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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 137
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 137 |
May I ask this question?
Can BIAB make a convincing modern R&B ballad? By ‘modern’, I mean popular R&B artists in the last 10 years like Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, John Legend, etc.
Do you think the styles in BIAB are good enough?
On my part, I guess that you will need to replace the drum with midi patterns and sounds from sample libraries like EZDrummer, Addictive Drums, or loop libraries (Acid wav).
Then how about the bass, guitar, keyboard in BIAB? Are they suitable?
Thank you
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926 |
Hits? Probably not, but with a little massage you can create some stuff that'll get folks tapping their toes. The operative word is "create." One thing BIAB doesn't do is produce "hooks." That's where human inspiration and musical ability comes in.
When a program can write as good a piece of music as I can, I may quit. But right now software still requires human management.
Speaking from an all-MIDI standpoint, I discovered that putting BIAB in jukebox mode and having it autogenerate songs gives mixed, but interesting, results. About 85-90% of the tunes will be yawners, but every once in a while something will turn your head and make you replay what you just heard. Again, that's when it's time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.
I've also fooled around with Real instruments enough to know that they can be truly convincing in the right hands. If that's not enough, you can always make your own sounds and Styles. All I can say is, start digging through the library of Styles and instruments available to you, and (as the good Doctor say) HAVE FUN!
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,866
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,866 |
The question is not can BB do it... the real question is can YOU?
If you are asking can straight up BiaB create a radio ready R&B ballad.... the answer is "no". Not likely. Not in a believable way straight out of the box.
The possibility does exist however to create a R&B ballad song, using BB as one of the tools in the final project.... and to that I'd say a resounding "YES".
Kinda like carving a sculpture from a block of rock.... you have to be able, first, to see the finished project in the rock....or in this case, hear it in your head and then know how to use the tools to get that down on tracks and edited. Lots of things will affect the final version. Your editing skills, your ability to choose the right Bb/RB tracks, your ability to play or provide the tracks that BB/RB can not, and your production chops....
Probably not easy.... but do-able, just like using BB/RB to create any other radio ready genre song be it rock, jazz or country.
Listen to the songs some of the folks here produce.... Floyd, 90db Bob, R&AM, Tommyad, Greg, my music, and I know I'm missing a few others.... ... you will see the quality that you can achieve in a home studio using BB/RB as part of the tool kit available. I mix RB tracks with my live playing and then apply some other polishing to the projects.....
So yeah, it can be done....
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,610
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,610 |
Something like this? http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12644136If so, you decide. *** DISCLAIMER *** No self promotion intended. Just saving the OP some time, or, trying to.
Cheers, Mike My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 137
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 137 |
Thank you so much for your kind advice.
To MikeK: Your song is great. It is amazing what one can do with BIAB.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 81
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 81 |
I used to think BIAB couldn't do metal very well and I proved it could. Like the others have mentioned, at face value BIAB will only give you the raw material. The real magic happens as you create what you have in your vision. That being said if you want a truly radio quality production you will need to have the project professionally mastered.
You can get close in a home studio with the right software but a professional will do amazing things to a mix. If I had the money I would like to have at least one of my songs professionally mixed and mastered. Considering all of my productions are created solely from realtracks it would be really cool to see how far BIAB tracks can pushed professionally.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,950
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,950 |
Which version of BAIB came with Female Vocalist Realtracks? I need to get me some of that....
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,094
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,094 |
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,610
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,610 |
Thanks, guys! And no, Dan. The version of BIAB with this Lady doesn't exist, but I wish it did. Yvonne J is the Lady and she is also a BIAB user... she has a ton of collaborations, but a lot of her own music, created with BIAB. Check her out on Youtube... https://www.youtube.com/user/Yvonnej1000Appreciate the nice comments, though 
Cheers, Mike My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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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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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!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
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.
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