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Originally Posted By: Rustyspoon#

Sorry, but I like to do some things differently from you. Some of my wishes interlace with items on my question list that is why it is appropriate to have a converstion in already established thread, rather than starting a new one.

Frankly I think that this is a great thread. A user has asked questions and offered reasonable suggestions as to how the program might be improved. I'm definitely in favor of that approach rather than saying "It's done that way because it was always done that way".

I think any program developer needs to continually look for ideas if 'that way' could be improved. Such a vision on continual improvements has meant that we don't still have Netscape as a browser and Word-Perfect as a word processor (OK, and DOS and an O/S).


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It really amazes me how folks who can write quite well don't seem to understand basic English. Reread what I wrote earlier in this thread. Show me where I said "It's done that way because it was always done that way" or even implied that. Here's a very basic question to answer:

What is Band in a Box and what's it's purpose?

Here's another one for Mike:

Did you read what Peter wrote about 64 bit?

I guess if there's no 64 bit version coming that means "It's done that way because it was always done that way" right? No underlying reasons WHY things are done that way?

Bob


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Bob,

I loved some of those tips you had on chord entry. As a songwriter, it is what I do all day. Can you point me to any links, manuals, anything else you might have along the lines of the solid comments you made about chord entry.

I have put together a word document with many of the shortcuts and nomenclatures you need to know in BIAB but I am always look for more if you have stuff YOU really love and use. Feel free to PM me if you want to email. I am building my library. Thanks for anything you have.

On Bob's posts:

I have noticed that from time to time there tend to be a lot of posts that make grand insinuations that PG Music does not care about improving products and is stuck in the past. Quite frankly, some of the posts sound asinine and come from people who have never posted a tune. Yes, yes, we know maybe you are writing but just have not posted. But if you are writing, can't you at least post one so we can get an idea of what you are doing with the program? We are all trying to learn. How are we supposed to understand what is bugging you so much if you never used the tools to write and then post a song so we can see why and how the program is letting you down so much? It is like saying "I am sitting here on my butt staring at the screen and I would write a great song if only BIAB had an easier way for me to add a diminished 7th chord, although I never really use them anyway."

If someone comes out with a strand of illogical sentences that really do not make sense, with a strident and condemning tone (Oh when oh when will PG Music ever get its act together!!!) is Bob not allowed to use the exact same tone in rebutting the complaint?

Every single day of my life I spend many hours in front of mixing board counting my lucky stars that I have real track possibilities to fill in a certain mix, and am in awe of certain capabilities that BIAB brings, though I know there is room for improvement, of course there is.

But many (not all, but many) of the complaints that have been offered so far are pretty vague and nebulous--and it is not how programmers work.

It has been my experience that any time I make a suggestion to PG Music, they receive it warmly and add it to their list if it makes any sense at all. Even if it does not make complete sense, they receive it warmly and try and see if they can translate the suggestion to something they might actually be able to do. I remember calling Kent about a glitchy problem with Real Track exports in Band in a Box 2018 earlier this year and they got right on it and it was fixed by the end of the week. That is pretty lightning fast in the programming world. They seem to be pretty responsive people to me.

So my advice is this:

If the normal routes of communication--emailing PG, adding things to wish lists, even calling PG does not work, then call up Peter Gannon himself, ask for a job, tell him you know better than them, beef up your programming skills, go to Canada and write some code.

Maybe then by 2025 you will be able to produce a song: or not.


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David / Bob.

I you do not like critique or some opinions, you do not have to follow the threads you find not to your tastes. Thats all. You do not see issues, great for you. Nobody is making you do things you do not want to do, right?

Some of us have different opinions on things.

P.S. David, if Peter Gannon, trully wanted tec with proper skills to modernise BIAB, coherent with the line of 2018 software, he would have no problem of finding right people in Canada or elsewhere.

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Sure, I can say the moon is made out of cheese, but that doesn't mean it is.

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Doesn't hurt. Let the cheese moon rise! Whatever tickles your pickle David.

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With RapidComposer you can create the chord track bit by bit with keyboard input then when you have it how you like import into BB. A lot of musicians don't know what chord they are playing so keyboard input is a good idea.
I just try to find workarounds to give the user more options.
I gave a guitarist a Roland guitar pickup to know the chords she's playing.
RapidComposer Exports the Chords as MIDI markers because I ask them to add that same with MusicLab RealGuitar I ask them, I have been asking PG for 10 years.
It just makes it easy to get chords from one app to the other.
To get chord midi markers in midi from BB I have to export as MusicXML import that to Reaper then Reaper will write the midi chord marker from the chords in the MusicXML.
If I export MusicXML chords from Reaper everything reads it but BB.

And RapidComposer running as a VSTi in BB refitting midi riffs with keyswitches from Ample Riffer.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k7q8ikg7e3pgx0g/Biab-RC-Ample-Bass.mp4?dl=0



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Thanks for the explanation Pipeline. That makes sense and I see where RapidComposer would have its uses to some musicians.

