Others say...

"Band-in-a Box"
This product is for my son and he seems able to navigate through it quite easily (he is 13). He has been using it to accompany himself for his saxophone lessons as he learns to play scales, etc. It makes the scales and songs more interesting when played with the rest of the band.

"Superb sound and easy to get into"
I've only had BIAB for a month and already I have written a handful of compositions. I've only scratched the surface, but I am hooked. I have tried all sorts of software and most of them were either too complicated, too elementary and dinky sounding or they just wouldn't work with the pc soundcard I had. The BIAB worked great right out of the box and it sounds fantastic. All you have to do is tell it where you want chord changes and the "band" takes off adding fill-ins and riffs just like a real band. Better, actually, than a lot of the musicians I have played with over the years - and, the best part is there's no worrying about no-shows or complaining and griping from this band. It will make suggestions for changes and if you don't like them, it won't sulk and pout or leave practice early. It is great because it can be used at different levels of your experience or need. I use it just for backup, but you can add melody and solo parts by typing on your keyboard if you don't have a plug-in keyboard or instrument. You can also place music notes on the staff with your mouse if you prefer. The possibilities just go on and on.

The only negative I found is the guitars all sound very unreal, like rubber bands stretched across a tin can but all the software I have ever seen has the same problem. So far it appears the guitar can't be imitated with MIDI sounds unlike most other instruments. Since I play guitar that really doesn't bother me because with this product I can add my own guitar parts by recording on the audio tracks provided.

I write songs mostly as a hobby, but occasionally I perform publicly with a friend who plays bass. Now we can add accompanying instruments and become a whole band by burning a cd of what we need to add for each performance. For example, we do the vocals, rhythm guitar and bass, while the BIAB adds the drums and either keyboard, strings, brass, or any of a myriad of other available parts.

This product is a no-brainer if you love music but don't want to have to study for a week before you can use the product. The tutorials are easy to follow, but it does have an exhaustive manual if you crave the technical stuff. The bonus items that come with the 2007 BIAB are very nice, but a little too advanced for me just yet. For instance, there are real drum add-ons, if the MIDI drums don't suit your taste. But that is the beauty of this software - you can get a lot more complex if you want, but you don't have to get complicated to get a solid sound right off the bat. I'm happy with the elementary stuff but it will be fun to continue learning and making my backup band more lifelike as I go.

"Almost a 5 Star purchase!"
I recieved this Band in a Box from my husband for Christmas. I had been introduced to it at the college during a Jazz Combo class I am taking. It seemed like it would be very helpful for learning to solo and things of that nature.
I find that there are TONS of things in the program that I can't understand how to use. I have read the manual for specific things to try to do and the manual isn't very reader friendly.
I find the program to be very entertaining though, and I am glad we got it.

"Difficult at best"
This program is absolutely too difficult to even use. Customer support was also of NO help to me. I am extremely dissastisfied with this product which is sitting on my computer unable to be of any real use to me other than taking up my memory.

"It's become my favorite piece of software"
As an intermediate-level musician and songwriter with computer skills to match, I've found BIAB both easy to delve into and deep enough to grow into. My background is as a singer/songwriter uni-instrumentalist...I play, rather simply, the acoustic guitar. I also have a good understanding of computer recording. That said, here's my review:

You don't have to have a programmer's understanding of computer technology to install and operate the program. The user interface is quite intuitive and the manual written very clearly. I had the basic functions of the program figured out in one session, enough to satisfy. It IS a rather deep program, however, and I am sure I will continue to be able to explore and enjoy it's features for some time to come.

Musically, you don't have to be a composer to use it. If you have a basic understanding of chord progressions and know where to place them, you are ready for this. I've not found a chord or chord variant known to music that BIAB cannot handle. It will even suggest alternatives in a number of ways to turn your three chord basic structure into something fresher.

I've used it now to create completely new songs, as well as to provide accompaniment to songs I'd already written on acoustic guitar. For the price, I don't think this would be a bad piece of software at all for a beginner just learning music. Indeed, the musical lessons and games bundled with the basic software are great tools in and of themselves for entry and intermediate-level musicians. The real meat of the program, however, seems more geared to those with a little experience at least.

Essentially, BIAB makes a 'band' of usually five pieces...drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, and strings...with options for creating more solo lines in it's soloist, melodist, and harmony functions. It does this from a 'style' you select from the many that come bundled with the operating software or others you can create or purchase as add-ons, and from the chords you input.

Since it's midi, key and tempo changes are easy and natural sounding. And since it can save songs as both BIAB project files and stereo midi files, using it in conjunction with computer-based softsynths or outboard midi-capable devices such as keyboards and synth modules, will give you royalty free arrangements with sounds much beyond your soundcard's GM or GM2 sounds.

The ability to score parts and print or save to graphic is a just one of the many features that will help communicate with others or learn parts you can play yourself. Midi files also travel easily over the internet to musical partners around the world. I've done it.

BIAB also accepts midi and audio input/recording into your project, so you are able to play along with the basic band...even sing along. You do need a basic understanding of computer recording to accomplish this, but the interface and help files/manual are more than adequate for a beginner.

I found no real glitches in a pretty thorough workout, although there are natually areas where I think it could be improved. Be aware that the main window for BIAB is quite large and not everything fits even on a 17" monitor, but floating and docking windows, programmable by the user, make almost every function no more than two or three clicks away.

I could rave on...but let me end by just saying I love this program. It's breathed fresh life into songwriting and has become a partner in creativity with me, much as my guitar has been for years. There is no level of user from a beginner to advanced musician who couldn't get something valuable from using it. My advice to those purchasing the program for or as a beginner is go with the basics...they are plenty and more than enough. For those with more experience, get one of the bundles advertised on thier website and you'll appreciate the much larger variety in styles BIAB is capable of emulating. I didn't, and wish I had.

Happy music making.