October 31, 2018 Band-in-a-Box®: The Scales Wizard

Within the Tools, Wizards, Tutors, and Fun section (Chapter 12) of our Online Manual for Band-in-a-Box® 2018 for Mac, there's a section that explains the helpful practice tool called Scales Wizard.

The Scales Wizard is great for practicing Jazz tunes, since you can see the scales that are used for each chord. These are easily generated when you select Soloist | Scales | Generate Scales.

The results will appear on the Soloist track (or Melodist track - your choice!), and can be viewed in the notation or on-screen guitar and piano windows!

Learn more about this feature...

Posted at 12:21 PM

October 31, 2018 User Showcase Song - No Fear

I do not usually write pacifist songs, but this one feels like exactly it. English is not my first language, I wrote only about a dozen or so songs in it. Still have long way to go before I feel confident in choice of words and rhymes.

https://soundcloud.com/xabarovskiy-krai/no-fear

Mostly BIAB, added some Organ keys and flute.

2474 Bass acoustic, Held EV 85
664: Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm SouthernRock 85
RealDrums-FunkyGroovin70s
RealDrums-NashvilleBrushesEasyBluegrass
378: Guitar Acoustic Strumming, Double time EV88
1887: Midi Piano Solo-Acompaniment CountryPopJohn
2543 : Pedal Steel, Background ModernCrossover SW16

Posted at 09:15 AM

October 30, 2018 User Showcase Song - Honey at the Truck Stop

This is another one from 'Waiting in the Wings' album. I sent this as a rough blues-style tune to Donna and she came back with a great lyric. I'd never have come up with a lyric like this and if translated to UK it would be 'Baby at the Transport Cafe' which I think you'll agree sounds lame! The RealTracks and style I used are listed at the end. I added my own piano, I played the guitar solo and then I added my VST resonator links plus some Shimmer, Shake, Strike VST percussion. Oh and occasional extra cymbals from Addictive Drums.

https://soundcloud.com/tonycliffsongs/honey-at-the-truck-stop

Style is _BLUEST.STY (Bluest Acoustic Resonator Blues)
RealTracks in style: ~372:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Hank Sw 120
RealTracks in style: 2676:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm BluesShuffleBrent Sw 130
RealDrums in style: BluesShuffle^3-a:Brushes, Swirl , b:Brushes, HiHat
Music & Lyrics © Tony Cliff and Donna Evans 2018

Posted at 01:21 PM

October 29, 2018 User Showcase Song - I'm Sorry

New song ... completely instrumental (once more).

Done with the "Pop Piano Liverpool Ballad" _POPPNOL.STY BIAB style, but without the drums ... and with the "2668:Pedal Steel Background WestCoastBallad Ev65" soloist track.

https://audiomack.com/song/jamesdelsono/imsorry

Hope you like it?

Posted at 10:08 AM

October 26, 2018 Band-in-a-Box® for Windows - The Options Menu

Chapter 15: Reference is the final chapter of our Windows Band-in-a-Box® 2018 Online Manual, and includes information about the different menus within the program.

Let's take a look at the Options Menu topic:

MIDI/Audio driver setup
Where you will select your MIDI input and output drivers, choose your DXi, and access options for audio settings (such as ASIO drivers). There is more detailed information about this setup within the MIDI Setup or Audio Setup sections of the manual.

Use/Set ALTERNATE MIDI output driver for session
This option allows you to set a temporary MIDI Driver to use.

Return to Factory Settings
Because, sometimes you need to. This will give you the option to return MOST or ALL the settings to their default settings.

What Add-ons do I have?
Also available from the Help menu, this will tell you which Band-in-a-Box® Add-ons you have.
TIP: Feel like you're missing some Add-ons? Confirm your setup is complete by running the Download Manager.

Language Selection
Did you know that Band-in-a-Box® is available in other languages? Check out the complete language selection here.
Once installed, you can choose which language to run within this setting.

MIDI Patch Maps, etc.
There's a lot to cover here - definitely read through the detailed explanations for this option! Whether you want to update your default configuration, load alternate drum/patch files, display general MIDI patch numbers, or more - this is the menu for you!

