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Having referred to Band-in-a-Box

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Geoff
Posts: 1040
Noble Member
Topic starter
 

I don't know if such software has been mentioned before?

Back about 1990/91 I got a copy of the (then) latest version of BiaB, and used it quite a bit for certain things, it worked pretty well in conjuction with other midi things, and sequencer type software. NB, this was all DOS software back then!!

Esp useful when you had the 'Tab' data, say for guitar use, but also sometimes for piano, as BiaB gave you something close to a spreadsheet type entry for the bars, you could enter the tab data (with repeats, variations, etc), generate the complete file, test it, change things, then when OK save it as SMF. Then load it into a sequencer, add extra things, incl melody track(s), change instruments (BiaB had some options for this, but not too many).

Worked quite well. Wide range of Styles, ( think there were 90odd built in) and you can create your own, or extra variations on existing ones?

The 2022/23 versions (the system is still on the market, and maintained with annual updates) seems to have must of the old version I've got, but PILES of new things incl lots of stull re 'REAL AUDIO' which I assume is WAV type versions of much of the system for use with moders DAWs - BUT - the old midi type stuff is still there. What I was looking uo about the styles, on the Mailing List (there's a ML, rather than a Forum), there was some discussion about mixing/changing styles within a song and evidently you cannot mix style types (as regards a 'midi style' or a 'real audio style') but you can swap from one style to another mid song if the styles are the same type.

Have to try and get my BiaB working again. Prob still got some midi files created using it?

Geoff

 
Posted : 30/03/2023 12:25 pm
Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas
Posts: 154
Estimable Member
 

The next BIAB version shall have a ChatGPT plugin to compose the lyrics and everything else in the song. Time for retirement, boys!

 
Posted : 02/04/2023 12:53 am
Geoff
Posts: 1040
Noble Member
Topic starter
 

Hey, you never know!

When BiaB (or similar) first appeared back around 1990, it seemed pretty remarkable what could be done using 'sort of' AI methods to create the accompaniment based on the chords. I assume that if you do a number of them, they will be somewhat same-ish, but just use different styles.

I assume that the AI technology has got better over the years, although a lot of the changes seem to relate more to the 'real music' additions, now more 'real audio' i.e. WAV type data.

But yes, the vocal part of a song is still a problem. Still needs a real (human) voice. There are some midi (GM) instruments that try to do something, but not enough controls to allow sufficient articulation of the sounds to simulate words. Not sure if Midi-2 helps any on this front yet. Need a midi controlled speech synth?

Geoff

 
Posted : 02/04/2023 8:19 am
Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas
Posts: 154
Estimable Member
 

Do you know the Yamaha Vocaloid, and its related (daughter?) synthetic singer Hatsune Miku, already?

 
Posted : 02/04/2023 1:40 pm
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