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#443582 - 12/30/17 03:43 PM Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why?
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
I was looking at both these products & kept saying to myself why would I need this when I have an Arranger KB to play music?
I would like to hear pros & Cons from players who use either or both of these programs....maybe I'm missing something what are the benefits?

Thoughts? confused1

Thank you





Edited by Dnj (12/30/17 03:47 PM)

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#443585 - 12/30/17 04:23 PM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: Dnj]
Bachus Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/02/06
Posts: 7143
You can’t compare band in a box with an arranger, as there is no realtime playing... band in a box is a perfect tool for creating backingtracks... but they all have a static chordprogression like a midifile or an audiofile...

V-arranger is a realtime arranger like any other hardware arranger, except that its using software on a pc instead of build in software in an arranger keyboard.

V-arranger is the only arranger that plays styles from all 4 major arranger brands. All except Ketron audio styles.
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#443586 - 12/30/17 04:41 PM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: Dnj]
J. Larry Offline
Member

Registered: 12/14/99
Posts: 521
Loc: University, MS 38677 USA
I’ve been using BIAB live for several years, now, with guitar and vocals. Often, I have a woodwind player and other vocalists join in, as well. I also use arrangers on other gigs. The BIAB program is much less expensive than an arranger, even though you must purchase a computer (laptop in my case). It offers so many styles, it’s hard to keep up with them. If a person knows chord changes, you can create a full arrangement in a matter of minutes. I like being able to change keys and the number of choruses on the spot to accommodate other musicians. The real styles (real audio files) sound authentic through a good sound system. With a little effort, you can create hundreds of songs ready to go at the push of a button. I’ve got my folders of tunes organized by country, jazz, pop, rock, standards, Broadway/show, holiday songs, waltzes, tangos------you name it. I’m not giving up arrangers; however, BIAB is a great tool for song writing, practice, and live performance.

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#443595 - 12/31/17 12:14 AM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: J. Larry]
Bachus Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/02/06
Posts: 7143
Originally Posted By J. Larry
I’ve been using BIAB live for several years, now, with guitar and vocals. Often, I have a woodwind player and other vocalists join in, as well. I also use arrangers on other gigs. The BIAB program is much less expensive than an arranger, even though you must purchase a computer (laptop in my case). It offers so many styles, it’s hard to keep up with them. If a person knows chord changes, you can create a full arrangement in a matter of minutes. I like being able to change keys and the number of choruses on the spot to accommodate other musicians. The real styles (real audio files) sound authentic through a good sound system. With a little effort, you can create hundreds of songs ready to go at the push of a button. I’ve got my folders of tunes organized by country, jazz, pop, rock, standards, Broadway/show, holiday songs, waltzes, tangos------you name it. I’m not giving up arrangers; however, BIAB is a great tool for song writing, practice, and live performance.


i think if someone goes for a full software setup, having different tools like BiAB, Varranger, Reason, VST's, Logic, mainstage and Bitwig all readily available in your macbook really makes sense..

However, for everything that requires realtime interaction, like using an arranger or selecting real time scenes in bitwig, a dedicated user interface is required.

But using BiAB, as a backing-sequencer should work straight forward, just press play and go...


Another thing that comes to mind, is the huge difference between BiaB for PC and BiAB for MAc. I guess for BiAB its better to have a PC then a MAC...*same goes for Varranger, the reason i don't owwn Varranger is the fact that it only runs on PC and not on MAC.
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#443598 - 12/31/17 05:05 AM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: Bachus]
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
Originally Posted By Bachus
Originally Posted By J. Larry
I’ve been using BIAB live for several years, now, with guitar and vocals. Often, I have a woodwind player and other vocalists join in, as well. I also use arrangers on other gigs. The BIAB program is much less expensive than an arranger, even though you must purchase a computer (laptop in my case). It offers so many styles, it’s hard to keep up with them. If a person knows chord changes, you can create a full arrangement in a matter of minutes. I like being able to change keys and the number of choruses on the spot to accommodate other musicians. The real styles (real audio files) sound authentic through a good sound system. With a little effort, you can create hundreds of songs ready to go at the push of a button. I’ve got my folders of tunes organized by country, jazz, pop, rock, standards, Broadway/show, holiday songs, waltzes, tangos------you name it. I’m not giving up arrangers; however, BIAB is a great tool for song writing, practice, and live performance.


i think if someone goes for a full software setup, having different tools like BiAB, Varranger, Reason, VST's, Logic, mainstage and Bitwig all readily available in your macbook really makes sense..

However, for everything that requires realtime interaction, like using an arranger or selecting real time scenes in bitwig, a dedicated user interface is required.

But using BiAB, as a backing-sequencer should work straight forward, just press play and go...


Another thing that comes to mind, is the huge difference between BiaB for PC and BiAB for MAc. I guess for BiAB its better to have a PC then a MAC...*same goes for Varranger, the reason i don't owwn Varranger is the fact that it only runs on PC and not on MAC.


I don't own anything Mac or Apple yet...a PC man I remain for now,...that said why do arranger kb players frown upon using SMF files, Mp3 tracks etc, but accept using the "automatic chord input method" BIAB to play on top of? at least with smf/mp3 you actually play & create tracks to use vs just typing in chords? at least with vArranger you have to play,what am I missing here?


Edited by Dnj (12/31/17 05:06 AM)

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#443603 - 12/31/17 06:34 AM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: Dnj]
cgiles Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/29/05
Posts: 6703
Loc: Roswell,GA/USA
Originally Posted By Dnj
what am I missing here?


Donny, with all due respect, I think what you're missing is that you expect (demand?) that everyone justify everything they do. Sometimes people just do things because they want to, no reason or justification needed. As Bachus said (or implied), just because you use one thing doesn't mean you have to exclude everything else. What's wrong with having a variety of tools in the toolbox? Different tools for different jobs (or different tools for a different approach to the same job). Some people just like to experiment; like having a car collection; you don't collect them because one is
better than the other; you collect them because variety is FUN (I could have used a wife/girlfriend analogy here but chose not to smile ).

I have an old (2015, I think) copy of BIAB and find lots of fun uses for it, such as inserting it inside REAPER or generating lead sheets or extracting chords from a midi file, etc., etc. I think it's a really clever program that (frankly) with the exception of 'live playing', is nearly as flexible and useful as an arranger (and a hellava lot cheaper). JMO.

chas
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#443604 - 12/31/17 06:52 AM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: Dnj]
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
Chas true but, getting different opinions and reasoning's WHY people do what they do helps me decide & become an educated consumer & user if I choose, I'll always ask questions life is too short to
dilly dally....if you Don't ask, you Don't receive & can't absorb,....
that said Happy New Year to you and yours!


Edited by Dnj (12/31/17 10:16 AM)

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#443606 - 12/31/17 07:06 AM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: Dnj]
jingleman Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/02/05
Posts: 1292
Loc: The Villages, FL, USA
Donny: I purchased BIAB 2017 thinking I’d really dig into it this time. I previously bought 2008 and 2013.

It’s still sitting as an icon on my laptop untouched. I’ve tried to get into it on a number of occasions, but the program has become quite daunting through its annual upgrades.

I know it’s capable of doing some pretty incredible things, but unless your willing to put in the time to master it...I’d think twice.

Happy New Year...jingleman

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#443612 - 12/31/17 08:12 AM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: Dnj]
W Tracy Parnell Offline
Member

Registered: 08/22/06
Posts: 759
Loc: NY
Originally Posted By Dnj
I was looking at both these products & kept saying to myself why would I need this when I have an Arranger KB to play music?
I would like to hear pros & Cons from players who use either or both of these programs....maybe I'm missing something what are the benefits?

Thoughts? confused1

Thank you





I suppose you could use it at home to practice with, freeing you up to use both hands for playing without having to trigger arranger accompaniments yourself. You could use it for multi-track recording of course. I used to use it for making nursing home backing tracks (along with Cubase and EZDrummer) when I was playing guitar. But you are right, for live playing an arranger is probably better and BIAB is unnecessary.
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#443618 - 12/31/17 09:24 AM Re: Who is using Band in a Box or vArranger & Why? [Re: W Tracy Parnell]
Bachus Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/02/06
Posts: 7143
Originally Posted By W Tracy Parnell
But you are right, for live playing an arranger is probably better and BIAB is unnecessary.


You could also use the chord sequencer, and have the same idea as biab, which is essentially an arranger that you can only use with a set chordsequence....

Arrangers are just a lot more versatile... (audioplayer, midi sequencer). .. but biab excells in what it does quallity wise... it allows you to create high end backingfiles... i dont think any real live played arrangers come really close to the nuances of a biab backing..

But then, what do you want on stage? The best performance or being flexible? I have no clue what everyone else prefers,...
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