|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3 |
Hi all Band-In-A-Box users! I first heard about the concept of RealTracks in BIAB a week ago, so the last days I've been trying to figure out what's realistic to expect from this new feature. Here's a few questions that hopefully some of you can help me with: a) It seems like you can enter more or less any chord you like!? Do they all sound equally good? I quess they haven't recorded every single possible chord (at least for guitars), so there must be some pitch-shifting going on in the background. Is this noticeable? b) How much can you alter the tempo before it becomes too much? My experience with loops is that it´s easier to speed things up than slow down... c) Do some instruments sound almost the same, even though they are in different styles? In my book that's a good thing because it makes it easier to create more variation. The actual sound can usually be shaped with effects afterwards. d) The styles are roughly 2-8 measures long and have 2 variations, right? Do you sometimes wish for more variation when you´re making a complete song? e) Which improvements would you like to see for realtracks in the future, besides more styles? Ok, I should better stop now before you all fall a sleep  Personally I think the demos on the web sound great, but it´s of course interesting to hear what you users have to say!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,605
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,605 |
Hi obladi_oblada,
I've been using BIAB for a few years, now. In my opinion, RealTracks are nothing short of brilliant - especially when one couples assembling the tracks and parts of tracks into an arrangement using RealBand. Below are my thoughts regarding your questions/concerns.
a) I have used a vast repertoire of chords through multiple keys and have always got good results. Sometimes, sound artifacts appear in a track generation. When this happens, I use RealBand to regenerate the region where the artifact(s) occurs. Generally, though, once the whole band is playing nothing unusual usually stands out.
b) From my experience, around 10 to 15 bpm below recommended tempo and 20 to 30 bpm above recommended tempo sounds ok.
c) There are many styles that incorporate common instruments. You can also choose to add any RealTrack instrument to any style.
d) In BIAB there are sometimes 4-variations and it is possible to build styles so that have 4 variations. At this stage, RealBand only accommodates 2 variations. Personally, 2 variations suits me fine. I augment variations by shaping instrumental volumes - bringing different instruments into the foreground, etc. This is another reason that RealBand is important to me. Using RealBand, it is also possible to add a heap of other tracks (RealTracks and MIDI). This gives one the potential to make a huge number of style variations. In this regard, the 2 variations simply become the foundation for an arrangement.
e) I cannot imagine what changes the future will bring. I have learned, though, that PGMusic have the ability to surprise and amaze! At this point in time, RealTracks suits me perfectly.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 35
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 35 |
Hi Noel,
Great songs thanks for sharing, I really like the vocals on 'Dreaming 'bout Dancing' Would be awesome if you would let us know a few of the song titles that include tracks from BIAB and include in short form how you used BIAB along with your live instruments and singers to create these songs. Giving general examples of how the process works using BIAB may help ignite the creative process for musicians and show how BIAB can be incorporated into their song writing skills. Sometimes I use BIAB to generate the drum and bass tracks and add rhythm guitar, guitar solos and vocals later using another multitrack recording DAW.
On another note kind of off subject: Loop oriented music making software is great, but there is somethings BIAB offers that is not really found in these softwares.
BAIB helps you realize melody, and if you have problems coming up with one for your chord progressions BIAB can make one for you helping you to better understand how melodies are played over chords. BIAB helps guitarist like my self break out of three chord song writing.
BIAB helps you develop an ear for what other instruments are doing in the song by building drum beats, bass lines, fills, chorus etc. BIAB is not simply a drum machine that you program a simple 4 bar beat and let it go, it will do intro's, endings and everything in between.
BIAB is customizable, you can make your own music styles and apply them to your songs even multiple styles in the same song and never miss a beat.
There are books with just about every chord played by man, for guitar, piano and everything in between, but sitting down with one of these books strumming each chord on the guitar once or twice and trying to fit the chords together might not be of great a benefit if you never heard how they are played in a complete song. BIAB fits the bill because it can generate a complete song in any key you pick no sweat and show you how chords fit together and sound played in a professionally scored song and If you would like to hear how your song sounds in a different style, go from Country to Bossa Nova to Rock and everything in between BIAB can do that too, change keys? Print out sheet music for the band? its a breeze. And if you want to learn the guitar chords or the cool bass line BIAB came up with, no problem with the Guitar Window. BIAB also prints out tablature for guitar and bass along with guitar chords, staffs, lyric sheets etc.
BIAB helps you get your songs into printed sheet music that can be passed down for generations to come. I really like this feature!
BIAB is a great investment and a great ear training and music teaching program and many of the Guy's and Gal's on this form are top grade professional musicians that know their stuff and are very helpful to BIAB newbies.
Warren
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
What he said. Very good synopsis, Noel. Since you covered most of the good stuff, here's some bad or not so bad depending. The biggest one is the endings. Biab or RB will both implement holding a chord or note just fine when it's midi but the Real Tracks are audio files. It's impossible to take a quick strum or piano chord and make it extend out 3 or 6 beats like an ending. There's a lot of complaints about this but right now there's nothing that can be done except to do that last chord in midi using a good sounding synth and hope it blends well enough with the sound of the Real Track. Other than that, there are programmed endings for the styles, they just may not be what you're looking for.
The other thing is trying to create a real arrangement with breaks, definite bass lines, drum fills stuff like that. You're limited with what you can do just using the RT's or RD's again because they are prerecorded tracks. A question that comes up over and over is why can't I use the Sax or Guitar soloist RT to play my own solo or melody part? The program can take an RT soloist and chop it up and put it back together in interesting ways using your chord changes but it's not going to play your own part back note for note. You have to do that with midi.
Those demo's are real, no funny stuff going on. As you noted, a lot of them really sound fantastic. You can load most of these demo songs into Real Band and play with them yourself.
In spite of these limitations, these tracks are awesome and I wouldn't be without them.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3 |
Thanks for the feedback guys! Yeah, very good vocals on 'Dreaming 'bout Dancing', definitely not generated by BIAB It´s reassuring to hear that you like the sound of the chords. Steinberg used to have (still have?) a product called virtual guitarist, which sounded good but sometimes lacked certain chords. That could cause an unwanted "hole" in your song that was difficult to fill... I read a thread that gave me the impression that the RealTracks consists of recordings of progressions in three different scales. That suggests they only have to pitch stretch up and down 1-2 semi-tones, which seems acceptable to me. I must admit I'm a bit worried about the hold issue though. If there are short chords in fast style I guess that could be a problem. Sometimes it´s possible to create longer notes by time stretching or looping in a sampler like Native Intstruments Kontakt, but for some material it's not easy...like distorted guitar chords. I would probably try this after exporting the tracks from BIAB. At the moment I´m not sure what to do, maybe wait and see how RealTracks develops or put an order right now?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493 |
My two cents worth -
Order it now and get to know it, and I suspect that it won't be long before something is done concerning the holds issue. It is a pain sometimes, but when you have a song that doesn't need them, wow, the real tracks are great. Not perfect, but great. I won't ever go back to the days without them, and when I have to have a hold, the old midi still works pretty well.
Good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
Topics86,306
Posts803,048
Members40,088
| |
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