April 30, 2020 User Showcase Song - Weerzien

My late mother always wrote poems. Mostly for herself. As a kid I listened breathlessly to those nice words I didn't understand. Just recently I found her poems book. I thought it would be nice if her words can come alive again. I picked one poem to be the lyrics for this song. Probably some of you won't understand a word of what I sing so I have tried to translate the words. In English they don't rhyme of course.

https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130/weerzien-v15-master

I can tell you this project wasn't easy. At first I had to sing in Dutch, which I had rarely done, secondly I had to alter a lot of sentences to make them rhyme and not sound outdated since the poem dates from 1963. And thirdly, I had to convince myself that the song sounded good enough to post it here for you. That was the biggest challenge.

Click here to review the lyrics in Dutch and English.

Hans Berkhout/ Birchwood
====================================
Weerzien (Meeting again)
(c) WBattem/HWBerkhout 1963 / 2020 (12-04)
Technical information:

Key=Am , Tempo 82, Length (m:s)=3:48
Style is _QUASAR.STY (Quasar Minimale Moderne Pop Ball)

RealTracks: 2937:Bas, Fretless,
RealTracks: 2693:Piano, Acoustic,
RealTracks: 1765:Guitar, High-Strung Acoustic, Fingerpicking
RealTracks: 1543:Synth Pad, PopBelieve
RealTracks: 3186:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm Keltic Songwriter 16de Gel 80
RealDrums: NashvilleBrushesBalladPushEv16: a: Sidestick, Brushes b: Brushes

Posted at 10:59 AM

April 30, 2020 Xtra Styles PAK 8 and Loops-with-Style PAK 1 Sale Ends Today!

When we launched our new Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac, we put our newest Add-ons Xtra Styles PAK 8 & Loops-with-Style PAK 1 on sale!

Our sale ends today - order before 11:59 PM PDT and save!

Xtra Styles PAK 8 adds 164 fantastic new RealStyles to your collection! These are imaginative new combinations of our existing RealTracks library that fall into four categories: Rock/Pop 8, Jazz 8, Country 8, and Celtic 1. ALL of our Xtra Styles PAKs 1-8 are on sale for just $29 each! Learn more.

Loops-with-Style PAK 1 for Band-in-a-Box® 2019 (and higher) expands your loops collection with 100 new loops! We've taken the RealDrums and RealTracks source audio and remixed, remastered, and combined it to create these original loops. All of your favorite genres are covered, like jazz, funk, rock, pop, electronic, hip-hop, and more! To show them in action, we've created 50 new RealStyles that each include two of the loops. Plus, if you use the loops in Band-in-a-Box, we've included intelligent versions of the loops that automatically switch at A and B part markers. Each loop has a matching sister loop that works perfectly for another substyle!

Save over 30% when you purchase Loops-with-Style PAK 1 during our special - add it to your collection today for just $19! Learn more.

Mac user?
Xtra Styles PAKs
Loops-with-Style PAK 1

Posted at 10:54 AM

April 30, 2020 TODAY IS THE LAST DAY of Our Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac Special!

Our Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac special ENDS TODAY!

SAVE up to 50% on your Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac Upgrade and receive the FREE Bonus PAK - but only if you order before 11:59 PM PDT tonight!

Order now!

Posted at 10:51 AM

April 29, 2020 User Showcase Song - Avalanche

For all of the brave souls working day and night to save us…
Avalanche.

Lyrics
BIAB Tracks:
1008: Bass, Electric, ElecRock Ev 120
1681: Guitar, Acoustic, 12-String, Fingerpicking Ev 120
405: Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 120
789: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CrossoverClean Sw16 090
Loop: vybez_70_shaker
Loop: Chillout/Chillout - dimensions_145_choir

Posted at 08:50 AM

April 29, 2020 PowerTracks Pro Audio 2020 is Here!

PowerTracks Pro Audio 2020 includes great New Features and Enhancements, including a new Audio Harmony feature using élastique, an Audio Scrub mode, additional MusicXML file support including save drum notation to MusicXML, enhanced stretching and audio harmony capabilities, and more!

Upgrade today for as low as $29! New to PowerTracks? Get started today for as little as $49 - review all of the PowerTracks Pro Audio packages here.

Posted at 06:35 AM

April 28, 2020 User Showcase Song - Long Way Home

I have been working from home, providing support for Walmart Grocery Pickup and Delivery customers. As such I have observed so much pain in people I have talked to. Very heartbreaking to talk to so many people who have lost so much, including the loss of loved ones. So I decided to write a song to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives to this tragic virus, as well as to honor those who love them. I hope it brings the proper respect and honor to these folks. I am so thankful that all my family is healthy.

Long Way Home:
Video | SoundCloud | Lyrics
©Stephen W. Young

I did this one in Luna (UA just released this daw free to anyone who has a thunderbolt Apollo interface.) Pretty impressive workflow, and UA is pretty well known for their quality (if not expensive) plugins. Although this is a simple arrangement, with the orchestration and all the background vocal tracks, I ended up with 30 tracks on this one, and Luna never blinked. I played the piano, organ, and orchestra parts. All the instruments I used also came free with Luna. I'm pretty impressed with the setup Luna provides. Here is the awesome "band" that BB provided...

