band in the box

[richard coates]

Hi Everyone. Can anyone recommend Band In The Box or is there anything else that is far more superior at about the same price range. I am looking for a programme that can produce various sounds and styles of music.
Thanks in anticipation of yuor kind attention

Regards Richard

[ecca]

It's the dog's.
I've used it years.

[Twangaway]

Try, One Man Band - it's 10 times better, as Band in a Box was written by a Jazz musician and suits that style of music better, seems to throw in mad jazz chords everywhere when not needed for simple 3 chord songs LOL . One Man Band is infinitely more powerful, and I am hoping to get to grips with it.

Twangaway

[Stratpicker]

Twangy
that may have been true of BIAB in the early days (everyone gotta start somewhere, folks) but it now a far more versatile tool and with so many additional styles being available from guys like Notes Norton. There are Real Drums, Real Instruments and Real Band features now too. My greatest sadness is that is now becoming an expensive piece of software to keep updating.
OMB needs a keyboard and the whole point of BIAB for me at any rate is that I can stick the chord desriptions only into the pretty screen and they play in the style I have set. I can twiddle them and tweak them until I have it the way I want. I dont need to be able to play a keyboard - I'm a guitarist. (some say)
If you have got weird chords coming up, it must have been in the settings somewhere. With BIAB - its WYSIWYG.
cheers
Ian

[richard coates]

Hi Thanks for the info and advice. One question to Ecca, is it worth trying the free version?
Regards Richard

[Twangaway]

Twangy
that may have been true of BIAB in the early days (everyone gotta start somewhere, folks) but it now a far more versatile tool and with so many additional styles being available from guys like Notes Norton. There are Real Drums, Real Instruments and Real Band features now too. My greatest sadness is that is now becoming an expensive piece of software to keep updating.
OMB needs a keyboard and the whole point of BIAB for me at any rate is that I can stick the chord desriptions only into the pretty screen and they play in the style I have set. I can twiddle them and tweak them until I have it the way I want. I dont need to be able to play a keyboard - I'm a guitarist. (some say)
If you have got weird chords coming up, it must have been in the settings somewhere. With BIAB - its WYSIWYG.
cheers
Ian

You're absolutely right, I dismissed it when I first looked at it a few years ago, as a gimmicky toy. Have revisited it in last 3 weeks and discovered it's cred and amazing following and countless sites and forums it has spawned. That said, it does look to me somewhat inflexible, and whilst I cannot deny it's proven pedigree. I discovered One Man Band last week, and the depth and breadth of that program IMHO totally surpasses BIB by a mile in loads of features and extras that am fairly certain BIB comes nowhere near for richness. OMB doesn't as yet have a following of fanatical enthusiasts nor a very attractive GUI, but hey, take a look at what's there under the bonnet and they could easily win over BIB fans within next 12 months. Best of all is to have both products and enjoy.

You may be pleasantly surprised by it's superior power and features that harnesses much of Roland, Korg and Yamaha technologies for starters. They have thought of everything for sure.


Twangaway

[Bluesnote]

I find Band in a box a great tool for doing backings. I like the jazz stuff on it. I did a jazzy backing for Sleepwalk and its brilliant. Not tried it for the basic straight stuff though. It takes a bit of getting used to at first.

[ecca]

Hi Thanks for the info and advice. One question to Ecca, is it worth trying the free version?
Regards Richard

Yes it is Rich.
Go to my website............ http://www.eccathacker.com............. and listen to Larkrise to Candleford theme in the Audio download section.
After you've worked out the time signature bear in mind that the whole thing ( except my guitar) was done on BIAB. ( and ..erm... the accordion which was done a Roland equipped Les Paul which I've since flogged )
Go to the video page and watch the Chariot video that I did with Bojan..... http://www.eccathacker.com/chariot.wmv....... listen to the drumming all the way through and then tell me that BIAB is only 'jazzy'.
Send me a PM if you like the demo .
Cheers
Ecca

[richard coates]

Hi Ecca, wow, both those tracks are superb and you are right the drumming is spot on. I have tried to down load the free version but for some reason I am unable to get the full programme.
regards Richard