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Add-ons and UserTracks for Band-in-a-Box
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 225
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 225 |
Hi guys, I searched the forum but I couldn't really find anything that could help me. Maybe I missed it, not sure. I apologize in advance if the answers are already there, somewhere. It's a big forum  Anyway, the question is the following: does anybody know exactly what the options in the UserTracks Development Settings page are for? I looked in the help / manual and frankly things are not very clear, at least to me. More specifically I'm asking about: 1. Don’t start a new Riff on this barThe manual says: "prevents the current bar from being used as the start of a new riff. This is useful if the bar has sustained notes carried over from the previous bar and no new attack of a note". I get it, but ... what is a "Riff" in this context? If a "Riff" is not clearly defined, I can't understand how to use this option. 2. Don’t End a Riff at the start of this bar Again, the problem is "what is a Riff"? 3. Only Play this for a fillThe manual states: "sets the current bar as a fill, which will only be played where the user’s song is also a fill" Again, my question is: what is a "Fill" in this context? 4. Odd/Even must match The manual states: "sets the current bar to play in the user’s song only if the odd/even status (bars after a part marker) matches the user’s song" What is the "odd/even status" in this context? Thank you in advance to anybody willing to help!!! Jon
Last edited by Jon Thomas; 12/21/17 12:36 AM.
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Add-ons and UserTracks for Band-in-a-Box
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,089
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,089 |
Hi Jon, You are correct that selections on the UserTracks Development Screen are not documented. Peter Gannon is aware of this deficiency and said it will be corrected +++ HERE +++ . Thanks for posting a reminder.
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Add-ons and UserTracks for Band-in-a-Box
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 225
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 225 |
Thank you Jim!! So let's wait and see
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Add-ons and UserTracks for Band-in-a-Box
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 225
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 225 |
Ok, I did some experiments, to see if I could infer empirically what these options mean. (please notice: I'll call a "UT-bar" a bar in your UT template, and a "SONG-bar" a bar in your song to be played back using your UT). I wanted to test the following hypotheses: 1. a "Riff" (as mentioned in the UT development settings) is a SONG-bar where a chord is present. So, a "non-riff" is a SONG-bar without a chord (in other words, a SONG-bar in which the chord indicated in previous bars is played back by BIAB) 2A. a "fill" (as mentioned in the UT development settings) is a SONG-bar that precedes a change of chords OR, INSTEAD: 2B. a "fill" is a SONG-bar that precedes a change of substyle (from A to B, or from B to A). So, I did some testing to see if the following two settings worked according to the hypotheses above. The settings are: - Don’t start a new Riff on this bar and - Only Play this for a fill I found that: - it seems that hypothesis 1 might be true or very close to the truth. In other words, if you set "Don't start a new Riff on this bar" on some UT-bars in your UT template, those UT-bars are only played back in a SONG-bars when there's no chord indicated. If this is confirmed to be the actual function of this setting, this is very useful, for example for performances with a legato between UT-bars. - I am more uncertain about the "fill". It seems that hypothesis 2B is closer to the truth. But, be warned, I found exceptions. Anyway, if 2B is true or close to be true, that means that if you set "Only Play this for a fill" on some UT-bars, then BIAB will play back those UT-bars "mostly" on SONG-bars that precede a change of substyle. So, while I found that this is true, HOWEVER, I also found that BIAB plays back those UT-bars in other SONG-bars as well (that is, in SONG-bars that don't precede a change of substyle). And that threw me off, because the setting says "ONLY play ...". So this means that the actual rule must be somewhat different. Or maybe the setting doesn't work properly, I don't know. Regardless, even with this ambiguity, this is still a useful setting, because you can (almost) be sure that SONG-bars that precede substyle changes will be played by specific UT-bars of your choice. Anyway, this is what I discovered so far. Be warned, I could very well be totally wrong, I could have made mistakes etc etc etc. I am not sure of anything at all Also, I have no idea about what happens when 2 or more chords are present in the SONG-bar (or in the UT-bar). Hope this helps those of you working with UTs. If PG Music wants to pitch in ...
Last edited by Jon Thomas; 12/22/17 08:46 AM.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
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