RealTracks in song: ~2474:Bass, Acoustic, Held Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 3109:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AmericanaFolk16thsLowBrent Ev16 060
RealTracks in song: 1038:Guitar, High-Strung Acoustic, Rhythm NorthernRockBallad Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 2880:Fiddle, Background AmericanaSlow16thsAndy Ev16 060
RealDrums [in Song:AmericanaRoots16th^05-a:Kick, Sidestick, b:Snare

Posted at 11:03 AM

April 28, 2020 Rebuilding the StylePicker in Band-in-a-Box® #TipTuesday

PG Music's Ember shared a great tip to our Tips & Tricks forum recently regarding rebuilding the StylePicker within the program:

Something I see come up fairly frequently, specifically with Pro and MegaPAK users, is the inability to change styles. A lot of the time, this is because they missed the important message that they need to do a rebuild of their StylePicker after they install.

**Note: If you are using the newer interface and not the classic one, you can find the "StylePicker" option by clicking on the magnifying glass button on the interface.

Click here to view the post on our Forum.

Posted at 10:59 AM

April 27, 2020 Time is Running Out! Our Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac Special ENDS April 30th!

It feels like we launched the Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac only a few days ago - but it's been more than a month!

That means our special is wrapping up, and there's just a few more days to SAVE up to 50% on your Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac Upgrade and receive the FREE Bonus PAK - but only if you order before Thursday, April 30 at 11:59 PM PDT!

We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some amazing Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box^® for Mac 2020 packages, but for more even more Add-ons (including 40 Unreleased RealTracks) upgrade it to the 2020 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.

Check out our Band-in-a-Box^® packages page for all the purchase options available.

Posted at 10:43 AM

April 27, 2020 User Showcase Song - Nearby the River

we really hope, everybody stays healthy and happy. Here is our latest work.

https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-newcountry/nearby-the-river

Feel free to give us your feedback, we really appreciate it. Take care
-Rebecca and Jochen

Key=E , Tempo 115,
Style is _MANPULA.STY (Medium Pop Country Mandolin)

RealTracks in style: 1268:Bass, Electric, PopUplift Ev16 120
RealTracks in style: 1270:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopUpliftSyncMuted Ev16 120
RealTracks in style: 1948:Mandolin, Rhythm PopUpliftingAndy Ev16 120
RealTracks in song: 2040:Guitar, Resonator, Soloist CountryRob Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 2035:Mandolin, Soloist CountryAndy Ev 120
RealDrums [in style:PraiseWorshipUptempo16^1-a:Snare, HiHat, Kick , b:Snare, Ride
RealTracks in song: 623:Banjo, Background Backporch Ev 098

Verse E F#m A E
Bridge G D E E
Chorus A A G G D D A A

Lyrics

Posted at 10:04 AM

April 24, 2020 User Showcase Song - Girl With Dark Sunglasses

Here's a second collaboration with Carroll Kiphen, who wrote the lyrics that jump-started this little rocker. I hope it's worth the listen. Feedback is, as always, both appreciated and usually needed. smile Thanks in advance to all of you. Stay healthy and safe.
-Deej

Here's the song: GIRL WITH DARK SUNGLASSES

Lyrics: Click here

And here is the band:
RealTracks: 1025:Guitar, Electric, Strumming CleanOpen Ev 120
RealTracks: 2643:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ModernPopHardHighMurray Ev16 075
RealTracks: 2644:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ModernPopHardMurray Ev16 075
RealTracks: 2586:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PunkMurray Ev 165
RealTracks: 2591:Bass, Electric, RockPicked8ths Ev 165
RealTracks: 1276:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopUpliftPulsing Ev16 120
RealTracks: 686 Organ, B3, Background Pop
RealDrums: RockHardModernEv8^1-a:Snare, HiHat , b:4 beat Snare, HiHat

Posted at 09:00 AM

April 24, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® 2019 French for Mac is Here!

ACHAT / MISE À JOUR & TÉLÉCHARGEMENT MAINTENANT!

Tout d'abord, la Version 64-bit permet l'interfonctionnement avec les derniers plugins et fonctions supportées par les OS (Operating System) 64-bit ! Le VST/AU/AAX Plugin de Band-in-a-Box® utilisable dans votre Station de Travail favorite (GarageBand, Logic, Reaper, Pro Tools, Digital Performer, Ableton, PreSonus, etc.) vous permettra de créer des styles, des RealTracks, des RealDrums, des Multi-Riffs, etc. Le SongPicker a été repensé, il permet de consulter les données de plus de 50.000 morceaux grâce à l'efficacité de son filtre et de son mode de recherche affiné qui permet la recherche sur une Grille (progression d'accords) et/ou sur une phrase mélodique. Les filtres avancés supportent la recherche sur RealTracks, RealDrums et MIDI SuperTracks incluant la recherche sur la Signature Temporelle, le Tempo, les RealCharts et plus. Il est maintenant possible de gérer le volume individuel de chaque RealTrack dans le medley. La Notation a été améliorée avec l'arrivée de la Notation Drum, la prise en compte de la gestion des drums RealCharts (transcriptions de certaines RealDrums), le forçage rapide d'accidents et bien plus. Plus de 300 titres ont été rajoutés au navigateur de titres. Le Mélodiste utilise maintenant les RealStyles pour générer accords et mélodies. La fonction Audio Harmonies est améliorée avec le moteur BB-Harmony qui peut créer des harmonisations sophistiquées avec entre autres, des notes de passage. Et bien plus.

Posted at 08:56 AM

April 23, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® 2020 German for Windows is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2020 für Windows® ist hier - Kauf, Upgrade & DOWNLOAD JETZT!

Es gibt über 50 neue Funktionen in Band-in-a-Box® 2020! Es gibt Verbesserungen der RealTracks (weicher klingende Vokal RealTracks, RealTracks Verdickung, "Find-a-Sub" RealTracks und MultiRiffs). Die meisten RealDrums haben jetzt RealCharts (mit genauer Drum-Notation). Es gibt einen neuen RealTracks-Künstler-Browser, um Infos/Bios/Links/Listen von RealTracks zu allen Künstlern zu finden. Ein neuer Feature-Browser ermöglicht es dem neuen oder "vergesslichen" Benutzer, die meisten Features/Hotkeys/Dokumente von einem einzigen Fenster aus leicht zu finden und zu benutzen. Die Funktion Tempoausgleich ermöglicht es, einen aufgenommenen Rubato-Song in ein festes Tempo zu ändern. Verbesserte Audio-Zeit/Tonhöhen-Dehnung (Elastique) enthalten. Es gibt SongPicker-Verbesserungen, Auto-Intros für Bass/Drums oder nur Drums, 3.400 zusätzliche Titel, MusicXML-Verbesserungen, "Linkshänder"- und "Studentensicht"-Gitarre, Ziehen & Ablegen -Verbesserungen, Audio-Akkord-Wizard mit mehreren Fenstern und mehr!

Posted at 11:02 AM

April 23, 2020 User Showcase Song - The Chicken and Cheese Song

This one is a bit different than my usual. There is a little backstory to this slightly nonsensical song.

When I was a wee lad, I would amble about the house singing, “Have you heard of the chicken and cheese” over and over and over. Of course, my parents didn’t recognize my precocious verbal dexterity and melodic acumen. This little song would have been relegated to the dustbins of my mind (B. Hill allusion), but my older sister had recently requested that I record the chicken and cheese song. Unfortunately, the song has undergone genre reassignment surgery and is now suffering from genre confusion. However, the original lyric and melody are preserved in the chorus just as it was sung a half century ago.

soundcloud.com/scott-schwarz-740132899/the-chicken-and-cheese-song-streaming

If you are looking for art, this ain't it.

I’ve been working on this song in bits and pieces, and it contains a lot of bits and pieces. I still have some tweaking to do.

For those outside of the United States, Hamburger Helper was and is a box of dried noodles, powdered sauces, and other unknown ingredients that you mix with a liquid and ground beef. I never much cared for it---then and now.

The lyrics are on SoundCloud.

The Band
Me: Vocals, voices, some laughter, and general mayhem.

In the “dance” sections, I am playing the bass line on the keyboard that comes in at the :25 mark in the first section, and regurgitates and reverberates throughout the other dance sections. The rest of the dance section is made from loops (royalty-free, naturally).

For the “jazz” verses, I used the style Depart Dreamy Smooth Jazz:
RealBass 2960 Bass, Acoustic, SmoothBallad
RealDrums-SmoothBalladBrushes
RealPiano 910 Piano, Electric, Rhythm SmoothBallad
RealGuitar 367 Guitar, Electric, Background Dreamy
RealStrings 1219 Vibes, Rhythm JazzBallad

For the “country” chorus, I used the style Branson Acoustic Folk and added a cowbell. I think I need more cowbell.
RealBass 2421 Bass, Acoustic, RockabillySlapBoomChicka
RealDrums-CountryTrain
RealPiano 1610 Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm
RealGuitar 2518 Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking BoomChic
RealStrings 2517 Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking BoomChi
RealDrums-CowbellEv

Posted at 10:55 AM

April 22, 2020 User Showcase Song - The Front Lines (Thank You)

I wanted it to write a positive and uplifting song for these times. I figured the best way was to say "thank you." That was the concept. :)

A lot of words. Even at that, way too many to thank. (Lyrics)

https://soundcloud.com/cmad-3/the-front-lines-thank-you-to-you

RT1255:Bass, Electric, PopShining
RT1264:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopShining
RT1259:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopShiningRock
RT380:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Syncopated Sugar
RT1260:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopShining
RT688:Organ, B3, Background Pop
RT1030:Guitar, 12-String Electric, Fingerpicking

Drum Set Samples (Slate Audio)
Marching Snare, Canyon Drums, Chime, Tamb, and End Piano Note (EastWest)
Reverse Snare I made

Posted at 09:30 AM

April 21, 2020 Tips & Tricks - Entering Quarter Note Triplets

Never be afraid to reach out and ask a question on our Forums!

Recently the question "Is there a trick to entering quarter note triplets in the editable notation window?" was raised, and an incredibly helpful forum user (Matt Finley) answered right away! It wasn't a "yes, there is" answer - Matt provided a very detailed step-by-step response, and it was EXACTLY the information that was needed. Thanks Matt!

Not a member of our Forums? Join the conversation, and sign up here, you won't be sorry!

Posted at 01:58 PM

April 21, 2020 User Showcase Song - Think Positive

During these trying times you love playing your air guitar. That brings you much joy, as you can't go out for your entertainment, you can only go out for necessities. You heart is beating steadily as you jam away but then you start thinking about getting back to work or how can I pay my bills, etc. All of these things swirl in your head. It is a constant battle between being happy or worrying. Just think positive and all will be OK.

soundcloud.com/mario_guitar/think-positive

BiaB Style - 80's Even 8ths Rock - I modified this style to better fit the song.
Deleted the rhythm guitar and bass.
Strings = UVI B5 Hammond organ
Guitar - Sonivox Taylor acoustic
Drums - SSD5 - Rock Kit - Solid Rock

I am playing the rhythm guitar, lead guitar and the fretless bass. I am also playing the synth via my MIDI keyboard controller.
All guitars when through Amplitube 4, the bass through SVX preset Comp Rock and both guitars through Fender 59 Crunch.
The synth was SynthMaster preset The Racer AZ

Posted at 09:29 AM

April 20, 2020 User Tip - Band-in-a-Box Song Endings: Sustained, Fading Endings

Forum user Charlie Fogle has shared his steps for creating a song that has a fading sustained bass note for the ending, make sure you check it out!

"On the last bar where you want the sustained bass note to begin the fade and assuming you want the bass to be solo'd"
Click here to read Charlie's post.

Thanks for sharing this with us, Charlie!

Our Tips & Tricks forum is a GREAT place to share your own tricks, tips, or read other program user's input!

Posted at 02:18 PM

April 20, 2020 User Showcase Song - House Arrest

Just another quirky song about our current situation.
https://soundcloud.com/captainmoto/house-arrest

-BIAB, Drums & Bass
-Captain Moto, Guitars & Vocals

Posted at 02:17 PM

April 17, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Windows Just Got Better!

All our Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Windows users will be thrilled with the enhancements added with the latest FREE Update (build 717)!

The program stability is vastly improved, with fewer possible crashes, BeStPlain chord font support has been added for additional chords, mid/xml/mxl file import has been tweaked to better handle certain cases (e.g. ties, zero duration drum notes), there is improved the stability of the audio chord wizard, and more.

Plus, hundreds of RealTracks files have been enhanced and improved with simpler options for RealTracks and MIDI SuperTracks, smoother transitions, updated RealCharts and Hi-Q RealCharts, improved transcriptions, and revised endings! Check out the full list of RealTracks and other Add-on improvements with build 717 here.

We didn't stop there – the VST DAW Plugin is also updated with this patch, adding TONS of enhancements and a new Shortcuts file feature! Now you can easily zoom within the Plugin, smoothly drag tracks, use the P hotkey to toggle between part markers, transpose chords to "natural accidentals," the scrolling has been improved, and more!

Read the detailed list of enhancements included in Band-in-a-Box® 2020 build 717 for Windows or download it here.

Using the Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Windows Pro or MegaPAK? Upgrade to the UltraPAK today to get the most out of the latest build 717!

Posted at 12:59 PM

April 17, 2020 User Showcase Song - Let It Bleed (A John Prine Tribute)

Bob (rsdean) posted a tribute song to John Prine shortly after his passing.
I thought that was a really nice idea. So I thought I would follow his lead.

Let It Bleed: https://soundcloud.com/fjsongs/let-it-bleed

The BAND:
RealTracks in style: 521:Bass, Electric, Pop Syncopated Ev 136
RealTracks in style: ~~407:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 165
RealTracks in style: ~406:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 136
RealTracks in song: 1667:Pedal Steel, Soloist CountryPaul Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 3099:Organ, Rhythm AmericanaSlow16thsMike Ev16 060
RealTracks in song: 3198:Guitar, Acoustic, Soloist PopBalladBrent Ev 065
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleBrushesCountryPopEv16

Click here for lyrics and additional song details.

Posted at 12:44 PM

April 16, 2020 User Showcase Song - You're To Blame

You're To Blame - NEW PUNK ROCK SONG!

https://soundcloud.com/ekayne/your-to-blame

****** Song Summary *************
Title: you're to blame
File:you're to blame.SGU
Key=A , Tempo 160, Length (m:s)=2:57
No intro. 115 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 115. 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,RealDrums Changes,
Style is _PUNKRK1.STY (Punk w/ Held and Muted Guitars)

RealTracks in song: ** N/A ** 2591:Bass, Electric, RockPicked8ths Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 1852:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopUpliftArp Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 634:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopAmericanMuted Ev 120 (B:8ths)
RealTracks in style: ** N/A ** 2584:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PunkMuted Ev 165
RealTracks in song: ** N/A ** 2585:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PunkHeldPlus Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 1273:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopUplift Ev16 120
RealDrums [in Song:RockHardLA^4-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Crash Ride

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

Posted at 10:28 AM

April 16, 2020 Shipping Status Report - Updated Daily!

As you will note, there are some countries that have temporarily suspended delivery or longer than normal delivery times.

Our list for you based on Courier vs Mail service can be viewed here.

We will be updating this list daily.

Posted at 08:07 AM

April 16, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac - Introducing the NEW StyleMaker!

Our Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac just got better - we've added the new StyleMaker with the latest FREE Update, build 410. Now you can create brand-new styles or edit existing styles!

The DAW Plugin has also been updated with this patch, including improvements to dragging tracks, tempo indicator, and more!

Read the detailed list of enhancements included in Band-in-a-Box® 2020 build 410 for Mac and download it here.

Posted at 08:05 AM

April 15, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Windows Feature: Drag & Drop Files

When it comes to opening songs in Band-in-a-Box®, you can use the traditional File | Open command and navigate to your file, but why not try out one of the new 2020 features, and Drag & Drop Files to Band-in-a-Box?

With this added feature, now you can drop many file types onto the Band-in-a-Box® screen and they will be loaded into the program, either as a new file or added to the current song. File types include Band-in-a-Box® songs (.SGU/.MGU), MIDI (.MID), and audio (.WAV/.M4A/.MP3). Simply drag the file and drop it anywhere on the Band-in-a-Box® screen, including various windows.

See in action - click here to watch the video. (39:28)

Posted at 11:46 AM

April 15, 2020 User Showcase Song - Make It Mine

This little tune is a tribute to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (Steely Dan) who definately have influenced my musical tastes! The first verse is me envisioning Donald carrying on without his band mate Walter . The second verse is for all of us who have been around the block and are trying to keep up with current trends and happenings! The lyrics are a 15 minute throw together so be gentle on the critique lol!! Thanks for taking time to listen and keep me as part of the family here! I played everything except the horn parts and drums....couldn't pull that off! The intro horn part is a loop on my Yamaha keyboard the others are BIAB.

BIAB
Horns - Funk 2 Part

Me:
Vocals Lyrics
Electric Piano
Organ
Guitars
Bass

Make It Mine
Words and music By
Torrey Bliss Copyright 2020

Posted at 09:04 AM

April 14, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® 2020 Artist Browser!

Get to know your 'band' with the Artist Browser added to Band-in-a-Box® 2020!

The Artist Browser makes it easy to search for artists by name, instrument, or genre. Choose the Artists from the list of names and load their biography, select [More Info...] and be taken to their full biography (including the list of all their RealTracks/RealDrums) on our website, or choose [OK - Show Artist RealTracks] to load the list to your RealTracks Picker dialog!

To watch this feature in action, click here
(18:57)

Posted at 10:01 AM

April 14, 2020 User Showcase Song - Skyrim

Well Robert and I have decided to try something new. Robert floated the idea that since we had created quite a few song maybe we should present them as a band. So Spirit Level was born.

Skyrim

Robert's inspiration for the lyrics are Psychedelic SciFi Catharsis.

I recorded and mixed my guitar tracks in Studio One. I transferred the realtracks using the drag and drop features from Realband. Could not believe how easy it was. Hope you like the new song.

****** Song Summary *************
Title: Skyrim
File:skyrim.SGU
Key=G , Tempo 120, Length (m:s)=3:18
8 bar intro, 87 bar chorus, from bar 9 to bar 95. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Tempo,
Style is _GLORY.STY (Glory Gospel 3-Part Vocals)

RealTracks in song: 2754:Bass, Electric, RockHeavy8thsDoug Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 691:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming AcRockBright Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~1030:Guitar, 12-String Electric, Fingerpicking Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 3231:Guitar, Electric, Background CinemaHeldHighDarin Ev16 090
RealTracks in song: 2508:String Quartet, Rhythm PopEvenHall Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 3230:Guitar, Electric, Background CinemaHeldLowDarin Ev16 090
RealDrums [in Song:RockClassicBritEv^1-a:Snare, Closed HiHat , b:Snare, Ride Bell

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

The Lyrics

Posted at 09:04 AM

April 13, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Windows - Simpler Arrangements

Although we think that Band-in-a-Box does a phenomenal job creating unique accompaniment for any program user, maybe you're not looking for the accompaniment to be "too embellished"?

Good news! There's a Simple Arrangement feature within the program!

Click here to read the "Options for Simpler Arrangements" topic within our online manual, which explains how the [Simple] button on the toolbar allows you to set individual tracks or all tracks to un-embellished arrangements on a song-by-song basis or for all songs.

This option is also available in the Master Button menu, where a checkbox makes the RealTracks for the entire song play a simpler (less busy or embellished) arrangement.

Want to see this feature in action? We have explained this feature using our Band-in-a-Box® 2019 for Windows version: Click here to watch.

Posted at 01:33 PM

April 13, 2020 User Showcase Song - The Beacon

The idea for this one came from Chris, she sent me a demo with vocal and piano and we developed it from there.

The Beacon: https://www.reverbnation.com/blueattitudemusic/song/31709894-the-beacon

The band:
1189:Bass, Electric, HardRockWaltz Ev 140
372:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Hank Sw 120
1183:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopWaltzGrittyArp Ev 120

Chris did the piano, strings, and Pad and I played the lead guitar parts. I used EZDrummer2 for the drums.

Mixed in Reaper, mastered with Ozone 9.
Lyrics

Posted at 09:30 AM

April 09, 2020 User Showcase Song - Another Day

It's been a week since our last post, so I thought I'd post another old one. We originally posted this about 6 years ago. At the time it was a WIP. For practical purposes, it still is. We no longer have the stem tracks as this is one of the songs in the computer file that fried. All I had to work with was the "final" stereo mix-down. I did quite a bit of reshaping in Audacity that, I think, improved it somewhat.

https://soundcloud.com/alananddi/another-day-v2

This one was a real stretch for my limited vocal range. But I managed a few of the higher register passes. Also, this is one of the last songs - there were a few afterwards but not many - on which I played my own lead guitar track. Fortunately, it's a fairly easy riff. I have Focal Dystonia which is quickly claiming my ability to control my fingers. But, that's okay ... I made a ton of money with my guitar playing for many years. So, I really have nothing to complain about.

This is written for a female vocal, such as Jennifer Nettles. But Di is, and was, incapable to singing. But we like the song so much, we decided to put it out there with my meager attempt on vocals.

Lyrics

Posted at 12:03 PM

April 09, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Windows Just Got Better!

All our Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Windows users will be thrilled with the enhancements added with the latest FREE Update (build 715)!

The program stability is vastly improved, with fewer possible crashes, BeStPlain chord font support has been added for additional chords, mid/xml/mxl file import has been tweaked to better handle certain cases (e.g. ties, zero duration drum notes), there is improved the stability of the audio chord wizard, and more.

Plus, hundreds of RealTracks files have been enhanced and improved with simpler options for RealTracks and MIDI SuperTracks, smoother transitions, updated RealCharts and Hi-Q RealCharts, improved transcriptions, and revised endings! Check out the full list of RealTracks and other Add-on improvements with build 715 here.

We didn't stop there – the VST DAW Plugin is also updated with this patch, adding TONS of enhancements and a new Shortcuts file feature! Now you can easily zoom within the Plugin, smoothly drag tracks, use the P hotkey to toggle between part markers, transpose chords to "natural accidentals," the scrolling has been improved, and more!

Read the detailed list of enhancements included in Band-in-a-Box® 2020 build 715 for Windows or download it here.

Using the Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Windows Pro or MegaPAK? Upgrade to the UltraPAK today to get the most out of the latest build 715!

Posted at 11:17 AM

April 09, 2020 Holiday Hours - Happy Easter!

Our Easter Weekend hours are:

Customer Service:
April 10 - Good Friday: 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8)
April 11 - Saturday: 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) (regular hours of operation)
April 12 - Easter Sunday: Closed.
April 13 - Easter Monday: 6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) (regular hours of operation)

Technical Service:
Closed April 10-12 (Will re-open Monday, April 13 at 10:00AM PST)

All of our hours list here.

Posted at 11:14 AM

April 08, 2020 User Showcase Song - You Are The Day

This song started, once again, from a dream. In it, a girl with a lovely voice was singing the chorus melody (and maybe some lyrics also, can't recall) in an American Idols contest and I said to her that if I had a record company, I would sign her immediately
Well, more than a year passed by and there was a lullaby song contest on a local forum. I looked for a gentle sounding song from my archive and found this one. I wrote the lyrics in Finnish (translating what existed from the chorus part) and used child sounding Vocaloids to sing it. It got very warm reception, so I thought it would be nice to share it with you one day. But the translation was difficult part, how to translate nursery rhyme type of alliterations etc.

And now here it is.
https://soundcloud.com/popfinger/you-are-the-day

I think I managed to capture something from the original mood I hope my English is not too clumsy, I'm just wondering how fluent text a native poet could have written... It would have been better to be sung by a child (or a girl like in my dream), but no child was available so I decided to sing it myself (with some gender modifications in the lyrics), although I used some Vocaloids in the ending part.

RealDrums: Congas
RealTracks:
Acoustic bass #1162
Cello #1856
Viola #2336
Violin #2338
Acoustic guitar Pick #1814
Horns #2291
Synth Pad #1840
MIDI:
MIDI SuperTrack #2058 (SampleTank3 - FullStrings)
Melody music box
Vocals: me and backing Vocaloids
Mixed in Adobe Audition 2020
Lyrics

Posted at 10:43 AM

April 08, 2020 New with Band-in-a-Box® 2020 - MultiRiffs!

This feature was initially offered with the VST DAW Plugin, and now it's available directly in Band-in-a-Box®! MultiRiffs allows you to quickly generate 7 variations of either a portion of the track (which would generate 7 variations of "Riffs" of a four-bar guitar solo), or the whole song with 7 variations that are generated to play different material at all times.

Read all about this feature here, or check out our New Features Video (46:00) to see it in action!

Posted at 10:39 AM

April 08, 2020 Interview: Aaron Short & PG Music's Tobin!

Check out Aaron Short's LIVE interview with PG Music's Tobin!

Click here to watch.

This was recorded LIVE at 1pm PST, April 8, 2020.

Posted at 06:59 AM

April 07, 2020 #TipTuesday - The Band-in-a-Box® 2020 Feature Browser

Don't forget about the new Feature Browser added to Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac! (and Windows)

This feature is GREAT to help you locate a feature within the program!

How does it work? Access this feature by clicking on the [?] button on the main screen of the program or pressing the / Enter keys on the Chord Sheet. This dialog lists many features of the program and allows you to browse them, find the feature by text filter, read descriptions about the feature, find how to launch the feature, access to the online information or video about the feature, and do more.

Examples of a few situations where this feature is helpful:
-You know about a feature but don't know how to find it. Just type a part of the feature name and you'll see the hotkeys, menu, and toolbar info on how to launch it. For example, if you want to launch the Chord Builder but don’t know how to do it, type "builder" in the text filter, and you will quickly find the Chord Builder.
-You are exploring available features for Band-in-a-Box. For example, if you are a guitar player, type the word "guitar" and you'll see what's available.
-You prefer "one-stop-shopping" and would like to launch features from the same dialog.
-You are learning the program and like to browse or watch videos about topics you're interested in.
-You can't remember hotkeys and want to review them.

Read more about this new feature here, or watch the video.

Posted at 02:16 PM

April 07, 2020 User Showcase Song - The Swing of Things

Hi Forum people, I hope you are all well in these challenging times. I've been away from the forum for a little while but I'm back with something bright and upbeat I wrote, called The Swing of Things. I Hope it cheers everyone up.

https://soundcloud.com/user-952388172/the-swing-of-things

I'd love you to have a listen (or two) and post your thoughts, opinions, criticism or praise!

THE BAND:
RT2128:Bass, Acoustic, Jazz Half,Quarter Sw 140 (Neil Swainson)
RealDrums-JazzBrushesSticks#1 (Terry Clarke)
RealPiano 2289: Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm JazzSwingKenny Sw 140 (Kenny Barron)
RealGuitar 560: Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm Jazz Freddie Sw 140 (Oliver Gannon)
RT765:Guitar, Electric, Soloist Jazz Sw 140 (Oliver Gannon)
RT437:Sax, Alto, Older Sw 140 (PJ Perry)
RealStrings 2593: Horn Section, Background CroonerBigBand Sw 110

I wrote the horn parts except for some tasty fills from the Crooner Big Band.
I also wrote the recurring two-bar bass solo fills (the rest of the bass track is courtesy of RT2128).

Posted at 10:40 AM

April 06, 2020 Don't Wait to Start with Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac - Download Now!

Want to get started with the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac right away?

Order now and start downloading Band-in-a-Box® 2020 right away!

Place your order before April and up to 50% off of your upgrade! You'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK full of amazing Add-ons, which you can upgrade to the 49-PAK for just $49 and add even more Add-ons (including 40 Unreleased RealTracks)!

Check out our Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac packages page for all the purchase options available.

Having your order shipped? Your PG Music Inc. online account will list your purchase under "My Products" - you can download while you wait!

Posted at 11:26 AM

April 06, 2020 User Showcase Song - After The Apocalypse

Well, I think I am back now. Sorry I was away so long. I went into my room to practice my guitar and I forgot to come out.

Hope everybody is great and hanging in there. My studio is booted back up. Sorry but I still can’t do anything but rock and roll. Hope that is ok.
https://soundcloud.com/david-snyder-gigs3/after-the-apocalypse

If you were following me on my old Soundcloud, you have to follow me here because I ran out of space and had to start a new channel.

WORDS AND MUSIC BY DAVID SNYDER, 2020, ASCAP/Day of Faith Records
APRIL 2020
DAVID SNYDER, ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITARS, KEYBOARD, VOCALS
MIXING, MASTERING, ENGINEERING, SELF-QUARANTINE, TAKE-OUT

RealTracks in style: 2877:Bass, Acoustic, AmericanaSlow16thsByron Ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 1534:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopPowerPush8ths Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 2509:Cello, Background PopEven Ev 120 (1TrackStringQuartet)
RealDrums [in style:AmericanaRoots16th^01-a:Toms, b:Snare

Posted at 11:23 AM

April 03, 2020 User Showcase Song - Share My Soup With You

A song about longing – boosted by the strange days after the arrival of the Corona virus.

Share My Soup With You

BiaB tracks used in this production:
Style is _SLIDING.STY
RealTracks in style: 366:Bass, Electric, Country Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 2541:Pedal Steel, Background ModernPopCountry Ev 110
RealTracks in style: 2024:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CountryJohn Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~~522:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 3152:Fiddle, 5-string, Background AmericanaFolkCoolAndy Sw16 075
RealDrums in Style: NashvilleEven8^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

Thanks again to PG Music for making this worldclass software. Peace and love in this troubled times – keep on making music!

The song is in Norwegian – made a quick translation, so you'll know what it's about.

Posted at 08:41 AM

April 03, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® for Mac Patch Updates Ready! (2019 & 2020)

We've JUST released FREE Updates for existing Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2019 and 2020 program users!

Band-in-a-Box® 2020 Update - Build 407
Band-in-a-Box® 2019 Update - Build 323

What do these include?

