All Genres (unless disabled in song settings)

You can also choose to use this setting for just one song, using the "Song Settings" button - just choose the "Enable for this song" option within the drop-down menu on the middle right of this window.

Looking to set this for a specific track or tracks within the song? You can do this too! With the song open, go to Track Settings | Set Natural Arrangement, and select an option.

Posted at 09:34 AM

August 09, 2017 User Showcase Song - One Foot In The Grave

This is my first post. Despite the title, this is an up-beat southern gospel style song smile. https://soundcloud.com/paul-ferguson-996178820/one-foot-in-the-grave-demo-1 Everything on it is BIAB except the vocal done on my BR800. for the vocal, I reduced the reverb, then used the soft compression mastering algorithm. any constructive advice would be appreciated.

****** Song Summary *************
Title: One Foot In The Grave
File:One Foot In The Grave.SGU
Key=D , Tempo 170, Length (m:s)=2:28
4 bar intro, 98 bar chorus, from bar 5 to bar 102. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
Soloist track has 67 notes, Soloist harmony is < no harmony >(0)
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb,

Posted at 09:12 AM

August 08, 2017 Congratulations RealTracks Artist Cory Pesaturo!

The Guinness World Record for Longest Accordion Playing is now held by Cory Pesaturo!

Starting on Friday, August 4, Corey played for a total of 32 hours and 14 minutes - this beats the previous record by 49 minutes.... CONGRATULATIONS CORY!

He broke this record while attending the Spielberg Musik Festival; read their announcement here.

Visit Cory's Facebook page to check out photos and video from the event.

Posted at 10:52 AM

August 08, 2017 User Showcase Song - Cages

Its back to psychedelic roots for this one ( my first for a while - there`s been some fantastic songs posted while I`ve been travelling - blink and you miss something here!).
I wasn`t sure if Scott C would like the percussion loaded feel of this song, but he quickly sent back an on-the-money lead that floats over top and then added a really cool slide part under the vocal.
Janice may have missed the first wave of the San Fransisco music boom but well, you all know she can sing anything.

Comments welcome and thanks to all tuning in.
Robert

Style is _ACFNK16.STY (Acoustic Funk Pop 16ths)

RealTracks in style: 1434:Bass, Electric, JazzFunkPoppy Ev16 110
RealTracks in song: 2618:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Funk16thsMutedWahWah Ev16 100
RealTracks in style: 2556:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm Pop16thsJoe Ev16 110
RealTracks in song: 2619:Organ, Rhythm Funk Ev 100
RealDrums in style: NashvillePop16^1-a:Snare, Hihat , b:Snare, Ride
RT 686 organ B3Background
Bongos, Bells,Shakers

Posted at 10:15 AM

August 04, 2017 Band-in-a-Box® 2017 Feature - sforzando SFZ Synth

With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2017 for Windows, we added support for the popular .SFZ sound format!

There's a detailed explanation of this new feature here: www.pgmusic.com/bbw2017newfeatures2.htm

Have you been using this new feature? Let us know what you think!

Posted at 09:59 AM

August 04, 2017 User Showcase Song - Not Every Day Was Sad

I really like this STYLE which gave me the inspiration for this song. I added my Fender Nashville Power Telecaster on the intro, break, and fills. Everything else is BIAB. The tracks were exported from BIAB to Reaper and the guitar, vocals, and harmonies added.

****** Song Summary *************
Title: Not Every Day Was Sad
File:NotEveryDayWasSad-Gumbdrop.SGU
Key=D , Tempo 130, Length (m:s)=4:25
9 bar intro, 133 bar chorus, from bar 10 to bar 142. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Style is _GUMDROP.STY (Gumdrop Americana Country Pop)

RealTracks in style: ~684:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesSync Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1275:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopUpliftHeld Ev16 120
RealTracks in style: ~1119:Guitar, 12-String Acoustic, Strumming Ev 120
RealTracks in style: ~543:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Dreamy Ev 120
RealDrums in style: RockHardEven8 w Tamb [Multi]

Posted at 09:31 AM

August 04, 2017 Holiday Hours - Monday, August 7.

Monday, August 7 is British Columbia Day!

We will have limited availability:

Customer Service: 8am - 4pm PST
Technical Support: Closed.

We will resume our regular hours on Tuesday, August 8.

Posted at 09:28 AM

August 03, 2017 User Showcase Song - Kiss Your Ring

Thanks for listening!

Drums Mod Country 16ths
Bass 387 Bluegrass Country Pop
Mandolin 1766
Guitar 676 Acoustic Strumming
Banjo 623
Guitar 2448 Pop Dreamy Brent
Mandolin Solo 1875

Posted at 09:44 AM

August 03, 2017 Cory Pesaturo - Will He Break The World Record?

RealTracks Artist Cory Pesaturo has an exciting weekend ahead of him... he will be attempting to break the world record for Longest Accordion Playing, starting on August 4th!

The record to beat? 31 hours 25 min! Cory has planned to play for 33-36 hours, and we think he can do it!

Check out the announcement and explanation of "world records" here: http://www.accordionusa.com/#art3080.

Follow along as Cory attemps to break this record:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/corypesaturoofficial
Twitter: twitter.com/CoryPez

Cory's Accordion RealTracks can be found in RealTracks Set 268: Gypsy, Accordion, Piano, and Guitar - learn more about Cory and listen to demos of his RealTracks when you visit his RealTracks Artist Bio page.

Posted at 09:37 AM

August 02, 2017 User Showcase Song - Skinny Funk

A barebones R&B-Soul instrumental. It's a musical bed written for a local group of wives who meet for a dance workout session one day a week. They asked me if I could write some original music for them - they were getting tired of the same 12 or 15 songs. This is my first offering. The music is a simple bed, thus the name (nothing to do with trying to repeal or replace anything!)

The horns are a little quiet in the first verse but are more prominent thereafter - kind of a mild build, I guess you could say.

I used the Belair style and changed out a few instruments and added a couple others.

Posted at 12:21 PM

August 02, 2017 Congratulations RealTracks Artist Scott Vestal!

RealTracks Artist Scott Vestal is the recipient of the 8th Annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass - CONGRATULATIONS!

Read the announcement here.

You can have this award winning musician play along with your own songs when you choose one of his RealTracks - available in Sets:
RealTracks Set 11: All Bluegrass (Rhythm)
RealTracks Set 12: All Bluegrass (Solos)
RealTracks Set 33: Bluegrass

Learn more about Scott when you visit his RealTracks Artist Bio page.

Posted at 12:19 PM

August 01, 2017 User Tutorial - Melodist Feature in Band-in-a-Box

Forum User Rob4580 has created and shared a great video called "Melodist Band In A Box" where he explains how he uses this feature when creating songs with Band-in-a-Box.

Watch it here: YouTube Video - Melodist Band In A Box

Posted at 11:41 AM

August 01, 2017 User Showcase Song - 3 Minute Love

Well after talking with friends, and deciding that speed dating wasn't for me.I sat and wrote this for people like myself of a more mature age.My mind keeps telling me im 19 but my body doesn't agree .
so here is my take on 3 MINUTE LOVE

Posted at 09:24 AM