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In Band-in-a-Box®, F5 or Edit | Settings for Current Bar will open up a new window allowing you to adjust the number of beats per bar, apply tempo changes and patch changes, or apply a different Style, and even choose harmony changes to your Band-in-a-Box® song!



Read more about Bar Settings: Windows | Mac


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I can not make changes to the melody instrument or solo. Tried everything. Used F5 bar settings but it does not take account of the change of instrument. Tried saving; tried regenerating. Does not work. Please give me step by step instruction. I have prepared melody and chords and played it but when I go to a bar and use F5 it dos not make the change I asked for. Please help. I have watched the videos about this and seen all the fancy things it can do BUT nobody ever talkx about how to change the instruments at any particular point in the song. Am I doing somethig wrong ?

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Welcome to the forum.

You probably know this, but in the MIDI world, instruments are called Patches. The column on the right for Patch Change is where you make the changes.

However - if you would, please tell us what version of BIAB you have, and what build. Go to Help menu, About and you'll see that info. There have been some recent patches that might affect this.

What do you use for your MIDI sound? A hardware MIDI synth like Roland or Ketron? Or a software instrument? You could tell us what you have in Options Preferences MIDI Driver, the middle column. You would adjust the entry in Patch Changes for whatever the name of your Melody instrument is, six positions from the top, or three from the bottom.

And, is VST/DXi checked?


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.
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Thank you for your reply. I have had BB before on my Mac mini, which I much prefer. I was using BB 2012 build 52 and had a similar problem there but did not progress very far, partly because I could not get the patches to behave, and also because I nursed my wife with motor neurone for 10 years. Now I decided to get the very latest version and put it in my PC laptop because it is a newer machine. Newly installed but in hindsight wonder if I should have stayed with the Mac. However I still haver the same problem. If I try to alter the patches. Tried it all. Is there some sort of logic or specific order for things to happen. I gather styles take precedene. If I change melody patch when I pres play it switched back to the one set in style.I have tried saving, tried regenerating. No sense. Also find adding melody harmony also changes the melody patch. At 86 my hair is not too bad but soon it will be in a pile on the floor. Is it possible to fix the melody patch and then add harmony without affectig the melody.

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bocaj

by any chance are you importing and playing back and/or adding to or changeing midis from a third party that you didnt create ?
if so , they might have embedded commands in the midi data stream that are overriding your own commands/patch changes.
a good way to check is in the biab midi EVENT EDITOR.
if so you can in the event editor remove those commands and insert your own eg patch changes , whatever.
its very difficult to advise further without more details of your set up//workflow.

best.
muso


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(lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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Hi bocaj, welcome also.

In BiaB on your PC, please go to Help > About Band-In-A-Box and on the second line from the top, next to the version number, there will be a number in brackets. Can you tell us what that number is on your system please?

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BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
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I can not understand. After our contact I went back to it with a fresh start and it was like magic. Everything worked - well almost everything. It was brilliant. Now this morning : fresh start again. it has a nice solo line but I can not change the patch again. It insists on playing piano. I have tried using F5. I have tried changing through the mixer. The mixer shows a new instrumentnbut it still plays the piano. Help.

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bocaj.
please post your biab song somewhere so others can get a look at it and see where the problem might be.
just an idea.

best
muso


my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..)
https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs
(90 songs created useing bb/rb)
(lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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Have tried variations of f5, mixer, editor. always come back to same instrument.

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Have also found if harmony has been added its quite hellish trying to get rid of it. Tried various things. Deleting melody - cant get rid of stuff left behind. Even tried a no style from utilities - still left stuff behind. Seems like I have to start from New, which means recording the melody and chords again.

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Originally Posted By: bocaj
Have tried variations of f5, mixer, editor. always come back to same instrument.

I duplicate your finding checking on your file 'test1.mgu'.

Changes of patches do not work whenever the midi signal is piped through some VST/DXi synth.

Changes of patches do work when such a synth is not acive and e.g. the Wavetable synth is active instead.

This issue may be a ticket for PGMusic Support to be resolved . . .


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Thank you will see if I can follow that thru.

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This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.

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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!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch 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.

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