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RealBand Wishlist
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eddie1261
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eddie1261
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This has taken a curve where people are conflating TRACK 10 and CHANNEL 10. John pointed out that TRACK 10 doesn't have to be on CHANNEL 10. The Channel 10 aspect is that every drum machine in the universe is set to default to channel 10. Put the drums anywhere you want but if you use drum machines, the drum track playing the machines should be on MIDI channel 10 unless you want to change the drum machines to a different MIDI channel.
This software is made to CREATE music. If some users choose to compare it to Reaper, Creeper, Sleeper, Weeper or Beeper, do it, but only 4 or 5 others will generate your tracks, the main purpose of BIAB and RB. Don't expect PG to bend over backwards to code out a patch because one user doesn't like something. This is among the most nitpicky things perceived as a problem I have seen here in a while.
Some people would complain about their free Porsche because the radio buttons are too far away.
DAW software first appeared in 1977. The next competitors took 7-8 years to follow suit. BIAB happened in 1990. People need to stop comparing BIAB to a standard DAW. It's an apples to lawn mowers comparison. There are like 50 DAW options. Compare Reaper to Pro Tools or Logic or FL Studio or Cakewalk or Cubase, not BIAB. They are not the same kind of software.
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RealBand Wishlist
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,662
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,662 |
this "convention" which you all swear exists but which I don't have in any other of the DAWS that I own and they work fine. There's all sorts of scope for confusion in this. I think that the MIDI protocol specification itself does not specify a channel for drums. The General MIDI specifications do specify the channel(s), but GM2 states that it/they are defaults and can be overridden. Add to that the various and not always consistent uses here of the words track, channel and port and it's easy to understand why it's all so confusing. From the GM1 specification: The General MIDI system utilizes MIDI Channels 1-9 and 11-16 for chromatic instrument sounds, while Channel number 10 is utilized for "key-based" percussion sounds. From the GM2 specification: 2.4 Melody Channels and Rhythm Channels
[required]
A Melody Channel is a Channel that can select timbres or sounds from the GM2 Sound Set. These timbres are Programs in Bank 79H/xxH (79H/00H, 79H/01H, 79H/02H, etc.).
A Rhythm Channel is a Channel that can select timbres from the GM2 Percussion Sound Set. These timbres are Programs in Bank 78H/xxH.
Any Channel can be used as a Melody Channel, including Channel 10. Channels 10 and 11 can be used as Rhythm Channels (see Bank Select). Channel 10 defaults to a Rhythm Channel and Channel 11 defaults to a Melody Channel.
[optional]
Any Channel can be used as a Rhythm Channel by sending the Bank Select message 78H/xxH followed by a Program Change message. GM2 scores that use this optional message may be incompatible with some GM2 devices. In principle each of RealBand's 48 tracks can connect to a MIDI port (or VST), which in turn offers up to 16 MIDI channels. One could have 48 channels all controlling chromatic instruments, or 48 channels all controlling drums, or any mix in between. I don't understand here where "waste every 10th channel" happens. I wonder a bit if another part of of the confusion here is the ability of VSTs like Kontakt to have one instance that supports multiple tracks. I guess that would force the same 16 channels to port be used across the group of tracks sending to that one VST instance. I do note that RealBand seems to presume Drums and shows that icon if the MIDI channel on any track even if that track is set to some other instrument patch. In view of the GM2 text above, I think that is probably wrong ... the icon should really be set from the patch, rather than from the MIDI channel number, or arguably and optionally with a user-supplied icon. All of which may be informative, but I'm not sure that it resolves anything 
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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RealBand Wishlist
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,606
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or arguably and optionally with a user-supplied icon. The icons themselves are indeed editable .. and if you set the track to a certain Track Category to use them, the plus side is you get to assign a set of FX for that Track Category also. I know this is a bit off the rails for this thread, but I did get that far trying to encourage adding this option. All the graphics are in the RB PTW_Pictures folder MIDI images, and in the Skins folder are the graphics for the actual track display area. I tinkered with skins, just to do it, and a good graphics guy could do much better (I am not a good graphics guy), but it was kind of fun When we were recording more, we would make the track icon be a picture of whoever played the track. 
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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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.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
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.
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Holiday Weekend Hours
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April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
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Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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