|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 5
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 5 |
Hi I'm totally new to BIAB and have run into a problem. How do you get a clean ending rather than sounding like the song just stopped in the middle of a phrase? I don't want the default 2 bars stuck on at the end because that makes it end on the wrong chord. Occasionally I get a proper ending, but I don't know what I did right when it works or what I did wrong when it doesn't. (I'm techno-challenged) I am just making a basic back-up track with no original parts added. I may need a "for Dummies" version. Thanks in advance for your help. 
Last edited by totalnovice; 03/13/14 08:48 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,606
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,606 |
Hi totalnovice, Welcome to the forums It sounds like you might be entering chord changes in the ending 2 bars. To my way of thinking, BIAB's 2-bar endings are terrific.  To get them to work properly, there can be only one chord in the ending region of the song and that chord must be on beat 1 of the first bar on the 2-bar ending. In the above image, the final C chord is (a) the only chord in the ending 2 bars and (b) it occurs on beat 1 of bar 32 (the first bar of the 2-bar ending). Hope this helps, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4 |
Often, I want to hold a chord for 4 bars and let it fade, rather than the 2 bar ending. Let's say the song is 64 bars long, and in the key of E. I want the first chord in bar 64 to hold and fade.
First of all, I use real tracks a lot, and this works great on real tracks.
I insert 4 bars to make it 68 bars long. On bar 64,I want to hold the E and let it fade. I enter E... in bar 64 - 3 periods after the chord play and hold the chord. Then on the ending, which is probably bar 69 and 70, I enter E. in bar 69 - a single period after the chord is a rest until the next chord entered. The result of this is a nice single chord with all the instruments, holding the chord and fading.
You can do lots of variations, too. If you enter E...g, for example, guitar keeps playing in rhythm, and all other instruments play one beat and hold. E...gs has guitar and strings playing in rhythm, and the bass, drums, and piano hold.
I hope this helps,
Dave.
From another BIAB brother,
Dave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,892
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,892 |
It's the other way around for me.
I use the 2 bar endings exclusively. 99.9% of the time BB does the right thing and ends the song properly.
Be sure the number of bars in the song matches the actual number and that the ending has only the final chord in it at the beginning. Also note that the color (blue or green) will influence the groove in that ending.
Having said that, on occasion, BB does play something weird... such as a bass note that hits after the final beat in the song or an acoustic guitar that seems to be doing something strange.
There are a few solutions that I use when this happens and nothing short of changing the style will work. Of course, if you like the style, changing it is not an option either so it's time to grab the book of "work around solutions".
1. I ignore it in BB and move to RB where I render the tracks using the real tracks samples. Often this solves it, or if not.... I move the track as rendered to my DAW where I use the split/copy/paste or a volume envelope to either move or hide that strange note sequence. If the note in the bass is simply misplaced in the time line, a simple split/copy/paste/drag will often solve it. The other option is to remove it using the volume envelope and in the case of many instruments, using this method is perfect since they are not crucial to the sound in the ending last few beats anyway. I use both of these methods quite a bit.
2. I ignore the 2 bar ending....add about 8 bars to the song and use a "hold" where I want the song to end. The hold is on 1 in the ending measure and fades naturally rather quickly over the next several beats. This is quite common in live music and it works well in BB as well. I have used this once or twice in the past, not because the ending was messed up in BB/RB, but because I wanted a simpler ending than BB was delivering.
Hope this helps
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Ctrl-N "Song Settings" window has a simple dialog that allows for turning the 2-bar Ending OFF for a song, plus a few other easily selected Ending features.
Experiment, all of it is just as easily undone.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493 |
Along with all of the good advice already given, you have the option to turn off the BIAB generated endings and make your own (as explained in previous post above and in the videos you've been directed to). You can do this globally (for all songs) or for each song.
If you use real tracks, you can have 4 bar BIAB generated endings. That adds another wrinkle.
I agree with the other posters - usually the BIAB endings are great when coupled with the correct style for the song you have made, with an occasional 'what was that?' thrown in just to keep you on your toes.
When you figure out the endings and are happy with the way one sounds you can freeze the song to preserve it exactly as it has been generated. If you click the regenerate and play button without freezing BIAB will come up with something else most of the time and that may or may not be what you are looking for. Basically it comes down to a lot of experimentation and tweaking of the song.
Of course there is always the option of making your own ending (by turning off the BIAB generated one as mentioned above) and that again involves more trial and error and being familiar with how BIAB works and what it can do. I would say that for me I use about 90% of what BIAB generates and the rest I program in, sometimes porting to RealBand for the final mix.
It really is a two edged sword situation with BIAB / RB - very simple if you want it to be and very complex if you choose to put in the time to learn it. And don't be intimidated by it. Everyone on this forum and those that use BIAB that don't come here started from scratch (including a lot of head scratching) to eventually reach whatever level of knowledge we all have of BIAB. Hang around here and you will quickly figure out who are the real pros (and that is certainly not me), but you will always be welcome and have your questions answered.
Good luck with your song making and have fun. Oh, and get really familiar with the Save and Save As buttons...
Edit: One of those pros is Mac, that posted above while I was typing. Never miss one of his post.
Last edited by BarryKJ; 03/14/14 08:07 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 196
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 196 |
I often use the following.
Say your song from sheet music is 32 bars long. I set the song length to 31 bars and BIAB adds by default an extra two bars at the end. So I now enter the last chord in the song in the first of those ending bars and add three dots after it. For example if the last chord in the song is say an E, put E… (three dots after the chord name). (Note if BIAB happens to put in the wrong chord in the first of the last two bars just change it ). Now when the song is played back the whole band when it reaches that last chord (in bar 32)in the song will play that chord and stop.
You can also add a slow-down say from the second last bar by typing F5 and enter a tempo which is say some value smaller than the tempo of the song by trial and error.
This is often indicated in the sheet music as a “rall.” And can make for a nice ending.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 5
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 5 |
Thanks Noel96, that did the trick. Thanks to everyone for your ideas. I'll probably try some of those techniques in the future. I'd like to find ways to have more control. For now, my frustration level has lowered and hopefully so has my blood pressure!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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!
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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,311
Posts803,207
Members40,093
| |
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