Watch my workflow as I start a new song in BIAB 2024. Can I get a consistent finger picking guitar to sound like my original vision?
Songwriting punctuates our lives. It is alchemy, turning pain into gold. Songs choose their composers when they enter the world. I try to remain open and ready.
I'm learning along with you guys. Let me know if you can shortcut my workflow.
Songwriting punctuates our lives. It is alchemy, turning pain into gold. Songs choose their composers when they enter the world. I try to remain open and ready.
Yep.... I didn't watch the entire video but you can add chords on the quarter notes in the same way you add chords to the bar.... Simply press the ENTER and it move to the second half of the measure.... just enter the two chords with a comma in between. >>>>> C,D <<<<< That's a lot faster than opening a window, doing the input, and closing the window.
Use copy and paste to replicate the repeated sections. However, since the tracks are real tracks you can't copy and paste it in BB like you wanted to do. I like to take my tracks and export them to Sonar..... or any DAW will actually be the same. Set your tempo and then you can easily edit the audio with copy and paste. I will often pull fills that I like from other sections of the song and copy/paste them into the part I want.
I often find it difficult or in many cases impossible to replicate a certain finger-picked part or the rhythm of an acoustic guitar for a song. In that case I have two options..... change the song to accept whatever BB is able to deliver, which is often not what I was looking for ....OR.... play the part myself and record it into the DAW as an audio track.
Unlike you, I always do all of my editing in my DAW. There's nothing wrong with how you are doing it. I just do it differently. It's interesting to see others doing it differently.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
One good way to do this is to record your fingerpicking that you want and save it as a loop. Most DAW programs allow this you can save as a acidized loop so it has information included. Then in BiaB i would open a utility track and add the loop then set my chords so BiaB would play the loop over those chords.
Here is the directions for this in RB
Render - Export Acid Loop
Now you can render an audio track (a highlighted section or the whole track) as ACID Loop and save it to the Loops folder. Select a track or a section of the track and go to menu Render | Export ACID Loop - Highlighted section or entire track to WAV in Loops Folder. This will open the Export Section of Current Track to Wave File dialog.
Select a file name and press the [Save] button. When the track is successfully rendered to a .WAV file, a flash message will display and the Acidize this .WAV file dialog will open. When you press [OK], RealBand will write the Acid info into the .WAV file.
Once you do this you can then add the loop to the song in BiaB as follows
Select Loops
You can add your own or third-party loops to any track. Loops are audio files (WAV, wma, m4a, mp4, mp3) that reside in the Loops folder of the RealTracks folder. You can add your own files to this folder.
Loops support many types of ACIDized Loops (for WAV and MP3 files). And, if you add an Acid loop that is on a certain root (e.g., F), Band-in-a-Box will instantly allow you to use that as a complete style, by transposing that loop to the current chord of the song in Band-in-a-Box, so that the loop follows your chord progression.
Click on the [Loops] toolbar button to open the Pick a Loop dialog. You can also right-click on a track at the top of the screen and choose the menu item Select a Loop for this track. Pressing the R L Enter keys also opens the dialog.
[Tip: You can also use the MultiPicker Library floating window, which allows you to select any type of tracks, not just the Loops, to generate a whole or partial track. It has many useful functions for filters, audio demos, searching, and more. You can open it with the F7 or M Enter keys.]
Double-click on the list or use a transport control button at the top of the dialog to preview the loop. The instant preview sometimes plays demos from the internet. You can save any file that is being played from the internet by clicking the folder icon. You can control the volume of the demos with the speaker icon.
Double-click on the list or use a transport control button to preview the loop. The instant preview sometimes plays demos from the internet. You can save any file that is being played from the internet by clicking the folder icon.
You can control the volume of the demos with the speaker icon in the transport control.
Normally, the loop will retrigger when it ends, but it can be retriggered at certain points using the Also retrigger WAV every option.
For a nature sound, there is no tempo, and you don’t want to select Stretch Tempo. For a Drums loop, you want to stretch the tempo. Once you select Stretch Tempo enter the tempo of the WAV file (if known), and if not known, enter the # of beats in the wav file. For example, 2 bars would be 8 beats.
For a nature sound, you don’t want any transposition. For a melodic sound, you might want to transpose to the root of the chord in the Band-in-a-Box song. If so, enter the root of the WAV file, and set the Transpose type to chord root.
The Timebase option allows you to select a timebase (normal, half-time, double-time, or triple-time) for any Loop.
If you want a different sound for the “b” substyle, enter that WAV file name in the ‘b’ substyle loop setting.
The [Open Folder] button opens your Loops folder and allows you to add audio files (loops) to it. If you add files, you need to press the [Refresh] button, or exit the dialog and re-enter it to refresh the list.
There are many good sources for loops and sounds on the Internet. One is freesound.org, which has many sound effects. The [Get Sounds] button launches your internet browser to search for free loops.
(Technical Note: The settings that you make to the WAV files are stored in .bt6 files in the Loops folder. If you don’t make any settings, then default settings are used, which would be a "nature sound" type of loop, that wouldn’t be transposed or tempo stretched.)
Click on the [Rename] button to give a loop a new name.
Click on the [Clone] button to duplicate a loop. You can then use it with different parameters.
Hotkeys:
Alt+T for Settings for Track
Alt+F for Filter String
Alt+A for Show All
Alt+N for No Loop
Alt+I for Audition
Alt+M for Rename
Alt+E for Clone
Alt+R for Stretch Tempo
Alt+P for Transpose
Alt+Y for 'b' substyle Loop
Alt+ B for Choose 'b' Loop
Alt+' for Clear 'b' Loop
Alt+L for Open Folder
Alt+S for Refresh
Alt+G for Get Sounds
Alt+O for OK
Alt+C for Cancel
Alt+H for Help
Tutorial Demo Songs - Loops
To see the Loops feature in action, open this folder: C:\bb\Documentation\Tutorials\Tutorial - BB2012 and open one of these files:
_ELECTAM Demo ('Loop' feature with tambourine percussion added).SGU
=THUNDER Demo (New Age style with Thunder Loop).MGU
In the first example, a percussion loop has been added to a rock song, in the second example, a rain & thunder sound effects loop has been added to a new age style.
When you play these songs, press the [Memo] button on the toolbar to read about the feature and the demo song.
[Tip: Loops can be combined with RealDrums, drum/percussion instruments, UserTracks drums, and even RealTracks, on the Drums track. To do this, open the Crate Multi-Drums dialog by right-clicking on the Drums track button and selecting Multi-Drums | Edit Multi-Drums for this song.]
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
Such a detailed deep dive, It's going to take me some time to absorb it all. Thank you for taking the time to share the information. I will take the time to work through your tips and advice.
Regards Brian
Songwriting punctuates our lives. It is alchemy, turning pain into gold. Songs choose their composers when they enter the world. I try to remain open and ready.
I think I will be using my DAW more into the future. I do love to have a completed arrangement in BIAB before I export it. Like you say, different strokes and all that.
Thanks for watching, commenting and advising.
Regards Brian.
Songwriting punctuates our lives. It is alchemy, turning pain into gold. Songs choose their composers when they enter the world. I try to remain open and ready.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
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®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
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!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
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.
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!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 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 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean