Please tell us a bit more about how you import the MIDI file.
Presumably this is a Drums MIDI file only and doesn't have any other instruments? In that case, the sound is coming from the output MIDI device that you are using, not the MIDI file itself (MIDI is only the trigger data for the sound module)
When you load a style, you may be over-writing the MIDI file and replacing it with the Drums track from the Style you are using. Can you advise which Style?
Which track did you load your MIDI drums onto?
What is the color of that track in the mixer, after you load the style?
A VSTi may improve the sound, but this depends on the quality of the current MIDI output device.
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 open a midi file F7. About half the time this opens with the sound in the Trombone slot { in mixer - with muted YELLOW tracks: bass, drums, strings, etc.]
Depending on the track, this might sound pretty good. ie: sounds like the song.
Then next, to find a style of RT that fits. I select from the suggestion list.
As some have posted, this is where troubles start: doesn't sound like the song, etc.
In this case, I forget what song, but the green drum track wasnt what I wanted.
Do these green tracks overwrite the yellow ones? Can one revert back to the yellow. { on a particular track ? }
If I can't find a STYLE that works { rock riffs in particular seem to " disappear".- This really seems to kill the song for me. }
Should i just transfer those yellow tracks to WAVE files, to open in a daw? then run VSTs?
Would this sound closer to the original midi, but with better sound?
{ I should add, I'm not real seasoned with vst's either}
thanks for any suggestions.
I hope that was clear.
PS is there a different program to use to open a midi for this use?
For the moment, could you please turn off the track naming feature that automatically names tracks based on the instrument loaded. This will make it much easier for us to synchronise understanding.
To do this, go to "Options | Preferences" and remove the checkmark from the option for 'Auto-generate track labels' (as shown on the image below). This will cause BIAB to display its original static names. I anticipate with this feature off, what you call the 'Trombone' track is either the Melody or Soloist track.
When you load a MIDI file, BIAB will put all the midi parts on either the Melody or Soloist track and then mute the style. Thus, when you play a midi file, you are hearing MIDI entirely.
When you activate the style and then start looking for backing tracks, BIAB will also play whatever style is loaded along with the MIDI file. This could easily cause a collision of sounds that will sound very unmusical.
To get the best effect from a MIDI file, it's usually better to simply load in the song's Melody from the MIDI and then investigate backings. To load in the melody, it's necessary to know which MIDI channel it is on. Then, using the green SEQ (Sequencer) button, open the MIDI file and load just that melody.
Working with MIDI files in BIAB is one of the more advanced aspects of the program.
If you have the Windows version of BIAB, I encourage you to start Realband and to open your MIDI in Realband. It becomes very easy to mute tracks and to add BIAB tracks in Realband. Most importantly, though, in Realband, you can see each track of the MIDI file.
The 'green' drums that you mention are Realdrums and they won't overwrite MIDI drums. As far as I'm aware, if there are MIDI drums on the Drums track, the Realdrums will simply sit on top of them and mute any MIDI on the Drums track. In your case, though, I suspect that your MIDI drums are on the Melody or Soloist track since you loaded a MIDI file. This can be tested simply by using Mute.
Please start a new thread in the Realband forum and I'll answer it there. There will be a number of Realband users people who would appreciate reading about how to use MIDI files in Realband and how to apply BIAB backings to them.
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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!
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