In the Song Settings dialog, there is an option to avoid transposition of Real Tracks. The ToolTip says, "...since the guitar isn't transposed..."
90% of everything I do is drums, bass and guitar in various incarnations. My only two complaints with BiaB are the triplet issue and few chords in guitar shots and holds.
Is this related? Piano has lots of choices,but guitars (mostly jazz,some pop or country) not so much. I presume you are trying to avoid 'unplayable' fingerings, can we get more samples and choices to compensate?
I guess what I am asking is: How does this affect my workflow? Is there something O could be doing that would give me more options?
When someone kind has a moment,can you explain what transposition is please?I dont think you mean change keys.Is it a way of stopping them RTs from playing chords in positions where they wouldnt go normally?Like a guitar playing ,say,E chord in first position and then going to the following B7 way up on the 7th fret-or worse? In the meantime-Happy New Year to everyone at PG and on the Forums who have been so generous with their time and effort in geting through to these little grey cells when Im stuck,which is often but not as often as it used to.lol. Tonight I am singing for my Supper for the last time this year.Im hoping 2019 is as good. Wendy x
BiaB2022PLUS,927. every extras pack I can find ;-),Sonar7XL,Win 10
If I understand your intention correctly Wendy, Transposing is essentially changing a song by moving all of the notes up or down from their original positions by a relative amount. This could change the key signature, or the notes could be moved by exact octaves, which would maintain the same key signature. That is the musical definition of transposing.
The method you described is not transposing, but using different inversions to play a chord in the same key, but using a variation in the sequence of notes. Yes, some inversions that could be written on manuscript could not (easily/practically) be played.
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.
Changing keys. With regard to RealTracks, because they're audio and not MIDI, transposing can produce annoying little imperfections in the sound ("artifacts"). I almost always select the option to avoid transposing them, at least on slow songs where they seem more noticeable, especially on piano.
Last edited by 1manband; 12/31/1803:54 AM.
Jim Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
In this context, transposition does not refer to changing keys, per se, but the process of moving the pitch of the audio (RealTrack) up or down to match the key of the song.
For example, if you recorded the RealTrack using only D, G, and A chords (and their corresponding variations - minor, sus, 7th, aug, dim, etc), but your song needs to play an E chord, BIAB (after finding out that it doesn't have an E chord) will instead take the D chord and raise the pitch (transpose it) one full step (two semitones) to get the sound of an E chord. Fingering-wise for a guitar, it would be as if the guitarist quickly put on a capo on the 2nd fret and then played the chord as a D (which would sound as an E chord). Clearly a guitarist can't do this in real time, so in reality, the E chord would be played with different fingerings. But in this case, there is no recorded E chord, so the program has to transpose the D chord up to get the right chord sound.
Now, the PGMusic RealTracks actually record a whole bunch more chords than that, but not every variation of every chord. So while maybe a RealTrack has an E7, but not an E9 (but does have a D9), then if you did not turn off transpositions, if your arrangement called for an E9, it would transpose the D9 to an E9 and that's what you would hear. If you turned off transpositions (where it wouldn't use transpositions), then BIAB would instead play the E7 instead of the E9.
Don't know if this helps or muddies the description.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
What John is describing uses the Elastique algorithm, introduced several years ago to BIAB. It allows pitch shifting without artifacts if the shift is only a step or two.
What Trevor is describing, inversions, cannot be directly controlled in BIAB. The best you can do is continue to regenerate until you hear an inversion you like. RealBand can do this on specific phrases.
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.
Thanks everyone for weighing in. John and Matt have the definitive explanations, and my take on it is that looking for the maximum options most of the time, I should leave Natural Arrangement defaulted to Always. But it also tells me I STILL need to ask/beg Oliver to kick out a slew of alternate voicings for shots and hots.
... and my take on it is that looking for the maximum options most of the time, I should leave Natural Arrangement defaulted to Always...
I personally don't have any confidence at all in Natural Arrangements. Try this experiment for yourself: 1: Create a new song, key of C Major, 32 bars. 2: Choose _B140_GB as the style. You should have 32 bars of C (and a 4 bar ending in C) 3: Click on generate.
I don't see any complex 9th or 13th chords in the song.
Knowing (and admiring) your playing style and established skill level Soundsmith, I'm not sure that Natural Arrangements really always helps. YYMV of course.
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.
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!
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.
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.