|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 180
Apprentice
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 180 |
I am desperately waiting, (as I suspect are most other BIAB/Realband users!), for the arrival of some new realstyles but, pending that happy event, I have decided to have a trawl of some of the old midi style disks to see if any of them could be pepped up with the judicious addition of a few realtracks.
I haven't touched the midi styles much since the arrival of Realtracks because the quality improvement in the audio tracks was so vast, so I wasn't expecting too much out of the exercise, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the results. Just blending in a couple of audio realtracks into the mix really seemed to lift the quality of a lot of the midi tracks - particularly on those tracks featuring keyboard and string section type instruments which midi tends to handle better than it does, say, guitar.
One midi style disk which I rediscovered and which I thought was a standout was disk 40 - "Rhythm & Blues". This has got a whole bunch of classic motown/soul type styles on it which were hugely lifted just by the introduction of realdrums. Nashville Pop 16ths seemed to be the default realdrums style for most of the songs on this disk and it worked a treat.
The midi electric and acoustic pianos and clav's sounded pretty good even through the Roland VSC and I am sure that even greater quality can be coaxed out of them with a better Rompler/synth within Realband or another DAW.
The only weak link was the guitar sounds which midi in general (and the VSC in particular) don't seem to be to great at.
PETER GANNON (sorry - didn't mean to shout!) if you read this I would definitely vote for some electric guitar realstyles to fit in with the styles on this style disk. (and If it's not too greedy to ask, one or two of the bass guitar styles would also be very nice, thanks!)
As a songwriter the songs on this styledisk are exactly what I am looking for - they give a high quality rendition within a particular genre of music without, (in the main), sounding too much like any one particular song. They therefore provide a wonderful palette to develop new songs from. Given the recent success of artists such as Amy Winehouse and Duffy with classic motown grooves these styles are also suddenly very 'relevant' again as well.
There is such a huge back catalogue of midi styles out there that I am sure most people will find a few old gems in their own favoured genre that can be freshened up with a realtracks or two. I can definitely recommend having a second look at those old midi styles.
If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Been saying this since the introduction of RealTracks, glad you finally got around to finding out for yourself. Make new friends but keep the old and all that, the addition of even one RealTrack to a MIDI style can change the apparent realism of all the rest for the better.
AND -- the thought that using All RealTracks All the Time may be based on an assumption that is not true.
Enjoy,
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926 |
There are no Real Tracks for the synth parts I use in a lot of my work. Real Synth would actually be a limitation, as I could not wash it through Reason or other sequencers as I do BIAB MIDI parts. There are no Real Electronic Drums, either. Sometimes ya just gotta have that synthetic sound.
'Course, I cheat; I play all of my own guitar parts and much of the bass. But MIDI drums and keys (and horns, and strings, etc., etc.) still rock mightily.
And in RealBand you can use all you want of both.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199 |
Aubrey,
What you're really speaking of, to me, is 'quality of sound.' While the nuances of Real Tracks and Real Drums is inescapably a 'real player', a high quality sound source for your MIDI parts, i.e., the MIDI Synth, will take you a long way to revitalizing your styles in Band In A Box that use MIDI.
Of course, 'high quality' usually refers to 'high cost' as well, i.e. the Yamaha Tyros, or Korg PA series, or the Roland and Ketron keyboards. But, I'd also like to remind you that Ketron makes a very nice module in the SD2 that delivers a wonderful sound, and is relatively inexpensive. I believe that use of that module and BIAB MIDI styles will be very surprisingly close to what Real Tracks can give you, especially if you use the higher banks of sounds, and not the General MIDI sound set.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
I have the Ketron and even the regular midi sounds are very very good.
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 716
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 716 |
Once you have better sound sources the midi isn't too bad. But the midi side of things is more than a sound issue for me. Its a question of what's still possible in midi by being more thorough and not simply abandoning it's development altogether.
For instance you occasionally hear piano figures strung together in ways you wouldn't hear from real accompanists. Thats something that maybe comes from only having a maximum pattern length of 8 beats. If they got around to doing more four bar 16 beat patterns in styles it would help the erradicate the sometimes 'choppy' feel you get just now. (4 bar patterns are possible now but only by using bar masks in the style editor).
