PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Beginners Forum Questions Re. Thinking About Buying Band in a Box

That impression likely comes from how each user uses BIAB. Most folks are have a certain "style" of their own and pretty much stick to it (and repeat it over and over). And many are more "songwriter" than "producer" (people spend their youth with a guitar in their hands, not sitting in front of a studio console). It is really up to the individual user to "add their personality" to their productions and mixes.

The BIAB RealTracks, by definition, will play a "similar sound and patterns" throughout a song (though they do contain a good deal of variety). If one chooses a group of tracks and has them all play straight through, the song is going to sound the same all the way through. But... there are over 2000 RealTracks. Using the right mix of those at the right times in the proper amount can make a world of difference... There are folks around who do "mix it up" from song to song. When you find them - on their Soundcloud page or their website - you can poke through their list and hear a lot of variety that should show some of the extensive variety in the RealTracks (and RealDrums).

(you can walk through the list in my signature - play a few seconds of a song then move on to the next - if you manage to get through the first 20 or so - maybe through "Natural Partners" - you should hear a decent variety - and that will only be the styles I tend to do. Others will have "different varieties". J&B will do bluegrass to Americana, BlueAttitude will do a bunch of blues and blues/rock, gruverider does his thing (killer vocals), tommyad, Steve Young...just to name a few)

You will have your own "personality". I look forward to hearing it...

fj

Thanks for this, Matt.

I think I will decline your offer, kind though, it is, in terms of harmonizing my experience of this forum with others

Hi floyd,
Thanks for this.

I really liked your songs - and downloaded one ('Too Dangerous').

I cannot wait to get BIAB.

1. Is my assumption / hope that creating arrangements quickly, then exporting them to Reaper where I will edit them and overdub guitar and vocals, a realistic assumption/hope?

That's what most people do, from past and present experience. The advertising is true. If you know the chords to your song, or are musical enough to enter them on the fly--and it's basic structure--you can get an arrangement in not-too-many minutes.

If you use the part-markers, pushes, rests, shots, and holds (entered right there in the same box you entered your chords) you can get a stylistically accurate groove that isn't painted wall to wall. All that (and more, if you want) right in BIAB. To me, there is very little of a learning curve to do that much.

2. ...Are there any problems with running BIAB from a USB? Freezing? Latency? Anything like that? Will I be sacrificing any features if I go the USB route?


There is an option in the installation to have the program itself sit on your internal HD with the real-tracks, midi, and all that residing on the external HD. That's what I am doing, if that helps.

I'm not incredibly tech savvy, but here's my experience as a newbie with the USB version of BIAB. To generate (or regenerate) the full list of tracks in a "busy" style takes about 20-30 seconds. To re-generate a single track takes about 8-10 seconds. Those would be realtrack-heavy styles. Midi is faster.

I've had BIAB "freeze" and then "unfreeze" a small number of times, but I think that's because my former usage was all midi and I was used to working faster. I've had it "freeze" and fail to "unfreeze" after an extended wait, but rarely--same as other heavy-lifting apps like video production/rendering straight from hard-drive. I've only had it return an error once. It's not yet crashed the computer. Like any work-horse software, just don't push it too fast with multiple commands, and it will behave just fine through USB.

To add: Since I've gotten this version, I'm actually writing the songs in BIAB without foreknowledge of (or the musicality to know) what chord always comes next, or how it will ultimately be structured. So I'm doing more "re-generating" than you might be in your song-writing method.

Drutgat,

Folks have already covered the technical part. Let me take a whack at the happiness part.

The first word that springs to my mind when I think of BIAB and the PG Products and Forums is "Joy." There is so much FUN around here. As they say in their marketing: "It should be illegal to have this much fun."

In 2014 a songwriting buddy from a Nashville group (Herb Hartley) told me to "Get Band-in-a-Box now. It will be the best thing you ever did for yourself." I remember the day Alyssa sold it to me. Boy was I on fire.

I started off with the baby kit, and had my 32 Real Tracks. I was so proud. But that very first song I wrote--and produced--with my stunning 32 Real Tracks and my "baby kit" was recently shortlisted for a film. I wrote it within a half an hour of opening the box, so to speak--with no effects or VSTS or anything that did not come with the 2014 Real Band package. I have been in love ever since.

I have written close to 1,000 songs or instrumental pieces (I guesstimate) with the aid of the program, adding in my own live instrumentation and singing along with the "band." The naming of their track-generating DAW as "Real Band" was very clever marketing and branding, because unlike other products it creates exactly that: a real band, of the greatest session players in the world.

To that you just add your own flair (I play a lot of guitar and piano and stuff) and you will definitely create your own signature sound.

I have created 8 or 9 albums (lost count) with the program since quickly upgrading to the Audiophile version, in the genres of classical, latin, bolereo, rock, jazz, pop, alternative and country, and have recently branched out into Hip Hop.

The program was by my side when I was named to a "Ones to Watch" list in Nashville. There have been other accolades but I won't get into that because as Don Gaynor said, there are A LOT of very successful, modest and sweet people on these forums who give their hearts and souls and time to helping new and aspiring songwriters. I am still relatively wet behind the ears but having the time of my life. I love this forum, and I love this community. It is the best place for a songwriter to be. Hands down.

So, I would say, buy as much as you can, you will not regret one penny spent around here--and jump in as soon as you can with your songs and productions.

People will cheer you on and you will soon be writing the best stuff of your life.

Welcome to the forum in advance and get ready to have the time of your life too.

Latest:

http://www.davidpsnyder.com/

Yea....and that Snyder guy... so much variety on so many songs (a bazillion, I think), one would hardly know where to start...

Until now, nothing has been said about the gaggle of real Nashville session musicians (over 150) that await your baton. They never miss or are tardy for a practice session; never UI; never out of tune; never missing a note or chord; never dancing with or 'hitting on' your significant other but patiently awaiting your commands day or night.

I often use Nashville session musicians Brent Mason (guitar) and John Jarvis (acoustic piano) in my tunes. Most genres are aptly supported.

Without BIAB, I would not be able to afford such talent in my band.

David, Tangmo, floyd, and Donny,
Many thanks for such wonderful and helpful posts.

Hearing/seeing is believing. Here is PG staffer Tobin walking us through the program.

https://youtu.be/zuiYAx5xffc

Thanks, Donny.

South Africa is famed for it's diamonds and gems. We are blessed to have one of Johannesburg's brightest jewels on these forums, Joanne Wilson-Cooper.

Joanne is generally the first to jump in with help for anyone in trouble.

https://youtu.be/OqGvnE1HNqo

A question for you: What kind of Rock do you do?

Tangmo,

If you are addressing me, I mostly do/did Folk Rock ala Lightfoot and Classic R&R from the 50s (I an old phart). A severe stroke sidelined my live performances but I've jammed countless times with Dylan in HS. I'm 2 months older than Bob.

BIAB has put me back in music in a big way.

Thank you, Peter and crew!

Don, the question was for the OP, drutgat. Threads is weird. I just thought what "syle" of Rock he was writing/producing might color some of the replies.

Tell Bob I love him when you see him. :-) Keep on a'rockin'.

Bob's internet security is better than the Pentagon or White-house. I've been trying to reconnect for years.

My son, Don Junior, shared a venue with Jacob who said his dad speaks very highly of me.

My only interest is in helping my talented friends, not myself.

Joanne is great! I watched this video some month ago. I do not get tired of her explaining things. Don, thank you for reminder. I will probably purchase her almost 3 hour course. Price is very reasonable.

Hey OP,

I made a video about BiaB to Reaper and posted it to the "Tips and Tricks" forum.

Here's the link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUKGWZhJ2vo&feature=youtu.be

I didn't read the other replies so forgive me if this is repeated.

1 Absolutely. No problems at all.

2. If you buy the SSD hard drive version, you can run it right from there. That's how I do it. Freezing and latency are from other causes if they occur. Latency is a product of the sound card and driver you are using.

3, Yes it is HOWEVER..... I personally would not use the automation, panning of FX in BB or RB if you are exporting to do the mixing in Reaper or any other DAW. Do all your mixing, production, and automation in the DAW. Keep your tracks raw so you can change things later if you desire. If you print FX or automation to the track before you put it in the DAW you're kind of locked in or else you have to go back and redo the track from the beginning. This essentially causes you to waste more time than you thought you were saving. When you do it in the DAW..... if you don't like the volume automation or the FX.... you simply delete them and start again with the raw track. Not a lot of lost time this way or redoing things from square one.

4. My advice is to ALWAYS buy as high up the ladder as you can afford. This is one buying decision you will not regret.

5, THe biggest pitfall to using BB/RB in this manner is it's going to spoil you big time. It will cause you to get more work done in less time at a higher level of professionalism than ever before. So, use it with caution, knowing it's going to change your song writing in ways you never imagined.


I see no downside to using BB. I've been a BB addict and proponent for a decade now. Several folks in this forum are here because they heard my music and had to investigate it for themselves. And no..... I'm not compensated for recommending it.

JUst a brief insight to how I use it.

1. I write the songs in BB. Very quick, easy to edit. I get the song structure exactly how I want it to be at the final recording of the song..... key, tempo, verses, choruses, beginnings and endings, etc...
2. I save it and close it in BB and open it in Real Band (RB) where I render all the tracks to audio and use RB's track generation to add additional tracks that might not be in the BB style. I use rock styles and I can add steel guitar and fiddle easily in RB
3. I export each file to a folder that I have created for this song project.
4. I import the tracks into Sonar.
5. I add my live guitars and vocals in Sonar as well as my FX, volume and panning envelope automation and get the mix sounding like I want.
6. I export the finished file from Sonar and do the finalizing and trimming in my Wave editor.

The song is essentially finished at this point and I will render an MP3 and post it.

that;s my 2 cents on this

Herb,

Well stated.

I have a very similar workflow plus the addition of generating and tweaking a Soloist track.

So far, I haven't wrapped my head around RB but Callie in Support is helping me.

RB has everything I need in a DAW but, at my age, my brain suffers from 'reluctance.' (chortle)

It may be appropriate to mention here the excellent Support Staff at PG Music. They are unexcelled anywhere in the industry.

Hi Guitarhacker,

Thank you for explaining your workflow which we can all learn from.

One thing I don't understand is the last sentence:

"The song is essentially finished at this point and I will render an MP3 and post it."

Why do you render to a mp3 and not a wav-file? The sound quality will suffer a bit by rendering to mp3 I would think?

Will