I'm trying to input this song into BIAB and struggling because it has bars of different lengths. I have tried every thing I know without success. I know someone out there will remember this Nina Simone and Animals classic soul song - your assistance is much appreciated.
Best Regards Nigel
Nigel Spiers Christchurch, New Zealand info@nzacoustics.com
You can change the number of beats in a bar by selecting the bar and pressing F5 and changing the value. You cannot add beats, only remove them, so if you need a bar of 6/4, try having one bar of 2/4, then back to 4/4 on the following bar.
Hope this answers your question OK.
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.
In this song (Where you sing "Please don't let me be misunderstood") I need a bar of 4 beats and then a bar of 2 beats. After the 2 beat bar the drums come back in OK but all the other instruments are delayed by a further 2 beats. Then unbelievably in the subsequent bar all the instruments catch up!!! Why don't you try it yourself? - I'm using a style called _RDHO_LS.STY
Any suggestions?
Thanks & Best Regards
Nigel Spiers Christchurch, New Zealand info@nzacoustics.com
In this song (Where you sing "Please don't let me be misunderstood") I need a bar of 4 beats and then a bar of 2 beats. After the 2 beat bar the drums come back in OK but all the other instruments are delayed by a further 2 beats. Then unbelievably in the subsequent bar all the instruments catch up!!! Why don't you try it yourself? - I'm using a style called _RDHO_LS.STY
Any suggestions?
Thanks & Best Regards
I tried it myself. I created a song with 8 bars and 3 choruses using _RDHO_LS.STY I set bar 5 to 2-beats and bar 6 to 4 beats. The song played through 3 times with 2 beats on bar 5 every time, and all instruments playing on every bar.
OK, here's a good place to start: What version of BiaB do you have? Do you have any frozen tracks? Do you have any Holds on any bars (e.g. Eb...)?
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 recreated VideoTrack's example and obtained the same results as he did. However, in past projects I have encountered issues similar to NigelSpiers when using F5 to mute, fade out, fade in, change and back to normal selections on tracks as well as with holds, rests and shots.
All of the F5 track selections responded fine and there were no issues. I found that when I placed F...bd in bar 4; It replicated NigelSpiers problem with all instruments back to playing on measure 7.
Thanks for reply. I have latest last version of BIAB for Windows No Frozen tracks But I do have hold as below
Bar 1: Ab ("I'm just a soul who's") Bar 2: Fm ("Intentions are good" Bar 3: Db..D (this bar set to 2 beats as you suggested) ("Oh Lord") Bar 4: No chord (this bar set to 4 beats as you suggested) ("please don't let me be misunder") Bar 5: Fm ("stood")
Bar 5 is the problem - the bass guitar and organ don't come back in until the 3rd beat of this bar.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks & Best Regards
Nigel Spiers Christchurch, New Zealand info@nzacoustics.com
Yes, you need to upload to some web site\service and then provide the URL link to it. Or you can email to me at dan at jazzmandan dot com and I will do it for you.
I've found that if I use a 2-beat or 3-beat bar in a song, it's sometimes necessary to put a chord on beat 3 in the cell containing the 2-beat bar.
With this in mind, try adding a chord to beat 3 (and even beat 4) of bar 3. Just use a simple chord without shot/hold dots. These chords won't play but they seem to instruct BIAB somehow.
1. Bars 17 & 33 - where for some odd reason the instruments only come in half way through the bar.
2. Bars 37, 38, 39 (in the song its the chorus with following lyrics: "If I seem edgy, I want you to know, that I never meant to take it out on you etc")where I need the Eb to come in earlier in a synchopated way. I've tried to put them on 4th beat of previous bar but that doesn't sound right either.
1. Bars 17 & 33 - where for some odd reason the instruments only come in half way through the bar.
Following on from Noel's suggestion I tried putting Db.d on the first beat of Bar 16. That way only the drums continued to play through bar 16 and all the instruments resumed on the first beat of bar 17. Hope this helps.
Definitely try the beats 3 and 4 (in the 2-beat bar) approach I mentioned. This will solve the "instruments coming in halfway through the bar" problem.
Noel, I tried your suggestion with the file that Nigel posted. I put a chord on beat 3 (and later beat 4) in the 2 beat bar 15. All instruments resumed in bar 16 in both cases. And all instruments started correctly in bar 17 on beat 1.
However, I got the impression from Nigel's file that he only wanted the drums to play through bar 16.
Thanks for passing on the information. I didn't try Nigel's file and I could have easily missed something as I tend to scan through posts too quickly sometimes!
Yes the phantom chords worked a treat thanks Noel.
Now all I've got to do is the syncopated Chorus:
Bars 37, 38, 39 (in the song its the chorus with following lyrics: "If I seem edgy, I want you to know, that I never meant to take it out on you etc") where I need the Eb to come in earlier in a syncopated way. I've tried to put it on the 4th beat of previous bar but that doesn't sound right either.
Any suggestions?
Best Regards Nigel
Nigel Spiers Christchurch, New Zealand info@nzacoustics.com
The time sig is 4/4. That is what BIAB sees throughout the tune. At some point the time signature changes to 2/4, but BIAB still has the 4/4 in mind. When you change back to 4/4 BIAB is caught on the wrong foot and is out of sync with the tune until you give it a synchronisation trigger.
Put the Db..d on the first beat of the first 4/4 measure after the change to 2/4 and all seems to be good -- at least on my computer.
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.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
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.
and keeps the drum playing, although with a little emphasis on the third beat.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean