Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Season's greetings all!!!

I've just finished a song in BIAB. It is in the key of C. My problem is that when the chords change to G, the G sounds out of tune... I want it to sound like a G major. There are other G's used in the song and they sound right. It's just one change in the middle of the song. Is there a setting to stop BIAB from using these "out of tune" chords?

Much appreciated!!!

/Bobby

Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
I think the answer will depend upon what you call ‘out of tune’. For example, if you want a straight G Major chord, and BIAB plays a G7 or GMaj7, is that out of tune?

Have you looked at the piano or guitar track in the Notation Mode, and do you see wrong notes there?


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
No, I don't think it is "out of tune" per se... it's just another "G" something chord. I know it's not a G7 or G maj7... these I know. It is another form of a G chord... one I'm not familiar with.

Also, it doesn't always play the G chord that way. Seems BIAB throws it in randomly sometimes.

I haven't looked at the piano screen yet... I'll have a look after my turkey dinner. grin

Thanks Matt

/Bobby

Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,142
Veteran
Online Content
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,142
Yes, good idea to check the notation to see if it's caused by a 7th or Major 7th, or perhaps an unusual inversion that clashes with what other instruments are playing.


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.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
What genre music is this? For jazz, the answer may be quite different than for classical or folk, for example.

There are a few possible adjustments present in BIAB. Here are some:

There is often (but not always) a 'Simpler' checkbox when selecting RealTracks.

Also 'Jazz up/down" 7th in Options, Preferences, RealTracks.

There are global options to make instruments simpler in Options, Preferences, Overrides.

In the Song Settings, there is Force Simple... and Bluesy arrangement.

And especially, consider turning off Natural Arrangement in Options, Preferences, Arrange.


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 177
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 177
I am still a little confused about this topic as I follow along on this thread.

When a user enters some chords that he/she wants to play with a style, am I hearing correctly that BIAB will not automatically play just those exact chords? Does the program make chord substitutions and not follow your entered directions?

Beginners Forum
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,097
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,097
The program does substitute chords during playback that are not represented on the chord sheet.

Two settings you can enable to minimize this are simple arrangement and natural arrangement. The program will sometimes still substitute chords to better fit the arrangement, style or genre.


Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1249) RB (Build 10) - Ultra+ PAK
DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8
Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD
Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
Jim is clarifying what I said above. You have to start by realizing what BIAB is designed to do: it is an accompaniment program. It uses artificial intelligence to make interesting accompaniments. One part of that includes some randomness, just as real performers would do. This is a good thing most of the time, but you do have some control. It also matters what genre of music you are doing. I gave you some steps to try and then you have to decide what you like.


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 177
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 177
Well thanks for that. Bad! Bad! BIAB, I am the boss of you, no? I guess "no"...LOL.

I suspect this might cause problems if you want something very specific!

Thanks Matt and Jim.

Last edited by BackingTrack; 12/26/21 08:43 AM.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,097
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,097
When you want something specific, switch to MIDI. You can edit MIDI and be as specific as you want.

Here's an idea, lets say you like what a RealTrack is playing except for one or two, specific bars. Mute the "offending" bars. On the Melody or Soloist track use MIDI to create the riff or progression you want. If the RealTrack has a companion "Playable" instrument assign the instrument to the MIDI track. If not, find a MIDI instrument sound that is similar to the RealTrack.


Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1249) RB (Build 10) - Ultra+ PAK
DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8
Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD
Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
Beginners Forum
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 25,071
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 25,071
Originally Posted By: Jim Fogle
When you want something specific, switch to MIDI. You can edit MIDI and be as specific as you want.

Here's an idea, lets say you like what a RealTrack is playing except for one or two, specific bars. Mute the "offending" bars. On the Melody or Soloist track use MIDI to create the riff or progression you want. If the RealTrack has a companion "Playable" instrument assign the instrument to the MIDI track. If not, find a MIDI instrument sound that is similar to the RealTrack.


OR if you have the PC version take the song into RealBand and regenerated the measure(s) you don't like.


Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Hi again, Matt

Sorry for taking so long in getting back to the thread. Things are finally starting to quieten down after the holiday.

The genre I'm working in for this song is just a 3 chord Christmas ditty, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas."

The style I'm using is: _FKJSWAG.STY Folk Swing Acoustic Guitar w/Ba, so I guess that eliminates any jazz style being involved in my issue.

I will be checking out and using the global options that you speak of. I was totally unaware of these options, thus I started this thread in the "Beginner's" sub forum. Although I have had BIAB for a lot of years, I really have never dug deep into the software and learn about all it can do. Up until lately I have mainly used it for it's drums and bass, bring them into my DAW and then build my songs from there.

That being said, I have started using some of the impressive "real tracks" in my songs as well. I have found that there is no way I can do what a real track does on my MIDI keyboard controller and a VST instrument.

I'm going back to my song, even though Christmas is over, and try out the global setting you pointed to. I will let you know how I make out.

Thanks so much for your help with this... very much appreciated!!!

/Bobby

Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Originally Posted By: MarioD

OR if you have the PC version take the song into RealBand and regenerated the measure(s) you don't like.


I'm going to give this a try, Mario. I don't think I've ever opened RealBand. Thanks for this.

/Bobby

Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
Bobby, yes, just try these out.

One of us more experienced users should write a little article about this topic for the Tips and Tricks Forum. I suspect the reason we haven’t is that we don’t know how Natural Arrangement works. If I understood it better, I would feel more comfortable giving advice.


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,683
Bobby, I just bit the bullet and wrote a short article. Go here: https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=694482#Post694482


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
Thank you so much for this, Matt... I have it printed and sitting in front of me now. I'm sure this will be a HUGE help for me.

/Bobby

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Moderated by  Andrew - PG Music, PeterGannon 

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!

XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!

Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!

No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!

In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!

Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 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 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!

XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!

Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!

No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!

In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!

Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 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.

Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane

zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!

Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.

Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music

Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!

Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!

We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.

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!

Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!

Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac 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 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.

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,636
Posts807,801
Members40,179
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
Newest Members
maiyagg, RAYPA, Neveralull, alebasa, Shegzy Empire
40,179 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 88
rsdean 76
WaoBand 48
vicarn 39
Today's Birthdays
pochofenix, sslechta
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5