Convert MIDI Chords into AI Vocal Harmonies with ACE Studio and Band in A Box

In this informative video, the host demonstrates how to utilize two powerful AI tools, Band in a Box and ACE Studio, to create unique music compositions. The tutorial begins with an introduction to Band in a Box, a software that generates songs based on input chords and styles. The host then showcases the capabilities of ACE Studio, which adds professional AI vocals to any production. By combining these tools, the host guides viewers through the process of converting MIDI chords into AI vocal harmonies, offering a hands-on approach to music creation with AI. The video is an excellent resource for musicians looking to integrate AI into their creative workflow, providing a starting point for exploring the vast potential of AI in music composition.

Takeaways

• 🎼 The video demonstrates using Band in a Box and ACE Studio to create music with AI, allowing for the addition of lyrics, harmonies, and vocal changes.
• 🔄 Band in a Box is a music accompaniment generation program that can create songs in various styles based on input chords.
• 📈 The presenter has updated to the 2024 version of Band in a Box, which offers more advanced features and styles compared to the 2019 version.
• 🎤 ACE Studio is a tool that adds professional AI vocals to music productions, allowing users to generate lead vocals, harmonies, and backing vocals by typing in MIDI and lyrics.
• 📚 The video emphasizes the importance of understanding concepts that can be transferred across different tools, even if viewers don't use ACE Studio or Band in a Box.
• ⚙️ Band in a Box offers extensive control, allowing users to change instruments, keys, tempos, and add voices to the generated music.
• 🎶 The process involves generating a song with Band in a Box, then exporting the melody as a MIDI file and using ACE Studio to convert it into vocals with lyrics.
• 💰 Both Band in a Box and ACE Studio are paid tools, but they offer free trials for users to test their functionality.
• 🔉 The video showcases how to adjust and fine-tune vocals, including creating harmonies and using the 'create vocal doubles' feature in ACE Studio.
• 🎧 The final mix is demonstrated with the addition of a backing track and the potential for further enhancement in a digital audio workstation (DAW).
• 📈 The potential of AI in music creation is highlighted, showing how it can be a powerful tool for musicians and producers looking to integrate AI into their workflow.
• 🌐 The presenter encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content on creative uses of AI in various fields like music, art, and animation.

Q & A

What are the two tools discussed in the video for generating music with AI?

The two tools discussed in the video are Band in a Box and ACE Studio. Band in a Box is a music accompaniment generation program, while ACE Studio adds Pro AI vocals to any production.

What is the main functionality of Band in a Box?

Band in a Box is a music accompaniment generation program that allows users to type in chords and it will generate a song in any chosen style. It also offers advanced features such as changing instruments, keys, tempos, and adding voices.

How does ACE Studio assist in the production of vocals?

ACE Studio generates vocals from various Pro AI vocalists by typing in MIDI and lyrics, making it easier to produce lead vocals, harmonies, backing vocals, and choirs.

What is the significance of updating to the 2024 version of Band in a Box from the 2019 version?

The update to the 2024 version of Band in a Box allows for better integration with AI generation tools and offers more advanced functionalities and styles compared to the 2019 version.

What is the difference between MIDI and real tracks in Band in a Box?

MIDI tracks in Band in a Box are generated electronically and rely on a software or external synthesizer for sound, whereas real tracks are performances by real musicians on real instruments, providing a more authentic and higher quality sound.

How can users control the style and tempo of the generated music in Band in a Box?

Users can control the style and tempo of the generated music by choosing from a variety of styles and tempo settings within the program. They can also customize the instrumental stems and make adjustments to the key and tempo as desired.

What is the process of converting a melody into vocals using ACE Studio?

The process involves exporting the melody track as a MIDI file from Band in a Box, importing it into ACE Studio, and then assigning a voice to the MIDI data. After that, lyrics can be added to the melody, and the software will generate the vocals accordingly.

What are the costs associated with using ACE Studio and Band in a Box?

Both ACE Studio and Band in a Box are paid tools. ACE Studio offers a monthly subscription of $22 or an annual subscription of $12.42. Creating a custom voice in ACE Studio costs $279 per voice.

How does the video demonstrate the blending of Band in a Box and ACE Studio to create music?

The video demonstrates the process by first generating a song with Band in a Box, then exporting the melody and the rest of the song as separate files. These files are then imported into ACE Studio, where the melody is converted into vocals with added lyrics and harmonies.

What are the advantages of using real tracks over MIDI in Band in a Box?

Real tracks offer a more authentic and professional sound as they are performances by real musicians. They also provide a richer and more detailed audio output, which is beneficial for producing high-quality music.

How does the video presenter ensure the melody is suitable for conversion into vocals?

The presenter listens for a melody that is catchy and can be easily converted into a single voice. They also ensure that the melody does not have harmony initially, as they want to start with a single note melody for the conversion process.

What is the role of the 'Multi Picker' feature in Band in a Box?

The 'Multi Picker' feature allows users to choose various elements of the music beyond just the style, such as generating melodies, creating solos, changing tracks, generating tracks, loops, and drums, providing more control and customization over the music creation process.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Introduction to AI Music Generation with Band-in-a-Box and Ace Studio

The video begins with the host expressing excitement about showcasing AI-driven music creation using Band-in-a-Box and Ace Studio. The host has updated to the 2024 version of Band-in-a-Box, which is a sophisticated music accompaniment program capable of generating songs in various styles based on input chords. The host also introduces Ace Studio, which adds professional AI vocals to productions. The video promises to cover how to change lyrics, harmonies, and vocals, and how to blend these tools for unique music creation.

05:00

🎶 Exploring Real Tracks and Style Selection in Band-in-a-Box

The host delves into the features of Band-in-a-Box, focusing on its ability to generate real tracks with performances from real musicians, which significantly elevates the output quality. The host demonstrates how to filter and select styles and previews different styles using the program's interface. The host also discusses the program's capacity for detailed track control, allowing users to export individual instrumental stems for further editing and customization.

10:09

🎤 Generating a Song and Converting Melody to Vocals with Ace Studio

The host guides viewers through the process of generating a song from scratch using Band-in-a-Box, emphasizing the program's ability to create a song with a chosen melody and style. The host then outlines how to export the melody as a MIDI file and the rest of the song as a wave file. The MIDI file is subsequently imported into Ace Studio, where the host demonstrates how to assign vocals to the melody and adjust the project tempo to match the melody's BPM.

15:09

🔊 Adjusting Vocals and Adding Lyrics in Ace Studio

The host continues to work within Ace Studio, assigning a male voice to the melody track and adjusting the vocal output. The host experiments with different voices and demonstrates how to add lyrics to the melody, adjusting the phonetic spelling for better enunciation. The host also discusses the process of modifying the melody's pitch and rhythm to better fit the lyrics, emphasizing the need for attention to detail in the fitting of words to melody.

20:12

🎧 Creating Harmony and Layering Vocals in Ace Studio

The host explores Ace Studio's capabilities for creating harmony and layering vocals. By duplicating the main singer track and adding a female voice, the host shows how to raise the pitch and adjust the harmony manually. The host also takes advantage of the program's feature to create vocal doubles, adding depth to the vocals. The host discusses the meticulous process of editing individual notes for pitch and the addition of breaths and other vocal expressions.

25:12

🎼 Converting Audio Recordings into MIDI and Text with Ace Studio

The host demonstrates the process of recording an a cappella melody and converting it into MIDI notes and text within Ace Studio. After recording, the host uses the convert function to translate the sung lyrics and melody into digital information. The host then assigns a voice to the MIDI notes and makes minor corrections to the transcription. The video concludes with the host showing how to export the final product as an audio file and suggesting further enhancements in a digital audio workstation (DAW).

30:15

📚 Conclusion and Call to Action for Musicians Interested in AI

In the concluding paragraph, the host summarizes the creative potential of using AI in music production with Band-in-a-Box and Ace Studio. The host encourages serious musicians to consider these tools for integrating AI into their workflow and invites viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content on creative uses of AI in music, art, video, and animation. The host humorously adds that if viewers do not subscribe, they will be found and pursued, emphasizing the engaging nature of the content.

Keywords

💡MIDI

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol for communication between digital instruments. It's used to transmit information about music, such as pitch and rhythm, which is crucial for the process of converting chords into harmonies in the video. MIDI files are used as a bridge between the Band in a Box software and ACE Studio, where the melody is transformed into vocals.

💡AI Vocal Harmonies

AI Vocal Harmonies refer to the use of artificial intelligence to generate vocal harmonies. In the context of the video, AI is used to create harmonized vocals from a MIDI melody, adding a new layer of depth and richness to the music composition process.

💡Band in a Box

Band in a Box is a music accompaniment generation program that can create songs in various styles based on the chords input by the user. It's a tool that has been around for over 30 years and is central to the video's demonstration, showing how it can be used with AI to generate music with customizable elements.

💡ACE Studio

ACE Studio is a software that adds professional AI vocals to music productions. It allows users to generate vocals from MIDI and lyrics, facilitating the production of lead vocals, harmonies, backing vocals, and choirs. In the video, ACE Studio is used to convert a MIDI melody into a vocal harmony, showcasing its integration with Band in a Box.

💡Music Accompaniment Generation

Music Accompaniment Generation is the process of creating background music or additional instrumental parts to complement a主旋律 (main melody). The video discusses how Band in a Box excels at this by generating songs in various styles once the chords are inputted.

💡Real Tracks

Real Tracks in Band in a Box refer to recordings of actual musicians playing their instruments, as opposed to MIDI-generated tracks. This feature is highlighted in the video as it provides a more authentic and higher quality sound to the generated music, making it closer to professional studio recordings.

💡MIDI Chords

MIDI Chords are chord progressions represented in the MIDI format, which can be inputted into a software like Band in a Box to generate a full song. The video demonstrates the process of converting these MIDI chords into AI vocal harmonies using the two software tools mentioned.

💡Lyrics

Lyrics are the words of a song, typically sung by a vocalist. In the context of the video, lyrics are added to the generated melody within ACE Studio to create vocal harmonies. The process involves typing in lyrics that fit the rhythm and melody of the MIDI file.

💡Harmonies

Harmonies are the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a chord. In the video, the creation of harmonies is achieved by layering different vocal tracks and adjusting their pitch to complement the main melody, which is a key aspect of the AI vocal harmony generation process.

💡Voices

In the context of ACE Studio, 'Voices' refers to the virtual vocal instruments that can be used to produce sung melodies. The video shows how different 'Voices' can be assigned to a MIDI track to generate the sound of different singers, which is a fundamental part of creating AI vocals.

💡Exporting

Exporting in the video refers to the process of taking the generated song and vocals from Band in a Box and ACE Studio and saving them as audio files. This is the final step before the music can be further mixed, mastered, and shared. The video demonstrates exporting MIDI files, wave files, and the final audio mix.

Highlights

The video demonstrates how to use Band in a Box and ACE Studio to create music with AI, including changing lyrics, adding harmonies, and altering vocals.

Band in a Box is a music accompaniment generation program that can generate a song in any style based on typed-in chords.

ACE Studio adds Pro AI vocals to productions, allowing users to generate lead vocals, harmonies, backing vocals, and choirs from MIDI and lyrics.

The presenter has updated to the 2024 version of Band in a Box, which offers more advanced features and styles compared to the 2019 version.

Band in a Box can generate songs with real tracks, which are performances by real people on real instruments, for a more authentic sound.

Users have control over individual instrumental stems, allowing changes to instruments, key, tempo, and the addition of voices post-generation.

The video showcases the process of generating a song in a chosen style and then converting the melody into lyrics and voices using ACE Studio.

ACE Studio provides a high level of control, allowing users to edit individual notes and create vocal harmonies and layers.

The presenter discusses the pricing models for ACE Studio, which offers a monthly subscription and an annual cost-effective option.

ACE Studio allows for the creation of vocal harmonies and the adjustment of pitch and volume to fine-tune the vocal output.

The process of converting a melody to vocals involves assigning a voice, adding lyrics, and then rendering the voice to match the melody.

Users can export their creations from Band in a Box as MIDI files for the melody and as WAV or MP3 files for the instrumental background.

The video demonstrates the technical ability of both programs to work together, providing a starting point for musicians to integrate AI into their workflow.

The presenter emphasizes the potential of these tools for serious musicians looking to enhance their creative process without legal concerns.

Both Band in a Box and ACE Studio are paid tools, with ACE Studio offering a two-week free trial for new users.

The video concludes with a demonstration of exporting the final audio and applying effects such as reverb for a polished sound.

The presenter invites viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content on creative uses of AI in music and other mediums.