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I need your help BIAB users. For those of you who rely heavly on MIDI and virtual insturment, I need to know how you get them to sound as realistic as possible. I know that the instrument will never sound like an acutal instrument play by a musician, but I would to be proficient with MIDI so when in times I need to create specific part, I can make theme feel realisitic. Thank you and God Bless.


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Islansoul,

The secrets to getting great sounding midi instruments are...

1. Using a first class source of midi sounds. I have Miroslav Philharmonik, Dimension Pro and Garritan. These are good enough for me given how little I use midi. I haven't yet been able to justify spending the extra money on the EastWest sound libraries (which are brilliant).

2. Realistic sounding midi also comes from having notes suitably programmed with articulations that shape the sound in the same way that a live player would shape it. This is particularly true with instruments like Trumpet, Sax, Trombone, Violin, etc. For instruments that don't have too much individual-note shaped articulation such as Piano, Organ, Oboe, etc., midi usually sounds really good without too much fiddling around.

Hope this gives you some ideas.
Noel


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Realistic Midi.... almost an oxymoron.

But, depending on the instrument, how well you understand how to program midi, and knowing the nuances a real musician who plays a given instrument would use... and having really great, sampled, sounds...... it's possible.

Drums, bass, and piano tend to be the easier to use and make sound real. Woodwinds, and brass, and stringed stuff like guitar ..... not so much.

BUT.... technology is improving all the time and there are some great sounding sample libraries on the market. Just don't expect to get a really good sounding sample library on the lower end of the cost spectrum. The good stuff costs money....and generally, lots of it.


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Hi Islansoul,

I have been working with MIDI for about 30 years now. Thus the advice that I will give is based on my experiences as well as cost. Since you didn't specify what your limits are I will cover the good to excellent sound sources and equipment needed to make MIDI sound realistic. You will also need to listen to the instrument you want to emulate , pick up the nuances of that instrument then find the MIDI control called a CC number that best adds that nuance.

1-Horns and wind instruments: to get realistic sounding monophonic wind instruments you will need one of the following, a wind controller, a breath controller or software that uses the mod wheel for volume. I use an Akai USB wind controller but for you that means learning another instrument.

In your situation I would use a breath controller like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MRTaudio-Breath-Controller-Complete-Set-Compatible-yamaha-BC-Series-V2-/131575713438?rmvSB=true

or a program that uses the mod wheel (CC1) for volume. Garritan's programs are the best bet here.

If your keyboard does not have a 5 pin MIDI in then you will need a 5 pin to USB adapter like this

https://www.amazon.com/YCS-Basics-male-adapter-cable/dp/B00JGZZCOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476495135&sr=8-1&keywords=5+pin+midi+to+usb

2- Any instrument that does not have pitch bends or vibrato will sound good with MIDI with little input. These include piano, bells, vibes, drums, organs etc.

As Noel indicated the best MIDI programs cost the most money. If there is a low cost ceiling then Garritan's programs are a great start. I have both the Jazz & Big Band and the Personal Orchestra from Garritan and they are great programs, as is Miroslav Philharmonik and Dimension Pro.

The better all encompassing programs include Kontakt, SampleTank 3, and others. I have Kontakt and it is my go to program for sounds however it is expensive plus I have purchased a lot of third party patches for it. Others here have more experience with SampleTank 3 which is also on the expensive side. Both of these programs go on sale periodically so keep watching for that.

The best sounding but also more costly are the individual programs. Samplemodeling has the best sax and other wind instruments. I have the sax one and it is the most realistic sounding sax emulation that I have ever heard. I also have East West's Symphonic Chorus. I would stay away from East West's programs until you have a working knowledge of MIDI. Their Play, the program needed to run their programs, is a PITA.

To summarize sounds I would go like this:
First to purchase -Garritan Personal Orchestra and/or Jazz & Big Band, Miroslav Philharmonik, or Dimension Pro. Note I do not know if Dimension Pro is available for a Mac.

Next and all encompassing program like Kontakt or SampleTank

Then finally after you have some MIDI experience some individual programs like I listed above.

I hope this helps and if you need anymore info or help feel free to ask.


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The amount of work behind the scenes needed to get MIDI to sound real is astounding. Nuances and inflections are hard to program accurately so that the track sounds completely natural and organic.

You also need to use a good sample set. The minimum entry level IMHO is Kontakt. It is at the bottom of the list for a "professional" level sample library. Kontakt is $400 by itself. The better libraries will easily run into the thousands of dollars each. Some of the manufacturers have started breaking their libraries down into less costly modules. Piano... brass...strings....orchestral...choirs...percussion... etc.....to make them more affordable to the folks with limited discretionary funds. Check out the East/West Quantum collection. The modules are several hundred dollars each, but you can buy and pay for exactly what you need without having to buy a very expensive all encompassing library. And talk about some good sounding instruments. I have a version of the E/W collection. Really nice stuff.

I see lots of ads and notices about other sample libraries on sale for around $100 (approx pricing)...and yes, I have Garritan and Miroslav and some others..... but they are not anywhere near as good as they need to be to get a realistic sound that fools the professionals.

For home & hobby recording... GPO and Miroslav are just fine and sound good.... so please don't misinterpret my comments as being down on the lower priced samples.

my 2 cents worth


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Islansoul,

I think you've asked a great question and you've gotten some interesting and enlightening responses.

Like you, I am just beginning my midi journey. I know midi directed music can sound as good as instrument played music but more often than not midi music sounds like ... are you ready for this, midi music!

I believe realistic midi directed music requires an understanding of the use of midi commands, an understanding of how musicians play their instrument of choice, a midi controller you feel comfortable with to input midi commands, proficiency with a midi sequencer and last professional quality instrument patches.

What's the difference between CC1, CC7 and CC11? Maybe you don't know but you need to and the people that write about midi assume you do know! If I write the same question a different way it becomes obvious. What's the difference between CC1 (modulation), CC7 (Volume) and CC11 (Expression)? (++ Bob Norton's website ++ and ++ MIDI.ORG ++ are two good places to look for a chart that lists midi commands. Midi.org has a forum and other resources for beginners. You need to know midi as well as you know how to play music.

Do you know the notes to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"? Using that song as an example, think about how the song would be played by (1) a guitar player (2) a banjo player (3) a saxophone player (4) a trumpet player (5) violin player (6) fiddle player. Each musician would play the song in a different manner, even the violin versus fiddle players. How would they attack the notes, use vibrato, sustain and release the notes? While you may not play all these instruments you should be able to envision each musician playing the song on their instrument so you can emulate their song playing.

There are a lot of midi controllers that emulate playing an instrument. In my opinion your first midi controller should emulate your most proficient instrument. The simple reason is you want to learn how to input midi and not the mechanics of an instrument you're not familiar with. There are also midi controllers that don't emulate ANY physical instrument but may prove useful if you don't play an instrument. In that case get a controller that makes the most sense to you, that you believe you can quickly understand how to use it.

In my opinion applications that began as midi applications typically have better midi support than applications that provide midi as an add-on. That puts Band-in-a-Box at the top of the list. Cakewalk's applications began as midi only. There are several midi only sequencers available on the internet. Whatever midi sequencer you choose get REALLY familiar with what it is capable of doing and how to do it.

Last on my list of got-to-haves are professional quality (substitute the word expensive for professional in most cases) instrument voices. In addition to sounds, many have interfaces that can automate instrument nuances or offer midi loops created by professional musicians. However, the truth is if you can create a good and realistic midi sequence driving the Microsoft GS wavetable it will sound great using any other instrument.

Your first step HAS TO BE knowing what each midi command does. Know that and you will be much more comfortable using midi.


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In addition to spending literally thousands for pro level sound libraries you have to also be a pro level player.

When you listen to online demos of these products they were done by really good players. The kind of folks who would be very comfortable in a recording studio.

If you're not that good then who's going to play the midi instrument for you? A wind controller needs someone who's a good sax player already. A midi keyboard needs someone who is very skilled already.

The reason I say this is you can't take a prerecorded midi track for example that is close but not exactly what you want and simply edit it. If there was any decent feeling in the original track, editing it changes that dramatically. Now you're spending hours, days, years (?) trying to manipulate the CC's to try to get that feeling back. A good player simply plays the part. If he's using a good midi controller all that nuanced info is recorded and embedded into the midi file.

I watch a lot of vids about this stuff. DAW vids are especially good for this because a lot of DAW work is based on midi. The people doing the vids are almost always really good players and they make it sound soooo good. They'll say they don't like this version of a track so they'll play another version and it sounds great. Doesn't mean you can do that unless you're equally good. Here's a few examples:

Guitar playing Spectrasonics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGhqYsoIeBQ

Keyboard playing Trillian bass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1toLihZkDs

Wind controller playing a Yamaha Tyros:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH_w7AW7jPU

Garritan demo using four keyboards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTee0M-CjHc

If you can play like these guys, you too can make midi sound great.

Bob


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You can always create your songs with whatever synth you currently have. You'll have the midi programmed in to your songs for the most part. Then as your budget allows you can easily upgrade your instruments.


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I haven't read all the posts here, but I will just say I use Kontakt with key switches to get the get what I can't get in BB/RB.
Another way you can try is RiffStation https://riffstation.com/buy-or-download/ there is a Mac demo version.

Select Riff Builder, drag a realtrack in from the realtrack folder, they are all in the different keys.

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Personally I've given up on creating midi parts. There are some good midi samples around for drums, piano and bass. Nothing else sounds anywhere near realistic enough and I have some Kontakt instruments.

Realtracks are the future for sampled music and that is why I'm such a huge fan of BIAB. The best alternative is to do a session with a real musician. You'd buy a lot of bespoke sessions for the cost of a decent midi library.

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Originally Posted By: jazzmammal
In addition to spending literally thousands for pro level sound libraries you have to also be a pro level player.

When you listen to online demos of these products they were done by really good players. The kind of folks who would be very comfortable in a recording studio.

If you're not that good then who's going to play the midi instrument for you? A wind controller needs someone who's a good sax player already. A midi keyboard needs someone who is very skilled already.

The reason I say this is you can't take a prerecorded midi track for example that is close but not exactly what you want and simply edit it. If there was any decent feeling in the original track, editing it changes that dramatically. Now you're spending hours, days, years (?) trying to manipulate the CC's to try to get that feeling back. A good player simply plays the part. If he's using a good midi controller all that nuanced info is recorded and embedded into the midi file.

I watch a lot of vids about this stuff. DAW vids are especially good for this because a lot of DAW work is based on midi. The people doing the vids are almost always really good players and they make it sound soooo good. They'll say they don't like this version of a track so they'll play another version and it sounds great. Doesn't mean you can do that unless you're equally good. Here's a few examples:

Guitar playing Spectrasonics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGhqYsoIeBQ

Keyboard playing Trillian bass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1toLihZkDs

Wind controller playing a Yamaha Tyros:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH_w7AW7jPU

Garritan demo using four keyboards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTee0M-CjHc

If you can play like these guys, you too can make midi sound great.

Bob


So Bob, if I want my tracks to sound real, I need to play the tracks myself? What if I don't play the instrument. Can't I step sequence the notes and edited it myself?


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Guys, before you mention realband, note that I own a mac, and will never switch to a PC.


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Originally Posted By: Islansoul
Guys, before you mention realband, note that I own a mac, and will never switch to a PC.


Don't they have a program for Mac that lets it run Windows programs?

You really might want to consider a small laptop running windows just for accessing the abilities of Real Band and it's ability to generate real tracks..... just export them as waves and any DAW on a Mac can use them.


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You can find great midi files on the internet but can't always learn about the composer.

David (DW) Barnes has been around for years and is an expert midi programmer best known for his Beatle song midi files.

He explains how he programs midi although he does not personally play keyboards.

How DW Barnes programs MIDI

Here is how one of his midi files looks opened in BIAB Chord Chart -

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Originally Posted By: Islansoul


So Bob, if I want my tracks to sound real, I need to play the tracks myself? What if I don't play the instrument. Can't I step sequence the notes and edited it myself?


Playing them yourself is the best way however you can take a MIDI file and edit it to your liking. OR you can step sequence the notes and edit them also. When doing any MIDI track the object is to make the track as close as the actual instrument you are trying to emulate using CC messages. In other words do not keep it static (notes only).

PS - I edit BiaB MIDI files all the time.


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You need good libraries and good controllers. This breath controller for example allows you to control 4 parameters while leaving your hands free to play. And your feet can additionally be used with pedals.

http://www.tecontrol.se/products/usb-midi-breath-bite-controller-2



Mike Verta also has great videos and tips:


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This thread is worth reviving so here goes,

Charlie's post touched on, but did not specifically say that an excellent way to learn how to create good sounding midi tracks is to learn by studying good sounding midi tracks created by others.

Find a good sounding midi sequence of a song you REALLY like because you'll be listening to it a lot. A really good midi sequence sounds good no matter what sound module it is played on be it your cell phone, computer default midi sound module or whatever. It may not sound like the original but it will sound good.

Import the midi file into Band-in-a-Box or a DAW that has a midi sequencer and piano roll view or PRV.

Find a few bars where one instrument stands out. Use the midi sequencer and PRV to view the commands or events sent out to the instrument channel for those few bars. How did the song author use volume, modulation, expression, note duration to make those few bars sound so good? When you can make a few bars sound good on any sound module think about how great the song will sound with a good sound module.

As Charlie implied the midi sequences performed by David Barnes are top notch and good ones to study. His website is +++ HERE +++


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Tune 1000 has created some of the best MIDI files I have come across and they also include the lyrics complete in sync with the music.
As you point out a great sequence sounds good with almost any synth now days, but when used with high end samples they really sound great.


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Originally Posted By: Jim Fogle
This thread is worth reviving so here goes,

....

Find a good sounding midi sequence of a song you REALLY like because you'll be listening to it a lot. A really good midi sequence sounds good no matter what sound module it is played on be it your cell phone, computer default midi sound module or whatever. It may not sound like the original but it will sound good. ...



Jim GREAT point

It is completely analogous to having and KNOWING at least a handful of your favorite (and maybe not favorite) REFERENCE songs/LP's to mix and master audio against.

Larry


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I have taken somewhat of a hybrid approach:

1. I have pretty much eliminated brass and woodwinds from my arrangements as I have yet to hear really convincing midi originated sounds.

2. I got so frustrated trying to find convincing midi and samples for bass guitar that about 15 years ago I decided I just had to learn how to play. This was one of the most satisfying decisions I have ever made in my music hobby. As an existing guitar player it wasn’t a huge leap. Should have done this sooner but no regrets whatsoever.

3. Drums. After years of frustrating keyboard entry and grid entry. I sprung for Jamstix. Big step up in realism but still not what I was hoping for. 2 years ago, I bought EZDrummer 2 and I haven’t looked back and have never been disappointed with the results. Incredibly realistic. Excellent tweak ability. Easy to use.

I play all my keys and guitar parts and avoid quantizing if I can stand what I’ve played.

Scott

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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®!

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