Otherwise I just wanted to see if BIAB would make sense as a tool for some musical goals I'm trying to accomplish.
One thing I love is how you give BIAB a number of 1 measure phrases and then it sort of randomizes them. This is especially useful for percussion. I have some different drum machines, groove boxes, and an electronic drum kit. Would it be feasible to create or edit a style where I record a whole ton of phrases myself via midi from these different devices? Would it capture the sounds or just the midi information? Or is BIAB the wrong tool for this kind of job?
If it is possible for me to build a song this way, would it be easy to then experiment swapping out different midi instruments while the track is playing to find the sounds that I like the best?
Sorry if either of these questions are too basic, I have been reading the tutorials and watching videos, I'm trying to figure out if my goals are even possible before I spend all this time trying to figure it out.
You are essentially describing creating loops and samples with your question. Biab can do the things you are wanting to do but any DAW will do it faster, easier and better in most conceivable aspects than Biab. DAWs are designed to do that type task whereas Biab is not. Biab can use loops and samples, contains loops and samples and is a great place to construct your song. There is simply little reason to do so unless you wish to use additional features of Biab such as RealTracks, Supermidi, midi or RealDrums. Or, perhaps use Biab to scratch out ideas.
Some DAWs are better suited by design to work with loops and samples than others such as Logic, Ableton Live and FL Studio. However, most every commercial DAW will be more than competent. It is better to work with a DAW you understand and are familiar with than change to another DAW because it recommended for loops and samples.
Thanks for the reply! I guess the only thing I wonder about is how easy is it to structure a song in another DAW? BIAB has been very intuitive so far, since I think in terms of traditional musicianship. Everything is bars, and choruses, repeat signs, bla bla. I've not seen that in any DAWs I've looked at. Also, are there DAWs that do what BAIB does in terms of randomizing phases within a style? Like, if I create some percussion within a DAW I have to create every second of it, then if I don't like the way it sounds I have to do it all over again and again. Wouldn't BAIB allow me to save some time in that regard if I used it to create percussion?
Sorry if I'm not explaining myself very well. Basically I like the "robot drummer with some degree of autonomy" that BAIB provides. But maybe stuff like FL studio and Ableton do that too?
Yes, to your question of randomizing phrases. That's actually a unique feature of Biab/RealBand. Each time you regenerate a track, it changes from the previous version. You can also force these variations to occur and somewhat control them using various means such as part markers, pushes rests and stops, as well as slash chords. I made some additional suggestions over in your other post also.
I'm particularly enjoying following your posts because you are working within a genre that's not featured very much here in the BIAB forum but is a genre certainly within the programming capabilities of BIAB. Your work may inspire others to try this genre too.
I urge you to post some of your ongoing projects onto the BIAB Users Showcase to get other Biab users feedback and recommendations. They are very respectful even if they may not follow your particular genre of music, but for you, it as a wonderful way to fast track your learning how to work with BIAB all the while letting the world hear your original music. Covers can't be posted to the Users Forum and a PGMusic produce must be used in creating the finished work in some manner.
Cool, thanks for all of your help so far. Next time I sit down my plan is going to be to pick an existing style and see how far I can take editing that style, and play with how far I can push that style from what it started out as. I'd REALLY like to have more control of the types and amounts of rhythm phrases that BIAB will randomize, that's kinda how I approach percussion.
I'll also play around with mixing and matching from different styles to see what happens. So, one more thing if you don't mind: I can only edit things in Style Maker that are pure MIDI right? I cannot edit real tracks, real drums, or live drums (pre recorded phrases?), correct? Can I edit midi styles than later assign real tracks and real drums to the phrases I edited?
I'll figure it out eventually I'm sure, and yes I will certainly be sharing stuff here once I start making some progress.
In style maker, you can only edit MIDI events. You can include RealTracks in a style; however, it's just a matter of picking an existing RealTrack for that particular track in the style and it will play according to how the RealTrack engine processes it. You can't edit it.
But for MIDI tracks, you have the flexibility to edit as much as you wish.
For a drum track, each pattern is up to one 4-beat bar in length, broken down into 16th notes (if you use the grid); however, you can also import "live" played drums for each bar as well. You get 14 slots (or 14 bars worth of content) for the "A" substyle and 14 slots for the "B" substyle. You also get 14 slots for drum fills (which will play when transitioning between the "A" and "B" substyles. And you get 14 slots for the 2-bar song ending.
Also, don't forget that you can define multi-styles, which basically daisy chain individual style files together to give you "C", D" and "E", F" and "G", "H" etc. substyles for as many as you wish.
If you want to create MIDI riffs for the other instruments, you get 30 slots to work with. For the "A" substyle, you get 30 8-beat slots, 30 4-beat slots, 30 2-beat slots, and 30 1-beat slots. Likewise for the "B" substyle, and then 30 slots for the 2-bar song ending. What happens is that if a chord's duration is 8 beats or longer, BIAB will pick riffs from the 8-beat slots; if a chord's duration is 4 beats, it will pick from the 4-beat slots; likewise for 2-beat and 1-beat. And again, with multi-styles, you can have very many riffs.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 8TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 11TB SATA
Hey there, thanks for the response! That's what I figured out RealTracks, I'm thinking it'd be more useful for me to just acquire better MIDI samples and prioritize those over RealTracks if I'm trying to so something really specific.
Also, this is copy and pasted from a different question I had about editing in stylemaker. Basically I was trying to build something from scratch (following the tutorial mind you) and BIAB just started adding in weird rhythm tracks that showed up in the mixer, but were nowhere to be found in stylemaker editer:
""Hi, just got BIAB a few days ago and I've been messing around with it, trying to figure out how it works. I've run into some hiccups with the style maker.
First I tried editing an existing style like the tutorial suggested and that went ok, I get how it works more or less. Then I tried building a style from scratch. I went into the drum grid and put some patterns in. Then, as soon as I save it and hit play I hear all these extra drum sounds on the drum and loop channels in the mixer. They are sort of blended in with the drums I recorded. Has anyone else had this problem? What is going on?""
If you have any insights about this I'd love to hear, just so have a better gut feeling of what is going on when I work with the thing you know?
Some styles have loops defined in them; I would avoid those if you are looking to modify an existing style. I would probably start with the BLANK.STY and go from there, and then after saving the style, make sure your saved style is what is loaded in BIAB. In general, you shouldn't get weird sounds.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 8TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 11TB SATA
OK, I suspect my problem is that I did not start from BLANK.STY, perhaps assuming that that would happen automatically. I will check that out later, thank you!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 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 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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows 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 60 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 Windows and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until December 31, 2025. 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 Windows packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49. Browse the full contents of each package and listen to demos here.
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
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 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.
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.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
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