I think you mean Dobie Gray, not Dobie Bros. Great song, used to do it years ago but haven't worked it up on BIAB.
Drift Away was sung by Dobie Gray, and the Doobie Bros also had a hit with a song titled 'Give Me The Beat Boys' which was the same song (Drift Away), just re-titled. It started with a solo guitar with a lot of Chorus effect.
Not sure which one Danny is looking for, presumably the Doobie Bros cover? Although both were musically very similar.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Anyone have any success with a current style for this Dobie Bros hit Drift Away? I have auditioned many with very little success.
Just a shot in the dark here guys.
Thanks,
I'd like to have that one as well.
It would really be useful to have a compendium of compatible styles for popular covers. It's a drag spending hours auditioning styles. Maybe a thread where people could post a good style they've found for a certain song? So many songs are structured similarly (especially oldies), that one style would probably cover several songs. It would certainly be of use to the cover folks.
It would really be useful to have a compendium of compatible styles for popular covers. It's a drag spending hours auditioning styles. Maybe a thread where people could post a good style they've found for a certain song? So many songs are structured similarly (especially oldies), that one style would probably cover several songs. It would certainly be of use to the cover folks.
Regards,
Bob
This is a great idea Bob. A detailed cross reference. Of course we're all aware that the Style Picker 'hints' at one or two songs that might match the style, but this is by no means an exhaustive cross reference.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
The first thing to do whan cnfronted with a song and looking for the "which style should I use?" constant is to count along with the target song and figure out what the Feel of the tune actually is.
In the case of Dobie Gray's version of this tune, since the pulse can be counted as "8 to the bar* while the song plays, and since the subdivision is in 2's and not 3's per beat, you would be looking for an EVen 16ths style, most likely.
That can be further narrowed down with a little common sense, for example, you know you're not looking for a Jazz style or a Swing style, no Gospel style, and very likely not one of the Bluegrass styles either, but you might find something in one of the Modern Country styles, and since the song is basically an R&B offering, one of those may do the trick as well. And Blues styles might work.
The thing here is to find the style that works as to that all imporrant FEEL first. Does. Not. Matter. if the instruments aren't yet playing what you want to hear at that point, does not matter if it is an all-MIDI style and you think you only want to deal in all Realtracks at that point either, the important thing at this phase is simply to get BB playing something along with your entered Chords that works as to that Feel and Tempo.
From there on in all you have to do is use the Prototype Style button and then the Preview on DoubleClick feature to audition only those styles that are PROTOTYPES of the style that fits.
Those will be indicated by an asterisk * in front of the stylenames in the stylepicker after you have hit the Prototype button.
In a sense does this not exist already? thousands upon thousands of biab files in the yahoo biab group (though that song is not there)
Just picking one the song memo for Banks of the Ohio, gives the following
Song Summary ************* Title: Banks of the Ohio File:Banks Of The Ohio.MGU Key=C , Tempo 120, Length (m:s)=3:20 No intro. 32 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 32. Repeat x3 choruses, tag ending, after bar 32 Melody has 1098 notes, saved patch is Bright Piano (2) No Soloist track. Style is C_JETHRO.STY (Jethro Bluegrass) Style MIDI Instruments are : Acoustic String Bass (33), Acoustic Guitar (26), Banjo (106), MIDI Drums :41 Brushes Kit (41)
RealDrums will be substituted :Nashville2Beat^07-a,b:Brushes *******************
another 50 ways to leave your Lover has song memo and style
****** Song Summary ************* Title: Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon File:50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon.MGU Key=G , Tempo 120, Length (m:s)=5:18 No intro. 52 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 52. Repeat x3 choruses Melody has 1122 notes, saved patch is Bright Piano (2) No Soloist track. Song is saved with bar changes for Tempo , Style is CUTXFUNK.STY (Cut - time funk style) Style MIDI Instruments are : Slap Bass 1 (37), Electric Piano (5), Clean Electric Guit (28), MIDI Drums :1 Standard Drum Kit (1) *******************
All you need to do is join the yahoo biab group and download songs to your heart's content. They have a handy spreadsheet type of reference as well that you can download with a list of all the songs available there.
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
Tom, that's sure a very handy link. Thanks for sharing! Cheers Trevor
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I know that you can find a compatible style Mac's way, but that is still very time consuming when you need a lot of songs. I'll dig up the few I've been able to do and put them in a separate thread tomorrow. Perhaps other will pitch in.
This is actually just a clever ploy to get my hands on all of Danny C's BIAB styles.
If that MIDI file is spot on, don't overlook use of the MIDI style Wizard inside Band in a Box, that can allow you to almost automatically roll your own BB style from the MIDI file.
Those wanting to do more or less "spot on" covers should like this feature a lot. Use a great sounding MIDI synth and consider adding RealDrums and maybe a RealTrack for the finish.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.