can band in a box do studio quality tracks

Jeff Hogsten · Post by **Jeff Hogsten** » 9 Apr 2005 11:05 am

Ive heard band in a box can do studio quality tracks but I never heard any it would be great if so I would be happy if it could generate a studio quality drum and possably bass track Jeff

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 9 Apr 2005 12:15 pm

It has little to do with Band in a Box.

The problem is with the midi tone modules. Some are much better than others, but I've never heard a drum track that I couldn't pick out as being midi. Sax parts are tough to sample too.

On the plus side, BiaB is getting better and better at the subtleties of the music and also at making their product more flexible and powerful for the user to tweak. I still dump everything to a midi file and tweak note by note, but I'm never satisfied that it really sounds like a live musician.

Hope that helps answer your question. (my answer is NO)

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 10 Apr 2005 2:47 am

my answer is also NO..

but I am certain others will say YES.

If you are willing to spend more time FIXING/preparing the music rather than PLAYING the music anything is possible.

t

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 10 Apr 2005 4:07 am

I think it depends on 2 things. The tone module and the style itself. Also, using a good balance of BIAB and human tracks will draw the ear away from any machine stiffness that might be there.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 10 Apr 2005 5:52 am

I don't think it will ever be possible to replace the feeling and excitement of a live band, however, for a lot of performances, BIAB sure beats trying to get a bunch of hairy legged musicians together.

Glyn Bone · Post by **Glyn Bone** » 10 Apr 2005 6:03 am

Erv. why on earth would you want to employ musicians with hairy legs????

Glyndwr

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 10 Apr 2005 7:43 am

I am happy with what I hear on my home recordings. I can't hire a band for everything I want to record. I certainly don't have a room large enough to separate a band with drums.
I know that it can be argued to no end, that a live band is better. I use what I can, to get the job done.
IMHO biab can sound good enough for pro recording. After all, it uses sampled sounds.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 10 Apr 2005 9:00 am

I tend to agree with John
The sticky point is the definition of 'studio quality'. I think this has a wide range of meaning for different people. For some people, as long as the drums don't sound like a tin can (a la the early drum machines), it's studio quality. Others have much more discriminating requirements. I must admit I fall into that category. If the feel isn't right or it sounds too automated, even if the SOUNDS are very realistic, I can pick it out in a minute.

We must realize that in several genres of music, a drum machine sound was DESIRABLE. For example, in techno music, I've heard some of the WORST SOUNDING fake drums LOOPED OVER AND OVER. AND IT SELLS. The well of bad taste knows no bounds.

But I think I know what a good drum recording sounds like and, even with A LOT OF WORK, editing each track and applying appropriate fx, the best I'd expect from any midi drum tracks is B or maybe B+.

Just my opinion.

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 11 Apr 2005 7:44 am

why on earth would you want to employ musicians with hairy legs????

Robert Palmer had the right idea...

Jeff Hogsten · Post by **Jeff Hogsten** » 11 Apr 2005 8:01 am

actually all Im looking for is a way to do quick drum tracks, if it would do that it would be a God send for me, I wonder if the drums in the styles were played by real drumers, most of what I do just needs a simple plain drum track. I have battery with drums from Hell and artist drums that sound great.there is a program called groove agent that has the right idea it is like a drum machine but doesnt have near enough sounds and the ones they do have arent quite the quality of some of the other sounds available, I have used some midi drum files some like Eddie Byers with great success but you always have to do a lot of drag drop, Rmx is great but real hip hop oriented if someone would come out with a drum machine type program, that is what I though band in a box may do, I have the sounds if it will program good beats

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 11 Apr 2005 9:03 am

I'm satisfied with the drum tracks in BIAB but there is another program called "Jammer" that is sposed to excel in their drum tracks.
Erv

PS: I'm not sure how many guys would stick around for rehearsal if I handed them a razor and told them to apply it to their lower limbs:

Robert Parent · Post by **Robert Parent** » 11 Apr 2005 9:17 am

BIAB can get you started but you would need a good sequencer to tweek the tracks to have any hope of making it sound musical. BIAB is very crude in my view. Jammer is much more musical out of the box. I have owned both software packages for many years. For both programs you also need a sound source which vary from awful to very good, depending on the size of your checkbook. It can be done, but you will spend lots of time in the process.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 11 Apr 2005 10:09 am

BIAB is fine for songwriter demos and the like, but it falls way short of the quality required to make music that's listenable. Seriously, can you derive pleasure from listening to a drum machine? I can't.

------------------
<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra SD-12 (Ext E9), Williams D-12 Crossover, Sierra S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, C6, A6)

Ben Slaughter · Post by **Ben Slaughter** » 11 Apr 2005 12:26 pm

Jeff, BIAB is a good way to do quick drum tracks for demo type work. I've started using it because I was spending way too much time programing drum tracks instead of writing songs. I do edit the MIDI after exporting into my recording software.

Sidney Ralph Penton · Post by **Sidney Ralph Penton** » 11 Apr 2005 8:27 pm

is there a web site for band in a box. where can you get them at. thanks doc

------------------
zum SD10 peavy vegas 400 peavy session 400 steelseats they are great at sales@steelseats.com
if its not a zum steel it isn't real

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 12 Apr 2005 3:25 am

http://www.pgmusic.com/

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 12 Apr 2005 4:19 am

Sid, BIAB is available through Musicians Friend. They have a warehouse in KC.
Bob, have you listened to recordings w/biab played through a decent stereo amp and speakers? I made some CD demos using biab drums,bass and piano that sound very good to me. But,of course,I was using jagwire strings which I bought from you... hahaha.
I sent demos to Jim Johnson and Michael Breid. Maybe they would care to comment on the quality.