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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 129
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 129 |
I am a relative newbie, but impending retirement should see me being able to devote much more time to BIAB.
I have a problem regarding Real Tracks, together with their relationship to notation. I have a composition with a Real Tracks solo that I really like and wanted to repeat it for 8 bars using a variety of Real tracks instruments. I naively thought I’d just have to change the Real Tracks soloist instrument, generate and save each new track as a .wav for later importation into DAW. However, each time I do this, a completely new solo tune is produced.
I then thought as a ‘second-best’ alternative to save the track as MIDI and use MIDI instruments instead, although, of course, they sound nowhere near as good. However, a bar and a half of the notation is blank part-way through, although the Real Track solo carries on playing through these bars.
I then experimented with editing the soloist notation, but this seems to make no difference at all to what the Real Track plays.
I expect I’m making a beginner’s error with all of this, but can anyone explain please how to change a track to bring up a different Real Tracks instrument while keeping the same tune, and why changing notation on a Real Tracks track seems to make no difference to what is played?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,096
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,096 |
Ya need a crash course in BIAB 101. Don't worry cause you are asking the right questions and the answers are easy and will open up a host of new possibilities for you. Heading out the door to a 1 year old birthday party (Oh Joy), but someone will jump in soon to help. Just wanted to be the first to Welcome you to the forum. 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,677
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,677 |
Hi Allan,
Welcome to the forum.
The problem you are experiencing is one that many of us have been through. To explain what is happening, it's necessary to understand what Realtracks actually are.
Realtracks are not instructions to play instrumental sounds, they are actual live recordings by top-class studio musicians. These recordings have been created by the musicians playing many different chords in many different keys. (If you travel over to your \bb\Realtracks folder and have a listen to some of the raw Realtrack files, you'll hear the original recording.)
BIAB identifies where the different chords are located in the original Realtrack recording and then uses these chords to create a backing. In other words, the backing you hear is not created by a 'sound' (say, on a synthesiser) but it comes from the actual, live recording that has sections of it copied, transposed and pasted into a BIAB backing. This is why you cannot instruct a melody to play a Realtrack.
The notation that is associated with many Realtracks is an interpretation of what the studio musician recorded. It was added to BIAB a few years ago so that users could practise the studio musicians' riffs and accompaniments. This notation does not instruct BIAB to play the Realtrack. It is a summary of what is being played.
Hope this helps,
Noel
P.S. If you want to copy and paste a solo into different sections of the song, this is most easily accomplished in Realband.
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 129
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 129 |
Many thanks for the patient and helpful response - all is clear now!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,096
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,096 |
Same lick repeated? BIAB don't like to do that. It has to do with its accompaniment origins.
Every time you "regenerate" you will get a different arrangement from your RT's. There are typically - generally - approximately 4-7 different arrangements which RT will cycle through. So you can hit regen that many times before you hear the some one come again over a specific chord sequence. If you hear something you just love, then you can freeze the track so it will no longer regenerate.
Alas you can't freeze parts of a track in BIAB, only the whole track at a time. For parts you need to go to Realband.
Don't miss the F5 option which would allow you to play different RTs within a single track. So you could have a track with multiple soloists stepping in and out each playing a different lick. But again, different each time you regen.
The best place to hear and see all the possible arrangements is in a feature in RealBand called MultiRiffs. Here you can generate all the individual "solos" and then pick which one you want to keep.
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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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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!
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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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Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
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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!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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.
Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane
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.
Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music
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