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Topic: Band in a Box |
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 8 Dec 2004 7:48 pm |
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Just had to share a recent experience with you. Years ago, at age 14, I hired an old gent with a home studio and cut four sides with me on steel, rhythm and vocals. It cost me a bundle but I learned a great deal from this experience.
A couple of days ago, I visited a friend, Bob Smith in Hillsboro, OR, and together we cut a tune using BIB. I'm well aware that most of you are light years ahead of me but it was a memorable experience for ME.
After waiting for years to find local pickers to work with me on a recording project I finally gave up and some forty years elapsed.
Well, the tune did finally get recorded and it was fun and a learning experience as well. It can now be heard on my web site at jerrybyrdfanclub.com..............at "About Ray". It's not perfect.........as I'd hoped to do some more complicated parts however, upon arriving at Bob's place, I discovered I'd left my bar/picks at home; clear on the other side of town. Bob bent up some old picks he had on hand and provided me with a bar about two inches too long for my hand.
Anyway.......if you're curious enough to listen, I'd enjoy your comments; critical or otherwise. |
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Chippy Wood
From:
Elgin, Scotland
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Posted 8 Dec 2004 11:10 pm
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Thanks Ray,
Very enjoyable, Nice arrangement, I personally felt a little more variation in the backing ,perhaps at the chorus?. I like BIAB and never cease to be amazed at it's potential.
I didn't know about the JB site and spent a long time reading it, fascinating.
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Ron (Chippy) Wood
Emmons D10
Carter SD10
[This message was edited by Chippy Wood on 08 December 2004 at 11:20 PM.] |
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 6:29 am
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I've been a BIAB user since it's early days, every new version is amazing.
Your playing is beautiful, I'd like to hear more.
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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 7:19 am
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BIAB just keeps getting better and better. They just issued the 2005 version. They've got me hooked, I had to order it. 
Erv |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 7:57 am
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I just got my first cut of BIAB about a week ago, got the 2005 version with the 21 pak upgrade. Holy mackeral what a package. This thing could launch a moon shot. Obviously their tech guys are into this stuff 'cause apparently each year they keep adding new functions. It's gonna take a while to find & put to use all of the goodies BIAB has to offer. I'm still readin' the book(s).
The section on BIAB's "ear training" got me to thinkin' "why, with our eyes, do we recognize a color to be blue or red, but with our ears we (usually) don't know if a note is an E or an A or a G#?". |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 11:06 am
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| I need some help in BIAB 101. I downloaded a free sample of BIAB once and all the sounds were like a childs toy. Then I got some Herb Steiner rhythm tracks that somebody said he had done on BIAB. They were great and sounded like real instruments recorded in a studio. Being totally ignorant on BIAB, I have a question: Is BIAB just the software to run the sounds and you have to have some other piece of external hardware or software to get good sounds? And how do you get the sounds from your computer to a CD that you can use? I have a CD burner with my computer. I am on an iMac, vs. 8.6 computer. |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 11:07 am
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| I need some help in BIAB 101. I downloaded a free sample of BIAB once and all the sounds were like a childs toy. Then I got some Herb Steiner rhythm tracks that somebody said he had done on BIAB. They were great and sounded like real instruments recorded in a studio. Being totally ignorant on BIAB, I have a question: Is BIAB just the software to run the sounds and you have to have some other piece of external hardware or software to get good sounds? And how do you get the sounds from your computer to a CD that you can use? I have a CD burner with my computer. I am on an iMac, vs. 8.6 computer. |
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George McLellan
From:
Duluth, MN USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 11:24 am
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George, the sound you're getting that's not to your liking could be your speakers for your PC. I bought a patch cord from Radio Shack and go from my Gateway laptop to the back of my NV112. The Pre Gain controls my Steel volume, and Master Gain controls the volume from my lap top. I have gone right from my lap top to a PA and that worked fine also. As for burning your files direct to a CD, I am not sure how to do that either. Wish I knew.
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SUAS U' PHIOB
Geo
[This message was edited by George Mc Lellan on 09 December 2004 at 11:25 AM.] |
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Wayne Franco
From:
silverdale, WA. USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 11:35 am
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BIAB just sends out a midi instruction to whatever sound card, sound module or the "VSC" software synth sound module that comes with the program. The software program sounds like a toy. YOu sure could use it for practice but anything else it just sounds bad. I have a Edoral SD-20 sound module that I always use with my laptop. Your computer sends the midi instructions from BIAB out the USB port into the sound module, which converts it to audio then out by standard stereo jacks into your sound system. Your computer isn't doing it so there isn't any latency (lateness) between the sound and what you are seeing on the screen, and your computer is just breezing along not doing much work. The instructions from BIAB are just that. They are totally dependant on the quality of the gear that interpets it and actually makes the sound. Get yourself something good. It's not that expensive.
[This message was edited by W Franco on 09 December 2004 at 11:36 AM.] [This message was edited by W Franco on 09 December 2004 at 11:39 AM.] |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 11:37 am
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George K.
BIAB doesn't have "sounds" per se; rather, it's a set of instructions that tells your computer what to play through its sound card, which stores the digitized sounds of the various instruments. For my tracks, I use software called Roland Virtual Sound Canvas (VSC), available from BIAD. Before that I had installed a sound card called Soundblaster Live in my computer that was a vast improvement over the sound card that came installed on my PC. So, the "realistic" quality of the sounds comes from the audio software you have on your computer.
The Soundblaster Live card was somewhere in the $50 range, as I recall. Roland VSC was included with BIAB v.12 when I purchased it.
To make CDs from your BIAB tracks, you must convert them from BIAB files to .wav's, again accomplished in BIAB. Then you can create a CD using the CD burning software that came with your burner. .Wavs will play on most CD players that can handle CD-Rs.
EDIT: I see my friend Wayne Franco beat me to the explanation. What he says is correct. Take heed. 
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 09 December 2004 at 11:39 AM.] |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 2:08 pm
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The later editions of BIAB support General Midi II. This allows the addition of more and varied instruments. I play my midi tracks back through a rack system. I upgraded my sound card to one that supports GM II and it really made a difference in sound quality. GM II supports over a thousand different instruments.
Erv |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 5:54 pm
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| Thanks for the education. What did we do before this forum? I would also like to give a plug to Herb's tracks. If you want some very good tracks, I recommend Herb's. I am looking to getting into BIAB sometime after Christmas. I really need to make my own tracks to get the songs, tempo, and key I need. I will get it from our own BIAB guru Big Jim Barron when I do. |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 9 Dec 2004 6:23 pm
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| FWIW: I just bought the Creative Soundblaster Live 24-bit card at Staples for $29. |
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Dec 2004 4:32 am
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I don't believe VSC will work on the IMac, I may be wrong. On the biab forum a lot of the mac users use Garage Band. With the Sound Blaster Live you can get some very nice sound fonts
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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 10 Dec 2004 5:24 am
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| I have the Soundblaster card too. I find I can cut the cheese factor somewhat by substituting instruments - change the "piano" to "glockenspeil" and the "bass" to "marimbas", for example, and turn down those ticky-tacky drums until they're just a click track. You can get a lot out of it just by fiddling with instrument choices and relative volumes. |
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Wayne Franco
From:
silverdale, WA. USA
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Posted 10 Dec 2004 10:53 am
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| I would really like to hear those tracks that Herb did. This is a great subject and one that can really open the door for us guys that don't have a good guitar player living next door. I bet after everything was said and done a lot of pro players use BIAB as a practice tool. Did someone say there was a Band in a box topic thread here ? I think I'll have to go look. I've been so busy with the basics like practice I can only do the minimal stuff with my biab program. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 10 Dec 2004 11:04 am
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I practice with BIAB constantly, every day. My practice tracks were the genesis of my tracks packages. So yes, professionals do use BIAB.
I'm currently recording some demo instrumentals to send to some of the players in the house bands of the upcoming steel shows, so they'll be somewhat familiar with the tunes I'm wanting to play.
BTW, b0b is now carrying my tracks packages (CD and charts book) in the Forum catalog, among other products of mine.
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 10 December 2004 at 11:05 AM.] |
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Wayne Franco
From:
silverdale, WA. USA
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Posted 10 Dec 2004 2:30 pm
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Thats great Herb, I always suspected that but you don't hear much about it. I will check into your tracks. I find biab will always practice with me in a very patient manner.
Wayne [This message was edited by W Franco on 10 December 2004 at 03:25 PM.] |
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