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This is meant mainly for experienced users. BIAB can leave me stymied sometimes. If I grab whatever tracks (mainly drums, but others too) present themselves at the start of a project I can get to work quickly, but may not be satisfied. Yes, I can fix it later, but it really messes with work flow.
On the other hand, if I sit down to just listen to tracks beforehand I get lots of great ideas, but often (really often) get distracted from what I originally wanted to do. How do you guys approach this? Am I even asking the appropriate question? Thanks in advance.
Signed,
Wanna get back to work
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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In the past, Ive selected the style selection.
Then select genre you want.
Then pick 1 style.
Click green start arrow at top. Black box to stop.
Then click next style, etc., etc.
You may find this to work pretty slick.
Good Music!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks, Frank. I'll give that a try.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I find the best way is to keep a note of the styles one particularly likes and finds applicable. For instance, one of my notes says "Best Swing rhythm Trio for Mainstream/Dixie is _JAZZSWP.STY (Jazz Swing Piano Trio)".
Grah Jive Talk
"Don't worry baby, they'll swing their arses off."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I select a workable style that's close enough to work with in BB.
I worry about the individual track details later in RB.
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.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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More good stuff. Thanks, Graham and Herb.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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This is a constant issue with me too. It could be called too many choices...
All I can say is I remember back in the day when I was playing full time so the bands had lots of rehearsals, we would spend hours getting a tune to sound right. We were doing rearranged covers of big hit tunes and even though the leader would write out charts of the basic arrangement it could take days to get it how he wanted it to sound. Trying different feels on the drums or guitar rhythms, all that stuff. Since this was a true pro level act that was booked by a national agency stuff had to be right and professional sounding. It could take several days of rehearsals to get one song right and then of course once we performed it there could still be further changes.
It's the exact same thing now except we can't just stand there and talk, sing or tap our fingers on the snare to tell the drummer or other players what we want. We have to simply audition all the parts. And of course we're all alone, we don't have other players to bounce ideas off of or the luxury of simply telling the band to try it "this way" and hear how it sounds right then and there.
We have all the tools but just like what I just described it can take days to get all the parts together. There's no shortcuts to this either way. You just keep doing it and doing it and then take a break and do it some more until you get something you like.
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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Bob, that's pretty much what I suspected. The good AND bad news is that the right sound is probably somewhere in BIAB's arsenal; but, just as with actual musicians, it will take time to hunt it down the Style or Track that nails That Sound. Of course, with BIAB, no one is getting impatient, anxious to leave, or any of the other negative operant phenomena of working with live players.
Having acknowledged that, here's a penultimate question: Show of hands here—does anyone sit down purely to audition tracks (taking copious notes, of course) when they are not working on a particular song? It seems to make a kind of sense, except for being enormously time consuming. But how else to know what we have available to us?
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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I have done that on occasion and I'll listen to the various demo songs too.
Our problem is we have an enormous library of great midi and audio things to choose from and it can get mind numbing at times.
What really brought that home for me was when Biab was updated a few years ago to allow any RT to be inserted onto any instrument track. Like putting a flute on the guitar track for example. Now for 2015 they finally allow for the track name to change to whatever RT is being used or for the user to rename it. That was a big deal.
But, imagine a noob just starting out. They think when you pick a style, that's it. What you hear is what you get but not so at all. They can change every single instrument to something else until the actual style doesn't matter.
To me that's a very good thing but to your point it's mind boggling how many possibilities there are. You can put a hot country Brent Mason guitar solo onto a celtic jig style or put a heavy metal crunch part into a jazz swing or anything else your imagination can think up.
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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Ryszard, In learning more about BIAB and RB this last 5 years, I did do hours and hours of auditioning. Do not remember the thousands, but did learn more about zeroing in on genres and songs displayed in each one. There are many boundaries crossed in genre grouping, but great music... Having acknowledged that, here's a penultimate question: Show of hands here—does anyone sit down purely to audition tracks (taking copious notes, of course) when they are not working on a particular song?
Working with users track so many hours, requires me to try out demo music by PG.The demo's can really highlight a new UserTracks for me and folks looking. A very good Style in Song bumps up the wants for folks to try out UserTracks.There is no $$$ in any of this, just satisfaction that folks would use a new UserTracks for their work. Many more auditions then tracks posted. 3-5 styles tried with each new UserTracks. Sometimes get hooked on the nice sounds and do many more. Good Luck on maintaining the good $$$$ !
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A suggestion for helping with the sampling; get you a notebook, make heading for Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Strings, Solo and when you produce a song in Biab and you really like the instrument sound; write it's number, it's tempo ranges, type ev/swing. Biab keeps a favorite list which most of the time I find I keep going to old faithfuls. But this way you have the instruments written down that stand out to you sound wise; for future reverence. This is also good to do with styles, so that you know which ones for example, the guitar's will do a true hold, instead of just a thud. Which one's have an ending that sounds complete and that do not just end abruptly. Hope this helps!
My TunesPsalm 57:7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
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What a great idea! I'll do just that.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I am not surprised that others use the notebook method. However, when I suggested more or less the same thing earlier, I forgot to mention that when you do use a style a lot, it gets an 'F' for Favorite shown in the first column of the list of Styles. I am not exactly sure what is the criteria for gaining that Fav notation but the ones shown on my list are certainly those I like to use.
You will also see that the Style button is split and on the bottom half of the button there are "various ways to choose a style" and one of these is "Favorite Styles".
Grah Jive Talk
"Don't worry baby, they'll swing their arses off."
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Hi Guys,
As a newbee, it was self evident that after hours of moving the Real Tracks from the USB drive to a drive on my computer there would be a zillion hours of listening to do...lol
I went direct to the Real Tracks folder and started listening to the .wav things I assumed I could use and started writing down numbers.
There is so much information in this software the "alligators are so thick the swamp starts to fade into the background"...we were going to drain the swamp right??...lol
The options are a bit overwhelming...so new or old the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.
I think it is very easy to over think this product and get so raped up in the options nothing gets done.
Worse what I liked today may change by tomorrow and I assure you it will change over time.
Just the new guys two cents worth.
Cheers,
Billy
Last edited by Planobilly; 07/29/15 07:06 PM.
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Great observation, Billy. BTW, I assume you mean "wrapped up in the options," yes?
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Holiday Weekend Hours
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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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.
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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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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)!
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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.
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