To simply fill in the BIAB Chord Sheet, regardless if you know the chords or not, if you can play a melody or chord progression that sounds good to you, play it, save it to a midi file and import the midi and BIAB will automatically decode the chords and populate the chord chart in seconds. That will bypass the issue of BIAB not reading part markers. Don't you think that's very straight forward and a feature of BIAB rather than a work around? You can also accomplish a populated chord chart using audio and the Audio Chord Wizard which would bypass the midi conversion and the cost of the Roland guitar pickup and setup. RapidComposer does appear to be ideal outside of BIAB to create some complex pieces in step fashion very quickly. I appreciate you taking time to provide the explanation and gifs. Very helpful.


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The only problem with midi chord output/input is is correcting the non basic chords it picks up wrong, there are so many errors in the BB Chord Output midi as well so you spend a lot of time correcting, these are just a recent couple, in RC i can go and add/edit any chord easily but BB you have to hope and wait.

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Pipeline,
Thank you for taking time and posting videos. I have tried Rapid Composer some months ago. It is interesting program indeed. It has some very nice theory based power features, but for some reason it felt a bit "transitional" to me. Not in the sense that it lacked features, quite opposite I would prefer it to be simpler, just sort of basic "chord scratchpad" with some assistance.

Scales, inversions, slash chords, circle of fifth, suggestions and basic timeline, just so you can enter 3+ chords and just hear it on the fly and possibility of entering chords from controller directly.
I would stop it here. I know Rapid composer is able to do those things, but it is a bit obscure and not in one place. And you are right about BIAB translating chords wrong from other virtual controllers...

There is also a "thing" called Captain Chords 2.0, but you have to be connected to "their" database and I do not feel happy about it, but the prog. does look very interesting.

I guess I am looking for a software that will hit the sweetspot for my uses. I do not hibernate waiting for it, life goes on smile One such "sweetspot" program for me is vArranger. Together with BIAB they kick @ss, but on the dark side, they both badly need some modernization/development enema.

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Originally Posted By: jazzmammal
It really amazes me how folks who can write quite well don't seem to understand basic English. Reread what I wrote earlier in this thread. Show me where I said "It's done that way because it was always done that way" or even implied that.
Bob

Huh? Yes, I wrote that quoted text, so I presume the response is directed at me, but where did I name any specific person to have said anything? I didn't see any name in anything I typed. I simply made a generalist statement.

I wrote, and I quote verbatim: "I'm definitely in favor of that approach rather than saying "It's done that way because it was always done that way"."

I was looking to how systems could / should always undergo continual improvement. I understand basic English. I never implied anything to anyone in particular. I made a generalist statement.

Maybe some forum members have become a little too edgy. Maybe feeling that they need to take charge of deciding how things have to be be done.

I tried to be constructive. I was being objective rather than subjective. I've worked as hard as the best here to get improvements made. My legacy is testament to that.

I'm disappointed with being unnecessarily jumped on. I certainly didn't deserve that response.


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Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
[quote=jazzmammal]
Huh? Yes, I wrote that quoted text, so I presume the response is directed at me, but where did I name any specific person to have said anything? I didn't see any name in anything I typed. I simply made a generalist statement.


I'm the one being jumped on here so of course I thought that statement was directed at me. Sorry for misunderstanding you. You're one of my favorite people here, you do a lot to help out.

Now, let's comment about what Pipeline just wrote about Biab having issues with chord detection.

Mike and Pipeline again the implication in those comments imply this is a problem with Biab, If that's not what you meant to imply, then sorry again. This is a problem with forums, nobody is face to face. All these little perceived slights and personal judgements get resolved instantly face to face but when it's in writing on a forum all kinds of bad stuff can happen.

Anyway, we're talking about midi right now. Chords are not part of the midi standard. There is zero chord information in a midi file at all. Biab is actually one of the first programs if not the very first to offer ANY kind of midi chord detection. I alluded to that earlier in this thread but didn't expand on it.

Basically how this works is Biab starts by looking at the key sig of the file. Now, that alone can be a huge problem because it's very common for a user to forget to to enter the key sig, the song is just using the default key of C. If it's supposed to be E, that alone will mess up the chord detection. If you're trying to use a downloaded midi file you found on the internet and you're trying to figure out the chords and the key sig is wrong well, that ain't Biab's fault. The first thing a user has to do is correct the key sig before you try do anything with a midi file.

Assuming the key sig is correct the next thing it looks at is the notes displayed on the major beats of the song. If it's in 4/4 and the bass is simple on 1 and 3 of the beat then Biab looks at that and the key sig and decides what the basic chord is by assuming that bass note is the root. Then if it sees a 3rd and dominant 7th in the scale of the root it will display a E7 as the chord if the key sig is E.

BUT what if on that exact beat the chord is supposed to be the E7 but the melody note is a C? Now you and I and any other musician will assume that's just a passing tone for a singer or lead instrument but Biab doesn't know that, it's just an AI program not a mind reader. What does it see as notes on that beat? It sees E, G#, B, D AND C. It's likely to display an E7+ or augmented and that will cause you to have to correct the chord.

