Yeah I can vouch for RapidComposer! I have the full version and it is nothing short of amazing! Regular updates and a developer that is active in the forums and addresses all issues and most requests quickly! Very refreshing tool and dev!
anyone one can download the Beta versions at anytime, give feedback and request features.
RapidComposer Development Road Map Last updated 2016-11-12 FYI. NOTHING YOU READ HERE IS SET IN STONE. FEATURES CAN BE CHANGED, ADDED OR CANCELLED AT ANY TIME.
These features will be added in the coming months (years )
v3.2 (January 2017)
Improved phrase editor with timeline and playback position Drum maps, editing percussion, drum phrases New melody generator
v3.3 (April 2017)
Chord palette rewrite, circle of fifth, chord builder and other options Borrowed chords Chord progressions may contain chord lengths and scale Allow chord entry from MIDI keyboard everywhere Move progression editing into chord palette, remove Progression Editor tab
v3.4 and later
Scale and chord finder tool built in the scale and chord browsers Sharing custom phrases and using other users' shared phrases integrated into the phrase browser Phrases may contains MIDI controllers and pitch bending (editable in the phrase editor) New phrase generators (harp glissando, piano left hand pattern generator) New interactive melody generator Melody analysis from MIDI tracks, melody rules MIDI file browser showing detailed file info Lyrics track Audio import and display improvements Tracks may have own guide/master track MIDI controllers could be assigned to sliders on the UI Modulation Acoustic guitar chord shown on master track Editable acoustic guitar chords Project management Tunings UI scaling MIDI mapping phrases MIDI learn - use MIDI controllers for various sliders and operations Support for VST plug-ins for audio effects AU plug-in version for OS X
I am in love with (RC) RapidComposer LE. It has so many options that it was confusing (repeat confusing) at the beginning, I couldn't figure out how to use it. I watched all the tutorials on YouTube "many" times before it sunk in. I play instrumental music (on guitar - can't sing). Maybe I'll get back into writing songs again.
The manual is broken into chapters (PDF). However the hot keys in the tutorials are all outdated. But you can export the RC's Hot Keys into text and use a Word s/w to convert it into a PDF.
Still in the learning stage, and haven't tried to use it with BIAB. I have all of Pipeline's tip(s) which I'll get to later.
It's on sale and I would encourage you to give it a try. Do watch the videos, the Chapters are good (minus the Hot Keys).
Looking forward to the next BIAB.
Have a good day.
DE
Win 10, 64 bit, love my Lenovo T420, BIAB 2019 (613), RB 2019 (2)
I just about gave up on it when I first tried it but I soon learned the basics then I found out what it can do. It's good you can assign any shortcut key. You can go in the v3 Beta Feedback And Discussion (Bugs, Features, Suggestions) give feedback and suggest features. You can try the Betas just change your download link. /rapidcomposerinstallerx64betav3.php /rapidcomposerinstallerbetav3.php
RapidComposer is complex and the interface, while more modern than BIAB, is still quite quirky in my opinion. I was lost until I discovered the videos but honestly I don't find them to be that good because the guy who does them just clicks things and doesn't usually explain (or even know) why things work like they do. I found myself skipping over much of his commentary because I found it annoying!
But there are certainly things about RC that are great! The patterns and chord progression library are amazing. The prompts for what chord comes next is great. I believe that idea generator could be useful but so far I have not gotten anything good out of it.
It is a complex tool but one I am very glad to have in my toolkit!!! (I hope Pipeline keeps writing tutorials as I wanna use it more with BIAB!)
I agree Chris (who latched onto RC from the start) is not very good but it's really all there is. Which may explain why I had to view all of them many times. I searched on YouTube and found one guy who's done a few but doesn't speak, just uses Text prompts. He replied that his voice is worst than his text.
RC really needs to create updated vids and manual. Hope it's really soon.
Next step is BIAB & RC.
DE
Win 10, 64 bit, love my Lenovo T420, BIAB 2019 (613), RB 2019 (2)
Humor: I think he lives on YouTube, replied instantly to all my comments to about a dozen videos.
You need to scroll down a fair ways to get to RC section.
PS: says he'll slow down his actions on RC.
DE
Thanks for sharing this! Nice to have more options to learn about RC. I only watched one video so far (Chord Progressions) and seems like he repeats the actions a lot! I guess that's what the scrubber is for!
Can someone explain exactly what RC does? And what does it have to do with Biab?
I'm getting the impression this is something I might like but I also checked out a few of the vids and they told me nothing. I'm a musician and I need a musical example. Something like here is a song I did in Biab (put it on Soundcloud or wherever) and here's what I did with it in RC (also put it up somewhere).
Thanks JJJ. The phrases look like something similar to the midi phrases Biab generates or the Supertracks but with immediate control over them. Cool. It also means the same thing midi means with Biab. You need a good synth for the audio or those midi phrases will still sound like cheap crap.
The chords part looks pretty cool too. It looks like there is a lot of control there including selecting standard chord progressions and I guess RC will simply populate the song with them? That can save some time over manually entering chords in Biab although there are plenty of Biab demo songs using all those progressions too. I've started with those for the same reason, saving time from manually entering the chords.
I see what Pipeline is doing now, he's managed to link (or partially link) Biab and RC together. That sounds pretty cool too.
One question, what does it do for midi drum tracks?
I can't listen to the audio examples right now but I will check some out later.
BIAB – 2025, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud (Tip: No need to create a SC account to hear music - just hit ESC ).
You just need to import the BB Output Chords from Biab to get the same chord track and tempo map in each.
If you'd like to insert chord change on 1/8 or 1/16 or on any snapped positions, you can do that, if you enable "Use Snap For Chord Positions" in settings.
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
Playable RealTracks Set 4
RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
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