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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 213
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 213 |
Hi I am just familiarizing myself with BiaB. I am through the initial woods where you can't do one thing and it seems like it might be 6 months before anything is accomplished. But I am having a little fun with it already. I have no regrets at all on this purchase. And I have not even worked with my Real Tracks that will arrive in the mail maybe in a day or two.
Anyway I am learning about the markers. I just started a chorus. A beginning and end to it. But I think right after that all the bottom went dark gray. Not sure how to turn that white again.
Also so I put 3x on the chorus. I will have to see what maybe after I end a verse it will go back to that chorus again? And I don't have to copy and paste it down again? Then there is a bridge I may will be putting in my songs also. I will have to find out if there is a marker for that.
I still haven't found out what A and B is. When would I use B on a marker? I will keep reading in hope I will find this information out. Unless you can quickly let me know.
Now so far I did use my Chord Wizard on some of my favorite songs I sing. Send them over to BiaB and had a little fun trying out some midi styles. They have some real nice sounds on some of those styles. Trying a lot of Bossa Nova. Latin stuff. A couple styles trip up a bit. I won't be using those.
I was wondering though just putting one big chord progression in without any markers and you put a style on it. BiaB won't actually be creating you something with consistent musicality through would it? Say when it hits a second verse after a chorus without the markers telling it that this is another verse it may do something a little different than what it did on the first chorus right? And this is why we have the markers so it will intelligently apply the style to each verse and chorus in the same way?
Ok That is it for this post. I hope you can answer what you can. I should just keep it to one question I guess instead of adding too much.
Thanks,
Sly Ruby
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,608
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Veteran
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,608 |
All the questions you asked are in the manual. If you don't have a manual, you can call PG Music and order one. It would take a long post to explain all of your questions. Check out the help menu also. Later, Ray
Asus Q500A i7 Win 10 64 bit 8GB ram 750 HD 15.5" touch screen, BIAB 2017, Casio PX 5s, Xw P1, Center Point Stereo SS V3 and EWI 4000s.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,268
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,268 |
Ruby,
In BIAB talk, a 'chorus' means once through the song (it's the classical definition of the word). It's not a chorus in the sense of verse-chorus.
What you should do, is to have a look at some of the PG Music videos. If you go to Youtube and type in Band In A Box, heaps will appear!
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 213
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 213 |
There is a real manual on BiaB 2014? An actual soft cover book? This has more information in it than the help files? Sounds good if it is cheap enough. Too bad they don't send it with my 809 dollar order. It should come with the deal. Yeah well we will see if I get any replies to my question. Probably 100% of the question are in the manual. In that case we can just shut down this forum now and never ask a question again lol. But I will take your advice. I am looking at the help files now. This all takes time. I like to rattle off a question to read someone's occasional type happy answer. They may have a better perspective than the manual. Ok back to my research.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,132
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,132 |
Helllo Slyruby,
As regards the display and chorus when doing a song some people go into edit, and click to "unfold to one big chorus" then the whole song will be on just a large number of bars, no coming back to do second and third chorus.
As regards those grey little part makers lines on your chord sheet, some people love them, I find them them very off putting and a distraction, so if you go into preferences and click on display there is a box there to untick "new line for every section" But if you like them just let it be.
hope you enjoy your new toy.
Musiclover
Last edited by musiclover; 12/06/13 01:58 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 213
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 213 |
Thanks MusicLover, I think next time I see that I will uncheck that box for a new line. Seeing too much gray and wasted space might be annoying. I don't have that chord sheet with the bottom half all in dark gray anymore so I don't know how that would effect that or not. If it happens again I will see what it does.
I am checking into this Chorus definition. I was thrown because I thought they referred to a chorus as usual, Verse, Chorus. Maybe their has always been a couple meanings to that word and this is the other one I never heard about. Thanks for the reply. I thought there would be some answers instead of the classic go read reply lol. That is a good idea is to study but also to ask a question and get an answer from a real person is great. That is why there are forums. I am not going to let people slow me down on asking questions.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,132
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,132 |
As Noel says the videos are very good too.
As regards the manual it needs to be totally updated with a proper search facility, type something in that you want to know and a whole lot of stuff will properly come up that is totally unrelated.
I would think if someone bought a copy of biab that never had the program before, who doesn't really understand basic chords, and you gave them the manual and told them to read how to use it there, then both would be handed back to you with the response "That is far too complicated for me".
But on the other hand if they buy a copy of biab and you tell them to ask how to use it on the forum, within a very short time and without many questions asked they would be up and running.
Musiclover
Last edited by musiclover; 12/06/13 03:16 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
The Band in a Box program is a lot like picking up a new instrument and attempting to make music with it.
Like the Guitar, it can be remarkably easy to get something basic out of it, but all too soon it becomes apparent that the new owner has to spend some time daily with the new instrument, learning and practicing to get more out of it.
Band in a Box program is exactly like that in many ways.
BTW there *IS* a manual there, look in the bb folder for the .pdf manuals. Likely that you will have the full .pdf manual for an older version at this time, but there should also be the 2014 upgrade manual as well as the 2014 New Features manual. You can view these onscreen and also print out by page if necessary to have a hard cheat sheet while learning and working.
Forum member and longtime BiaB user, John Conally, now deceased, used to like to point this out from time to time to new users - He used to say something along the lines of, "If Band in a Box could be mastered in a few days' time, it wouldn't be worth it."
This program is Feature-Packed. There are a host of possible commands that simply cannot be learned in a few quick sessions. But it is possible to create songs from the beginning, but likely as you learn more and more, you would probably want to revisit those first songfile creations at a later date and do some editing on them using newfound features and skills.
I always recommend opening the Main Stylepicker window and highlighting any one of the Styles that may sound interesting to you, use the button at top right to Load Demo Song onto the main BB screen. Close the Stylepicker, hit the Play button, and watch the Chord Sheet as the song plays, noticing how the experts at PGMusic have invoked different things for different purposes. I still spend some pleasant time every year at every new release repeating that with the Demo songs that show off the new RealTracks, methods, etc. - and it is a fast way to find out some pleasant surprises without resorting to pouring over a hard copy manual.
Before too long, you should be able to use many of the controls located in the Band in a Box "cockpit" - and that analogy is very true. Even though we now enjoy the new GUI, which really helps to eliminate the notion that you are sitting in front of the controls of a 747 for the very first time, all those controls are still there somewhere (mostly in the menus across the top) - and every one of them is there for a reason.
Take your time, do a little each day, before too long you should be on here answering the questions of others rather than asking your own.
Have Fun,
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 273
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 273 |
Regarding the manual, I was told by Customer Support that a printed manual can be purchased from PG Music for $10, and that the printed manual for BIAB2014 won't be ready until early in January.
I'm not sure how updated (from previous versions) the overall manual will be for BIAB2014 though.
Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
I'm not sure how updated (from previous versions) the overall manual will be for BIAB2014 though.
Well, since the GUI is completely new, I'm guessing that old screenshots will have to be replaced in order to show things as they now are done, as well as a lot of rewriting or editing of the text for the same reason. --Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1 |
Helllo Slyruby,
As regards the display and chorus when doing a song some people go into edit, and click to "unfold to one big chorus" then the whole song will be on just a large number of bars, no coming back to do second and third chorus.
As regards those grey little part makers lines on your chord sheet, some people love them, I find them them very off putting and a distraction, so if you go into preferences and click on display there is a box there to untick "new line for every section" But if you like them just let it be.
hope you enjoy your new toy.
Musiclover
Thank you musiclover! Those grey part markers were making me loony!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 49
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 49 |
A quick question. Why are some of the bar numbers within a box with red bordering ? I am looking for an explanation, but no luck so far. Just some of the measures, and there isn't any pattern. I will keep looking.
Thank You
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,784
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,784 |
Also, note that you can change the width of the grey divider lines in the Display tab under Options. I have mine set for 2 pixels, so they are not so jarring.
Also, red boxes around a bar number indicates that a change has been made at that bar location using the F5 key. So just select the bar, hit F5, and you should be able to see what changes have been made.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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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 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
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.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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-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)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Video: New User Interface (GUI)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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