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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 715
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 715 |
I know the 2016 Stylepicker has been discussed ad infinitum and there may be changes in the works but I thought I would summarize my own opinions.
The song title, filter and category features work well and are an improvement over the previous version and I understand there is a change coming WRT user style listing. The problems start when you have narrowed your candidate list down to a few thousand to a few hundred.
The 4 bar preview should NOT change the tempo of the song already loaded into the chord sheet. I suspect most people will already have decided the tempo for their song so it's a nuisance to keep remembering to alter the tempo of the style being auditioned to match the chord sheet.
The biggest problem comes when you work through the list of candidates by applying them, in turn, to the chord sheet. When you re-open the Stylepicker it should ALWAYS highlight the previously auditioned style and return to the exact same place in the list of filtered styles. This doesn't always happen and then you have to scroll up and down to find your place - if you can remember! It's very irritating. The previous Stylepicker version did it better.
Finally wouldn't it be great if you could create a shortlist of promising styles as you work through the filtered list. With thousands of styles to choose from and more every year, this kind of refinement has become essential. I suspect many people actually resort to pencil and paper to create a shortlist!
Keep up the good work
Tony
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,819
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,819 |
Tony,
Well thought out comments. Obviously you frequently use the Stylepicker a great amount.
As with you, I believe the four bar preview change song tempo action frustrating and should not happen. While I also agree the last selection should remain highlighted, I personally don't find it as frustrating as the tempo change.
I agree wholeheartedly it would be wonderful to be able to narrow the list of styles to five or ten per song. That would be a wonderful improvement.
The new Stylepicker is a giant step in the right direction. I look forward to continued progress.
Jim Fogle - 2025 BiaB (Build 1128) RB (Build 5) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831 |
Hi Tony
There are options for both the points you mention.
You can have the tempo not change.
You can always have the current style highlited.
Press the options button in the stylepicker to set these.
Peter
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 715
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 715 |
Hi Tony
There are options for both the points you mention.
You can have the tempo not change.
You can always have the current style highlited.
Press the options button in the stylepicker to set these.
Peter Hi Peter Let me be a bit more precise about my issues. The option you refer to states "Always change tempo to best tempo for a style whenever a style is loaded" the operative word being LOADED. I am talking about using the four bar preview which always changes the tempo to the "ideal". When this happens the chord sheet is now set to a new tempo until you manually change it back, unless you have manually set it to the chord sheet tempo using the +/- control. If you don't notice the change you can end up saving the song with the wrong tempo. Having said that, I have seen the very occasional song that retains the chord sheet tempo when using the four bar preview. So far I cannot find a pattern to explain this. Why should BIAB ever attempt to change the tempo that I have already decided is correct for my song and force me to keep checking the tempo? Even when loading a style using the OK button the tempo should never change. You have provided the "Quick Play" option to audition the style at it's ideal tempo, but loading or auditioning a style should always be at the tempo of the chord sheet as designed. The option is not really necessary and just adds to BIAB's complexity and leads to threads like this one. Yes there is an option to show or not show the the current style highlighted however when you return to Stylepicker after auditioning a style why is the highlighted style not always immediatley visible in the style list and why do you usually have to scroll down to find where you were in the filtered list? This never happened with the old Stylepicker. In any case, why would anyone need an option to NOT have the current style highlighted in Stylepicker? Another complication - scrap this option also. All this is a good example of PG going over the top in building features and options into BIAB perhaps to satisfy a couple of comments from users who happen to use the program in a certain way. This design philosophy contributes to the frequent negative comments about the BIAB interface. With more styles every year, the Stylepicker becomes a very important part of BIAB. I'm sure I'm not the only one who spends hours trying to find the best style. My life would be very dull without BIAB. Keep up the good work. Regards Tony
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831 |
if your current style is a disco style, and then you filter the stylepicker to show only Celtic styles, not everyone agrees that disco should show up in that list. And they complained about it, which is why we made it an option. You want it, and there is an option for that. Others don't so they don't select that option.
We can make the tempo not change for the 4 bar preview if that option has been set. Then things should work exactly as you described above. Note that if your song has no chords in it, it isn't considered a song, so the tempo does get set to whatever the styles best tempo is.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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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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New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
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Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
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-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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