Band in a box - worth it or alternatives?

Worth every penny...I should definitely add it to the 'expensive-but-worth-it' thread.
It'll take you awhile to get the best use out of it, but if you do, I promise, it'll make you a better player, composer, musician, improvisor, whatever.

FWIW, I've been using it for something like 15 years or something crazy and I still buy the upgrade packs every couple years, just to help keep the company in business...

 

Absolutely!
Realtracks, and RealMidi are fantastic

 

Wow. I haven't used BIAB since '98. It was useful as a teaching tool back then when i was teaching a bit, but the BIAB solos were new then and just out, and they were annoying as it was GM midi based.

How things have changed. I'm impressed enough to buy it right away and use it to sketch arrangements and such. I can imagine many possibilities. Wow.

 

Warning: apple mac fan here.

Checked out i Real B?

For Mac users or ipad guys it's pretty cool.

Here's a link to the forum: http://irealb.com/forums/forum.php where I got all the
songs, and the product site: http://www.irealb.com/

Here's a link to a Damian Erskine lessons and videos on youtube, this is how I found out about ireal b.



Once you have your interface set up, you should be able to do all the practice tasks you mentioned.

Garageband is a great program to get started with recording.

I just downloaded the iRealB program for about $20, and then imported the 1700 or so tracks for free.

You can turn the midi bass, drums, piano up and down or off, change styles, keys, tempos. Paired up with a real book, (for the melodies) this can do some powerful stuff.

I would have liked to have the melodies, but hey, it's a start. You can set up measure and changes to repeat, start anywhere in the tune, it's sober and ready to play anytime..

I make a copy of the tune and tape it to one side of my monitor, while irealB cranks through the chords on the other side. I love the shaded area that moves though the measures in time, so when I get lost messing with melodic stuff, I get right back to where I'm supposed to be. Very cool, and for a measly $20.

 

I use iRealb in my smartphone (Android). I don't miss BiaB.

Great and affordable tool!

 

While I won't pretend it can do what BIAB can do, I use
ChordPulse. For 24.95, it's a very useful, simple to learn tool.

BIAB's interface has gotten out of control over the years, IMHO.

 

Yes, you'll be missing out without realtracks, but BIAB comes with some high quality drum kits in Sampletank. Or if you already have a sampler you can use it.

You get a 30 day money back guarantee. You'll have to front the money, but you an try realtracks and if they don't work out you can get your money back. Easy.

And BTW - BIAB is not a DAW. And a DAW is not BIAB. There are plug in alternatives but not nearly as complete as BIAB.And BTW - BIAB is not a DAW. And a DAW is not BIAB. There are plug in alternatives but not nearly as complete as BIAB.

Here's an example of BIAB with a DAW, Cakewalk in this case. Reaper, and many other DAW work the same


iRealB is very good, very affordable, sounds great, and with IOS you can play along with it using Amplitube. iRealb does not have as many styles, nor as many instruments to play along, but it is very good all around and super easy to use. And tons of contributions in the forums. If you've got iOS or an Android I highly recommend it. Take it with you everywhere.

 

Put the phone in airplane mode.
If you're distracted with a phone, you'll be distracted with a computer. So don't put your music computer on the internet.

I agree, on the realtracks, you can't use them all and dont need them all. You can mix them. For example, the drums can do a funk beat, and you can mix in a violin doing gypsy for part of the song. You don't need realtracks, but they play very real. Midi is still very viable with today's VSTi's. It's not going anywhere.

 

iRealB is good on a portable device like an iPad or something. It's good for having a portable band and its good for pulling up a chord chart in hurry.

BIAB is useful in studying individual bass parts, piano voicings, solo transcriptions, horn line harmonies, etc...great learning tools, but maybe you don't need that?

Definitely just get the bare bones pack first. You can decide whether you need that extra stuff once you get going with it for a couple years.

 

A friend and I use iRealB on iPad for practicing, performing, and sharing music (he plays guitar). Highly recommended. We can email songs to each other at practice before the first note is played! In a different band they use BIAB for arranging and printing music. I never used BIAB but that band seems to like it. I use Sibelius for composing. It's not that intuitive to me but I can use it.

 

+1

I love this program as well.



I was going to buy BIAB before I picked up a used Ipad earlier this year.

 

I have them both. iRealb will work fine on an older ipod - which you can get real cheap.
You mentioned "Composition",
BIAB is better for this.
You get more styles, including rock
You can drag tracks from BIAB to another DAW (like Reaper) and compose some fine arrangements.
You may not need either, It's amazing what people can do just with regular plugins and a good DAW