Does CROONR1 successfully hold a chord? I'm getting a rest instead.
I just tried it and it holds a chord for me, using an ellipsis (Dm11...) How did you specify the hold?
Also, what Chord(s) did you select that showed the issue?
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.
Bm7 hold works. I'll try a few others and report back...
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.
OK, mixed results but all the ones I tried held a chord (sort of)
I created a song with 24 bars and placed one different chord and hold in beat one of each bar.
Many chords held for 2 beats and then followed a 2 beat rest, others held for 4 beats.
These (of the ones I tried) held for 2 beats only: Cm Fm Em6 Cm11 F9sus Gm
Of course if I generated again I could get different responses.
None of the chords I tried played a rest for the entire bar.
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've always had questions about some of the things that BIAB does, whether it be Midi or RT. Pushes in odd places, notes that don't work, etc. I made a wise crack about it once and offended someone on the forum, which I didn't mean to do.
It would help me if I understood the concept that BIAB uses to make choices in Midi. Is there some programming by a human or does an algorithm do everything? If a human is involved, that person should be (and probably is) a musician.
It would also be helpful to know if RT's are edited before release so problems like this can be avoided. I'm not asking for any secrets, just a general idea.
Finally, it seems the easiest fix has been mentioned. Let the horns play the entire song, go to Real Band (or another DAW) and cut/paste to get an arrangement. That way you can set up themes and figures that appear more than once and tie the piece together.
Good questions, 2b. I don’t know why these reasonable questions in this form would have offended anyone (hope I wasn’t the one!).
I don’t think it matters about man versus machine because we do know that several of the programmers are also fine musicians, Dr. Gannon included.
I can’t reveal what goes on in beta testing but I think it may be ok to say that we do not review all the new RealTracks before public release. Perhaps that’s something to reconsider. However, it boils down to distribution: there are HUGE files involved, with many releases to test over a short time, and RealTracks are large files to download.
Many of the beta testers do not relax upon the public release, though. We get the full new versions when you do, but we keep testing. We report the occasional problem with a RealTrack to the developers, and PG Music issues a reasonably timely patch.
I hope that gives you your general idea.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
For MIDI styles, there are settings as to how "jazzy" the arrangement should be. You can specify whether to jazz-up or jazz-down the chords. I suspect that's where some of the "off" notes come from. That being said, for standard MIDI tracks (not SuperMIDI), the arrangement you get is based on rhythmic phrase that have been normalized to a C7 chord. The other chord extensions are based on the basic C7 chord. The engine then picks on of the available rhythmic phrases based on its weighting, or in some cases whether it is flagged as a special case (every fourth bar, a jump to a fifth, whatever), is transposed accordingly with the additional notes added to complete the chord, and that's what you get. Yes, sometimes you get some bad notes, but again, the engine picks them based on how "jazzy" your setting is.
For RealTracks-based styles, you can set the song use simpler arrangements and now natural arrangements.
All these things go into determining what gets played, and sometimes it gets it right and other times it gets it wrong. But hey, so does a live band, too. Just regenerate until it's too your liking, then lock it down if it is of great concern.
I'm sure there's a lot more that goes on behind the scenes, but that's my rudimentary understanding. The best person to answer about MIDI styles, however, is probably Bob "Notes" Norton, since he has created so many of his own styles for sale that he is intimately knowledgeable about the output produced by BIAB (whether by any inside knowledge or observational intuition).
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
John correctly mentioned some of the controls a user does have, and there is always Regenerate. In RealBand, you can even regenerate part of a track.
I’m not sure any of us, even Notes, could tell you much more because the algorithms are proprietary information for PG Music. We can only make educated guesses.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
That's where SFZ RealTrack Instruments would help, as you can make any hold you like and you are not restricted to just those that have been recorded in Holds_350 \bb\RealTracks\Library\Holds & \bb\RealTracks\Direct Input\Library\Holds
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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 new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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)
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