Okay, first some ideas. MIDI is a universal music standard managed by +++MIDI.ORG +++ that allows musical ideas, such as a song project, to be shared as data, not audio, in a small file. These files typically end with the suffix .MID. Digital Audio Workstations, or DAW, such as PowerTracks Pro for example creates project files (.SEQ in this example) that can contain audio, MIDI data and DAW specific song project information.
One problem is some way is needed for the same instrument sound to play on every machine when a .MID file is played on different machines. Problem two is some way is needed for multiple instrument sounds to play on every machine when a .MID file is played on different machines.
The MIDI standard created an instrument list that assigns a number to each instrument. That list is called General MIDI or GM. PG Music uses this list and it is available +++ HERE +++. That is why you see numbers beside the name of MIDI instrument.
There are more instrument name assignment lists. Yamaha has the XG list, Roland has the GS llist and MIDI.org has the GM level 2, or GM2, list. There are more lists. You can compare the different lists +++ HERE +++. But, be aware that the overwhelming majority of midi files available on the internet use the GM list.
So, that is why a piano sounds like a piano when you play a .MID file on your phone, in PowerTracks Pro or on many consumer electronic keyboards.
Now for the second problem. How do we separate piano data from bass data, from drum data and so on? The MIDI standard identifies the data for each instrument with a channel number of 1 to 16. PowerTracks Pro matches the channels to a track.
You can see what I'm saying in the RealBand screen shot I've included.
Last edited by Jim Fogle; 10/26/2406:27 PM. Reason: RealBand screen shot used because I don't have PowerTracks Pro Audio
brilliant explanation. kudos. this should be a FAQ sticky imho.
Craig.
there are lots of tutorials on the net re midi includeing you tube. in addition there are lots of 'midi tricks' that can be used. to name one...for example how to create a drum solo without the laborious task of manual entry.
ive done this yesterday as one example of thousands of midi tracks ive done in rb. in this case an orchestral midi track. 1..genned a midi track in rb. 2..inserted a free instrument plugin vsti on the track. 3..selected a orchestral instrument from the loads available eg violin or whatever. and away i go.
the beauty of midi is on any pc clunky or power monster its fast.
theres lots of tricks re creating midi tracks.
to save me more typing... see my various tips in pg tips forum includeing some free instrument plugins and links to more plugins. software instruments is a vast topic with lots of free and paid suppliers. also check out synthfont and synthmaster and sforzando included with many pg packages.
happiness.
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 10/26/2404:59 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
yes Right click a track and select Port .. you have 16 physical to choose from & 32 for soft synth (MIDI). Audio track port counts depend on connected audio devices available.
Last edited by rharv; 10/28/2411:02 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Hi, rharv I wanted to get back to you. I know about the midi ports and the audio ports. I was wanting to use two midi ports simultaneously to layer some sounds as I played live. Other than that, I use Pt. pretty much for everything I do. It has been stable with my new pc, not using much CPU. I've done some live sessions, recording multiple tracks and PT. did a good job. I find myself always going back to Pt. because it has been the easiest daw for me. I actually put out a CD back in 2005, using pt and the on board soundcard. Recorded a lot jam session when I was using two delta 1010lts, that worked great with win xp. I've now been using a Roland studio capture for several years. I found another on reverb for a good price. Two of those could be used to get 32 channels. I haven't had any issues with the one and have hear people having success using two at a time. I don't think I would have any issues with pt running two machines. By the way, I'm using windows 11 with internet off when recording. I have cakewalk and I use the tts instrument for midi sounds not too bad, but I may go back to my hardware synths, triton 76le and a 61le. I'm a guitarist but I like the sounds of those keyboards. I can play guitar, bass, and drum parts, but I have to grab the transpose button when it comes to keyboard. I can play pretty much anything in Db C#, but other than that, I have gotten lazy.
MIDI splitters are easy to find ... one controller splits to multiple sound sources .. Inside PT, I guess you could copy the track and send each track to different ports.
/it bummed me out when they stopped supporting the old PCI and the Deltas had to go //same thing happened with my RAP-10 card WAY back in the day. I kept an old W95 machine alive for a few years longer than necessary just to have access to it
Last edited by rharv; 10/30/2403:53 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
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No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 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 22 requires the 2026 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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 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 22 requires the 2026 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.
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.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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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!
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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.
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