I am so amazed at BIAB. I am very curious about how the recording of real musicians might be done and how is that audio information used to make everything happen in BIAB. Chat tells me that of course this is proprietary information and I understand that. Is there anyone who can give an explanation that will not violate their intellectual property, but still give a good idea about the generalities of the process? I am just fascinated by the whole idea. What can I know without PG having to kill me?!?!?!?
Well I got to the first of your linked videos before bedtime and wow this was REALLY interesting. More tomorrow, but then do I understand for BIAB RTs by professional musicians, they would have the musicians play every chord imaginable within reason so that a chord could be selected by the software to match what the user inputs for his/her song? The studio sessions must be pretty interesting then with the players playing an unusual chord chart covering all the needed chords. How granualar do they get? Do the artists play even the very unusual chords with odd extensions or just the basics and then the software will make the closest substitution like your first video mentioned when discussing User Tracks?
How does this work for non chordal instruments like solo single line instruments? Does the artist record a whole group of single notes that can be used for every eventuality?
I think knowing this is giving me an even greater appreciation for what is going on in these backing tracks. How totally interesting.
If you look at the different pop/rock/jazz UserTrack templates you will see the type of chords being played. There would be chord substitutions/transposing going on for unavailable chords. I made some solo instruments that played in different keys and scales in the UserTrack forum, they were in a Drum template so they don't transpose, you just pick the key and scale your song is in. I imagine PG would have a lot of musical Al Gore rhythms to work it all out, more than my knowledge of music.
I think what's proprietary is quite how they move and mix them so well into the generated version, but the UserTracks themselves are pretty straight-forward.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
We users don’t know very much. I believe there is less substitution of chords if you turn off Natural Arrangement. However, that may result in more range jumps and less effective voice leading.
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.
Right, that's the biggest problem I see as well. A player can play an Ebm9 chord on a piano but which voicing? Which octave? There are so many to use and I think the limitation is the file sizes. I have no idea of the limit but there must be one. The more inversions and voicings of each chord that was recorded, the file size would grow and that has to affect generation times because the program now has to search and try to stitch together the adjoining chords. As it is you can hear a lot of non musical jumps with certain chord changes along with certain RT's.
As it is, what they've done already is pretty amazing and as users we're like mushrooms, we're kept in the dark.
We are here talking about the magic of this program. It is enough to listen to some WMAs of isolated instruments to understand that the idea of PG was its main value. Then all the annual improvements have made it a gas plant that no one thinks of competing. On the one hand a lot of mathematics to assemble the RTs and on the other a lot of Real Music made by Real Musicians. The sum is Biab, and thank you for having such correct prices, Doctor Gannon!
Then along come RT sample sets and you can add the notes you need. This should be automated as I can do this in Reaper to duplicate the notes to fit the chord.
Here's a RT Soloist notes. I want to create up some UserTrack soloist so you can select the key and scale but the A B sections marked in the UserTrack template are not playing A in A and B in B but all over this place.
MultiRiff window will not work on Drums or UserTracks only RealTracks.
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.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean