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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 66
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 66 |
I'm new here (hi everyone) and I just started working on a song from the Real Book with BIAB tunes. The piano and drums aren't too bad, but the bass doesn't work for me because I need something like a mild funk to try (or at least more options for bass lines). So, either I'm lacking the knowledge to make it work the way I want it or the bass line tracks are too limited. For example, if I'm doing a 4/4 song, I want a quarter and a very short heavy (pop) for the second note...then maybe rests and the last note in the bar be an eighth note on the upbeat.
Is there any way to do this without having to dig into the editor and make my own bass line (which seems to defeat the purpose of BIAB). Right now, all I want is a funky bass line.
Thanks, Debb
P.S. I recently bought the Everything Pak. Maybe I assumed too much?
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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 |
You should be able to find a Midi style that does what you want. If there is a known song that has the bass you like, search for that song in the Stylepicker - it may show up. If not, audition the styles in the category you are looking for (ex: Funk).
What song are you working on? Maybe someone here has some ideas.
R
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,853
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,853 |
And don't forget that you can use the Hybrid Style Wizard to mix and match parts from different styles.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
This is your second post referring to the Real Book. There's quite a few pro players here and we all use the Real Books. Just tell us the name of the tune. What, you're ashamed of it or something?  I probably have five different versions of what you're working on. Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 66
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 66 |
Thanks everyone for all the input! Jazzmamal (great name) the song I'm working on is "Yes Indeed" but I'm doing it as a trial run. The other song I called Happy or Get Happy (not sure which).
It's great there are professionals here. I'm a professional, too, but not with the software programs I've used a few in the past so it gets tedius and time consuming and takes away time practicing my main instrument!
If interested, my YouTube posts are listed under my a.k.a. of Debb Saxx. I've had quite a few views since my videos have been posted in September!
Thanks!
Debb Saxx
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,726
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Veteran
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,726 |
Not to diminish your request in anyway shape or form but it only seems like yesterday when all we had in the line of bass tracks/samples were what was available in midi soundfonts.
PS: Welcome aboard!
Good Luck,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,096
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,096 |
Quote:
... the song I'm working on is "Yes Indeed"
..thats an old one. Must be before funk! 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 69
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 69 |
I just listened to Angel Eyes and was blown away. You will have no problem getting BIAB to compliment your Sax style. There are a lot of fine musicians on this site that are glad to help.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Debb, I see you just posted in the other thread where I describe a lot of the jazz RT's and how to use them. With the Everything Pak you have all those RT/RD's I talked about.
In that thread I was only talking about RT's because that was the question but Biab has some great midi funk bass parts too. The only thing there is you need a good synth to play them. If you don't have one and you're just using the Coyote WT, that won't cut it. Spend the $40 and get either the Forte DXi or the Roland TTS-1 with Music Creator. PG sells them both. For jazz I prefer the Forte but the TTS-1 is not bad either. Those are not the best but trust me, they're way better than the basic WT synth.
Why would you want to use midi parts for some things? Because RT's can't be used for specific note for note parts. They're more like groove tracks. If you want to get specific you have to use midi and the Stylemaker can be used to create song specific parts. The best example of that is the Herbie midi style. PG calls it Herbie for copyright reasons but it's really Canteloupe Island. The piano and bass parts are there. The midi drums don't sound all that great to me so I use the Jazz Funk Real Drums. That style is a good one to show what can be done with the Stylemaker. The bad news about that is the Herbie style can really only be used for one song otherwise everything sounds like Canteloupe Island even with different changes. Some years ago Mac talked about how he used the Stylemaker to create Chameleon. That would be tricky in Biab but he said he pulled it off. I remember asking him to post that style but alas he never coughed it up.
The big advantage of a midi style over RT's is you can pick as many different basses for that part as your synthesizer has available and the same for the piano part. Plus you can go into the style or midi track and edit it. Can't do either of those with RT's. If you're really going to get into this thing you need both the RT's and a good midi synth. Combining a few RT's with good sounding midi parts is really the bomb.
Believe me I know how confusing it is at first because your comment about being a pro player and getting hung up in the software when all you want to is play is exactly what everybody on this forum has gone through. All you can do is spend a bit more time than you think you need and to have faith it will work out because eventually it will.
I've got two gigs coming up, plus I just had dental surgery yesterday and my mouth hurts but when I get a chance I'll look up those two tunes, see what I can do with them and get back to you.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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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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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®!
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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.
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