The GUI has been completely redesigned. Things like the mixer, an integral component was somewhat hidden in the old layout.and now occupies close to a quarter of the layout.
Zones have been laid out - Songs, Views, Transport, Drop, Tacks, Tools, File, Mixer and the actual composition window.
Each has been made a little more intuitive; much easier to find what I need without resorting to having the manual laid across your knee as you try to build a piece from scratch.
Little things like a 'Tap' button to tap out the beat you wish to use.
From PG Music's website:
We’re very excited to offer one of our biggest upgrades! Band-in-a-Box 2014 includes over 50 great new features and enhancements, 101 more amazing RealTracks, 54 MIDI SuperTracks, 36 Artist Performances and that’s not all.
The GUI has been redesigned with a great new look and many time-saving enhancements! The Toolbars and Song Title Area have been redone, and the chord sheet now has a “Real” looking handwritten font for chords. We’ve addedUserTracks. Now you can make your own RealTracks to add to your song. Plus there’s a handy Instant Preview of styles, RealTracks, and RealDrums so that you can quickly audition them to choose the best ones for your song. Loops now support Acidized Loops. A Legato Strings feature that automatically optimizes MIDI string parts to prevent retriggering the same notes, a new Master Volumeallows you to boost volumes of all songs with one setting, 8 new Hi-Q MIDI sounds, and many more…
I first discovered BIAB in 2009 and have been a fanboi ever since.
I cannot imagine trying to compose and then lay down backing tracks without it. It allows me to be creative with little overhead. A tiny learning curve for the basics to be absorbed; although mastery would take a good deal of time. It is worth the time spent.
I cannot imagine trying to compose and then lay down backing tracks without it. It allows me to be creative with little overhead. A tiny learning curve for the basics to be absorbed; although mastery would take a good deal of time. It is worth the time spent.
Throw together a blues progression (I, IV, V), pick a style; in this case Joe Zawinul and you're off.
A month ago I heard a rap piece in which I liked the progression a lot. I sat and wrote the chords down. Opened BIAB and laid it out. Changed the beat, and the style from hip-hop to a jazz thing and all of a sudden I have a great tune that sounds nothing like the original.
(Fine, I also changed a couple of chords - the resolution was major and I wanted more open ended, like sustained etc)
(Fine, I also changed a couple of chords - the resolution was major and I wanted more open ended, like sustained etc)
I cannot recommend this enough to my musical friends.
TUMBLR
I dislike MusicClout - the "services" they offer are of little reach, are over-priced and generally of no use to a musician trying to get their music "out there."
To fill the otherwise incessant barrage of ads with "content" they from time to time, offer advice via a blog style column.
To fill the otherwise incessant barrage of ads with "content" they from time to time, offer advice via a blog style column.
One of them had a cogent suggestion. Rather than using a third party such as ReverbNation or SoundCloud that an aspiring musician needs their own website.
Not subject to the whims of the site owner as far as may be possible.
Not subject to the whims of the site owner as far as may be possible.
In this they are 100% correct. Just as MySpace used to be the premier site for self promotion, as times and content changed, MySpace's relevance as a music platform diminished.
I had been using FaceBook as a tool for networking. It came to naught. Today, my 3,400 "friends" have become a steady stream of what they ate for lunch, a pithy quote from someone taken out of context so that Ronald Reagan seems coherent and wise, or a plea to buy their latest CD, jewelry making or custom built guitars.
In short - FaceBook is now mostly an ad platform.
I had been using FaceBook as a tool for networking. It came to naught. Today, my 3,400 "friends" have become a steady stream of what they ate for lunch, a pithy quote from someone taken out of context so that Ronald Reagan seems coherent and wise, or a plea to buy their latest CD, jewelry making or custom built guitars.
In short - FaceBook is now mostly an ad platform.
I moved over to Twitter as a way to promote and be engaged with the people who can actually further my musical ambitions. It has been fairly successful to this point.
I've gotten airplay on radio stations, found composition competitions worth entering, met a number of people who are flying higher and closer to the sun than I and have gotten the wind from their wings just by proximity.
But I still am just linking people to my page on Soundcloud rather than hosting my music.
I've gotten airplay on radio stations, found composition competitions worth entering, met a number of people who are flying higher and closer to the sun than I and have gotten the wind from their wings just by proximity.
But I still am just linking people to my page on Soundcloud rather than hosting my music.
So I took a site at TUMBLR:
And quickly posted three of my tunes. As time progresses I will fill the pages with content that may be somewhat of an overlap with this page. So be it.
(Apologies to Mr. Wilde)
(Apologies to Mr. Wilde)
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