Hello, folks. I've had the product for about three weeks and will use it mostly for developing backing tracks for 50's and 60's rock 'n roll. Can anyone tell me how to insert a drum loop into a song? Mostly want to put particular fills in particular places.
I don't see a way. Thanks in advance for your tutelage.
In Band-in-a-Box (BiaB) you create a drum fill by adding a part marker. If you want a drum fill in bar 4 then add a part marker by clicking on the number 5 in bar 5. Click on the number 5 in bar 5 multiple times to rotate through the part marker choices; typically the rotation starts with none, blue, green and none once again. Part marker colors visually indicate the feel of the song. None means the feel is the same as the last part marker, blue is with "normal" energy (such as what you have in the verse of a song) and green has "higher" energy (such as what you have in the chorus of a song). Adding a part marker of the same color as the previous part marker does not change the energy level, just tells the drum track to add a feel.
Hi, Jim. On the same subject, I occasionally get blue, green, and other, so four RD settings, (I don't have a song up right now, so guessing say yellow and violet).
Can you tell me what triggers them to be available?
I'll take my answer on the line.
Andy
BIAB 2017 Ultra Windows 8 and 10 Scarlet 18i8 Reaper and Mixpad
The part markers trigger a drum fill based on the color of the part marker.
You can insert part markers anywhere you want a drum fill.
The fills, like I said are in the style you selected and will work for most applications.
If you need a specific fill, or some kind of custom fill, you will need to be slightly more creative.
In that case, you want to work in a DAW where you can edit the drum track directly. Dong that in BB is difficult if not impossible. (I have actually never tried to edit a track in that manner in BB) In a DAW, you can edit by cutting and pasting in a new part.... or even using a drum synth with a similar sounding kit to play exactly what you need played by MIDI.
I have done that very thing with piano in the song FOOLS ERRAND. (on my music site) Biab uses a Real Track piano part for most of the song. However, there's a part closer to the end immediately following the bridge, where the piano is playing simple quarter note chords.... that part is midi with a piano sample chosen to be a sound alike to the BB/RB piano part. It's not even noticeable that it's not the real track doing that.
You just have to think outside of the box every now and then to get things done like you want them done.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 03/09/1702:12 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add 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.
Hi, Jim. On the same subject, I occasionally get blue, green, and other, so four RD settings, (I don't have a song up right now, so guessing say yellow and violet).
Can you tell me what triggers them to be available?
I'll take my answer on the line.
Andy,
Many of the RealDrum tracks include variations for both "A" & "B" part marker parts of a song. PG Music calls them Groove Variations. Some styles have variation calls built-in. You can take any existing style and do the same thing.
Hover your mouse over any bar number and right click and the window you see in the photo below pops up. Notice RealDrum groove variations is not active in the menu. If I was using a RealDrums track with variations the command would be active.
Also notice another menu command "define C/D ..." has a red box around it. Select define C/D ... and you can call up another style with it's A & B part markers redefined as C & D for this song. Save the current style with a new name and you've created a multi-style.
Also of note is the long, vertical alphabet menu. You can use the alphabet menu to divide a song into user defined sections like A = intro, B = verse, C = chorus, d = ending then build a song using song sections.
Thank you all for the suggestions. But this is not exactly what I need. I want to know hot to insert a drum loop into an individual bar and have it temporarily replace the real drums for the one bar only. I will probably need to do this with the bass as well, but for now I am concentrating on the drums.
Nick, I really think this is undertaken most effectively in a DAW, e.g. RealBand, where you could edit any bar and introduce the audio drum loop wherever you want.
As an example, you could place the Drum Loop(s) on a separate track, and cut the audio of the main drums, or even just lower the volume of the main drums at that point where the loop audio takes precedence.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
Thank you all for the suggestions. But this is not exactly what I need. I want to know hot to insert a drum loop into an individual bar and have it temporarily replace the real drums for the one bar only. I will probably need to do this with the bass as well, but for now I am concentrating on the drums.
Thank you again!
Nick
Hello Again Nick,
As VideoTrack indicated, what you are wanting to do is much easier to do using RealBand than it will to try in Band-in-a-Box.
With that said, I remember Band-in-a-Box 2017 allows use of multiple drum tracks but I have not used that new feature so you may have to view the new feature video or check the user manual.
A second way is to record the audio of the existing drum track (without drum fills), name the recorded drum track audio file the same name as your song file (song.sgu and song.wav for instance) then import the audio file into the audio, soloist or melody track.
Now use midi and a midi instrument to create your drum fills on the drum track.
Use F5 bar settings to switch between the sound of the drum audio and drum track as needed.
Thank you! I have another month of BIAB under my belt since I made this post. I have found that I usually don't do an entire backing track in BIAB. I do some of it, then save as .wav, put it up in Audacity and add more tracks. I see that it's possible to render the song as all separate audio tracks. I need to get that figured out too! That would make for a more flexible final mix.
I haven't had time to really try Real Band as yet. It sounds like that is where I should be spending my time. I'll give it a go as time permits.
Nick, thanks for the reply. Do try RealBand. I think you will find it easier to mix tracks there than in Audacity.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
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.
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.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-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)
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!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 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 Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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!
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.
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