|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 958
Expert
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 958 |
Aleck Rand, village techno-idiot here with greetings to all.
I'll try to state my question in the plainest language I can understand.
How can you get RealBand to play the MIDI sounds built in to an external hardware synth and have these sounds incorporated into an RB audio track? My question implies that going-outside-the-software recording with an amp and a mike is the last resort.
I know the basics of plug-ins and see them as the only way to trigger MIDI sounds using a simple keyboard controller that has no sounds of its own. You're limited to whatever sounds the chosen plug-in, e.g., Coyote WT, can produce. But what if you have a KORG with great sounds? How do you these into RB?
DUH,
Aleck
Sweetwater Creation Station. BIAB 2018, Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio, Izotope Nektar 2, Ozone 8, KEYBOARDS: Kurzweil Artis 7, Crumar MOJO, Hammond XK-3, BASSES (fretted & fretless by Ibanez, LTD, Warwick. GUITARS by Guild, Gretsch, Ibanez, Eastwood (12 string)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,638
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,638 |
With an external synth you can just send the MIDI to the Korg and hear it during playback, while working on the song.
However, if you want a mixdown using these sounds you will eventually have to record them to an audio track.
You can record each track separately, or combine them into one stereo track, but in order for the 'Merge ..' function to work with an external synth, the tracks will have to be recorded as audio.
There is no way to 'Render' tracks from an external synth other than recording the audio.
This is true for all DAWS in general.
So send the MIDI out of RB to the Korg, and connect an audio cable from the Korg to RB and record these tracks directly from the Korg as audio tracks.
No amp/mic needed, just an audio connection from the Korg audio out to the computer.
This should be posted in the Realband forum, not Tips and Tricks forum.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109 |
short version:
1) RB's MIDI output goes to the KORG's MIDI IN
2) Korg's audio out gets patched back to your audio interface
3) Use that audio input to record the KORG in realtime, just as you would record your guitar playing in real time
4) repeat with other tracks, same way
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 958
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 958 |
Thanks Pat and RHarv,
Now that you've explained it, it should have seemed obvious to me. But it wasn't and I thank both of you for the guidance.
Aleck
Sweetwater Creation Station. BIAB 2018, Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio, Izotope Nektar 2, Ozone 8, KEYBOARDS: Kurzweil Artis 7, Crumar MOJO, Hammond XK-3, BASSES (fretted & fretless by Ibanez, LTD, Warwick. GUITARS by Guild, Gretsch, Ibanez, Eastwood (12 string)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,937
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,937 |
Real band is a full featured DAW so it should be totally possible to use an external (not in Real Band) VST to play the midi parts...
However, having said that... I use Sonar.
Everything ends up in Sonar. I use BB to create and write.... I use RB to render the BB tracks to the RB tracks and into audio. I export the RB tracks into Sonar. Since I know the BPM, I set Sonar to that and then if I need to record additional audio tracks or use a VST triggered from a midi track, it is a simple process to use any of the number of VST synths I have in my DAW computer in Sonar to create that track.
I have never liked the DAW in RB since when I got RB I had already been familiar with Sonar fro many years and was used to working in it.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109 |
Aleck,
it may be worth mentioning that many of us have gravitated away from hardware synths because:
1) some of the newer ones have better sounds than most hardware synths
2) when using soft synths you can generate the track directly to audio without the hassle of having to patch the synth output back to the interface for real time recording.
3) and you can use multiple soft synths, which makes it easy to use the best horns, the best keyboards, the best whatever (as opposed to being locked in to using whatever is on your hardware device)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,638
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,638 |
3) and you can use multiple soft synths, which makes it easy to use the best horns, the best keyboards, the best whatever (as opposed to being locked in to using whatever is on your hardware device) .. or a mix of hardware/software synths .. and multiple hardware synths are available too It's all good. Use whatever fits best.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 958
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 958 |
Thanks Pat and RHarv -
To both I ask: Which DAW do you do your final production in? I've noticed that RB does not recognize everything called a "plug-in" as valid. Are there DAWs that can use any and all plug-ins?
I was in a music store the other day and saw something called a Trillian Bass module. It cost at least as much as a decent bass made out of wood. Is that a plug-in that could work in RB?
Uh boy, I know I'm just adding to my rep as techno-idiot but what the hell. I'll be satisfied to learn half of what you guys know.
Aleck
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 311
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 311 |
Trilian is a great bass module and includes all kinds of great electric basses as well as acoustic basses and synth bass sounds. The DAW I use is Reaper which can load pretty well any plugin. i think it is a brilliant program and you can try it free of charge for 60 days and if you decide to purchase it is very competitively priced. You can download an excellent user manual and the forum is a very friendly and helpful place just like PG Forums. Reaper is available to download from www.cockos.comAs far as I am concerned Reaper is one of those must-have programs which you appreciate more and more as you delve into it. Like all great software though there is a learning curve as you can do so much with it. The person that wrote the excellent Reaper manual has also published other books based around Reaper ranging from beginner to advanced level.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109 |
Thanks Pat and RHarv -
To both I ask: Which DAW do you do your final production in? I've noticed that RB does not recognize everything called a "plug-in" as valid. Are there DAWs that can use any and all plug-ins? you can use any DAW, but a 32 bit DAW can't use as much RAM as a 64 bit DAW... and many plugins and soft synths used at the same time can really consume RAM in a hurry. So, at present I use 32 bit RB if the project is not a resource hog, and 64 bit Sonar if it is. I was in a music store the other day and saw something called a Trillian Bass module. It cost at least as much as a decent bass made out of wood. Is that a plug-in that could work in RB? I'm not familiar with Trillian so .... Uh boy, I know I'm just adding to my rep as techno-idiot but what the hell. I'll be satisfied to learn half of what you guys know.
Aleck Aleck, I think its safe to say that's not the rep you have around here! It would be more along the lines of the alphabetized adjectives you directed at Guenter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
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!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
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.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
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.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-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
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 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!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,372
Posts803,964
Members40,106
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean