And you can record your own audio and/or MIDI performance right in BIAB, or export MIDI and/or audio to you DAW to add, process and edit in any way you want. Take a listen to my examples at the bottom of this review – all the instrument performance were created by BIAB as MIDI, RealTracks or RealDrums except the fiddle performance in the fourth song, the "Irish jig", which is an Artist Performance Track (courtesy of PG Music).
![band in a box comparison band in a box comparison](https://cdn.koolreport.com/assets/images/editor/c4/image5f92893bc6fa7.png)
Yet they are not just static recordings – they will play riffs based on the style and chord progressions you use. RealTracks, if you’ve forgotten, are actual audio performances of different instruments played by some pretty capable musicians (Brent Mason, Jeff Lorber, Alex Al, Sol Philcox, and Johnny Hiland to name a few). MultiRiffs solves this by quickly generating seven variations of riffs using RealTracks for a portion of a song or the whole song. It is very effective to try alternate improvisations which often result in some really impressive arrangements, but doing so manually is a bit tedious. While I found it a good feature there, I really missed the convenience in BIAB itself. If your system is online, it provides access to even more detailed information and videos.Īnother expanded feature is MultiRiffs, which in 2019 was available only in the BIAB DAW Plugin.
#BAND IN A BOX COMPARISON HOW TO#
The Feature Browser provides a catalog of functions using a text search and provides descriptions of the feature, how to access it, and in some cases can directly launch it. Even after using it for thirty years (!) there are times when I think of a function I want to use, but don’t recall exactly how to access it. One new feature that really stands out in my mind isn’t even a composition/arrangement function – the new Feature Browser is a helper tool that even long-term BIAB users will appreciate. BIAB offers far more than “canned” musical creations. And as before, you can edit styles and even create your own from ‘scratch’ if you are feeling very creative. Thousands of new Songs, 400 new styles and up to 240 new RealTracks are available depending on the BIAB version you use. One could spend months really coming to grips with it and enjoy creating new compositions, new arrangements, even new musical styles, for years to come.Īs always there are new Songs, new Styles and new RealTracks. As explained before, BIAB is easy to use if you stick to its its basic features, but there is a vast feature set, now even larger than last year’s release. Since BIAB 2019 was reviewed in Gearslutz last year (see below), I’ll refer you to that article for the details on what it is and what it does, and just describe some of the new features. And they have extended integration with DAWs so that the user can do more composition, arranging and performances in the DAW of their choice.
![band in a box comparison band in a box comparison](https://images.reevoo.com/products/335/335032/550x550.jpg)
But they have also added some effective “helper tools” that make BIAB easier to use, both for new and experienced users. As noted in the 2019 BIAB review, BIAB is a very complex program, and as every year before, they have added more features and functions, as well as new sound and performance content. As each year for decades, PG Music have updated Band-in-a-Box for the new year (yes, I know, the year is more than half over, but I’ve been swamped!).