Bandlab FREE SongStarter tool ( Also do you use Bandlab DAW? If not, why not? )

[aidan o driscoll]

Forget all your Chordjam, Playbeat, Insta composer plugins  .. now we have our very own FREE song starter tool at the bandlab site online

https://www.bandlab.com/songstarter

https://blog.bandlab.com/introducing-songstarter/

So you can access it from above ( logged in ) OR via your Bandlab account feed when logged in and right of bandlab logo up top is the circle with 4 dots icon that shows the "apps" inside Bandlab that you can use.

So open SongStarter, go Random, keep doing so until you hear a tune you like then click OPEN IN STUDIO which will open the online DAW with your new song starter project tune. At this point you can noodle with it there OR select the tracks and right click / export region as a Midi File or Wav file .. then open same in cakewalk and create further, change the instruments etc. THATS IT, enjoy!

Aside from EXPORTING from inside the Cloud Daw - Its even easier. When you have your song starter idea done and saved in the online daw, open CW, go to file menu and then BROWSE BANDLAB PROJECTS. Select your new song starter track and it will load directly into CW as a new MIDI project, no need to export from the online DAW.

If using another DAW you simply save the midi track in CW and open in Reaper or Ableton etc

 

@Robert McClellan posted about this over at the tutorials section along with a quick tute/review vid on this, but I thought it might be better in Deals as it is a deal of sorts & ITS FREE

https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/43695-new-bandlab-songstarter/

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by aidan o driscoll

[Brian Walton]

This is a pretty awesome concept and I was surprised with a couple clicks/attempts it output some decent nest egg ideas that I could see someone actually using.   It would be great to have a local version of this that then integrates seamlessly with Cakewalk instead of the Web-based version and give it a focus on MIDI output, etc.

Edited April 7, 2022 by Brian Walton

[Syphus]

5 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

 It would be great to have a local version of this that then integrates seamlessly with Cakewalk instead of the Web-based version and give it a focus on MIDI output, etc.

I think that by having it available from the Web,  it is a lot easier for them to keep the tool (sound, rhythms etc) up to date without the users having to reinstall all the time when changes are made.  This also bypasses the need to worry what operating system the user has on their computer.

Just a thought.

Syphus

[aidan o driscoll]

22 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

This is a pretty awesome concept and I was surprised with a couple clicks/attempts it output some decent nest egg ideas that I could see someone actually using.   It would be great to have a local version of this that then integrates seamlessly with Cakewalk instead of the Web-based version and give it a focus on MIDI output, etc.

I should have thought of this. Its even easier. When you have your song starter idea done and saved in the online daw, open CW, go to file menu and then BROWSE BANDLAB PROJECTS. Select your new song starter track and it will load directly into CW as a new MIDI project, no need to export from the online DAW.

If using another DAW you simply save the midi track in CW and open in Reaper or Ableton etc

 

[aidan o driscoll]

Would I be right in saying not too many of us CW users of old DO NOT use Bandlab Cloud DAW that much? And why is that if it is so I wonder? 

I will confess I have sinned in this regard but this new Song Starter tool has got me using it more in the last few days. The integration with CW is excellent also and I am just collabing with the band Keyboard player via the Cloud DAW by simply clicking INVITE and choosing his name ( he also a member ). It really is a great way to get over the cross platform thing, kbrd player is mac only 

[mibby]

This all sounds really interesting, and if nothing else, very fun to play with and an excellent tool for collaborations.  Lots of possibilities.   Thanks for pointing this out!  👍

PS. To you, do you use Bandlab DAW.  No because I am all-in on Studio One now.  I've thought about installing it many times, but then it's always, "why do I need another DAW"?  This just might push me over the edge...  I'm looking forward to playing around with it.

Good one Bandlab!

Edited April 8, 2022 by mibby

[aidan o driscoll]

22 minutes ago, mibby said:

This all sounds really interesting, and if nothing else, very fun to play with and an excellent tool for collaborations.  Lots of possibilities.   Thanks for pointing this out!  👍

I think its a bit more than fun TBH, the workflow is really useful, even more so when you chuck in the collaboration aspect also in the online DAW with other band members or other musicians ( they do not need to have CW ). Work with the song starter tool in the online Bandlab DAW. Here is one I did earlier:

BL-80s1.mp3

Then go to your CW and via the FILE menu / Browse Bandlab projects and load the same track up locally in your CW. Then change the instruments with your own VSTis. Here is that track above using NI Studio Drummer ( Kontakt ) + Cherry Audio Mercury 4:

BL-80s1_CW.mp3

 

  

Edited April 8, 2022 by aidan o driscoll

[Brian Walton]

3 minutes ago, aidan o driscoll said:

I have to stress this again. Work with the song starter tool in the online Bandlab DAW. Here is one I did earlier:

BL-80s1.mp3 836.78 kB · 1 download

Then go to your CW and via the FILE menu / Browse Bandlab projects and load the same track up locally in your CW. Then change the instruments with your own VSTis. Here is that track above using NI Session Drummer + Cherry Audio Mercury 4:

BL-80s1_CW.mp3 166.53 kB · 0 downloads

 

  

Very nice!

[aidan o driscoll]

11 minutes ago, aidan o driscoll said:

I think its a bit more than fun TBH, the workflow is really useful, even more so when you chuck in the collaboration aspect also in the online DAW with other band members or other musicians ( they do not need to have CW ). Work with the song starter tool in the online Bandlab DAW. Here is one I did earlier:

BL-80s1.mp3 836.78 kB · 2 downloads

Then go to your CW and via the FILE menu / Browse Bandlab projects and load the same track up locally in your CW. Then change the instruments with your own VSTis. Here is that track above using NI Studio Drummer ( Kontakt ) + Cherry Audio Mercury 4:

BL-80s1_CW.mp3 166.53 kB · 1 download

 

This is the track above in the Bandlab DAW ( I renamed it as BL-80s1 from the whale name  

Notice top right is the INVITE Button. If your other band members or other muso's you work with also have a FREE Account with BL, you can invite them to collaborate with you on the track. No issues with cross platform as it is all in the browser.

Double clicking a track clip opens up the midi window for that clip

BTW nothing stopping you from going the other way either - From CW project up into the BL Cloud Daw via midi OR wav

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by aidan o driscoll

[Tim Smith]

Thanks for this info. I'll have to give it a shot. Other than the collaboration aspects, how is this much different than playing with ideas in my main DAW? 

Why haven't I used Bandlab? For me overall it's probably the lack of functionality as compared to most resident DAWS. I seen Bandlab as more of a collaboration tool with basic functions. When you start forking things, you could completely loose the original idea for the material. That might be good for some. Not so good for others.

 

 

[Brian Walton]

2 minutes ago, Tim Smith said:

Thanks for this info. I'll have to give it a shot. Other than the collaboration aspects, how is this much different than playing with ideas in my main DAW? 

Why haven't I used Bandlab? For me overall it's probably the lack of functionality as compared to most resident DAWS. I seen Bandlab as more of a collaboration tool with basic functions. When you start forking things, you could completely loose the original idea for the material. That might be good for some. Not so good for others.

 

 

Depends on the DAW you use.

Cakewalk obviusly hasn't had a random generate a musical idea for you.  And outside of plugins that do this, I don't think I've seen it in other DAWs either, but I also haven't kept up with the latest developments across all DAWs.

[aidan o driscoll]

7 minutes ago, Tim Smith said:

Thanks for this info. I'll have to give it a shot. Other than the collaboration aspects, how is this much different than playing with ideas in my main DAW? 

Why haven't I used Bandlab? For me overall it's probably the lack of functionality as compared to most resident DAWS. I seen Bandlab as more of a collaboration tool with basic functions. When you start forking things, you could completely loose the original idea for the material. That might be good for some. Not so good for others.

Well, it depends in the way you look at it. As a basic tool and now with the song starter feature its a great ideas machine which you can use on the go anywhere via laptop, table, phone etc. Then when back home and for serious work load the idea into your local CW and have at it. 

In my view its not so small on the functionality either if you dig into it. All the basics are there and sometimes less is more, less clutter to get side tracked with. As you saw in my example above I turned the original idea track in the BL Daw into an 80s type thing in CW  

As I said you can go both ways BL -> CW and CW -> BL ..

Edited April 8, 2022 by aidan o driscoll

[Tim Smith]

19 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

Depends on the DAW you use.

Cakewalk obviusly hasn't had a random generate a musical idea for you.  And outside of plugins that do this, I don't think I've seen it in other DAWs either, but I also haven't kept up with the latest developments across all DAWs.

Good point @Brian Walton

I guess if I needed or wanted ideas it might make a nice way to go about getting them. I have played with Captain Chords and Scaler. I don't think this approach fits me. Still, I am going to give this a try. In Cubase I can highlight a midi section and have it play alternate chord idea based on what I played which I guess is similar.

This idea sounds similar to Biab? Or maybe using an AI profile and input a chord progression to get something.

23 minutes ago, aidan o driscoll said:

Well, it depends in the way you look at it. As a basic tool and now with the song starter feature its a great ideas machine which you can use on the go anywhere via laptop, table, phone etc. Then when back home and for serious work load the idea into your local CW and have at it. 

In my view its not so small on the functionality either if you dig into it. All the basics are there and sometimes less is more, less clutter to get side tracked with. As you saw in my example above I turned the original idea track in the BL Daw into an 80s type thing in CW  

As I said you can go both ways BL -> CW and CW -> BL ..

As I said I will surely try it out and I appreciate the info. I don't tend to like any 'help' in creating what I make. I sometimes make music arrangements around existing tunes that are not under copyright, but most often make original music. 

I like the portable aspect of it though.

Thanks!

[aidan o driscoll]

@Tim Smith This song starter feature is just a feature and is optional for you to use or not. In your case " the portable aspect" is the thing. When looking at it try see it differently .. to try and fit into your workflow. Ways of looking might even be an ideal way to backup tracks that can be looked at or even added to at a whim while out and about, no one knows where the muse will come  .. this allows that. Headphones on, in a pub, after a few and being able to listen and maybe even able to add new ideas to a track you were stuck on. 

 

 

[Last Call]

I don't use it coz it doesn't support 4k resolutions, meaning if I use it, it looks blurred (or so I remember).

But judging by pics on 1080 * 1920 resolution, looks pretty.

Oh!

Does it Work on Silicon Macs?
I changed from WindoWs to Mac When the first M1 Was released.
Never going back X)

Edited April 8, 2022 by Last Call

[aidan o driscoll]

9 minutes ago, Last Call said:

I don't use it coz it doesn't support 4k resolutions, meaning if I use it, it looks blurred (or so I remember).

But judging by pics on 1080 * 1920 resolution, looks pretty.

Oh!

Does it Work on Silicon Macs?
I changed from WindoWs to Mac When the first M1 Was released.
Never going back X)

Its in your browser whatever browser you use regardless of platform. 

[Heath Row]

5 hours ago, mibby said:

PS. To you, do you use Bandlab DAW.  No because I am all-in on Studio One now.  I've thought about installing it many times . . .

Ditto here, except I've never thought about Re-installing it once since I left. I jumped ship to Studio One in 2015, never looked back.

I'm just here for the 'Deals' Sub Forum.

Edited April 8, 2022 by Heath Row
hear - here

[Last Call]

3 hours ago, aidan o driscoll said:

Its in your browser whatever browser you use regardless of platform. 

Oh! For some reason when they said Bandlab DAW I thought of Cakewalk.

Never seen the Bandlab DAW X), and if it´s a browser DAW, well, no thanks, but thanks!

[aidan o driscoll]

16 hours ago, Last Call said:

Oh! For some reason when they said Bandlab DAW I thought of Cakewalk.

Never seen the Bandlab DAW X), and if it´s a browser DAW, well, no thanks, but thanks!

Its a browser DAW which is also integrated into Cakewalk itself as an option in the file menu to down/upload projects and also collaborate with others who dont have CW via the cloud Daw. Its FREE for all to use. 

As a member of a band whos members are in different countries and on different platforms it is an ideal solution for creativity and passing projects back and forth. Also music and the cloud came into its own during the isolation times in the pandemic.

In fact look at Pink Floyd reformed last week or so with a new single with Ukrainian Singer who is fighting on the frontline. He did acapella version of a track he had from Kyiv using TikTok I think. Floyd then took this and did the music under it + video

Get with the program  .. cloud is the way forward for music and collaboration ..

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by aidan o driscoll

[paulo]

Every time that I've ever ventured across to the Bandlab side of things it felt like trying to understand the workings of the teenage mind.......confusing and pointless because even they don't really understand, they just enjoy the idea that some supposedly rational humans will drive themselves crazy trying to figure it all out so that they can be "cool". Which means that I have no good explanation as to why I even bothered to investigate this and for this I feel slightly ashamed. It's not like I can even claim that I was having a bad day, because as days go it was actually going quite well.....

Anyway, having tried to step out of my comfort zone, or whatever reason it was that I persuaded myself to try this all I can say is that if I was so devoid of ideas that any of the five or so that it came up seemed to be quite viable, then the only help that would actually be would be to serve as confirmation that it really was time for me to find some other way to spend my spare time.