I mostly use The Drummer in Logic Pro, or either EZ Drummer. Tried to use BB to build a drum track and didn't fare well at all, the navigation of the styles is a pain, as well as making any modifications to the track, to change fills, etc etc.
Too bad, because these Realdrums sound killer, and certainly are superior in sound to the aforementioned programs. But for speed, BB totally loses out. It only really work for a very short backing, if you do anything more involved, for example an instrumental track of several minutes, it takes too much fiddling because it's difficult to make modifications.
On rare occasions, I get lucky and get a really good sounding drum track to use with my other tracks in Logic. But it only happens when little to no mods are necessary, which is rare.
I keep dreaming of the day when I'll be able to use BB for all my tracks except my own recorded performances. Got a mountain of tracks to record, solid ideas accumulated over years. As it is, I have to record them without BB and use that mainly just to try an arrangement quickly, but not to record the tracks with.
I keep hoping, PG Music....certainly BB has a ton of potential. I just wish I could involve this software a lot more in my recorded tracks, than I do.
Last edited by ghgtu7yrtfg6e67u; 03/16/2605:06 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.)
I have tried most of the things mentioned before, including cutting and pasting in the DAW. Yeah, who wouldn't think of that. None of that eliminates the fiddling, the simple fact is that one cannot easily modify the realdrum track without doing a lot of work. For example a particular fill might not fit in well, so you need to make it shorter or longer, and that's not the only problem , for the fill might be inappropriate even if the right length. There isn't an easy way of trying different fills. I have the previous update with the function that regenerates only that realtrack for that bar, and that didn't work well either.
Compared to the Logic Drummer, it snags behind, painfully. It's ok if you want to have a bit of fun and record very few tracks, but for those of us with more tracks than we can count, it's a painful experience, I timed using realdrums and the Logic Drummer for the same project, and the latter won by a huge margin. It's even faster than the otherwise excellent EZ Drummer by Toontrack.
Last edited by ghgtu7yrtfg6e67u; 05/10/2603:43 AM.
Have you used BIAB’s audio time-stretch editing inside the Audio Edit window. According to the current Band-in-a-Box User’s Guide, the feature is described like this:
“There are some handy features for stretching or shrinking regions of audio.”
<< Here’s the relevant explanation from the manual, translated into plain English by Chatgpt:
When you:
Select a region of audio Hold down Ctrl Click and drag with the mouse
BIAB creates stretch boundaries marked by those orange triangle markers. The area between the markers gets time-compressed or time-expanded. The manual explains three behaviors:
Click and drag within the selected region One side gets longer while the other side gets shorter Useful for moving timing around inside a phrase Click outside the region and drag into it The region becomes shorter Audio is compressed Click inside the region and drag outside it The region becomes longer Audio is stretched
The manual specifically says these tools are useful for:
“quantizing beats” “correcting mistakes in a recording”
So those orange triangles are essentially transient/stretch anchors that define the area being elastically time-edited. >>
I've never found need to use the feature, but it's there and may help your editing workflow in BIAB.
I use RealDrums all the time & what I can't do in BIAB I can do by cutting & pasting in Reaper...no problems and no hold up.
There's a trick to copy/paste RealDrums within the BIAB program. Saves a bit of time from having to import/export simple cut/copy/paste between the DAW and BIAB
The background: RealDrums aren't RealTracks in BIAB. So, in the Audio Edit Window when you attempt to copy or cut a region, a pop-up message tells you there's no RealTrack to edit and asks if you want to select one. Most folks select no and move on to an alternative copy/cut/paste method.
The trick is to tell BIAB there is a RealTrack on the Drums track. So, select Yes next time, and from the selection pop-up window, select any RealTrack, Then you can copy or cut the highlight region and paste it elsewhere. Once the paste is complete, Right click on the Drums track, from the menu, select Track Actions\Revert track to Style instrument and this will restore the original RealDrums to the track.
What happens: BIAB sees the Drums Track as a RealTrack which it treats as audio and allows the Audio Edit Window to perform the task.
The caveat is it's EASY to inadvertently screw up and either convert the Drums to audio or worse, generate the temporary RealTrack and replace your existing drums.
Also, I only cut or copy on the Drums Track. I paste to a separate track because BIAB now recognizes the highlighted region as audio, not RealDrums or RealTracks. Use separate tracks and you shouldn't have any issue.
Sorry, I can't help myselft but jump in with my 2Cents. I find BIAB RDs are great if you don't want anything special from your drummer. They sound fine and there is nothing faster. They enter and exit all on their own and the canned fills fit the bars automatically. But... if you want the drummer to follow your song, instead of a BIAB demo, well then you have to spend a little time in which case, I find EZDrummer 3 fantastic!!! Just one man's opinion.
Sorry, I can't help myselft but jump in with my 2Cents. I find BIAB RDs are great if you don't want anything special from your drummer. They sound fine and there is nothing faster. They enter and exit all on their own and the canned fills fit the bars automatically. But... if you want the drummer to follow your song, instead of a BIAB demo, well then you have to spend a little time in which case, I find EZDrummer 3 fantastic!!! Just one man's opinion.
You are not alone Dan. If you want a drummer to follow your song MIDI is the way to go. Good MIDI drum sound sources are not that expensive and drums are one thing where MIDI excels. One can easily edit MIDI and there are some great MIDI drum loops available, check out GrooveMonkee.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Have you used BIAB’s audio time-stretch editing inside the Audio Edit window. .
Sorry, but why would I need to stretch audio? All I am trying to achieve is easily creating a drum track with the right fills and the right dynamics (softer, harder, etc according to the sections.).
I understand. I wasn’t suggesting that time stretching is required for basic drum track creation or for choosing fills and dynamics.
I mentioned it because in your second post, you said “a particular fill might not fit in well, so you need to make it shorter or longer,” and BIAB’s Audio Edit time-stretch feature can sometimes help with exactly that situation when working with audio-based material.
For users who only want to assemble drum parts with suitable fills and section dynamics, there are definitely easier workflow approaches inside BIAB. I just thought the Audio Editor feature was worth mentioning since many users may not realize it exists.
didn't read everything here, etc, but I thought, ok forget trying to build a drum track IN bb, exactly the way I want. Instead, just mute all the other tracks and set bb to play only the drums, say a 16 bar phrase, with A and B substyle change every 8 bar, for 3 choruses, THEN drag the drum track as a wav file and import it in the DAW, and I use whatever phrase AND/OR fill, by chopping up the file. I thought I would get at least a few different fills.
It failed miserably. It plays the same two stupid fills, no matter how many choruses I had set. And wasted 15 minutes (that's a long time here) for nothing.
Tried the same with the Logic Drummer, it blew everything out of the galaxy. In less than two minutes I had a full drum track for my project, with as many variations I wanted, with fills that not only are never the same, but that can be fine tuned until kingdom come by just turning a knob and moving a slider up or down.
Oh yeah, I know, some realdrums have more substyles. Not for the style I wanted, metal or hard rock, even with the ultrapack +, my search in the stylepicker only returned about 7 results for the chosen tempo 65 BPM, ev16th, etc
Well at least I know this other bb experiment doesn't work, that way I'll never wonder about it again.
BB is only good for tracks that are 1 minute or less. Otherwise a ton of fiddling (that often bear zero results) is required.
Last edited by ghgtu7yrtfg6e67u; 05/12/2604:40 AM.
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)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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