I downloaded the free demo from the "Band in a Box" web site. I now have one month to fool around with it and although I still don't know my b-ass from my elbow, it sure looks like B inna B could be a good practice tool. Anybody out there have this software???
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Band in a Box
- Thread starter Rick Martin
- Start date
I recently bought it and boy, It is well worth it,as a practice tool, even if you don't use the other features. The Demo version is fairly simple, they have a very good help file,But bassically, all you do is type your chords in where you want them, pick the style that you want, set the tempo and how many choruses you want, and either mute the
bass and play along with the changes or play your own solo over the changes. In the actual version, you can record your own tracks by plugging in a Mic or your guitar into your soundcard, and just playing. If you want, you can print out all the parts to a song in any transposition you choose. You can save songs as wav. files or in internet formats. If you want to sing along, there is also a lyrics
feature that turns it into a sort of Kareoke machine.
It can also print the music in either guitar Tab or Standard Notation. They also have a soloist feature if you want to see how, say, Miles would have played a fretless bass solo over your changes, you just choose "in the style of" Miles davis and choose the instrument as fretless Bass!
Or maybe you want to play with Herbie Hancocks quartet, or play duets with Pat Martino. They are all in their plus much more. The Only real criticism I have is that the presets sound very Cheesy, But they are extremely easy to alter, with your own stuff. There is tons more you can do, but I'm still learning myself. Oh, and as a bonus, it comes with "Slow Blast" where you can record a CD and play it back at any tempo without losing the pitch. Great for transcribing or just learning licks! That alone was worth the $88 I paid for all the software!
I'm pretty sure that Steve Lawson owns/has experience of this software - I seem to remember a review of it in 'Bassist' magazine. You might want to ask him about it in 'The Outer Limits' forum.
David
David
I've been playing around with the Band in a Box free demo version and I seem to be going around in circles. I am not able to isolate the drums to use as a drum machine. Could that be one of the limits on the free demo version? Would the actual paid for version serve as a basic drum machine without that goofy sounding keyboard thing playin along?
You can easily mute the keyboard,or any instrument, just by pointing to it and right-clicking on it on the top screen.Muted intsruments change color from blue to red.If that doesn't work on the demo version, just turn the keyboard volume to 0. One of the features of the real version is that you can also program your own drum patterns on a virtual kit, just click on the drum picture.
[Edited by reedo35 on 09-04-2000 at 01:20 AM]
Thanks, you da man! I right clicked the bass and keyboard and got myself a rinky dink sounding drum machine. Not bad.
What do you suppose I could do to increase the volume and improve the sound of Band in a Box. I have a computer speaker set that includes a sub woofer, but it isn't near loud enough to jam with.
What do you suppose I could do to increase the volume and improve the sound of Band in a Box. I have a computer speaker set that includes a sub woofer, but it isn't near loud enough to jam with.
OK, good new and not so good news here. First, the not so good news.BIAB does not have its own sound card, the sounds are only as good as the sound card on your computer. They reccomend the soundblaster sound card or the roland sound canvas. If you don't want to do that, you can midi into a sound module and work that way. Another option is that you can use the chorus and verb available to liven up the instrument sounds.As for being loud enough, a couple of choices here. You can adjust the individual instrument volumes until they are loud enough for you or they start to distort your sub, or, you can take a 1/4 inch cable with a 1/8 adaptor, plug the 1/8 into the speaker out on your computer, and plug directly into your amp and adjust your volume that way, or you can do what I did, get an extra pair of sattelite speakers and add them to you existing system.
Of the two sound cards you mention above do you have a preference? A 'sound module' would have to bite me on the ass first so I would know it was there. Where would I look for one of those? My little practice amp only has one input and I need that for my bass. Is it OK to use a Y splitter two into one cable?
Thanks again for this schooling.
Thanks again for this schooling.
ooh, I wouldn't recommend using a Y cable, it would probaly distort the signal somethin' awful. What I did was just hook up an additional pair of sattelite speakers (cambridge,$19.99 at staples)to the computer and use that. another choice is to take the speaker out from the computer and plug ito your stereo system, and play along thru your amp.The soundblaster card is available at any computer store, Staples, best buy, comp usa, etc.The reason I reccomend soundblaster is that the BIAB program is set up to support that card.(maybe they worked a deal, I dunno.)
But it does simplify things.
But it does simplify things.
Good advice! I'll forget about the Y cable. I'll look for the soundblaster card and try to run the speaker out to my stereo system. I'm revealing my mental limitations on a grand scale over at the Band inna Box forum. There is a guy over there who must work for the company trying to help me but I'm going around in circles trying to understand the basic BiaB functions.
Why don't you just click on the help function? They have good basic tutorials that walk you through the basic setup
and functions.
I am trying to use the onscreen help, but it's not helping me enough. I recognize my own limited powers of comprehension and do not blame BiaB.
Well, take comfort in knowing that if you decide to get the real version, it comes with a video disk where the guy gives
you one-on-one lessons on all the features.
you one-on-one lessons on all the features.
I'm making progress over here. I now understand that the song 'style' determines the time signature and each bar is divided in half. I'm ready to pony up the $88 and get the full version. Thanks for all of your advice and thanks for not flaming. If you have ever seen that documentary film about the blind ******** guy who can belt out Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard songs on a piano after hearing them only once, you can appreciate my situataion. I have what that guy has, but in a very minor way. I have a terrible time understanding written instructions, but I can remember every line of every Three Stooges short.
Fortunately, I also play bass way beyond my musical education and experience. Same phenomenon as the ******** guy but much less dramatic. It's a Rainman type of thing.
Thanks again!
Fortunately, I also play bass way beyond my musical education and experience. Same phenomenon as the ******** guy but much less dramatic. It's a Rainman type of thing.
Thanks again!
Good, I hope it proves as useful for you as it is for me. But remember to be patient, it is impossible to understand everything all at once. Like any other advanced program, little by little you discover something new every day.
Good luck and have fun!
Good luck and have fun!