Nothing to be done about that because again, there are NO midi instructions to tell the program the chord is just a plain old E7. What you can do is to not have Biab use all the tracks for chord detection, try using just the bass and guitar or keys tracks and leave out the melody track but even then guitar and piano can easily be playing some passing notes too on one of the major beats so again Biab takes all the notes and tries to come up with a chord name for them.

This stuff isn't perfect and chord information is one of many things people have been hoping for in the upcoming new midi standard that's being developed right now.

Bob


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Good explanation, Bob. I wish they would standardize the implementation of Music XML and that would solve these things too.


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Thanks and wait there's more!

I explained a simple basic song in E. What about a complex song with lots of upper extensions like 7b5, sharp 9, 13, sharp 11's etc? And lots of bass harmony notes too.

Songs like that can be a total mess if you're depending on chord detection. To me and maybe there is a better way, don't know but to me if you're working with songs like that you need to have enough musical chops to understand some theory. You understand what a 3-6-2-5 turnaround is and which of those is major and which is minor for example.

Let me stop right here for a sec and clarify something. Mike and Pipeline do you understand that stuff or are you looking for a shortcut for someone who really doesn't understand any theory? They've learned by ear and don't know what they're playing they just know it sounds good. That would change this discussion a lot. Biab works best if a user has some technical understanding of music.

To continue, I don't see how using another program to handle that then paste it in Biab is any faster than simply typing in those changes into the chord grid. Like my little chart earlier you type hit enter, type hit enter and so on. That's it. If you wind up with an arrangement that sounds too complex then that's why Biab has the "Natural Arrangement" button, hit that and it cleans it up.

Even though the chord detection can be off and WAY off in some cases it's still far from useless. Why? Because you still have a complete song laid out in front of you. If it's 48 bars the 48 bars are all there, you're not starting from scratch on bar 1 and building it out. Your song is being displayed as a complete song and all you have to do is correct some of the chords. That's got to be faster than doing what you guys are talking about IF you understand some basic things.

Bob


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If BB has to be used the way Bob says and can't be improved and it's just how it is then I give up as I'm just a bit worn out from trying to improve BB as I gave up with RB as it took it's toll on me, maybe it's what others have said "you're flogging a dead horse" ! maybe I need a new horse or a new dog that can learn tricks.

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I think of the Audio Chord Wizard as being similar in user functionality and technical understanding to a DSLR Camera. It's a very complex but versitile device and allows a novice user with limited to no technical knowledge to take great pictures right out of the box using auto mode. They don't have a clue to how it happened, but they're only interested in the end result and accept a percentage of waste pictures as a cost of convenience.

The same camera in the hands of an expert is where the magic happens. They abandon auto and have the technical skills and experience to make the same camera do things a novice most times has no idea the camera could even do such a complex picture.

The ACW works similarly. Load a song, press F8 and hope for the best. Sometimes they get great results but often not so good.

It's a great tool if it's worth the time to learn how to manually manipulate it and learn all the features. As a hobbyist and casual user, it's likely easier to be like the novice photographer. Making it easier doesn't necessarily improve it. Mastering it does...


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Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
Making it easier doesn't necessarily improve it. Mastering it does...


Quote of the year.

Bob


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Oh knights, the protectors of honor,
the saviors of women and youth.
your armor, as shiny as mirror,
your voice is authentic and smooth

You walk through the fields and the valleys
Inspecting the lands of your king
You haughtily shushing at gypsies
Who dance by the fire and sing.

You shiver from scenes that's unholy
And twitch from the words of untruth.
You catch cannonballs like a goalie
Outsmarting the snakes like mongoose.

The castle stands tall on horizon
Its turrets are touching bird's wings
And nobody knows if the master is able
To polish his crown from kinks.

Lay down your sword tired soldier
And drink sacred goblet of wine.
The world is not older nor younger
It's yours, as much, as it's mine.

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Originally Posted By: Pipeline
maybe I need a new horse or a new dog that can learn tricks.


Sure if there was a viable competitor but there isn't. Biab stands alone. I don't know what to tell you other than just use it and be happy. And keep posting suggestions in the Wishlist and hope for the best.

Big things can happen. Remember the tempo sync issue with Real Band? I was probably the biggest voice pushing for that for over 10 years and I finally stopped talking about it because it seemed a waste of time but suddenly a few years ago...Voila! Ralph at Rayzoon (Jamstix) got in touch with Peter and they discovered it was a fairly simple fix in RB's VST implementation and it was fixed. You can now use Jamstix and other drum VSTi's that can create their own drum parts. That was one the biggest bug fixes in PG's history.

But in spite of my frustration with that issue I never gave a thought to giving up on these programs. They're way too cool.

Bob


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I'm always excited when I find out Peter Gannon or others from PG Music are attending NAMM or Musikmesse. One of the best things about trade shows is the opportunity to interact with your peers. Chance and by design meetings allow conversations that otherwise might never occur. Also, it doesn't hurt for PG Music to raise awareness of the programs' capabilities.

Some of the videos released showing trade show product demonstrations are flat out awesome!


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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)

Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

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!

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.

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.

Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!

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.

Holiday Weekend Hours

As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:

April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours

Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!

— Team PG

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