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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
I've got a few bossa nova tunes in the works, and am not that pleased with the RealTrack vibes rhythm bossa nova tracks (1215, 1216). They seem more susceptible to being clipped before natural decay, or just a bit choppy. So I was hoping to find some MIDI styles that had good vibraphone comping styles. I spent time listening to styles with vibes, and bringing some in via the "Select Custom MIDI style for this track" picker, but nothing struck me as particularly useful. So with that background:
1. Does anyone have MIDI style suggestions for bossa nova vibes that they particularly like? With all the options in BiaB it's easy to miss something. I think a basic vibe sound is one that is a bit easier than many to have sound good via MIDI - even the general MIDI vibe sound can fit in a background, and I bought the VibsyM VST from Acoustic Samples, which is a pretty good sounding set for us non-Kontact users.
2. I may take this opportunity to explore the Stylemaker in some depth. I've found a few MIDI files with good vibe comping patterns, and am exploring vibe comping in general, since I'm a keyboard player and could translate the voicings. Has PGMusic ever made creating MIDI Supertracks available to users (since there is the ability for creating RealTracks, albeit with a lot of recording work). I've tried a few of the MIDI Supertrack pianos, but they are a bit too dense for vibes, and not natural voicings for them either.
Any other suggestions around this are welcome. I'm still just 5 months in with BiaB, so don't have the benefit of a lot of the MIDI-only development years.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
After several days of experimenting with StyleMaker and importing some jazz comping MIDI files, I think I've stumbled on an approach that will work for my projects. My purpose in going down this path was to find some better vibes tracks, to provide a natural feel for vibe comping on some jazz-oriented tunes. I haven't found that the bossa nova rhythm vibe Realtracks work that well for me, and they don't have MIDI like the soloist ones do. I do seem to be onto something that has promise. I tried out some of the piano and organ MIDI supertracks routed thru my vibraphone plugin (Acoustic Samples' VibSym) and found it sounded pretty good to my ears, just a little dense in places where the range was unnatural or there were more than 3 or 4 notes. So I just pulled the MIDI track into my in progress Cakewalk project, and visually removed the lower range notes via the piano roll view. That took about 10 minutes and left me with interesting comping rhythms and harmonies. I'll see how that approach holds up as I complete a few tunes, but I'm optimistic so far.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,686
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,686 |
After several days of experimenting with StyleMaker and importing some jazz comping MIDI files, I think I've stumbled on an approach that will work for my projects. My purpose in going down this path was to find some better vibes tracks, to provide a natural feel for vibe comping on some jazz-oriented tunes. I haven't found that the bossa nova rhythm vibe Realtracks work that well for me, and they don't have MIDI like the soloist ones do. I do seem to be onto something that has promise. I tried out some of the piano and organ MIDI supertracks routed thru my vibraphone plugin (Acoustic Samples' VibSym) and found it sounded pretty good to my ears, just a little dense in places where the range was unnatural or there were more than 3 or 4 notes. So I just pulled the MIDI track into my in progress Cakewalk project, and visually removed the lower range notes via the piano roll view. That took about 10 minutes and left me with interesting comping rhythms and harmonies. I'll see how that approach holds up as I complete a few tunes, but I'm optimistic so far. I have been doing this also. Also try some guitar and string tracks. Some of these with a little TLC can be turned into great sounding vibraphone, xylophone, and/or Marimba tracks.
Tips on how to fall asleep in a living room chair:
1- Be old
2- Sit in a chair
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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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.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac 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 100 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 Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. 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 Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
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!
Order now!
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