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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Has anyone used the XML feature to export a song to finale notepad and successfully print a fake sheet?
Does it successfuly move melody, lyrics, chords, repeats, first / second endings, DS al coda, and more importantly, are they recognized and acted on by the receiving program?
Thre has been many requests on this forum for a better print option and XML was expected to be the most likely route. Has PGmusic achieved this?
I have held off upgrading for several years in the hope of getting more professional looking prints. The Real stuff is very nice, but a nice, clean, good looking fake sheet is top of my wish list. Should I upgrade this year, or wait?
BIAB for Windows Version 2019 (643)
Windows 10 (1909)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Dave, there are plenty of good reasons to upgrade even without Music XML.
My experience with Music XML in all programs is that it is a standard without complete accuracy. In other words, every application of it brings quirks. Thus, it's hard to figure out fault.
To your specific question: I don't have Finale Notepad so I don't know.
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.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 647
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Thanks Matt
Almost there, but not quite it seems. If any of the free / cheap packages would work, I would consider them. I don't need FINALE, it would be overkill, but having played a little with Musescore, Notepad seemed the best, although I haven't seen anything from Noteworthy Composer lately. But if they don't properly communicate, BIAB will have to do.
I know that there are lots of reason to upgrade, but to be honest, I uses a very simple set of functions in BIAB. It's my backup 'band' and usually just drums and base. I use a small subset of real drums, even though midi is fine. The horns sound great, but just not with my band.
I don't create backing tracks, or even use RB. I have only recently got into making my own styles with the editor. There are TOO many styles for me, so I made about 30 hybrid styles that cover most of the music I play.
I do need a printed score - I used to be able to memorize my music, but now I need the notes, chords and lyrics. So whether I update or not really comes down to one function, and if it's not there I have no real need to upgrade. It would be money spent on a "LIKE" rather than a "WANT".
BIAB for Windows Version 2019 (643)
Windows 10 (1909)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Of the thousands of styles available, I too use surprisingly few for my compositions of Brazilian jazz and Latin jazz.
We are in the beginning days of exporting (and importing) Music XML with BIAB. I fully expect things to improve as it shakes out. I made a few early reports during testing, and MuseScore seemed to fare best of the few notation programs I tried. If memory serves, John Ford uses Noteworthy Composer. I'll ask him if he's tried it yet.
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.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Noteworthy Composer doesn't have native Music XML, but because it supports user tools and user-created plugins, someone did create a tool to convert from NWC to XML and vice versa. However NWC does not natively support chord objects; you have to enter text objects as chords, and so chords won't come in properly to NWC (unless the tool is updated to make the appropriate conversion. I love and user NoteWorthy Composer a lot, but it does have some limitations, but it's the quickest for note entry among the lot. That being said, I took an original song from BIAB, which was all MIDI and played nicely, and saved it as MusicXML. The results are as follows (which full score PDF links provided for each notation package - click on the program name to see the PDF file): I imported the file into Finale 2012 (I never upgraded to 2014) and it created a somewhat workable score, except I had to re-assign all the instruments and lyrics and chords appear on almost every staff. But the parts seem to be there. I then imported the file into Presonus Notion version 5 and that was a mess. It was like the timing was all off and many of the notes doubled in duration (cause extraneous notes at the ends of each bar. Surprisingly, because Notion usually does a pretty good job with MusicXML. Just like Finale, everything came in as Piano, so I had to reassign the instruments. Lyrics and chords came through, but the extraneous notes make it totally unworkable. I then imported the file into MuseScore version 2. Again, the chords and lyrics are there, but again on every staff. The instruments all came in as piano, so needed reassigned. This was probably the cleanest looking score, but would still need a lot of cleanup. I then tried Sibelius 7 (I never upgraded to 7.5, nor the new version 8), and I understand version 7 (and even 7.5) might be a little squirrelly on Windows 10. But it did import the file. As with the others, the instruments all came over as piano, so those needed reassignment. In none of the scores did the title and composer information come across. Chords and lyrics appear on all the staves, not just the melody staff. IMHO, MusicXML export still needs work. Hopefully this helps.
Last edited by jford; 12/22/15 11:41 AM.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 647
Journeyman
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OP
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Posts: 647 |
Thanks John
As i only need the melody track, since using the software is for printing only, I guess I could eliminate the extraneous staves / instruments. I do need the chords and lyrics.
How do they deal with repeats and endings?
Based on what you have said it seems better to stick with the devil I know for notation, at least for now. It's hard to tell if the problem is with BIAB or the notation software. As Matt said, it may be a matter of an incomplete standard.
BIAB for Windows Version 2019 (643)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I don't think the problem is the standard, I think it's a matter of how the standard is implemented. Notation has lots of nuances that aren't represented in a MIDI context. So as BIAB's support for Music XML matures, I'm sure they will figure out better ways to turn the parts into proper notation. But as can be seen from my pdf's, you do get the melody line with chords and lyrics in a number of popular notation apps. But it's a pretty good start from nothing to a new feature that's been asked for for a long time.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Yes, John is making the same point I apparently wasn't successful in making above: there appear to be various small problems introduced by programs when they try to implement the Music XML standard.
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.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
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Happy New Year!
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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
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