BIAB's piano/guitar parts can also be too busy at times and I find it's necessary to use rests holds and shots to get a more realistic level of activity in the comping (or inactivity depending on how you look at it). These options work well and thats all and good.
Other than that its a question of dynamic variation in the styles; something they've recognized recently by allowing for more sub-style parts. The problem is that none of the older styles were conceived in this way. I'd like to see more effort in upgrading these older styles with c and d parts... again its a case of anything that helps it sound more realistic.
Last edited by alan S.; 08/10/09 06:06 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,508
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,508 |
I prefer the MIDI tracks for all the reasons I elaborate on this page http://www.nortonmusic.com/midi_vs_loops.htmlHowever, I don't like them on my sound card, I don't like them on the VSC, so I play them on an external MIDI sound source and they sound great. Plus they are editable, I can have holds, shots, and dozens of other things that the real tracks won't give me (see the web page mentioned above). Plus they load instantly and don't take humongous storage space on my hard drive. IMHO The problem with MIDI tracks is not that they are MIDI, but with the cheezy synthesizers built into most sound cards. As far as realistic guitar sounds are concerned, I've played the following clips (made with MIDI and a good sound module) on 3 guitar forums, not telling the users that they were made with a synthesizer, and not only did I get many compliments on my guitar playing, but not one person on the guitar thought they were synth guitars. Note: I did come clean after a while and the guitarists were still amazed. http://www.nortonmusic.com/mp3/_oldtimeguitar.mp3http://www.nortonmusic.com/mp3/_personalchoice.mp3And since they are MIDI guitar leads, I have complete editing control without owning a recording studio. I'm not saying that the Real Tracks have no value. I'm just saying that for the kind of music I play and for the kind of editing I do, they are not for me but for somebody else. They both have their pros and cons and neither one is intrinsically superior to the other. Fortunately we have both so we can choose the one that suits us the best, or as Mac has always said, mix and match to our heart's content. Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 180
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 180 |
I think that Gary, Mac and Notes are all correct when they say that the quality of the Midi sound can be improved tremendously when a decent hardware or software synth is used and for me this isn't a tremendous issue because I do my initial song structuring and basic arrangement inside BIAB and then transfer to Cubase for the final instrumentation and arrangement before doing the mixing. I have access to a range of high quality synths such as Sampletank, Halion and Atmosphere (plus many others) which deliver a huge improvement in the sound of the Midi tracks over the basic VST sound pallete I have within Cubase.
The problem is that Midi, even with the best programming, cannot replicate the nuances and variation and sheer 'real' quality that Realtracks deliver.
I started to realise this with the introduction a few years ago of, the now sadly defunct, 'Steinberg Virtual Guitar' VST plug-ins which were a revelation to me. PGs subsequent delivery of the complete 'Virtual Band' with Realtracks and Realstyles has really convinced me that audio based tracks are the only way to deliver the very highest quality finished recordings. (short of hiring session musicians!)
I agree with Notes that Midi certainly has the advantage in terms of complete programmable flexibility and disk space usage but disks are increasing rapidly in size and plummeting in cost, and PG have promised to address some of the flexibility issues (e.g. holds, shots etc) in future releases.
The point that I was trying to make with this post, (and which Mac has been making for some time), is that in many cases the injection of two or three realtracks into a midi style, played in addition to or instead of some of the Midi tracks, seems to provide enough 'real' feel to a song to lift it into a higher quality category and close to an all Realtracks production.
It has taken PG Music well over a decade to build up the very comprehensive midi style library that they have today, and it will obviously be a number of years before they have anything like the same degree of variety and choice in their realtrack based styles. In the meantime it is well worth trying to squeeze some extra juice out of the Midi style library.
I know that it is hard for third party developers such as Notes to make the investment required to deliver realtracks instead of midi styles, and also PG have not yet decided to publish the format for developing anything other than realdrum styles. Hopefully PG will find some way of opening up realtrack design to third parties in a way which rewards their own significant investment and also maintains the very high quality threshold that they have set.
In the meantime Notes how about joining the party by delivering some Midi styles designed specifically to work with some of the existing Realtracks?
Regards, Aubrey
If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,410
Posts804,528
Members40,116
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean