|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6 |
Hello, First time posting a question here. I've have my chords and style chosen in BIAB for mac. When I open the AU Daw in Garageband I cannot find the same style. I've looked high and low and cannot find it. How to I get the style and chords I've been practicing with from BIAB over to the VST Daw? Is this even possible or is the only way to enter the chords and choose styles all over again in the DAW?
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,063
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,063 |
Hi Jeffrey A and welcome to the forum.
Have you tried opening a saved song file? Tempo, style and chords are part of the information retained in a song file. If you saved your style and chord sheet in a SGU or MGU song file then the information should show up in the DAW Plugin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6 |
Thank you, Jim. Yes. I did some more reading about the VST DAW and did just that. One question that still remains is when I add a track to record my guitar in garageband, the VST dialog box disappears. I was hoping to be able to record my guitar part while the dialog was open so I could see the chord changes as they go by. Is there a way to do this? I appreciate your help.
Jeff
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,388
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,388 |
Hi Jeffrey, Unfortunately, that seems to be a limitation in GarageBand.
I just tried it here to confirm that, but it seems that only the plugin windows for the selected tracks get displayed. As soon as you select the audio track for your guitar input the instrument track plugin disappears.
Do you have any other AU hosts to try ? I know this is not a problem in Logic anyway,
Alternatively, I know it's not ideal, but you could try to record guitar track into the audio track in the BIAB main application. Sorry wish I had a better answer.
- Jay
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- MacOS 12.7.6 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2026 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 14 -- Too many plugins
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,388
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,388 |
Oooh wait a second ! Update ! So in playing around with GarageBand, it seems like if you open the on-screen keyboard (Command+K keys), and leave the on-screen keyboard up then the instrument window stays open ! At least it works that way here. Wow, you learn something new every day ! EDIT : Wait a second, now it's not working  ! Arrgghh, I don't know why it worked a minute ago. Now I'm mad, I'm going to try to mess around with it tonight, and see if I can figure out why I got it to stay open that one time. May be the sequence that I did it in, I will try to figure out what I did that one time if I can. Sorry ! - Jay
Last edited by JayO; 12/18/19 12:13 PM.
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- MacOS 12.7.6 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2026 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 14 -- Too many plugins
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6 |
Thanks JayO. Really appreciate your reply and you taking the time to confirm the issue is with BIAB and its interaction with Garageband. Now I can move on and not waste any more time pulling my hair out trying to figure out a solution. I'll take a look at Logic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,388
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,388 |
OK, so...I think I know what I did that one time... If you "record enable" the audio track for your guitar first, (set all your input monitoring and whatever else you want to set up). Then, select the instrument track that has the BIAB plugin on it, load your BIAB song and set the plugin to follow Garageband (by double clicking plugin master track button). Now without clicking on the audio guitar track, you can hit the big red record button on the top toolbar. You will be able to record the guitar audio track in the background, while the BIAB plugin window is still in front. I think that's what I did when I got it to work that first time. Unfortunately, as soon as you hit stop it disappears again though. But at least you can follow along while it's playing. Hopefully this helps ! - Jay
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- MacOS 12.7.6 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2026 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 14 -- Too many plugins
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6 |
Thanks for that! I'll give it a try when I get home. Really appreciate your help.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
...One question that still remains is when I add a track to record my guitar in garageband, the VST dialog box disappears. I was hoping to be able to record my guitar part while the dialog was open so I could see the chord changes as they go by. Is there a way to do this? I appreciate your help.
Jeff You can try MiniHost load that in the track then load Biab Plugin into it https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=510428#Post510428Or PluginFlipFlop if you have JBridge, same deal as MiniHost https://jstuff.wordpress.com/pluginflipflop/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 535
Journeyman
|
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 535 |
If you want to have the chord chart in front of you, another simple solution is to do a screen grab of the BIAB VST window. On Mac it's Cmd-Shift-4. Then use the cursor to select just the BIAB parts. Then you can display the picture without the DAW being involved in the window management. Of course, multiple monitors make this even better...
This also gives you a quick overview of everything about the BIAB components you're using in your DAW session. I save one with the DAW session files and audio for every song. It makes it easy to recall, for example, what bass RealTrack was used on a previous song when working on a new project.
And don't forget to move the audio generated by the BIAB plugin from its default folder to your song's session folder so they don't get separated. If you happen to clear out the BIAB VST default folder while cleaning up a different session, ALL your files generated by the VST plugin are gone. Been there, done that already.
RayL
Mac Studio M2 mid 2024 64 GB RAM MacOS Sequoia 15.7.4
Logic Pro 12.01 Studio One 7.2 PreSonus USB AudioBox 1818VSL
Running BIAB from the external HD supplied by PG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,368
PG Music Staff
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,368 |
Thank you for the feedback Jeffrey! You might want to try pressing the "Rebuild" button when you open the style picker from the plugin. It may be that the list generated by the plugin is not up to date and rebuilding will ensure that all the available styles are listed in the style picker.
RayL, I'm not sure if you are experiencing different behavior but the plugin is designed to not delete a generated file if it has been dragged from the plugin. So if you were to drag a generated track from the plugin into your DAW timeline, then when the plugin clears files, it will skip over whichever ones were dragged. Hope this clears things up!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
This is in Cubase where any plugin will disappear if you click outside but using FlipFlop will fix it: Keep Cubase VST Plugin Window Always On Top 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6 |
Thank you, Adar. Yes, I saved my project in BAIB and then was able to open the saved project to the VST DAW. But I'll go ahead and hit "Rebuild" in the plugin to update the list. Appreciate the advice very much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box VST/AU and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Mac)
|
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 6 |
Thanks Pipeline, I'll give it a try.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
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 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available 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 Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
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.
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 as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,340
Posts803,523
Members40,100
| |
Most Online64,515 Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|