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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 225
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 225 |
While browsing around the Roland site, I came across this new product of theirs: http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=1141&ParentId=18 , the BK-7m backing module--an all-in-one sound module, auto-arranger, etc. The concept is not new. I still have my old Yamaha QY70 (before that I had the QY10 and 20, never went beyond the 70), and the Roland PM-5, and haven't used them for years. There have been many newer ones since then. But this is the fanciest one I have ever seen. I am curious whether anyone here has tried one of them, and to hear your impressions of it. How would you compare for live performance--a laptop with BIAB, or this new Roland box? Not that I am about to go get one. They sell for about $1,000, more than many laptops with BIAB. (and a laptop could perform other functions as well.) Interesting though, and I would be curious to hear your review, if you have tried one of these.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,474
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,474 |
I'm not familiar with that unit, but I've messed with some auto-accompaniment keyboards before. There are pros and cons to both the keyboard approach and the BiaB approach of doing things. So everything I am writing about arranger keyboards I suspect are also about the BK-7 - but I'm not sure - if you are interested in the BK-7, further investigation is recommended.
The keyboards (and I suspect the BK-7) have great intros and endings, better than what you have in BiaB. But how many times can you use a great intro? I remember working out a cha-cha for ballroom dancers, "Cherry Pink..." and used this great intro from an old Roland auto-accompaniment keyboard. It was great. Then I decided to learn a cha-cha version of "The More I See You" so I used that same, great intro. But when the new song started, it sounded so much like "Cherry Pink" that I wanted to start the wrong song. So there are advantages and disadvantages to elaborate intros and endings.
The arranger keyboards often have more instruments than BiaB. This can make for much thicker background parts.
Also the keyboards work in real time. BiaB wants the chords entered before you hit the play button.
Real time allows the keyboard player to be more spontaneous in their arrangement, but the BiaB method has one great advantage that IMHO can allow the song played to be much more musical. And for me that's what it's all about.
First of all, the arranger keyboards usually have from 2 to 8 bars that they play over and over and over again with variations according to the chord you are playing. BiaB can have hundreds of different patterns and they do not come in the same order over and over again unless the style is programmed that way.
Second and most importantly to me, since you enter the chords ahead of time, BiaB knows which chord is coming next. So a smart style programmer can design patterns that only occur in certain musical contexts. A couple of examples would be the V chord in a typical ii-V7-I progression. Or a IV chord that resolves to the root when the IV is on an odd numbered measure and the root is an even numbered measure. There are dozens of "masks" in the StyleMaker that can allow the style writer to make musical patterns that only occur in the situations that are appropriate.
Third, BiaB can have multiple patterns for the same situation with different probability weights. So for example, if the style writer would create 5 different patterns for a V7 chord that resolves to the root when the root has a part marker on it (measure 1 of the next 8 or so), the writer can put the pattern with the most 'personality' with a low probability number that will surprise the listener every once in a great while and not over do itself.
For me, I like the BiaB approach better, because if the style is written well, the musical output can be more varied and more musical.
If I were a single act doing a "piano bar" type of gig, I might prefer the keyboard approach as it would allow the arrangements to be more flexible.
Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 928
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 928 |
Well, there really is a new BiaB-type software application.
It is called Songtrix and it is developed by the same company in Australia that produced Chord Wizard (a great application, by the way):
http://www.chordwizard.com/products.aspx
But Songtrix seems to be MIDI only and after Real Tracks, I'm never going back to MIDI.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,451
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,451 |
Not to mention ChordPulse, which is an excellent little MIDI sketchpad. Both programs have some interface ideas I really wish PG would look into -- like the Tab view, the vertical mixer, Chordpulse's pages, right-click context menu and preset progressions....
Best, Tom SmithWin10/64 • i7-8700K • 24 GB RAM BIAB 2026 • Reaper 7.57 • Izotope MPS AKG C1000S • IK iRig I/O Pro
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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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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
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Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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