Brad,
If you are considering Reaper you should join the Reapers Without Peepers (RWP)
e-mail forum. Lots of friendly folks there that can get you up and running.
They also have a Dropbox folder with lots of short but great tutorials on
getting started and doing specific tasks.
The Osara add-on makes Reaper extremely accessible. There are also JAWS
scripts available from Jim Snobarger (the Snowman) that work well with Reaper
and Osara.
In addition you can use Reaper free for 60 days to see if you like it.
I used to used Sonar and then tried moving to Samplitude, but since I started
using Reaper a few months ago I am very happy.
--pete
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Brad Dunsé
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2021 9:43 AM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
Thanks Pete.
Yep, lots of packages and add-ons with BIAB.
I'm a songwriter, so using it to write, experiment with a mix of genres, and
even write and produce custom songs for hire which I've done just as guitar
vocal is how I'll use BIAB.
I'll be using it with Reaper as well. At least that is the plan. I need to see
what is the most accessible multi-track DAW to invest my time in.
I believe Reaper is becoming more widely used in studios now.
I see Hartgen Consultant has a course on it as well.
Brad
On 3/12/2021 9:57 AM, ptorpey00@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:ptorpey00@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I use BIAB for several purposes:
1. One can find and download songs in BIAB format. I use these for
learning new tunes.
2. I can also create my own compositions in BIAB and then print them out
so that my other band members can play them.
3. I also have BIAB create backing tracks for my own compositions. Then I
export each instrument as a separate audio file, import that into another DAW
such as Sonar or Reaper, and create the mix I want along with lead and other
tracks.
Some people also use BIAB for practicing songs. It will repeat without getting
tired, trade fours if one wants to improvise, etc. Easy to change key and
tempo for learning or practicing.
As you mention, they sell many versions starting at around $100 going up to
about $400 or so. The only difference between each version is how many styles
and real instruments one gets. Depending on what you are doing, the basic
version may be all you need. I find many of the styles superfluous for what I
do.
--Pete
w
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf
Of Brad Dunsé
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2021 8:18 AM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
Newbie to the list. Interesting thread. I'm finally going to purchase and dive
into BIAB.
I've got several songwriter friends who use it, albeit sightlings, but I really
like the tool it is for writing.
You can get BIAB as low as $129 for the basic program, all the way upwards of
679 or so.
I've downloaded Pete's scripts, and will check them out as soon as I get my
laptop up to speed and BIAB on it.
Would also be interested in the tutorials you mentioned, and wouldn't expect
them free, same as I won't Pete's scripts once I get them installed and such.
I write web copy and etc. for a living, maybe I can write a persuasive piece on
the benefits of supporting eyes-free tutorials and such 😉.
Can't hurt to try. They aren't that big of a company
Brad
On 3/11/2021 8:51 PM, Pshon Barrett wrote:
Hi, Gudrun, Thank you, that is very helpful. I’ll check it out, but I don’t
think I’m quite savvy enough for all that technical stuff, but I enjoy yours.
Pshon
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf
Of Gudrun Brunot
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 8:37 PM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
Hi Pshon: Band-in-a-Box is supposed to work on the iPhone as well, but I
installed it there and took it off again. It works better on a PC. It is
available from PGMusic.com, and it is upgraded every year. It is not free. I
can’t remember how much the program costs now, but at least a couple of hundred
dollars. You can work with it just on the computer with a sound card, but it is
good to have a midi controller (keyboard) available also.
There are tons of tutorials on the website—most of them oriented towards
watching a video and “going here” and “pressing this button will…” So, not too
helpful. What the tutorials can do is give you an idea of what they have
covered, if not how to achieve things from a keyboard entry aspect.
Peter Torpey has developed scripts for BIAB that works quite well, considering
that the program has aspects that are not too accessible. I am working on
developing some tutorials in collaboration with a wonderful man in Canada. I
have written to PGMusic and suggested someone from there work with me to
develop eyesfree tutorials, but no interest. I wrote the BIAB email list, and
got some response, but not too involved. The, I decided to write one last time,
explaining that I have 16 issues that need to be worked on in order to develop
eyesfree tutorial. I didn’t expect much by then—just wanted to write so I could
tell myself that, yes, I had tried everything. Then, this man, Roy Robinson,
replied. We’ve been working since July, practically every Friday for a couple
of hours. We’ve covered the style picker in detail, copying bars, exploring
issues with adding melody to style. The song memo, you name it. Certain things
take hours to explore, and this man is patience incarnate.
Well, that’s a little bit about BIAB.
Gudrun
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf
Of Pshon Barrett
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 6:09 PM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
Hi, is this a windows program? I have seen it on my iPhone, but can’t get it to
work with voiceover.
Where do you get the program and is there a cost?
Thank you,
Pshon
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf
Of Gudrun Brunot
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 7:04 PM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
Pontes Media Downloader
Gudrun
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf
Of Mike Rogers
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 2:58 PM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
Thanks Pete. This is getting interesting.
Mike
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of ptorpey00@xxxxxxxxx ;
<mailto:ptorpey00@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 5:50 PM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
Mike,
I looked into this a bit and here is what I think:
1. In the Control+F9 dialog to find a style, you can indeed search for a
song.
2. Once you find a song you want you can tab to the “Load Song” button and
activate it. This will load the song into BIAB.
3. If you hit escape, the song you chose will now be in BIAB.
4. A caveat: Usually, this will just include the backing tracks to the
song according to the artist selected, i.e., you won’t get the melody. This is
because melodies are copyrighted while chord changes are not.
5. Going back to the control+F9 dialog for selecting a style, you can also
tab to the “Find Songs” button after typing in a song name into one of the edit
fields.
6. If you activate the Find Songs button you will see a list of songs.
7. Arrow down to the song you want to select it.
8. Now tab through this dialog and you will find a number of buttons that
will take you to various web pages where you can listen to or download the song.
9. People on this list have recommended a program called Ponte (or
something similar, I don’t remember) that will let you copy in the URL to a
song on YouTube and then automatically download an mp3 version of the YouTube
video.
I hope that helps.
--pete
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf
Of Mike Rogers
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 6:32 PM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
Hi. Thanks for replying. As to my second question: When picking a style
Cntrol f9, There’s a tab that states, “pick a popular song and I can use that
style. I write the name, and click. I’m taken to a website that has names of
songs. Do I just click on that song stitle to get the style/? I’m not very
tech savvy. Just curious.
Mike
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of ptorpey00@xxxxxxxxx ;
<mailto:ptorpey00@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 6:05 PM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Re: Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
I don’t know anything about Real Band but don’t think it is very accessible
with a screen reader. When I want to mix tunes from Band-in-a-Box I render the
BIAB tune with each instrument on a separate file and then pull these files
into another DAW such as Sonar, Samplitude, or Reaper.
As for the downloads, I don’t know which files you are talking about. Perhaps
you could provide a URL or description about what exactly you are trying to
download.
--Pete
From: midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf
Of Mike Rogers
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 1:25 PM
To: midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midimag@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [freelists-midimag] Couple Questions about Band-in-a-box
I’m using it pretty well, but don’t have a clue about Real Bands. Is there a
tutorial? Also not having luck downloading the recorded songs from website.
Any help appreciated.
Mike
