When I work with a song, I normally create a dozen or so different tracks (multiple generation and export to files) and finish the work in Cubase. A very typical need is to tell some tracks/instruments to ignore the holds that I have entered (C.. or C...), or in some cases pushes (^C or ^^C). Can this be done on a track-by-track basis?
Breaks are points in a song when one or more of the instruments rests, plays a shot, or holds a chord.
- Rests specify any, some, or all instruments to rest at any bar. For example, you could rest all instruments except the bass for the first 4 bars, and then add the piano for 4 bars, and then add the entire band for the rest of the song. You may optionally disable the rests in the middle or final choruses (e.g., where you would likely have a solo, and rests may not be appropriate).
- Shots specify certain instruments play a “shot,” where the chord is played and then a rest follows. For example, the song “Rock Around the Clock” has a shot on beat 1 followed by a rest for 2 bars. The duration of “shots” is 60 ticks per beat.
- Held chords specify that certain instruments hold a chord sustained for a certain number of bars. For example, you can have the bass and piano hold a chord sustained while the drums continue to play a pattern.
A chord can be specified as a by adding a period after the chord.
C. indicates a C chord that is a REST.
C.. indicates a C chord that is a SHOT.
C... indicates a C chord that is a HELD CHORD.
Selecting BREAKS for different instruments.
You can specify that some instruments not be affected by the rhythm break.
The coded names for the instruments are:
B for Bass, D for Drums, P for Piano, G for Guitar, and S for Strings.
To type a rest for all instruments on a C chord type C.
To exempt instruments, add their letters following the break. For example, C.bd will put a rest on all instruments EXCEPT the bass and drums.
To indicate a held chord for all instruments except the piano, type C...p
I believe the same theory holds true for the pushes as well.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
In short, generally, yes. In MIDI they should be available always as long as these are available (not all styles have these available). In RealTracks, again, depending on the availability of those phrases with the RealTracks you are using.
Specify the instrument names that you don't want to be affected by the modifier, e.g Ebm7...b will play a hold on all instruments except the bass.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I do know of hard coding exceptions on each push, break etc.
What I would like, is a way to totally exclude one (or several) particular track(s)/instrument(s) from all pushes, holds etc WITHOUT having to go through and re-edit the whole song.
One example: I create a good general backing track (using all available tracks) with a lot of rests/shots/holds/pushes and then export these wav-files to Cubase. Next I'd like to replace some of the tracks with for instance a solo instrument that completely ignores the rests/shots/holds/pushes. Perhaps also some BIAB vocals, that typically do not handle shots/pushes so well. For this scenario, it would be very useful to be able to somehow tell individual track(s) to ignore rests/shots/holds and pushes.
I do know of hard coding exceptions on each push, break etc.
What I would like, is a way to totally exclude one (or several) particular track(s)/instrument(s) from all pushes, holds etc WITHOUT having to go through and re-edit the whole song.
One example: I create a good general backing track (using all available tracks) with a lot of rests/shots/holds/pushes and then export these wav-files to Cubase. Next I'd like to replace some of the tracks with for instance a solo instrument that completely ignores the rests/shots/holds/pushes. Perhaps also some BIAB vocals, that typically do not handle shots/pushes so well. For this scenario, it would be very useful to be able to somehow tell individual track(s) to ignore rests/shots/holds and pushes.
Maybe? 1) Freeze all tracks within the chord chart. 2) Unfreeze the individual track. 3) Dissallow the timing adjustments in song settings 4) Regen and Play. All frozen tracks should maintain the timing adjustment and the individual selected track should lose the timing adjustments. In Theory!
Let us know. This trick with freezing individual tracks have proven effective at times for things like this.
Another method would be to enter the chords, record those tracks to your DAW, then add the shots and holds etc. and record those. Now you have all the raw materials in your DAW.
I think to do what you want after the fact, without alternately freezing tracks, would require a feature that BIAB doesn’t have, so head to the Wishlist Forum.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
<<< I think to do what you want after the fact, without alternately freezing tracks, would require a feature that BIAB doesn’t have, so head to the Wishlist Forum. >>>
The wish list isn't necessary to complete the tasks this user wants to do. BIAB does have a feature to do this. It's available solely within the BIAB Mixer in fewer steps than the alternate methods offered. He can access advanced freezing and saving tracks to folders features by converting individual tracks or combination of tracks to user created Artist Performance Tracks. APT's work with every sound media BIAB recognizes, Midi, samples, loops, RealTracks, RealDrums and live or pre-recorded audio in any combination of these media types. The tracks or renders are frozen, a WAV/WMA file named and saved to a folder. Volume automation and levels, panning, plug-ins, effects, tone are all saved in the rendered file.
In this users workflow, he can generate and save dozens of tracks with or without effects and then generate those same tracks flat, dry and centered without ever leaving BIAB or having to open Cubase or any other DAW.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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 new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.