I'm trying to enter a song into BiaB but have encountered a problem of too many chord change. It is 4:4 time. As far as I know BiaB will let you put 4 different chords in a bar--one for each quarter note. But this song sometimes changes chords with every 8th note. I don't know how to deal with this.
You can adjust the song tempo so two bars are played in the same amount of time one bar currently plays. So for instance if the song tempo is presently 100 bpm then change the tempo to 200 bpm. Now each chord in a bar equals a eighth.
That means an unfolded chorus that was 50 bars will now be 100 bars so you need to watch out and make sure you do not exceed 255 bars.
You will also having to adjust any RealTracks to play at either half time or double time. I get the two terms confused so I just try adjusting one until it plays correctly, then I know how to set all of them.
You can also change the tempo just for the bars you need using the F5 setting but then you have to alter the bar before the change takes place and then use F5 again to return to normal.
Firstly, as you note, BIAB can only put 4 chords in a bar. This is a limitation of the program.
Notes Norton has put together some excellent midi styles that have 8 chords in a bar. To do this, he's combined two BIAB cells to make one bar (just as Jim describes). If you want to investigate Norton's styles they're found at the below link (I have some myself).
The above said, it is possible to use pushes to get a chord to play either an 1/8th note or a 1/16th note earlier. This will not solve the problem for the music you are using, but they are worth knowing about as the knowledge may solve a future problem for you.
As shown below in the image, if one enters the chords
C ^C7 F ^Fm
BIAB push the C7 and Fm so that they are played half a beat sooner. The ^ symbol is SHIFT+6 on my keyboard.
To get the chord to play a 1/16th note sooner, use ^^
Ok, so I suppose I would have to enter each bar in the original music unto 2 bars in BiaB.
Since the timing is a bit complicated, I decided this was too hard for me to figure out. Where it had 3 chord changes over 8ths notes (which it has in many bars) I just skipped the middle chord and went with two changes. It sounds good enough for me, I figure.
I also used the ^ to push the chord in a few cases. That is a good tip, and I'm sure to use it more in future.
Thanks for much for your help , Jim and Noel! This forum is awesome.
Here is the finished product, which probably sounds not so good, but is good enough for my purposes.
Don’t forget, you can enter exactly what you want in a MIDI track. I often do this with either specific bass lines or specific hits of a pattern that BIAB RealTracks can’t do. It works - it’s very hard to tell the difference if you have good quality MIDI sounds.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
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!
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