GM Settings
Access some general MIDI settings within this menu, including panning to Mono/Stereo, converting patch lists, etc.

Preferences...
Set various settings that save with Band-in-a-Box® (a file called intrface.bbw) - including keyboard shortcuts, display settings, color options, RealTracks and RealDrums settings, overrides, and more!

Open Preferences File... / Save Preferences As...
Save and load custom preferences files with your current settings saved and restored.

Posted at 01:04 PM

October 26, 2018 User Showcase Song - Seabreeze

hi guys just in a chilling mode the band never gets tired thanks for listening and comments
https://soundcloud.com/f-m-m/seabreeze

real tracks Style is -MAMBP^3.STY (MamboPerc-03-Congas, Sticks Styel)
MelodyCustom Synth is Synth/Plugin Loaded
Style MIDI Instruments are : Acoustic String Bass (33), Acoustic Piano (1), Nylon String Guitar (25), Brass Section (62),
RealTracks in song: 475:Sax, Alto, Bossa Ev 140
RealDrums in style: MamboPerc^03-a:Congas, b:Sticks https://soundcloud.com/f-m-m/seabreeze

Posted at 12:14 PM

October 25, 2018 Band-in-a-Box (1997): Windows 95 MIDI Setup #TBT

We're celebrating 30 Years of Band-in-a-Box this year! With so many years under our belt, it's no surprise that we have some amazing older videos archived! Including this gem... Band-in-a-Box (1997): Windows 95 MIDI Setup: click here to watch.

Posted at 12:47 PM

October 25, 2018 User Showcase Song - The Road That Leads Me Home

How in the world did I get here? This was supposed to be a rock song when I started and somehow ended up being one I would classify as Folk/Bluegrass/Pop or something like that. I guess that’s what I get for scrolling through the multitude of styles available in BIAB! Anyway, I feel that this style works for this song. Thanks for the listen!
soundcloud.com/torrey-bliss/the-road-that-leads-me-home

BIAB
Bass 2421 Acoustic Rockabilly
Drums Country Train Brushes
Guitar 1765 HighStrung Acoustic
Guitar 2548 Rhythm Folk Sorrow
Accordion 3052 Pop Rock Cory
Mandolin 599 Bluegrass Doc
Mandolin 820 Solo Bluegrass

Me
Vocals
Acoustic Guitar Lead and Rhythm

The Road That Leads Me Home
Copyright 2018
Torrey Bliss

Posted at 07:35 AM

October 24, 2018 Finale v26 is Here!

Our stock for Finale v26 is here! Purchase it alone, or bundle it with Band-in-a-Box® or PowerTracks! View all purchase options here.

Available for download delivery, Finale v26 includes Auto-Stacking Articulations, Slur/Articulation Interaction, Tremolos, Rolls, and Stem Lengths, Horizontal Centering, and more!

Posted at 12:20 PM

October 24, 2018 Automatic Music Features in Band-in-a-Box®!

Encourage your creativity with the help of the Automatic Music Features included in your Band-in-a-Box® purchase!

The Melodist
Compose a brand-new song quickly with the help of this feature! There are many different options within this feature to help – you can choose the style/feel, select whether you want the chords, intro, or any style changes, etc. to your song, and SO MUCH MORE! Press the [Melodist] button to see all the choices offered within this feature.

Automatic Intros
Although this feature is part of The Melodist, it’s also possible to have Band-in-a-Box® generate an intro for ANY of your songs! Just press the [Song Form] button within the program, and you can choose your Intro Length, Chord Types, select the option for pedal bass (if wanted), and more!

Automatic Song Title Generation
This is one of my favorite features!
Writers block – we’ve all been there! Fortunately, Band-in-a-Box® can come up with a song title for you. Head to Edit | Chords | Auto-Generate Song Title – see for yourself! This feature can be personalized for your vocabulary too - just open the titl1.txt file within Applications | Band-in-a-Box | Data, follow the steps, and add away!

The Soloist
Automatic Solo Generation with Band-in-a-Box®! There are two ways to select and add a solo to your song. The “Best Soloist" feature presents a pre-selected list of soloists to choose from, and the “Select Soloist" dialog lets you choose from the full list of soloists available.

The Guitarist
Make and learn professional quality guitar chord solos using Band-in-a-Box®!
Use this feature, and the program will intelligently arrange the melody into a guitar chord solo by inserting real guitar voicings throughout the piece. Select from among many Guitarists to create your arrangement. And you can define your own Guitarists, choosing parameters such as strum speed, types of voicings (Pop/Jazz), embellishments, and many more!

Melody Embellisher
Use this feature, and Band-in-a-Box® will automatically change the timing to add syncopation, change durations to achieve staccato or legato playing, add grace notes, slurs, extra notes, vibrato, and other effects to the melody track – just like a real musician would… the result: a livelier and more realistic melody - and it's different every time!

Detailed information included in Chapter 9: Automatic Music Features within the online manual.

Posted at 12:09 PM

October 24, 2018 User Showcase Song - Tryin'

https://soundcloud.com/mootsman/tryin

The techie stuff

Janice: lead vocal (original track doubled and stacked with differing Nectar 2 custom settings). Recorded via Blue USB mic into GarageBand.

floyd: harmony vocal / whatever the man did

Mandolin: composite of multiple generations of RTs 1875/2033 / Waves CLA Guitar

Guitar: RT 1814 / Waves CLA Unplugged

Cello: composite of multiple generations of RT 1856 / Logic Direction Mixer / Neutron 2 / EMT 140 Plate Reverb simulation

Fiddle: RT 1760 / Waves CLA Unplugged

Mix: Logic Pro X
Mastering: Waves Multi-Band Compressor (LinMB) / Ozone 8 Maximizer (limiter)

Posted at 09:21 AM

October 23, 2018 Happy National iPod Day! Celebrate with Pitch Invasion

The iPod was introduced on October 23, 2001 - it's hard to believe we've had the iPod available to us for so long!

Update: App removed temporarily... stay tuned!
Spend some time on your iPod today playing our Pitch Invasion App, reviewed as "A great to pass the time and work on pitch recognition."

Posted at 09:59 AM

October 23, 2018 Band-in-a-Box® Backing Tracks on the Masterclass 'Melodic Choices' Tour!

The Masterclass 'Melodic Choices' tour with Michael Dolce is on its final month, with dates remaining in Australia!

Michael uses Band-in-a-Box® to create the tracks for this tour!

A few images from the event:
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3

A little information about Michael Dolce :
Michael Dolce is one of Australia's premier guitarists whose career spans over 27 years. He has worked with Delta Goodrem, Lionel Richie, The Madden Brothers, Good Charlotte, Keith Urban, Kelly Rowland, Kylie Minogue, Roachford, Jessica Mauboy, Ricky Martin, Ronan Keating, Jessie J, Seal, Will-I-Am, Paulini, Marvin Priest and many more. He is the house guitarist for the hit show 'The Voice' and has been touring the country with his 'Masterclass' series for the past 3 years sharing his concepts, approach, technique and knowledge.

Posted at 09:24 AM

October 23, 2018 User Showcase Song - Ver hier vandaan

Hope y'all speak Dutch, if not, the song is about a break up (so sad...)
We've all been there, not?

https://youtu.be/OS4ril7azMM

Style is _DRM16S1.STY (Dreamy 16ths Country)

366:Bass, Electric, Country Ev 065
2334:String Quartet, Rhythm PopChamber Ev 085
1831:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopModernGrooveBrightA-B Ev16 075
1828:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm PopModernGroove Ev16 075
1676:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev 065
RealDrums in Song: BrushesFolk16ths: a: Brushes b: Brushes Tap
Solo: me

Posted at 07:56 AM

October 22, 2018 Band-in-a-Box® for Windows - User Programmable Functions

When you press play, Band-in-a-Box® does a great job of going from "nothing" to "something" with very little input from the user - the results are a great sounding and unique song just for you!

But, what if you want to be able to tell the program to do MORE than that?

Head to Chapter 14: User Programmable Functions within the online manual, and you'll learn more about programmable features like:

The StyleMaker
Create brand-new styles or edit existing styles!

Making RealDrums Styles
Template file included! You can either record a drummer, or you can piece together a wave file using drum loops!

The Harmony Maker
Create or edit your own (or existing) harmonies!

The Soloist Maker and The Melodist Maker
Define your own Soloists or Melodists in whichever style you'd like!

The Guitarist Maker
The program will intelligently arrange any melody to a guitar chord solo by inserting real guitar voicings throughout the piece. There are many preloaded Guitarists to choose from, or you can customize existing Guitarists’ settings or make your own Guitarists from scratch using this feature.

Posted at 01:40 PM

October 22, 2018 User Showcase Song - Promise Of Rain

I spent the month of September visiting relatives and old friends in Georgia and then in Texas. Also I was there for my Moms 91st birthday. On the drive back we ran into quite a bit of rain, when I got home and someone asked about the trip I responded with “well, just a few miles north of Nashville…” I heard myself and made a mental note of that line. So, the first two lines are from something recent that I lived thru, the rest is fiction that I lived thru. When I finish one of my home demo recordings I always reward myself with a nice cold Dr. Pepper! Now you know more about me than most folks. Skol! Salud! Here’s to ya. Hope you enjoy the listen, I’m open to mix level suggestions, or noticeable clams, etc. Thanks

kennyleverett.bandcamp.com/track/promise-of-rain

RT Bass 1190
RT Pedal Steel 2542
RT Drums BluesRockSlow EV side stick
RT Guitar Bckgrnd Dreamy 367
RT Guitar PopBalladSlowGritty 842 (A: arp)
RT Guitar Soloist 1513

Promise Of Rain
© 2018 Kenny Leverett
10/04/2018

Posted at 09:28 AM

October 18, 2018 #TBT Band-in-a-Box® 2017 Review - Software for Learning Saxophone

McGill Music Sax School posted a video review of Band-in-a-Box® 2017 for Windows last year, stating "I love using software to help learn saxophone. One of my favourite programs is Band-in-a-Box. It's a really powerful tool for quickly making backing tracks I can use for lessons, or my own practice."

Check it out! www.pgmusic.com/?vid=2AgfV7emdLQ

Posted at 09:05 AM

October 18, 2018 User Showcase Song - In the Still of the Night

Blues with a Rhumba backbeat was quite popular back in the day, Albert king did quite a few as did B.B. King, Magic Sam, etc. Pretty much everyone had one or two in their repertoire, about time we added one to ours

In the Still of the Night: https://www.reverbnation.com/blueattitudemusic/song/30111556-in-the-still-of-the-night

The Band:

RealDrums in Song: Rumba^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Sidestick, Ride
RealTracks in song: 1417:Bass, Electric, RootsRock Ev 100
RealTracks in song: 2905:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm BrightBluesyPopColin Ev 100
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 3004:Piano, ElectricVintage, Rhythm BluesyPopMike Ev 100

I'm playing the lead guitar.

Mixed with Reaper, mastered with Ozone 8 and LMC. Plugins from Waves and iZotope, I'll go into detail if anyone is interested.

Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/blue-attitude/in-the-still-of-the-night-featuring-chris-spruit

Posted at 08:59 AM

October 17, 2018 Band-in-a-Box® 2018 for Mac - Importing MIDI Files

Did you know that Standard MIDI files can be read in to the Melodist or Soloist track within Band-in-a-Box? You can use all of the MIDI File, or select channels or a specific range of bars, using these steps:
1. Melody | Import Melody from MIDI File to select a MIDI file from disk using the file dialog.
2. Melody | Import Melody from Clipboard - when the MIDI data is already copied from another program to the
clipboard.

A new window will open, asking for additional criteria - which channels, # of bars to offset..., # of bars to import, include lyrics, include patch changes - and more! Head to our online manual Chapter 10: Working with MIDI to learn more!

Posted at 01:17 PM

October 17, 2018 YouTube Find - Your First 15 Minutes with Band-in-a-Box

Woody Piano Shack recently got their hands on Band-in-a-Box after a long time without the program - and they're thrilled!!

Check out this video they've shared to their YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/9dxSfwjBvG0

Thanks Woody Piano Shack!

Posted at 12:53 PM

October 17, 2018 User Showcase Song - Ansellia

I called this tune Ansellia. It's a variety of orchid and I thought it suited the tune all played on the keyboard.

https://youtu.be/jO02n_4e8Ew

Only two MIDI SuperTracks used, but multi layered.

MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2065:Piano, Rhythm NewAgeAlbertiPretty Ev 100
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 1805:Synth Pad, PopBelieve Ev16 065

Posted at 12:51 PM

October 16, 2018 National Dictionary Day - Guitar & Piano Chord Dictionaries

Today is National Dictionary Day!

We offer 2 dictionaries for just $19 each: the Guitar Chord Dictionary & the Piano Chord Dictionary!

Each of these programs are easy to use! Simply choose a root note, select the chord you want to learn, and the Dictionary will play and display the chord!

An Essential Tool for any Musician!

Posted at 01:12 PM

October 16, 2018 User Showcase Song - Listen to the Rain

This is a leftover from the Xtra Styles contest. I never posted it for that, but Eastside Eddie asked me why I never put this on the forum so I'm doing it now.

Listen to the Rain: https://soundcloud.com/david-snyder-gigs2/listen-to-the-rain

What I did was to take the basic chord progression from Bach Prelude I in C (Well-Tempered Clavier) and use it for a song. So there is a chorus I and chorus II, not a typical song structure. (This is close to the progression Gounod used for his version of Ave Maria.) - Hope you like it.

All Words and Music Copyright
2018 by David Snyder, ASCAP/Day of Faith Records

Produced, Arranged and Engineered by David Snyder

David Snyder: Acoustic Guitar and Vocals

Style is _RAININ+.STY (Raining Americana Flk MultiStyle)

RealTracks in style: ~701:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesSync Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 2780:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm Songwriter8thsBrent Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 3027:Vocal Oohs, Background Pop3-part Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 3027:Vocal Oohs, Background Pop3-part Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 1856:Cello, Background PopCountry Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 2870:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CelticAirDave Ev 085
RealDrums in style: AmericanaRoots16th^01-a:Toms, b:Snare

Posted at 08:12 AM

October 15, 2018 User Tip - Band-in-a-Box® to Reaper: The Basics

Forum user DeaconBlues09 has created a video to demonstrate how easy the process is for them to streamline their workflow with DAWs, particularly Reaper - check it out: click here to watch.

Join the forum discussion.

Posted at 11:17 AM

October 15, 2018 User Showcase Song - Deciduous Love

A while back, I asked Bud and Janice if they would be interested in being involved with the "Deciduous Love" project. I was totally delighted when they said, "Yes"!

So I put together a backing that sounded a little bit like something from the days of Tin Pan Alley (BIAB really does make it all so very easy!) and sent it across to J&B. Janice worked her amazing magic and created a wonderful melody that she sang in a way that reminded me of very best of the 1940s/50s female crooners and jazz singers. When I first heard Bud's recording of Janice's vocals, the name 'Ella Fitzgerald' sprang to mind followed very quickly by 'Doris Day'.

Here is where our songwriting journey led us to...

♫♫ Deciduous Love (with a twist of Tin Pan Alley): https://soundcloud.com/noel-adams/deciduous-love-with-janice-merritt

The BIAB Band:
Style is _EZPNO85.STY (Slow EZ Listening Quartet )
1386: Bass, Acoustic, Jazz Ballad Sw 085 (Very Simple)
2192: Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm EZListening Sw 085
1984: Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm EZListening Sw 085
490: Sax, Alto, Jazz Ballad Sw 085
RealDrums: JazzBrushes#1: a: JazzBrushes#1b: JazzBrushes#1

Posted at 11:15 AM

October 12, 2018 Train Your Brain with Band-in-a-Box®

National Train Your Brain Day is October 13th!

Open your Band-in-a-Box® program, and you'll find the [Practice] button in the toolbar - it's a GREAT resource!
Minimized your toolbar? Head to Window | Practice Window or ALT SHIFT L to access

In this window, you'll find many options to help you practice, including Ear Training games, access to the Chord Builder and Chord Subs, some helpful tools within the Playalong Features menu, and more!

Train Your Brain with Band-in-a-Box® today!

Posted at 08:03 AM

October 12, 2018 User Showcase Song - Waiting in the Wings

I've spent the past few months working on a new 12-song country style album called 'Waiting in the Wings' and I finally released it digitally in Sept so it is now on all the major download and streaming sites. I also made a new Soundcloud site for the album so here is the link to the title track: https://soundcloud.com/user-970681062/waiting-in-the-wings.

For the track the BIAB style was _FOLKRKG.STY (Folk-Pop 12 String w/ Electric G)
RealTracks in style: ~896:Guitar, 12-String Acoustic, Rhythm FolkRock Ev 100
RealTracks in style: 798:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm SouthernSnappyClean Ev 090 (A:quarters)
RealDrums in style: NashvilleEven8^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
Plus of course the extra resonator guitar tracks.

Click here to read more about the song and album creation.

Posted at 07:53 AM

October 10, 2018 User Showcase Song - Funkaholic Dreams

I made something close to this groove many years ago together with my band. It was a real dance floor filler (and a kind of our signature groove at that time).

https://soundcloud.com/user-656274325/funkaholic-dreams

I used:
RT2607: Bass
RT514: Bass
RT2617: Guitar
RealDrums: FunkHalfNotePulse

I've added clavinet and extra drums and percussion.

Posted at 10:54 AM

October 09, 2018 Band-in-a-Box Patch Updates - #TechTuesday

Visit our Patches & Updates page, and you will see that with every version released, there are 2+ patch updates applied to that version.

Patch updates are important, and should definitely be installed to your BB folder. They can add new features, update the help resources of the program, fix bugs reported by users, and make your entire Band-in-a-Box experience run smoothly!

Band-in-a-Box update options can be adjusted within the program too - within Band-in-a-Box for Mac, head to Band-in-a-Box | Check for Updates | and then you can select to automatically check for updates by however many days you choose!

Posted at 02:05 PM

October 09, 2018 Xtra Styles PAK 5 Contest - Listen to All the Entries!

Our Xtra Styles PAK 5 Contest is over, and the winners have been announced - congratulations again to forum users fiddler2007, rodipoet, Will Josef, and Ezekiel's Storm!

And, a BIG thank you to everyone who entered their songs on our contest - WOW what a great list of songs! We've arranged all the song entries into one simple list, if you'd like to listen to all the entries click here.

Posted at 09:27 AM

October 09, 2018 User Showcase Song - I Get Lonely

Sometime back i posted a song, cant remember what one.

But someone made a comment regarding it being in the style of JD Souther, or sounding like. I had to google this guy, because i thought.. ive never heard of him. Turned out though i had. because he had a long relationship with one of my hero bands The Eagles. i was surprised to see the link as in he wrote the track, How long and recorded it on one of his albums. Of course the Eagles done How long as well.

The other thing i found was he wrote a song called You're Only Lonely, I read in an article how he based/ styled or was influenced by Roy Orbison Only the lonely. I love this guys stuff, i bought all albums that i could get.

Now here is my wee song based on being influenced by both of these songs.

I get lonely: https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases

Song details:
Realtracks and Midi spec below
ZZCONTRY.STY. Country 4/4 Style
Drums.. realtrack country even 8reduced
Bass.. finger bass sampletank MIDI
Guitar muted sampletank MIDI
electric grand piano sampletank MIDI
Guitar real track high strung 1608
guitar American acoustic fingerstyle+slide sample tank MIDI
Lead Guitar 576 electric soloist blues.
Strings sample tank MIDI'

Posted at 09:19 AM

October 05, 2018 Congratulations Xtra Styles PAK 5 Song Contest Winners!

Thank you again to everyone who submitted their songs to our Xtra Styles PAK 5 Song Contest - 59 entries in total!

As always, we were blown away with every song entered! We truly enjoy listening to what everyone comes up with using Band-in-a-Box!

Our judging team listened to all the songs, and choosing the winners wasn't easy... some of the things taken into consideration were the quality of the composition, Xtra styles used, use of program features within the song, and originality - and we're now ready to announce the winners!

The Winners are:

Country:
I Will Be Your Doggie Listen to the song here
Artist/Forum User: fiddler2007
Xtra Style used: _WILDONE
Original Forum Post

Jazz:
Wie zingt verjaagt zijn pijn (He who sings expels his pain) Listen to the song here
Artist/Forum User: rodipoet
Xtra Styles Used: _SILKY
Original Forum Post

MIDI:
Child of the 70s Listen to the song here
Artist/Forum User: Will Josef
Xtra Style Used: HORIZON
Original Forum Post

Rock-Pop:
Hide it Away Listen to the song here
Artist/Forum User: Ezekiel's Storm
Xtra Style used: _CHEATED
Original Forum Post

Congratulations everyone!

Posted at 02:15 PM

October 05, 2018 Band-in-a-Box® 2018 for Windows: Making Songs

Visit Chapter 6: Making Songs in our online Band-in-a-Box 2018 for Windows User's Guide, and you'll learn (or be reminded of) all the different steps you could take for creating your own song using Band-in-a-Box®!

Learn about naming your song, choosing a key, setting the tempo, chord entry, and more! There's even information for more advanced use! Read about Song Settings (endings, tags, style variations, pushes, rests, and chord embellishments), Part Markers, Substyles, Song Form, applying Styles, using RealTrack/RealDrums, importing MIDI, and chord entry - just to name a few!

Posted at 08:12 AM

October 05, 2018 User Showcase Song - Don't Leave Me Alone

hi everyone i am really pleased at this result. its actually from a song i was working on from a royalty free song pack i got and i just used the chords from the main song and then generated the rest of the tracks using the structure then tweaked it a bit to mute/unmute certain parts it used a string/piano realstyle to start with then i added a realtrack guitar and then some funk drums realdrums at the 85bpm tempo

Don't leave me alone (strings): https://picosong.com/w2VKh/

just this little simple arrangement i think turned out really nice! without using anything but the chord structure from the original sample pack :-)

Posted at 07:50 AM

October 05, 2018 Holiday Hours - Monday, October 8th

Monday, October 8th is Canadian Thanksgiving!

Our Holiday schedule that day is:
Customer Service: 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST
Technical Support: Closed

We will be back to our regular schedule Tuesday, October 9th.

Posted at 07:43 AM

October 04, 2018 User Showcase Song - A Cool Wind

Went back to the beginnings to find this song. I have been struggling finding my creative side. When I first started with BIAB I would add a few chords and start cycling through the styles until something sounded interesting. This is how this song came to be.

A Cool Wind: https://soundcloud.com/scottt709/a-cool-wind

****** Song Summary *************
Title: Cool Wind
File:Cool Wind.SGU
Key=Am , Tempo 85, Length (m:s)=3:06
No intro. 62 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 62. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Style is _SCARCE.STY (Scarce Dreamy Americana)

RealTracks in style: 2877:Bass, Acoustic, AmericanaSlow16thsByron Ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 2704:Synth, Rhythm CloudRapLowOrgan Ev16 075
RealTracks in style: 2878:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AmericanaSlow16thsBrent Ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 2666:Pedal Steel, Rhythm LushChordsSlow Ev 075
RealDrums in style: AmericanaRoots16th-04-SdStk,Tms [Multi]

*******************
Guitar is a PRS and Amp is a Vox

Posted at 10:10 AM

October 03, 2018 User Showcase Song - Time For a Change

I just finished an 8 Day Sync Songwriting Challenge. I learned so much during this course and met some very talented people. I teamed up with a few of them writing and producing different songs. This one I co-wrote with Kim Williams from Ontario and got it performed and recorded by Kathrin Jakob an amazing vocalist from California. I used BIAB for the base of the song and then added some synths in Cubase. I think it came out really well and I hope to be pitching it for licensing soon.

https://soundcloud.com/user-742389722/time-for-a-change

Real Tracks:
1268:Bass, Electric, Pop Uplifting
1277:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Pop Uplifting
Real Drums=Praise Worship Up Tempo
1272:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Pop Uplifting Sync
1278:Synth Pad Pop Uplifting
1000:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm, Hard Rock LA Fuzzy Held

Posted at 12:07 PM

October 03, 2018 Happy National Techies Day!

Happy National Techies Day to all our program users! And, a special thanks / shout-out to all of our BETA testers - you're a big part of our Band-in-a-Box program!

Posted at 12:04 PM

October 02, 2018 Best New Alternative Music with Band-in-a-Box - Congratulations!

Congratulations to David Snyder for being included in ReverbNation's Best New Alternative Music with his song Heaven Here!

David is a long time Band-in-a-Box user, and has shared his Band-in-a-Box creations to our User Showcase Forum for as long as we've had one! He even shared Heaven Here to the forum - see for yourself!

Read David's announcement and add your feedback here.

Posted at 10:45 AM

October 02, 2018 User Showcase Song - Trunc Funk

Not a very evocative title, but you'll feel what you feel. Named because I forced a 4/4 Funk style (already a mashup) to play a good number of 3-beat bars. I chose a funk style because I wanted a strong 1 beat. Then it was just a matter of auditioning styles until one behaved correctly. ;-) There's even a single 2/4 bar in there. If you find it first, you'll win the prize...you get to name the piece.

It's only two minutes long and not as weird as you might think. How's that for an advertising slogan?

https://soundcloud.com/user-47797156/trunc-funk

Key=C , Tempo 150, Length (m:s)=1:57

Soloist track has 267 notes, Soloist harmony is < no harmony >(0)
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Time signature,
Soloist is saved with the song : AcGuitar Fpick Alt8thsQuinn (3058)
Style is _TRICAMP.STY (Tricky Spy Funk w Amplitube Bass)

RealTracks in style: 1717:Bass, Electric, TexasBluesRockStraight Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1770:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm JazzFunkMovinChords Ev16 130
RealTracks in style: 1771:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm JazzFunkMovinMuted Ev16 130
RealTracks in song: 1292:Accordion, Rhythm TexMexCountry Ev 120
RealDrums in style: RockHardEven8^1-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

*******************

Mixed in Acid Pro 8 (still auditioning DAWs) with a little high boost on all but bass, and a high-pass/low-cut on all but bass and drums. Light to moderate compression on all tracks, heaviest on the accordian. Then a gentle master on some pre-set I have no idea what it was or did, but it came out pretty good (for me).

Posted at 09:35 AM

October 01, 2018 Band-in-a-Box® 2018 for Windows: Quick Song Settings!

Visit the Band-in-a-Box 2018 for Windows Online User's Guide, and you'll have access to an interactive version of the program manual that's PACKED with helpful information, including How-to's, setup instructions, feature overviews, tips, and more! Like these "Quick Song Settings" shortcuts found in the Keystroke Commends - Hot Keys topic, which are VERY useful:

Quick Song Settings:

begin + [Enter] = Sets the beginning of the chorus to the current bar
chorusend + [Enter] = Sets the end of the chorus to the current bar
end + [Enter] = Sets the end of the song to the current bar
tkc + [Enter] = Sets key signature to c, tkbb would set it to bb
trc + [Enter] = Transposes song to key of C
t125 + [Enter] = Sets tempo to 125
S + [Enter] = Launches the StylePicker window

Posted at 12:39 PM

October 01, 2018 User Showcase Song - So Long, December

So Long, December: https://soundcloud.com/tanomusic/so-long-december

Wrapping up this one that has been unfinished for a while..song lamenting a not-so-good year, and hoping that the next one's much better!

---------------
Style is J!N_ORL2.STY (VintJz-New Orleans2-Sw & St8 mix)
RT's:1964 CLarinet, 1792 Tuba, 1788 Banjo, 1974 Trumpet, 1969 Trombone
Jazz Brushes

Posted at 12:20 PM

October 01, 2018 Xtra Styles PAK 5 Song Contest Closed - 59 Entries!

Thank you everyone for entering your songs in our Xtra Styles PAK 5 Song Contest - 59 ENTRIES - WOW!!!

We'll be judging all the entries now, and will post an announcement as soon as the winners are chosen - good luck everyone!!!

Posted at 07:52 AM