Summary of changes for Band-in-a-Box® 2020 Update - Build 407: (get it here)
Fixed: RealDrums Quick List was empty if launched from main toolbar.
Improved: Bootup time is faster.
Fixed: It is not possible to type ^ (caret symbol for pushes) in chordsheet if using an Italian keyboard layout.
Fixed: Opening songs from older versions might misinterpret song title as ?.
Fixed: Buttons in Custom toolbar are not draggable.
Fixed: The time signature button on the main toolbar did not do anything.
Fixed: A maximum of 1990 MIDI events are loaded from a song file into the Melody or Soloist track.
Fixed: RealDrums Quick List menu item did not do anything.
Fixed: Find a Sub for RealDrums menu item did not do anything.
Fixed: Various problems with localized versions.
Fixed: Some style demos for the newest RealTracks would not play.
Fixed: Song title will be changed to ? when re-saving if it previously contained international characters like é or ©.

DAW Plugin 2.5.18
Fixed: "Open Recent" opened file chooser dialog
Fixed: Unfold feature not working with some songs
Fixed: Choruses not resetting when playback is stopped in DAW
Fixed: Chord superscripts
Fixed: Clicking zoom many times will crash standalone plugin
Fixed: Undo removes all chords after opening a song
Fixed: Buzzing sound in Studio One
Fixed: Plugin determining chord accidentals now matches main program
Fixed: Removed alert menu when sync playing tracks that are not up-to-date (generated).
Fixed: Cancelling generate made song lose "dirty" state
Fixed: All selected tracks should drag from the plugin
Fixed: Shortcut file feature not working always working. Support was also added for pgshortc.txt files
Fixed: Double clicking grey area in chord sheet started playback
Fixed: Bar highlighting skipped last chorus when the start bar is greater than 1
Fixed: Right-click on bar should first launch popup menu
Fixed: Double clicking anywhere on a track should open its picker
Added: About to File Menu
Added: "year" to plugin name
Fixed: remove sync tempo button if already synced
Fixed: improve 2 finger scroll (too fast)

Summary of changes for Band-in-a-Box® 2019 Update - Build 323: (get it here)
Fixed: Bootup time is faster.
Fixed: It is not possible to type ^ (caret symbol for pushes) in chordsheet if using an Italian keyboard layout.
Fixed: Opening songs from older versions might misinterpret song title as ?.
Fixed: The time signature button on the main toolbar did not do anything.
Fixed: A maximum of 1990 MIDI events are loaded from a song file into the Melody or Soloist track.
Fixed: Various problems with localized versions.

Posted at 07:37 AM

April 02, 2020 #TBT Band-in-a-Box® 2017

Three years ago we were just rounding up our BETA testers to help finish up the testing of our Band-in-a-Box® 2017 for Mac!

With that version, we redesigned the main screen GUI, added support for popular .SFZ sound format as well as PG Music’s Hi-Q sounds (sforzando SFZ Synth.), added Natural Arrangements options and Hi-Q Guitar RealCharts, applied many, many, many enhancements to the existing powerful program features, and more! Read all about Band-in-a-Box® 2017 here.

Now, three years later, we're thrilled to say that we're already done BETA testing, and weeks into the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac release! Of course, that means we're having a SALE on Upgrade packages, but only until April 30th!

Posted at 12:55 PM

April 02, 2020 User Showcase Song - You'll Take My Breath Away

Took me just too long to come to this point, but had to do it! anyway i.e. this little love song to a slow funk rhythm!

https://soundcloud.com/user-337827005/youll-take-my-breath-away

The style used is = HHOP-RG.STY
Slow Easy Funk and the instros are:
Slapbass: 37
ElPiano: 5
Drums: RD:s Hip, Hop
Guit1: 29
Guit2: 625
Synth Pad: 1840
Vocal Oohs Aahs : 2975

Lyrics

Posted at 12:35 PM

April 01, 2020 Band-in-a-Box® - Trombone RealTracks!

Happy National Trombone Players Day!

To all the trombone players out there - this is a day to celebrate you (no joke...)! Not a trombone player? Good news - if you have the Band-in-a-Box® UltraPAK, UltraPAK+ or Audiophile Edition, you have a two AMAZING trombone players in your band already!

Dennis Esson:
RealTracks Set 144: Dixieland – Fast Soloists
RealTracks Set 178: Dixieland - Medium Soloists

Ian McDougall:
RealTracks Set 13: Older Jazz Swing Soloists
RealTracks Set 15: Mainstream Swing
RealTracks Set 17: Bossa
RealTracks Set 19: Jazz Ballad

Posted at 11:02 AM

April 01, 2020 User Showcase Song - Safe Within

Here is one in response to Herb's Covid-19 song-writing challenge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDzKSNhUpsg

The lyrics were written by the wonderful and prolific Liz Petty. The images came from people all over the world staying safe.

Song details:
Style is _LEMNADE.STY (Lemonade Pop Fingerpicking)

RealTracks in style: ~701:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesSync Ev 085
Loop in Song: House-Techno-Trance\House - emotions_127_drum_loop_b_flat_minor ev8.wav
RealTracks in style: 2515:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking BoomChickSlowHighJoe Sw16 085
RealTracks in style: 2516:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking BoomChickSlowJoe Sw16 085
RealTracks in song: 2745:Synth, Rhythm AltHipHopPadHeld Ev16 085
RealDrums [in style:SmoothJazzCoolSw16^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

Posted at 10:25 AM