Greetings all.. New kid in town.. and new to BIAB.. Naturally I'd want to try to play with a song that's weird.. Just doing this for my own fun and learning.. The song I'm playing around with is "Footsteps" ~Merle Haggard (it's on you tube if you want to listen and see what I'm talking about). The 2nd line of the song does a chord change mid-bar.. This causes the 1-5 progression of the bass to reverse throughout the rest of the song because the beat is now mid-bar instead of at the beginning of each bar.. Not sure this makes any sense.. but I need the bass to start again at the beginning of a bar.. Maybe deleting half of a bar to get it back on track.. I've dug through the software and found nothing that would do this.. Hopefully someone halfway understand what I'm babbling about and throws me a hint or 2..
If I'm understanding your problem correctly, one of the below options might do the job for you.
ONE Try repeating the chord at the beginning of the next new bar following the mid-bar chord. See the image below. In most instances, repeating a chord causes the bass note pattern to start afresh.
TWO I am assuming that the song is in 4/4 time. This solution involves taking a single 4/4 bar and replacing it with two 2/4 bars.
Let's say bar 20 is the problem bar.
1. Right-click on bar 20.
2. Select 'Bar Settings'.
3. Change the 'Beats per bar' to 2.
4. Now right click on bar 21 and select 'Insert' and insert 1 bar. (This adds a new bar between bar 20 and bar 21.)
5. Right click on bar 22, select 'Bar Settings' and change 'Beats per bar' to 4. (BIAB if 'Beats per bar' is changed, BIAB will continue play the new setting until it reaches a bar to command it otherwise. By setting bar 22 to 4 and bar 20 to 2, this means the bars 20 and 21 will be in 2/4.)
6. Now put your first chord at the beginning of bar 20 and the second chord at the beginning of bar 21.
Hopefully one of the above will do what you are after.
I don't find Footsteps by Merle Haggard on youtube. Can you post a link? As Noel96 said;... You can insert a 2/4 bar by right clicking on the bar then choose Bar Settings. And, as he said;... change the following bar back to 4/4. BIAB will "strike the chord", as I call it, at the beginning of the bar for most styles. However, you may have discovered a way to create a syncopated feel out of a style by the way you have it. Can you tell me style you used? I want to experiment with it.
I don't see any song called "Footsteps". What I would suggest is to either use the audio chord wizzard and try to have it analyze the chords for the songs, or do what I do which is get the lead sheets to the songs and imput the chords to the songs that way. I like doing that because as a steel pan play, I play the melody, and I lead sheets help me learn the melodies really fast and easy. Plus, it's really fun to make BIAB backing tracks with all the Real Tracks I have.
Computer: Macbook Pro, 16 inch 2021 DAWs: Pro Tools, Logic, and Maschine plays drums, percussion, bass, steel pan, keyboard, music producer/engineer
Is the song title possibly "The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp"?
I too couldn't find "footsteps", but that word is used in the lyrics of the above song.
Welcome to the forums.
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.
My song is in 4/4 but I am unable to insert a single bar of 6/4.
Page 166 of hard copy Windows 2016 says all I have to do is open the "Set Time.." window at the desired bar, hit 6/4 and I'm done - NOT.
At the target bar and the next 2, I get a red underline and no 6/4. I tried inserting a a bar of 2/4 but that doesn't work either. It's as if the program is not accepting my command.
I also tried the solution given below to Wayne without success. Hope someone can help. Thx.
BIAB will not accept 6/4. It can be simulated as some combination of two bars, like 4/4 then 2/4, or 2/4 then 4/4 or 3/4 then 3/4. Using F5 as mentioned above, you should be able to make it sound OK, although the printout will not look right.
ffreniere, could you cite the chapter where you read 6/4 in the 2016 manual, and about how many pages in? I don't have that older manual anymore. If something there is wrong, I'll check the new manual and report it.
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.
"Set Time Signatures (range of bars)" is about 59 pages into Chapter 6: Making Songs of the 2016 Windows Users Guide.
I'm not worried about printing; it's about inserting a single bar of 2/4 between two bars of 4/4 and hitting a different chord on beats 1 & 2 of the 2/4 bar.
"Set Time Signatures (range of bars)" is about 59 pages into Chapter 6: Making Songs of the 2016 Windows Users Guide.
I'm not worried about printing; it's about inserting a single bar of 2/4 between two bars of 4/4 and hitting a different chord on beats 1 & 2 of the 2/4 bar.
Hoping you can walk me thru this. Thanks!
OK, it's on the bottom of page 211 in the 2017 manual. It is pretty clear that you have to break the 6/4 bar into two measures. Here is the quote from the 2017 manual. Let me know if the 2016 manual doesn't say this (it hasn't changed since BIAB was first made, to my knowledge).
Example: A song in 4/4 time with a single bar of 6/4 time. The maximum # beats per bar is =4, so we will split the 6/4 bar into 2 bars, a 4/4 bar and a 2/4 bar. Insert a # beats per bar =2 at the beginning of the 2/4 bar, then restore the time signature to 4/4 by assigning # beats per bar =4 for the next bar
To get two chords in a 2/4 bar, just enter the two chords separated by a comma.
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.
But once you "fake" the 6/4 time signature, be sure to regenerate the arrangement. You may find it sounds best musically at one of the other alternatives: 2/4+4/4, or 4/4+2/4, or 3/4+3/4 Choose the one that works best.
Again, notation-wise it may look funny, but it will sound fine.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
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)
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!
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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
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.
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.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean