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Joined: Feb 2008
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Here's a little mixing tip I stumbled upon recently that may be useful to some of you. I'm posting it here because it's not really a PGM software tip, more a general music tip.
I had a couple of bass tracks, and more recently a vocal track, that I had recorded to mix with some BiaB backing tracks. In each case the track sounded basically Ok but somehow not quite what I wanted. I tried all kinds of things such as FX and compression and nothing seemed to work.
By accident I pulled an entire bass track ahead by 5 or 6 milli seconds. Since I didn't think you can hear a difference that small I failed to hit 'undo' and when I played the mix I was astonished. Without any other change that small advance in the track made a world of difference. The mix just sparkled, for want of a better term.
So I started trying this on all tracks before wasting time with FX etc. It worked particularly well on a vocal track I recorded.
Now such a short time shift doesn't mean I was behind the beat, at least not audibly, since even 10ms doesn't cause problems with latency for a keyboard. So why does it make such a difference? I don't know. Do any of you guys and gals?
BiaB 2013 b366, RB 2013 b4, WinXP Pro SP3, Toshiba M70, 1.8GHz 2GB RAM 100GB HD. Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, Ketron SD2. BiaB Wiki
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"Live" musicians often push the beat, or lay back from it and what you're doing is using the computer to produce the same effect. We've often used this technique and find it works best on vocals and instrument solos, when it lends a sense of urgency to the playing or singing.
Another thing you can try is moving the snare drum whilst leaving the rest of the kit as it was. Time slipping either way will produce quite a pronounced effect on the feel of the music.
ROG.
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Joined: Feb 2008
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Quote:
"Live" musicians often push the beat, or lay back from it and what you're doing is using the computer to produce the same effect.
Well 5 or 6 ms seemed too small to qualify as playing ahead of the beat. After all, that's a tenth of a beat in a 120bpm tune. When I'm playing my bass ahead of the beat it seems more noticible, maybe 30 to 50 ms although I'm guessing here.
I suppose you are right though. Maybe that's all the 'push' it needs to liven up a mix. Still, I thought it was worth mentioning so others might try it.
BiaB 2013 b366, RB 2013 b4, WinXP Pro SP3, Toshiba M70, 1.8GHz 2GB RAM 100GB HD. Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, Ketron SD2. BiaB Wiki
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Joined: May 2000
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Most DAW programs move the Audio in MIDI TICKS.
You can websearch and easily find the conversion to milliseconds stuff.
Don't neglect to include your MIDI resolution in the calculation.
--Mac
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Quote:
Most DAW programs move the Audio in MIDI TICKS.
You can websearch and easily find the conversion to milliseconds stuff.
Don't neglect to include your MIDI resolution in the calculation.
--Mac
Mac, my experience has been the opposite with the non-PG DAW software that I've used. I won't say it's most because my exposure has been somewhat limited to a few other programs (Tracktion, Reaper, Audacity). However, with those programs, I find a mix of either time format hh:mm:ss:ms, or video frame divisions. PG is the only provider that I've used which has a midi-centric approach to audio time slicing/moving/etc.
That said, one thing that I've appreciated with Tracktion is that with MIDI you can actually create a groove-based quantization template; and it comes pre-loaded with loads of very useful templates, so that you can push/pull individual notes in a measure or all of them or pretty much whatever you like by various amounts. It can make a wooden drum-beat pattern come to life in the right context.
Since you can also beat-detect in audio and re-slice the audio, you can even begin to do this with recorded loops. I haven't dove into that deep end of things yet.
-Scott
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Using the highest resolution setting will help a lot with accurate placement. But as mentioned, the math into milliseconds is much differnt than 'ticks'. PGMusic products use ticks (resolution setting) to move chunks of data in my observations. Interesting how the tempo affects the millisecond to ticks formula though. Slow song, low resolution makes the edits 'quantize' (for lack of better term) more than higher resolution with quicker tempo.. by far.
Somebody check my math;
120 beats per minute = 2 beats per second
3840 ticks (resolution) per beat for two beats = 7680 ticks (divisions) per second
How many milliseconds are in a second? 1000 right? (vs 7680 divisions per second using MIDI)
PGMusic MIDI tick method can be way more accurate than any hh:mm:ss:ms or video frame rate clock.
At least if my math is right..
But it depends a LOT on not using the 120 resolution setting (ticks/divisions per beat),
instead using a much higher setting. Most systems show no noticable loss in performance by doing so. Just more accuracy. It's a no brainer. Just gotta get used to using bigger numbers.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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If there is a MIDI engine included with the DAW software, there is a real good chance that the MIDI TICKS are indeed underlying, whether identified as such to the user or not.
Because MIDI Time Code drives the engine.
--Mac
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I hope my post above turns on a lightbulb for a user (or two) about resolution settings. It's been mentioned multiple times by experienced users but not often acknowledged. Much overlooked if you want more accuracy in both recording audio/MIDI and editing it.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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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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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
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Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
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Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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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
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- 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
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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