|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53 |
When I saw that bb had the Audio Chord Wizard, I thought that might be the key to knocking out four sets of backing tracks from MP3s. It has not materialized like I thought it would and once I gave up on using audio tracks and tried to move over to midi it just got worse. I know I can do it all manually with keystrokes, but I thought this might be the little miracle program to get me on the road ASAP.
I need 50 backing tracks. I would rather have them in audio than midi, but I can live with either one. Am I totally barking up the wrong tree trying to make ACW do all the heavy lifting for me? So far I have had zero luck in producing even one finished track.
BTW, I do have a stack of fake books if I do have to put them all in by hand.
Thank you so much for your time.
Carl
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,484
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,484 |
Carl,
ACW will only interpret a song's chords from an audio file.
Depending on the file and user input with bars, its accuracy is around 90% (my estimate). ACW does not reproduce the sound of an audio file in a BIAB setting. It's purpose is to give a user the chordal skeleton so that they can add flesh to the bare bones. After getting the chord interpretation, it's necessary to send that information back to BIAB (with a tempo map if need be) and then load in BIAB styles to find one that suits the song.
Personally, I'd be using the fake books to enter songs' chords rather than analyzing them with ACW as manual entry would be quicker.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1 |
Hi, I'm interested in your process. I also started working on a song, pretty much the same results. I too felt there had to be something I was missing. I had to mess around a LOT to get the bars where they should be, first of all. I thought that was a bit weird!! Why can't BiaB place the bars on the beats, instead they were off by a tiny bit and as the song progressed, it just got worse. My progress kind of stalled at that point. I'm in Edmonton, AB and I was hoping to find a BiaB guru here somewhere that I could network with. LOL
Black Box Band - Edmonton, AB
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,503
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,503 |
Brd43, welcome to the forum. In the ACW, press F8 as the song is playing to set each bar line.
Carl, depending on the fakebook, there may already be BIAB versions available. I found a bunch on the Internet over the years. What fakebooks are you talking about? And I agree with Noel that it is easier to key in the info from the fakebook than use ACW and edit the results, but that's because I'm working with jazz tunes that the ACW has more trouble with.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,484
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,484 |
Hi brd43, Welcome to the forums! In addition to what Matt has said, if you go to the link below and scroll down a bit when the web page loads in, you'll find a 10 minute tutorial on using the Audio Chord Wizard. This will be well worth watching. http://www.pgmusic.com/videos.other.htmRegards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Name 5 or 6 songs you are working on. See what we can help with. Many many songs are already done, some have all, some just chords.
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 204
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 204 |
Carl, The name Steve Tunstall of Oxford England offers lots of songs for free. You can download the complete set {several hundred,zipped} in a few seconds. Most contain melody. Unzip,select a RealTracks style,set panning,volumes,e.t.c. and push play. You can have your 50 songs without entering everything bar by bar.  ----------Leon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53 |
Thank you all for your input. It is really great to see the community surrounding bb.
After I posted this thread, out of frustration I went nuts and downloaded about 150 free midi song files from the web. (That is only the tip of that iceberg.) Of course using the Windows sounds really sucked, but I found the GM Coyote sounds to be pretty good and I know I haven't even touched the other GM sounds and styles that came with bb. So I have midi song files with the hooks ready to be split up by channels and edited. (Remember to never say never because I am back to doing what I swore I would never do again, midi editing.) I know that will give me what I need, but not what I really wanted. Once the sounds are right and the editing done, then I will take reformat them to .wav files on CDs for portability and convenience.
What I was trying to do was to take MP3s, download them into bb, keep them in audio and add only the hooks with my guitar using midi. My goal was to keep everything as recorded on the record as close as possible and to do as little to it as I could. If someone asked to sit in, there would be no surprises. Same thing if I sat in, throw in my CD of .wav songs, listen for the count and take off. It wouldn't sound like the record sounds because of different sample sounds and styles, but it would have been easy to work with. I think I have enough to work with for now, but if I know me, I can never leave good enough alone, so that is when the real tweaking will begin. What I am trying to do is a blues single, which might be a bomb anyway. I can always fall back on Plan B. If it turns out I can't find all the tunes I want, I am more than willing to ask for help.
About those fake books, I bought three huge ones from this shady looking guy that used to come around the clubs every year or so 40 years ago. That was long before they published legal ones, but a lot of musicians still had them hidden away back then. He always drove a new Caddy and his trunk was always full of them.
Thanks again for your input and help. I will let you know how all this plays out.
c
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,827
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,827 |
I just get the midi file, open it in RealBand it puts all the instruments to separate tracks you can see
and gives the chords, then I substitute what midi tracks I can with RealTracks, the ones I can't
I just use a sampler like NI Kontakt to get a descent sound on the instrument and if I can't find the right RealDrums to fit I use NI Battery on the midi drums.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53 |
Thank you all for your help. I think I am on a roll now.
The RealBand sounds great and it seems to read my mind. It appears to give me everything I need for this project without me even having to ask. Can't beat that. This will always be a work in progress with mix changes and tweaks along the way. RealBand sure beats the way I had to do things in my old Hybrid Arts programs.
Thank you all again. I will give you a progress report in the near future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53 |
Thank you. You have me moving in the right direction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53 |
I am using midi files that I have found on the web, but of course, a good 25% of the songs I wanted are not available. Its still a struggle, but everyday I learn something about BiaB.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53 |
About those fake books...Well, these are real fake books, the kind that you had to buy out of the trunk of someone's car. (Funny, I haven't seen that guy in a few decades. Maybe he got caught?)
I am not even as good as a terrible keyboard player, so what I am using now is the midi files I got off the web. I can put the hooks in with my guitar, but not chords. I never tried to look for BiaB songs already done on the web. That is a great idea.
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 53 |
I am doing 90% blues standards. Some that I have not been able to find are:
Messin' with the Kid
Turn on Your Love Light
Good Morning Little School Girl
Drivin' Wheel
Just a Little Bit
Help the Poor
I think they are most 12 bar blues songs, so I thought they would be a snap. I have done midi since my Atari ST days, but I am still in the BiaB leaning curve.
Any input is appreciated and thank you in advance for your help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,511
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,511 |
Check here: http://www.freemidifiles.biz/I found the first two on your list but that is all I looked for. Good luck!
The bumper sticker said "I'm a veterinarian, therefore I can drive like an animal".
Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
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!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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 new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,027
Posts799,108
Members40,011
| |
Most Online44,367
Mar 4th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean