|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 60
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 60 |
Using _PJONPB2.... simple country ballad.
I used Melodist to generate a quick song. I noticed that some notes just cut off randomly, especially at the beginning of a new chord change. Is this normal?
The Lead Sheet/notation shows say, it's supposed to be two half notes... but they play staccato.
Don't know if this is normal (this is with a RealTrack, piano)... but it certainly does not sound very professional, as advertised.
Been messing with the program all night... trying to figure it out better.
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,034
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,034 |
Using _PJONPB2.... simple country ballad.
I used Melodist to generate a quick song. I noticed that some notes just cut off randomly, especially at the beginning of a new chord change. Is this normal?
The Lead Sheet/notation shows say, it's supposed to be two half notes... but they play staccato.
Don't know if this is normal (this is with a RealTrack, piano)... but it certainly does not sound very professional, as advertised.
Been messing with the program all night... trying to figure it out better.
Thanks!
It will take a lot more than a night to figure this program out. Really! it is that complex. I did listened to the RT you mentioned. When I added a new track via melodist, I remembered immediately the strengths and limitations of this feature of BIAB. Never actually used it much. The melodist creates a midi file (computer generated) with a patch (distorted guitar) which I didn't bother to figure out where it was coming from. That would explain the "sound quality". The notation to the midi track was interesting but I did notice the staccato which was not surprising given the midi source. Were you expecting to make you next song based on a computer generated midi melody track? Then you likely have heard enough from the Melodist. But, If you were interested in seeing how phrasing and styles could be adjusted to create ideas for your melodies than you will want to spend more time in the Melodist feature. Either way, good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,034
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,034 |
Don't know if this is normal (this is with a RealTrack, piano)... but it certainly does not sound very professional, as advertised.
We should clear this up. Maybe I missed the whole point here.  I am certain that the melodist track is not playing the midi lines via a Realtrack. That is not how it works. The real tracks I listened to sounded "professional, as advertised". I thought it was the melodist track you had a problem with?? And regarding the notation some RT notation is "as played" and other are notated after the fact. Is this the problem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,616
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,616 |
Dan is correct, the Melodist is producing MIDI and is not related to RealTracks. BIAB does have the ability to edit the whole MIDI track for note length, if that's the question. Maybe even adding some reverb to that track will help. The patch (instrument) is critical; a guitar will fade quickly. And we need to know what is playing your MIDI, since MIDI has no sound at all - it's just instructions.
Dan is also correct that the notation for RealTracks is of differing accuracy (I did a few of these) but that is not relevant to the Melodist.
Once we get the basic concepts down, then we can hone in on the solutions needed.
And Dan is particularly right about learning the program. I learn something new every day after using it for 25 years.
So let's try again. Tell us exactly what you did, what it did, and why that's different from what you expected. Also tell us what your Preferences, MIDI driver, Output is set to.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 60
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 60 |
I understand what you guys are saying, but it was actually the main piano part, in the RealTrack. It wasn't just the Melodist. I only used the Melodist to generate a song/chord progression. But the piano part, I thought, was supposed to sound flowing, as it was a rhythm part, and not a lead part.
Thanks for any additional advice!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,616
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,616 |
Ok, very helpful.
Forget all that about MIDI.
What is the number of the RealTrack (you can see that in the Mixer)? Did you turn off Natural Arrangement?
RealTracks are what I call 'audio snippets' that may be anywhere from one to eight measures long. Sometimes the voice leading is smooth, sometimes less so. You can freeze the other tracks you like and regenerate/play the song until the piano backing may improve.
What are the chord changes?
And, there is a small possibility that this one RealTrack may have a programming error if this is reproducible, especially if it is a new RealTrack. That can be fixed by PG Music.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
The biggest problem with all the piano RT's is the lack of sustain between chords and there's nothing that can be done about it.
A piano has a sustain pedal that the player uses to smooth out chord transitions. Another technique is to use your fingers to hold down the common notes between two chords so only those notes sustain. What do those two techniques have in common?
THE PLAYER KNOWS WHAT CHORDS HE'S PLAYING AND WHAT IS COMING NEXT.
RT's are prerecorded phrases. The player does not know what chords a user is going to use therefore it's impossible for all the chord changes to have proper sustain between the chords unless somebody actually records every possible combination of all the chords both major, minor and all the common extensions and sustains all those combinations IN ALL KEYS or at least the minimum needed for an RT. Short of that, if you put in two chords that were not recorded together originally, you're going to hear the first chord chopped off.
This is one of the really big tradeoffs between the Real Tracks and midi. With midi it's easy to simply write in those sustains after the fact but to do that with an audio file? It's like listening to a chopped guitar chord on one of your favorite CD recordings and thinking how cool would that be if he held that chord? How can you sustain a chord on an audio file after it's been recorded?
This is complicated stuff and it's amazing to me it works as well as it does.
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: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,126
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,126 |
This is complicated stuff and it's amazing to me it works as well as it does. Yes, I could not have summed it up more perfectly. Some very clever algorithms must be involved to create the subtlety we actually experience.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,909
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,909 |
........
This is one of the really big tradeoffs between the Real Tracks and midi. With midi it's easy to simply write in those sustains after the fact but to do that with an audio file? It's like listening to a chopped guitar chord on one of your favorite CD recordings and thinking how cool would that be if he held that chord? How can you sustain a chord on an audio file after it's been recorded?
This is complicated stuff and it's amazing to me it works as well as it does.
Bob
Excellent points Bob. FWI - There is one way to make an audio file piano sustain if one has a 64 bit DAW and Melodyne 4 Editor. You bring the RT wav into Melodyne, highlight and extend the notes you want to sustain. It is is very time intensive exercise but the results are excellent. I have done this a couple of times using Sonar and Melodyne. I also have changed chords in audio. For example if one played a Gm and we wanted a G in Melodyne I move the Bb up to a B.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
True but Mario, we're not talking about spending another $500-1,000 for more software here. Sure, lots of things are possible if money and time spent learning it is not an issue.
If Major7th is willing to do that, we can certainly discuss it in more detail. Maybe if he gets good enough at this he'll get a promotion to Major9th...
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac 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 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
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®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,447
Posts805,189
Members40,122
| |
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