How to use Band in a Box for Songwriting
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ต.ค. 2020
- Most musicians see Band in a Box as software that should only be used for accompaniment, but in this video I take a simple song and make it better using BIAB.
While some are comfortable using drum programs, guitar programs, EZKeys, etc to make their music, BIAB is a bridge too far because it does EVERYTHING. One button push and there is an entire arrangement, fully mixed. I'm basically in agreement with that, but I use the arrangements I generate with BIAB to help me make my songs better, and this video shows how.
If this video makes you want to consider buying BIAB, I made a separate video on that. It's expensive, and there are numerous versions so hopefully this video can help with the decision. You can click the link at the end or go to • How to Buy Band in a B... - เพลง
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Thank heavens they didn't update the interface! I got the 2022 version and haven't used it for more than 20 years, but I don't need to re-learn everything from scratch! That goes against the "newer is better" ideology, but I think it's brilliant.
Dear Mr. Rosefelt, your video possesses an appealingly intimate quality that made me feel you had invited me into your studio personally to receive the lesson. On top of that, your song is quite attractive, too. It has a strong feeling of personal experience in it that lends a reflective, nostalgic air to it. I wish you well with all of your musical endeavors, sir, and I look forward to visiting you again.
That is so nice of you to say that, Sterling. I feel like I am only getting started with how I want these videos to be, so if somebody tells me they connected with them, it means a lot. I'll keep trying. Yes, you are very right about the song. It has a deep personal meaning for me, which may be why I haven't finished it yet. The BIAB video was a way to let at least some of it out to the world, and the lyrics did get written with the help of BIAB while I did the video.
I am glad you have chosen the strip down version i in final run. it fits your storyline
Thank you so much. I have a newer BIAB now and I used an older version many years ago. I have been reluctant to begin using it again. Your video has me looking forward to putting my songs into reality. Also, I loved your lyrics. They really seem to come from someplace special.
Glad to hear my video helped get you into BIAB again. Thanks for your kind words about "Abingdon Square." A friend of mine thinks I should actually finish the damned thing. : )
Thank you. Clear communication about the product with added bonus: your guitar playing/song/lyrics & voice are wonderful!
Thank you!
thanks for this! i used bbox a decade ago and you are helping me get started again. loved your song! It made me chuckle, such real lyrics.
It makes me really happy that I got you back into BIAB. Thanks for your kind words about my song. : )
Love it. I connected.Used this software years ago. Thanks for your informative tour. Going to re order again.I play piano and keyboards, plus bass and guitar.Enjoyed the fact you put your own "musical stamp" on it.That is TALENT. Super.😉
Wow! Thank you, PJ.
Seems like the bass drum and cymbal part from the Vulgar Sludge Metal style got stuck and held over into the following styles.
Anyway, the concept here is great of a way to figure out what the song is. Even if you end up recording all the parts yourself later, this is a great way to find the right style for a song, especially if it's a style that you don't usually play or write in... or maybe just don't know how to write in yet! And having a full arrangement can be much more inspiring when you're trying to write lyrics, as your experience here illustrates.
Thank Reid I've had Band in a Box 2019 sitting on my computer doing nothing and thanks to you I'm going to use it to help me start writing songs again and to start with put some of my old ones into it to see what if anything can be done with them..........thanks its a great gift to be able to communicate so much in such a short video.
Thanks, Jonathan. That's the best response I could ever hope to hear.
Thank you Reid...I never thought of using BAIB for my songwriting, what a great help this will be! Nice singing and great song. You transported me along for the ride in your storytelling/lyrics...thanks for sending the taxi...lol I enjoyed it!
I'm so happy you liked the video. It's a great program and I've enjoyed using it for a long time.
Thanks a lot for the video, it was very useful! I am a songwriter and I bought band in a box just yesterday, in the hope of getting new ideas for my arrangements. After watching your video I realize it was a good decision!
Good luck, Jesus! I know you're going to enjoy it. If you want to learn all the features fast, there are some good courses at Groove3. Even though I'd been using it since it came out, these courses helped me a lot. www.groove3.com/browse/by-category/daw/band-in-a-box
Thanks Reid. Appreciated as always.
wish i had used it a long time ago,now that i have it.......i write with it every day !!!! you still have to use your skills as a musician.....and it does not do "everything" for you....a great tool....i love it
I agree.
Wow, wonderful wonderful song and lyrics! Came here for Band in the Box, subscribed for your music taste.
Wow. Thank you!
Sounds great, thank you for your video and sharing your process!
Thanks, Tom.
Wonderful! Well done. Thanks very much for sharing!
Thanks, Dougster!
I agree, I have used BIAB for songwriting for years, typically I export multiple tracks to my DAW and mix there.
Me too. It's really a great way to get started.
Nice video.
BIAB very versatile. Nice arrangement and I agree, you can spend ages just enjoying the different styles.
Thanks for sharing, I saw this link on the BIAB forum. Cheers.
Thanks, Michael. I want more people to know about BIAB. I just got the 2021 version and am enjoying it a lot.
@@ReidRosefelt Yes. I got it at the weekend too. I mainly work in the VSTi now to be honest but it is an extremely useful tool.
Beautiful song with clever lyrics!
Thank you!
Thanks Reid. Interesting look at the process of working with Band-In-A-Box. Being a life long New Yorker from Greenwich Village, I recognize the places you sang about.
Thanks Joe!
Nice one, ya tune I think is great, keep trucking, sounds like you got loads of music in you, thanks for keeping video simple fun
Thanks for the encouragement, Peter. : ) Glad you liked the video.
Thanks For this. Thats a nice chord progression !
Thank you, Peter.
Great tune!!
Thank you. Now all I have to do is finish the lyrics. : )
i do not for the life of me understand why band in a box is not more widly known and used in the music community it is an amazing tool.........and so glad i invested in it!
Thanks! I think the reason BIAB may not be used by more people is that some musicians are uncomfortable using other musician’s.performances in their own work. Also, it isn’t cheap if you get all the expansions. : )
@@ReidRosefelt …that and the GUI is god-awful. I use the daw plugin to generate solos for instruments I don’t play. You can’t AI your way to a great song. IMHO. ;-)
fantastic video for how to use this software but still put your mark on it.
that's really help, I make music only by myself, and now I have a band!
I know it will help you with your music, Max. Have fun!
Wow, such a great communicator. That talent is also evident in your lyric. I guess you would still want your 12 string as the main rhythm in the song and BIAB guitar picker as a lesser accompaniment.
Thank you so much. In the past, I've always laid down live guitar tracks over BIAB, but lately my guitar playing is not what it once was. So with this piece I'm using other guitar virtual instruments, in this case Native Instruments' Picked Acoustic. But maybe I should take your advice and mix in a little of my 12-string. : )
I like your comments in the video when you test different styles;-)
Thanks,;Amis.
Like your demo of this product! I'm trying to find software that allows me to delve into writing and saving some songs. Can I assume that you can just save the songs you write fairly easily? This will be my first time writing some songs...
Yes. Really easily. The problem I have with BIAB is that it is very expensive. Even for me, because they update each year, and boy... There are some other programs out there online and on iOS that are pretty good and don't cost much. Not anywhere near as good as BIAB, but they get the basic job done. Maybe I'll make a video someday.
Hi Reid, I have been on the fence about getting this software, but I feel more comfortable after having seen your video. I will check out your buying video next. BTW, how do you like the Komplete S61 you have on your desk? I've been dlooking for a midi controller with decent keys. And are you using a DAW with BIAB? I am thinking of using Cubase 11. Thanks for taking the time to do the video.
Thanks, Mike. I'm glad you liked the video. It's actually an S88. : ) I love NKS keyboards. I find the light guides and the pre-mapped knobs really helpful for my music. BIAB has a plugin that I can use within Cubase, but I haven't really tried it much. I put my songs together in BIAB and then drag the files over to Cubase. I guess that's just the way I'm used to doing it. FYI, there is a cheap retailer on ebay that sells the basic version of BIAB. I checked with them and they said it was an authorized reseller. You could do the same. I think the way to go is to get the cheapest version--BIAB Pro and then upgrade during a sale. Of course, I don't think there will be another sale for PC until the end of the year. Good luck and enjoy BIAB!!
@@ReidRosefelt Hi Reid. I have heard good things about NKS keyboards and I love the Native Instrument plugins, especially piano ones, the graphics are so well designed. I did find BIAB cheaper at the Midi Store online and waiting for a sale to upgrade is a good idea. I'd love to have the WAV files instead of the compressed files. Dragging over to Cubase sounds like a good way to do it, that's kind of what I was thinking. Thanks for all your input.
Jeez... I miss this program. Last time I've used this was when I made a demo song in the early 2000s 😄🙈. Very helpful tool for someone who can write songs but doesn't have enough instrument skills like me.
Since my daily driver nowadays is just an Android smartphone, I wanna ask: Is there an app like BIAB for Android? I mean, I can just put chords in there, then the app would play music styles like BIAB does.
There is a great series that gives pro results like BIAB called Session Band, but unfortunately it's only available for iOS. Try Chordbot, which is in the Google Play store. It's a simple program, but one of my favorites. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chordbot&hl=en_US&gl=US I think there is even a free Lite version.
@@ReidRosefelt Excuse me... But dank iOS for having many good apps for songwriting (I've heard awesome things about Garage Band also) 🤣...
Ok I'll check it out. Thank you Sir 🙏
Thanks Henry
Windows!!! don't get me started, I was originally going to call my recording studio "BSOD" Blue Screen Of Death but nah
Use the Mac version I guess. But that would have been a cool name for your studio.
Very good, plus you should record that song and put it on Soundcloud or suchlike.
Glad you like it. Maybe someday I will. I have a lot of work to do on it....
@@ReidRosefelt Do it Reid - you must.
Good evening, Reid. I spent some time on the PG Software website today (which to my mind is an overly busy, unmitigated disaster of business, which looks more as though it belongs on a "Geocities" website from 1996...
...With all of that stated, I have a few questions, if you don't mind:
1.) Is there a Demo Version?
2.) Is there an upgrade path from the lowest tier to the highest tier?
3.) Are "Band in a Box" and "Real Band" two pieces of software which can be purchased separately, or merely modules of the same piece of software?
4.) Does it Utilize ARA2 functionality like Cubase, Nuendo, Studio One, and (I believe) others?
I agree, which is why I created the video on how to buy BIAB. I don't think the site is directed towards the first-time purchaser. They kind of assume you know everything already. 1) To my knowledge, no. 2)Yes, and there is an authorized seller for the lowest version on TH-cam--so you can buy there and then upgrade from PGMusic during the yearly sale 3) They are different, but you get Real Band as an extra when you buy BIAB 4) I don't know the answer to this, but I doubt it as few VSTs do. PGMusic has very good customer service by phone, which I recommend you try. You can usually get somebody right away. They also have online chat. So you could ask them your questions--like the one about the demo version--to find out the answer. Good luck!
@@ReidRosefelt OOOOoooh!!!! Yearly sale?!
I just found out about these products, and knowing my luck, it took place during Black Friday... But I do NOT want to speculate and miss something which may be coming up.
So, If you would be so kind, would you mind please sharing when the Annual sale is?
Can I import a recorded a recorded song (wav or mp3) & add music / beats to it?
Absolutely.
So u supply the chords and they are then played according to the chosen style. I get that part. But what about the accompaniment, the melody and the solos? Are they all generated? Is there a way to provide not just the chords but also the melody/accompaniment/solos and make the BiaB not to generate anything and instead just to play what’s provided (chords, melody, accompaniment, solos) according to the style chosen?
Yes, BIAB will generate solos and melodies. In fact, some of the styles you here in this video include solos as part of the style. I find the results to be better with the solos over the melodies.. I did a video on how to make a sax solo in BIAB. The issue is that there's a lot of randomness in how it creates solos. So you might like some parts better than others. My video was about how to export a variety of solos out of BIAB and revise them in your DAW. But the latest version of BIAB lets you do exactly that within the program and kind of makes my video obsolete. But that's just another reason why I like the program. They're always making it better.
@Reid Rosefelt It's nice that BiaB can create melodies and solos but I don't want that. All I want is to hear my chords, my melodies and my solos to be played in different styles WITHOUT BiaB adding any additional notes to my music. Apparently BiaB Styles can't do that and I don't know why. Because if I know how to play a certain style like e.g. Bossanova, I can take my composition, originally written lets say in pop ballad style and play it in Bossanova style WITHOUT adding new notes to it. I can make it sound like Bossanova solely by the way of playing it with a Bossanova rhythm, accenting the right beats etc. I don't understand why BiaB doesn't do it the same way. Why do the BiaB styles have to add notes?
@@MrMediterrano It doesn’t unless you ask it to. If there’s a solo there and you don’t want it, you can remove it or just mute it in the mixer.
My "songwriting" is nothing more than me warbling words over a strummed guitar & I'm not that great at either. BUT I have managed to record them on a Tablet for posterity. They are for my family. Is it possible just to play MY mp3's into BIAB & let it decypher what I have already done and only then for me to try to add/subtract tracks from its massive lists to pick the best backing tracks?
This could work, Tony. BIAB does have a utility where you can give them an audio file and it will pull out the chords. The question in my mind is whether it would then play it in the same rhythm as your guitar playing into a tablet. Personally, I can not play in a steady rhythm. So you might have to sing it again with BIAB. Still, you already know the chords, so maybe it will end up being easier just putting them in yourself. Good luck!
I would like to get band in a box and get some tips. I know nothing about it at this time
It's pretty easy to learn. There's a nice course on Groove3 by Eli Krantzberg. I'm also going to do a few more BIAB videos this year.
Why does every style play that out-of-style double bass drum pattern?
Because it's out of date
actualy the program is updated each year and the interface has changed a tad over the years...
chords are language, if doesn't have all of them - how you express what you want
That's a fair critique. BIAB can't do everything. Still, it has these chords in every key: C, Cmaj, C6, Cmaj7, Cmaj9, Cmaj13, C69, Cmaj7#5, C5b, Caug, C+, Cmaj9#11, Cmaj13#11, Cm, Cm6, Cm7, Cm9, Cm11, Cm13, Cmaug, Cm#5, CmMaj7, Cm7b5, Cdim, C7, 7+, C9+, C13+, C13, C7b13, C7#11, C13#11, C7#11b13, C9, C9b13, C9#11, C13#11, C9#11b13, C7b9, C13b9, C7b9b13, C7b9#11, C13b9#11, C7b9#11b13, C7#9, C13#9, C7#9b13, C9#11, C13#9#11, C7#9#11b13, C7b5, C13b5, C7b5b13, C9b5, C9b5b13, C7b5b9, C13b5b9, C7b5b9b13, C7b5#9, C13b5#9, C7b5#9b13, C7#5, C13#5, C7#5#11, C13#5#11, C9#5, C9#5#11, C7#5b9, C13#5b9, C7#5b9#11, C13#5b9#11, C7#5#9, C13#5#9#11, C7#5#9#11, C13#5#9#11, Csus, C7sus, C9sus, C13sus, C7susb13, C7sus#11, C13sus#11, C7sus#11b13, C9susb13, C9sus#11, C13sus#11, C9sus#11b13, C7susb9, C13susb9, C7susb9b13, C7susb9#11, C13susb9#11, C7susb9#11b13, C7sus#9, C13sus#9, C7sus#9b13, C9sus#11, C13sus#9#11, C7sus#9#11b13, C7susb5, C13susb5, C7susb5b13, C9susb5, C9susb5b13, C7susb5b9, C13susb5b9, C7susb5b9b13, C7susb5#9, C13susb5#9, C7susb5#9b13, C7sus#5, C13sus#5, C7sus#5#11, C13sus#5#11, C9sus#5, C9sus#5#11, C7sus#5b9, C13sus#5b9, C7sus#5b9#11, C13sus#5b9#11, C7sus#5#9, C13sus#5#9#11, C7sus#5#9#11, C13sus#5#9#11, Plus, it does slash chords--you can have any bass note you want under all of these chords.
This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but the video is a misnomer. BIAB is not being used for songwriting here. It is being used to change the arrangement. The software is good for hearing a pre-written chord progression as played by different styles/instrumentation.
However, songwriting is writing the melody against the chords, and including lyrics. Songwriters may not be using this tool because this isn't songwriting, it's song arranging. BIAB isn't suggesting different chord changes nor suggesting lyric points.
This could be used for songwriting if the writer doesn't play an instrument, but has an idea what kind of song he/she wants to write, and has a melody in mind. One can try different styles( which is just arranging, mind you), and plug in different chords, hearing how they sound together in a progression.
You make an excellent point, and it may describe for most people what they see in the video. However, I don't think that your definition of songwriting is the only one. For me, songwriting is a process, where I experiment with different lyrics, different melodies, and different structures. Also, I sing melodies to myself and then find the chords that fit them. Even if most of my song comes out in a flash of inspiration--it still evolves as I continue to work on it over time. When I made this video not only had I not finished all the lyrics--I wrote and revised and expanded the lyrics you hear in the video while I was making it. BIAB helped me find the tone, and the lyrics emerged from that. BIAB can be a collaborator. It's very similar to when I work with singers. If they can sing more notes than I can, then it becomes possible to add range to the melody. If they have a different interpretation, I might change the lyrics. That said, there are many other things if could make videos about how I use BIAB to create (not arrange) my music, and you are right--that would have made for a better (if very long) video. But my main point was that BIAB is not just accompaniment software, and I stand by that. But your thoughtful comment does make me think about whether I should make another video talking more about how I use BIAB to write songs.
!!!👌
It makes good sounding songs, but I don’t want it to play the song for me. I would only want maybe drums, bass, and some keyboard or stings, ect. accompanying my playing. Maybe even just drums and bass? I been watching some TH-cam videos on it lately, because I am looking for something to easily make backing for original songs and for praise and worship songs. But everything I have seen adds to much to the songs. Everything I’ve seen has all the parts played, and seems to be too much for my playing to be what makes the song shine. I like a lot of the styles but don’t want melody lines, and ect. I just want a simple drum, bass, strings, ect backing my playing up. To me too much takes away from the performance. Right now I make my own backing songs on a looper, so I’m playing all the parts but the drums. Problem is it is time consuming. I like the interface of just adding the chords. But can you take out the parts you don’t want to hear when you pick a style? I would think you could, just haven’t seen an example of that yet. I see the 2024 program has a lot of real tracks. Can they be edited to take the lead and melody lines out? Sorry for the long comment, just don’t want to spend $400 on something that is not right for the purpose I would want it. Thanks for the video! Liked your song!
It's very easy to take tracks out. There is a mixer and you can just mute whatever you don't want, including the soloist. If you're looking to use BIAB in your DAW, you can just drag and drop the tracks you want. You can also output all the separate tracks and then import the ones you want. You don't need to spend $400. All you need to get started is Pro, which is $129 at pgmusic and $96 at joannecooper.co.za. (south africa) Or you could get a Megapak from pgmusic for $269 or $200 from Joanne Cooper. The best way to buy BIAB is to get a basic version and then upgrade during the sales, which are December for PC and summertime for Mac. BIAB has great customer service as does Joanne Cooper. Remember that BIAB has a lot of MIDI tracks, and you can export them to your DAW and replace them with your own instruments. Hope this is helpful!
@@ReidRosefelt Thank you!
Have you ever used the sound recordings(Bass, Guitar etc on BIB) and copyrighted a song you made and sold on streaming sites Etc. and been flagged for using the instruments recorded from BIB on your own song you created sounded close to someone else's work. BIB insist that any instrument you use from them on your work for any commercial use is ok and you won't get sued or flagged for any copywrite infringement from BIB or session artist they used? It's a great program for writing songs but what about using the instrument parts when you import it to your DAW and create your songs?
Of course it is okay to use BIAB in your music. Lots of people use it and sell it. However, TH-cam can be tricky. They have their own rules. It is very easy to be accused of copyright infringement on TH-cam. If somebody registered music that is on your track, they may take it down--even if they have no more right to the BIAB music than you do. You can get pulled down by using a memorable synth preset, or some loops you purchased and have the rights to use. If somebody has registered music, that uses that stuff--you can be accused of infringement. You can dispute it, but they will demonetize it or take it down. It is a different thing entirely in the outside TH-cam world, where there are rules for fair use in each country. Check out Rick Beato's videos. He talks about this a lot.
My experience so far I’ve had it about a week and I’d have to say Band in the box’s interface is A nightmare to navigate.
Nothing about this program is intuitive.
I will say the customer service is way better than it was in 2012 when I originally tried it.
I can't really argue with this. There is a lot of room for improvement on the user interface. I've been using it so long that it's not a problem for me, but I totally understand that it could be difficult for somebody who is new to it. There's a pretty good BIAB course on Groove3 that's worth checking out. www.groove3.com/tutorials/Band-in-a-Box-Getting-Started
You can’t put the exact chords you used because Band in a box produces lifeless computerised versions of what should be a reflection of a human emotion.
If you found it lifeless, then that's the way it is for you. But the point of my video is that BIAB is a way to explore different kinds of genres and arrangements. The chords are identical to the chords I played on my guitar. If I ever finish this song and record it, I would of course, add some of my real guitar playing to it.
Lost in styles.................worst software i ever brought! In fact pretty sure mines broken any way, given up on it.
BIAB has taken the creativity out of the whole music-making process, it's the lazy man's tool. It was fun to use in the 90's but it has gone way too far, nowadays everyone thinks he/she can make backing tracks because of these kinds of easy tools. Not a fan, never mind how great it sounds it's fake music.
I think this is an argument that comes up constantly, most recently with Sonuscore's "The Score." People fell that these tools make it too easy for non-musicians to create things that sound good, without any knowledge, skill or much effort (although it takes me a long time to put together my BIAB arrangements). These discussions are only going to get more heated with AI. I think the answer will always be in what kind of musician you are and how you use the tools. BIAB didn't write the melody to my song or the lyrics. If I had the money I could go into a studio and have session musicians play my song. It would still be my song even if I couldn't play guitar, piano, and a few other instruments and didn't understand music theory and orchestration, counterpoint, harmony, etc. the way I do. As it is, I don't use BIAB to play my songs--I play all the tracks myself in my own way, I just kind of set up the arrangements in BIAB, and then make it my own. But I would argue that BIAB is a lot more of a tool for real musicians than just downloading loops--which is the main way popular music is created nowadays.
I think if used as demonstrated in this video, BIAB takes on the role of a skilled producer in the studio, giving you options and ideas for arrangements. That's not a bad thing at all.
Hello... Reid... TY... You just answered... Most of My question marks about Band in a Box... #1 ...being... Can I tweak the drum track n add my own Tempo...Fills...Stops.
... You are the First Video... Which shows ..this can be a songwriting tool... Everyone Else..just punched in something n jammed to it...fun... But I'm looking to Make serious Demos of My Material for Copywrite.
I also...appreciated your approach to Songwriting.... I have put Ideas on the 'back burner for most. Even years cuz they 'werent quite good enough...but u know you got something....and sometimes...when you feel 'stuck...it always helps to collaborate..or bounce of an objective observer........Take Care..n TY....for Sharing.
Thanks, Michael. BIAB works from overall song settings, which direct the drums. So it follows your BPM, and when you put a marker in for a new verse or chorus, it puts in a random fill before it. If you instruct it to put a stop in at a certain point, the drums stop playing. If you spend time with it, you can get a degree of control over the fills, but for me, it's usually easier to do the drums with program like EZDrummer or Addictive Drums. Then you can easily choose the patterns and fills you want. .
One of the nice features of BIAB is you can output all the separate tracks and you can just use them as guides for other programs and instruments. All the best, Reid
@@ReidRosefelt Hey... Reid... Hello...hope Your day is going well ... Your very Generous for sharing Knowledge... I will definitely check out the drum software You Recommended... I have only experimented w the Boss Dr8......