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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi all,
When I bring a midi file into biab it usually assigns
the melody to 22 ACCORDION. I want real tracks though.
What real tracks should replace this?
What ever I add doesn't stick to the melody, but starts
soloing - which I don't want.
thanks.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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KGU,
Realtracks are accompaniment-only tracks. They do not play melody. Unlike midi, which will play whatever note is programmed, Realtracks are audio files that were recorded live and are chord patterns and progressions. They cannot be programmed to play individual notes.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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oh wow thanks.
Is there another way to do this?
I think I prefer the midi. Some midi
tracks sound close to the song -- but
when I add real tracks its WAY OFF.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi KGU !
I think the answer to that is; Any instrument sound u wish. Since the melody is midi only, u can choose any "inbuilt" midi sound, by changing the patch, or u can add a VSTi for that melody. The melodist has a pre-programmed midi patch to that particular melodist, but this can be changed... Just click on that white arrow to the right of the melody track, and chose any midi patch u prefer...
U can also change midi sound for the melody at any bar in any choruses, by the F5 command..
'
Hope this help..
Forever Grateful, BUT, sometimes pissed of.  Trygve "Leo" Larsen BiaB 2020, Windows 8.1, Intel Core i5 CPU, 270GHz, 32 Gb RAM My OLD tracks on Soundcloud; https://soundcloud.com/trygve-larsen My NEW is unpublished The Universe = Uni-verse ie one song.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi KGU !
I think the answer to that is; Any instrument sound u wish. .............
Hope this help.. Hi Trygve Larsen, yes that helps a lot. thanks!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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KGU, could you define "way off"? What is it that is not right? If for example you mean the timing is a mismatch, we can help you fix that.
To recap the correct advice above, RealTracks are not going to play your melody. There are two general types of RealTracks: those that comp on the chord progression, and those that solo over the chord progression. As both are prerecorded snippets of audio assembled for your BIAB song, they will not play your melodies. So, you can use a MIDI sound source of your choice for melody. This could be a virtual instrument (VSTi as mentioned) or a hardware or software MIDI synth. Those sound anywhere from horrible to fantastic depending on what you use.
Tell us more detail about what you are hearing, and your setup, and we can help better.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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You may want to try the following.
It sounds like and I'll assume your midi file imports into BIAB onto the Melody channel.
When you first do this import, the BIAB styles are disabled and this is indicated by X preceding the style name.
Play at this time will play the midi melody track and all sounds from all the midi parts are contained within this track. All other tracks are muted. The entire midi file is playing on the Melody track.
Select the green sequencer button followed by the sequencer melody track selection.
This action opens the Sequencer Window. Here you will see all of the individual midi tracks, their assigned channel, number of events among other things.
Audition each track and determine which track the song melody is located on. Select the Edit Button of that track, then select Move to Soloist Track.
The track with the song melody will disappear from the Sequencer Window. (It has actually been moved to the soloist track at this time)
In my example, I will assume there are no song specific drums or bass parts. This means these parts as well as say a midi nylon string rhythm guitar part that has no song specific riffs or strumming patterns and any other instrument not playing song specific riffs or patterns. Deselect these tracks from their associated play buttons. This mutes these midi instruments so they can be replaced with Realtracks and Realdrum parts. In my example, I will assume the song does have song specific horns and keyboard parts. Leave these channels selected. The following will show how Realtracks,Realdrums, song specific midi tracks and the midi melody combine to create very realistic sounding music for the song.
Close the Sequencer Window.
Select a Style. Enable the style.
Generate the song.
The realtrack and realdrum tracks will generate and play in the selected style to the midi generated chord chart, key and tempo.
The midi instruments that remain selected on the Melody Track will play along as well.
The midi melody will play on the Soloist track.
----
You can select different instruments for the remaining selected midi tracks and melody from the Sequencer Window. By carefully choosing Realtracks and Realdrums and well as taking care to choose a style that is appropriate to the song style of the midi song you imported, it should sound very realistic. Of course, feel free to experiment with styles that are very different to the original style to create your own custom cover of the song.
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 02/23/16 08:51 AM.
BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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KGU, could you define "way off"? .................. There are two general types of RealTracks: those that comp on the chord progression, and those that solo over the chord progression. ...
Hi, If I'm trying to do a cover song type project --- it seems the more real tracks I add -- the LESS it sounds like the original midi./ song. How do you tell which real track type is which? thanks
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I note for the midi super tracks , which I just started
trying---
there's very little guitar / rock.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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You may want to try the following.
It sounds like and I'll assume your midi file imports into BIAB onto the Melody channel.,,,,,,,,,.......
When you first do this import, the BIAB styles are disabled and this is indicated by X preceding the style name.
----------------- Excellent help, thanks. I will have to study this carefully.
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MIDI EDITING/ PROGRAMS ?
I read in one thread that midi was BETTER than real tracks
because you could edit it, for one.
Is this editing done in biab?
thank you
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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MIDI EDITING/ PROGRAMS ?
I read in one thread that midi was BETTER than real tracks
because you could edit it, for one.
Is this editing done in biab?
thank you The benefit of one over the other is always the subject of both objective and subjective debate. You need to look at your individual, specific requirements. There will always be cases where one type excels, it won't always be MIDI and it won't always be RealTracks. You can edit MIDI in BiaB (generally)
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.
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How do you tell which real track type is which?
thanks
The RealTracks that solo over the chords all have the word 'Soloist' right after the instrument name in the RealTracks picker.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Also, for MELODY, MIDI is probably your best option. RealTracks are prerecorded sequences of musical phrases, and they usually do not represent a specific melody.
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.
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