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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14
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OP
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14 |
I imported an audio file into BIAB (2011) and spent hours syncing it up with some Real Drums, changing a bunch of Chord and Bar settings, Part Markers, etc, until I had exactly what I wanted. Sounded great so I froze the drums and saved the file.
But when I reopened the file it had changed dramatically from the settings I saved: some bars of Real Drums missing or playing on wrong beat, audio file missing, settings for Real Tracks changed (i.e. had muted all except drums - now all back on; had tried deleting all RT's - now back.)
Figured it was me, so I have tried: - Save, Save As, Save + - rebooting - uninstalling and reinstalling (have run with everything on the USB HD, RTs & RD's left on the USB HD but the program loaded on my computer, and finally with everything including the RTs & RD's loaded onto my computer) - making sure my Soundcard driver is up to date - turning off Anti-Virus, Wireless, and User Account Control - creating a new folder and starting from scratch with all the files going in there.
But the problem remains - I can redo my settings until the file plays fine in BIAB, but when I save and then reopen it, it has changed.
PG Music Tech support has tried to help figure it out, but so far no solutions, so hoping some of the experts out there have got some ideas. Very, very frustrating and running out of time and energy trying to solve this.
PS Another very bizarre problem: - I have the drums muted in the first bar and this works ... sometimes. But other times (randomly as far as I can tell) BIAB plays a snare shot on the first beat! (I've tried all the different fixes above with this, too.) And when I render to a Wav file, even if it's NOT playing the shot in BIAB, it's there on the Wav.
Help!
------------------------ BIAB 2011 Ultra-Pak. Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 2.1GHz Dual-Core Processor 3GB RAM 320GB HD (7200RPM)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,199
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Joined: Oct 2008
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Hi vcp,
The song's construction process that you outline sounds like it would be much much better suited to Realband than BIAB.
Is there a reason that you need to use BIAB for this particular song? From my experience, the kind of editing you describe would be a whole heap easier to accomplish in RB. It the kind of this that RB was designed for.
Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616 |
Noel is correct that this is more suited for RealBand. Syncing an audio file can be difficult, especially if the tempo is slightly different anywhere in the song. If you work your way through all the changes again, try Rendering the song. If you want the audio included, be sure to check that option in the Render dialog. I have lost frozen tracks when changing the style.
A couple of suggestions:
- If you are using a style with RealTracks, try a similar Midi style and add RealTracks manually. - There is a .bt1 file that is created which syncs the audio to the song. Try deleting that and re-playing song. A new .bt1 will be created. - Your drums may be starting on the upbeat. Some RTs do this. I don't recall RDs doing it but possible. Play around with the Count-in settings. - It is possible that the song file is corrupt. If it is easy, copy your chords/melody etc to a new song.
Hope some of this helps
R
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14 |
Thanks Noel and Rachael,
I actually did try moving over to RB instead of BIAB, but it presented a new set of problems that sent me back to BIAB:
1. The same RTs played in RB have a distinctively different sound than when they are played in BIAB. (I assume this is because of the FX and mix that are on them in BIAB. It is definitely not just an issue of track volumes.) I tried to solve this by finding the FX on the RTs in BIAB and copying them to the RB files, but was surprised to find that the FX interfaces between the 2 programs are so different that this task would be very tedious and time consuming. (Anyone found a way to load the RTs into RB with the FX/mix from BIAB??)
2. The files I compose in BIAB with RTs and RDs do not play the same in RB - e.g. I have a BIAB file with RT instruments on the Soloist track changing over 16 bars. When I open this BIAB file with RB, it does not play the instrument changes -just one instrument. (Tech support wasn't sure if RB will play these changes from a BIAB file. Anyone else know?)
So I've definitely hit the wall. Hoping there's a solution 'cause I really like the potential with the RTs and RDs. But in my experience, it's always a bad omen when I run into repeated file corruption and inconsistent results from the same set of commands.
I'll give it a few more hours tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks for your help, folks!
vcp
PS I redid the song from scratch a couple times, Rachael - new file, new folder, etc - and it would seem to work, but again, when I reopen the saved files, they're corrupt. And that snare shot plays randomly on the same file - a real puzzler.
PPS A clue?? - got the song playing perfectly in BIAB so I froze the RD track and saved the file. Hit play again, and it played completely different! Is Freeze causing problems??
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
I suspect some of the tracks were not frozen and regenerated themselves on pressing play.
What if you import the stuff, make sure play on load is not active, and then freeze each track?
John Conley Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
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Joined: May 2003
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BIAB RTs & RB RTs are exactly the same. All settings like vol, pan are saved when you import to RB.The only difference is that there is reverb available by default on the BIAB RTs but it's NOT actually part of the RT. It can be turned off if you want. It's the same PG Reverb available in RB.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 12
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Newbie
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 12 |
Quote:
I suspect some of the tracks were not frozen and regenerated themselves on pressing play.
What if you import the stuff, make sure play on load is not active, and then freeze each track?
I've discovered one possible suspect for this RealTracks corruption problem, unrelated to freezing or regeneration. It's in this post http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.p...SID=#Post305625
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14 |
Quote:
I've discovered one possible suspect for this RealTracks corruption problem, unrelated to freezing or regeneration. It's in this post http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.p...SID=#Post305625
Thanks, McSam! Very interesting. At least I know it's not just me going crazy battling some bugs ;-)) And I did try Save+ at one point, so maybe that did something to the file.
And John and Silvertones, thanks for pitching in as well! Much appreciated.
(Silvertones, have you found an easy way to recreate the BIAB reverb settings on the RTs in RB?)
Only spent half the day wrestling software today - decided I needed to recharge by actually playing some music! ("Ahhh, that's better!" ;-))
PS Opened the BIAB problem song file in RB and checked the RD Wav file - the snare shot was at the very end of the 2 bar intro in the Wav file. Why? No clue. Deleted it, rendered the whole song to Wav from RB and it played without the snare shot. Now I have to figure out how it (the snare shot) got into the BIAB song file in the first place. And more puzzling, why it only plays randomly. (Still doing it in BIAB.)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Don't go deaf. I have a new thing where 2 drum sticks get hit together when I'm sitting by myself. I spent days going nuts before calling my audiologist and finding out that the stick (shots) and running water sounds are normal. Oh boy. I think the random running water sounds are meant to go with the random running water sensation on my feet, which goes to figure. Why have one without the other.
The only problem I used to have was a random drum sound at the end of a generated band in a box file. It was way at the end so I used Audacity to peel it out. Mind you I only really use those files to take 'upstairs' and play through a soundsystem to use on the acoustic piano. I have not used a file like that at Wembly Stadium yet.
John Conley Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,602
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,602 |
Hello vcp, Quote:
I imported an audio file into BIAB (2011) and spent hours syncing it up with some Real Drums, changing a bunch of Chord and Bar settings, Part Markers, etc, until I had exactly what I wanted. Sounded great so I froze the drums and saved the file.
But when I reopened the file it had changed dramatically from the settings I saved: some bars of Real Drums missing or playing on wrong beat, audio file missing, settings for Real Tracks changed (i.e. had muted all except drums - now all back on; had tried deleting all RT's - now back.)
If your song has an audio track, this is simply a wave file that has the same name as the Band-in-a-Box file. So after importing your audio track and saving, you'll have "MySong.MGU" and "MySong.WAV" in the same folder. One way to lose your audio track, is to rename the MGU file in Windows Explorer, and then open it in Band-in-a-Box. In this case, to get the audio track back you could rename the wave file also and re-open the song.
Another way to lose the audio track is to use the feature "Play | Render song to audio track". This is one method of "freezing" the current arrangement (different than the actual freeze feature) by rendering it permanently to the audio track. Doing this will overwrite your audio track, although there is a warning message if an audio track exists.
Quote:
had muted all except drums - now all back on
Depends how you muted the tracks. The way you *should* do it, is type C.d in the first bar (that is, mute all instruments except drums). Then, highlight your entire song and go to Edit | Copy Rests. If you muted instruments by simply right-clicking on the tracks in the instrument panel at the top of the screen, that will not stick - it is not a setting that is saved with songs.
Quote:
had tried deleting all RT's - now back.
There can be RealTracks assigned to the song ("Song RealTracks", or built into the style ("Style RealTracks"). In the RealTracks Picker, select the track that has RealTracks you want to remove, and press [none]. If the track has "Style RealTracks", a message will ask if you want to disable RealTracks in the style - answer Yes. Now the track will either be blank, or there will be a MIDI track in its place. So if you want to get rid of that track completely, both MIDI and RealTracks, you would want to use 'rests'.
It sounds like you are essentially:
1. Importing an audio file that doesn't have drums. 2. Selecting a RealDrums track to play along with it.
If this is correct, why not start out with a blank style (select either the 4/4 or 3/4 Blank.sty from the StylePicker. Then you can audition and add "Song RealDrums" without having to worry about getting rid of existing tracks.
A second point - as others have mentioned, RealBand would probably be easier to use in this case, unless your audio file was recorded to a click track at a specific tempo, like 120 bpm.
One last thing that I thought of - There are two main types of Band-in-a-Box song file extensions - .MGU for songs with a melody track, and .SGU for songs without. Perhaps you saved your song as an .SGU file (after removing the melody), but then you opened the .MGU file...
Andrew PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14 |
Thanks, Andrew! Very clear instructions - I will try them all.
vcp
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
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.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
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-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
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- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
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Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Video: New User Interface (GUI)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac 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!
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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 Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac 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)!
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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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
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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