Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#515105 01/04/19 12:35 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
D
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
D
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
hi ,sorry if this has been covered before .
can you load a song /chords directly from the web into BB ?
or would i need to type in the chords ect my self.
i dont do cover,s but have a mate who would like to do a few for her set list,
1940,s/50,s styles.
thank,s for your time

Beginners Forum
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,751
C
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
C
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,751
<<< can you load a song /chords directly from the web into BB ? >>>

Welcome to the forum.

Yes. I can name at least three ways to import songs into BIAB.

1. Current versions of BIAB (Band in a Box) from 2016 forward feature XML compatibility that allows importing and decoding sheet music.

2. Import an audio file of the song, analyze it using the Audio Chord Wizard feature and it will analyze and import the song chords, tempo and key signature.

3. Import or open a MIDI file of the song and it analyzes and imports chords, lyrics and the song tempo, key the same as using an audio file as stated above.

Using MIDI is the easiest and quickest method of the three.


BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
D
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
D
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
thank,s charlie
on the subject of midi ,do i need a midi device/hardwear to play songs/track,s in bb.
im only using real band and real track,s at the moment ,but there seems to be a lot of track,s /styles that are midi ,they sound a bit bad when i click on them rather robotic ,im thinking im missing the point of them ?
im not a key board player or drummer so will not be getting into that section of bb.
thank,s for your time fella .
carl.

Beginners Forum
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,020
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,020
As you may know MIDI has no sound. It is just data like what note to play and for how long that is sent to a sound source. There are many different sound sources but the rule of thumb is the more expensive that better the sound. Thus the sound source that comes with BiaB is at the lower end of sound sources.

There are two main sound sources. One is hard synths. These are external synthesizers like Roland, Yamaha and other make. The other is soft synths. These are software synthesizers that reside in your computer. Both versions have pluses and minuses. Soft synths prices range from free to very expensive while external synthesizers tend to be on the expensive side although some dated but good sounding ones can be found relatively inexpensive on ebay.

So yes BiaB MIDI tracks can sound bad on the free sound source that comes with BiaB. But the free Sforzando that comes with BiaB can sound very good with some of the free and purchased patches (sounds) that you can get. There are some really good free Sforzando and Soundfont patches (you can use them in Sforzando). Since you are getting into MIDI I suggest that you use these first, then move on to the more expensive but much better sounding sound sources like Kontakt, SampleTank, UVI etc.

But if you take a regular BiaB MIDI track and play it using a good sound source it still can sound robotic, especially the older styles. This is where MIDI commands called CCs and pitch bend come into play. These commands control virtually everything thus you can add vibrato, volume swells, slurs/slides (call portamento) etc to add realism to the sound.

It isn't that hard to get MIDI tracks to sound good. If you wish listen to some of my songs in the showcase as I use almost exclusively MIDI.

Good luck and I hope this helped. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Note and after thought, the BiaB Super MIDI tracks eliminate all of the robotic tracks. These are MIDI tracks that are played live with MIDI controllers, thus they are in real time. Also some of the RTs also come in MIDI, but they don't have all of the articulations that you hear in them. You may need to add some articulations via CCs and pitch bend.


It takes courage for a man to admit his wife was wrong.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Beginners Forum
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,772
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,772
Quote:
But if you take a regular BiaB MIDI track and play it using a good sound source it still can sound robotic, especially the older styles. This is where MIDI commands called CCs and pitch bend come into play. These commands control virtually everything thus you can add vibrato, volume swells, slurs/slides (call portamento) etc to add realism to the sound.


And some of this can be done automatically using the Melody embellisher (which only works on the melody track, but you can move a track to the Melody track, embellish it, move it back, and then freeze that track).


John

Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 8TB SSD
Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 11TB SATA

BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK

http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting and construction)
Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
D
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
D
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
thank,s mario,
well that,s a fair bit to chew on ,you got me on the cost ,saying that i will have a go and see if it,s for me .ive checked out a few of your track,s so far and i can hear the diffrence allright ,man you do have a few to listen too.
so that might take a while ,some sweet guitar .
thank,s on behalf of Georgie .
carlton.

Beginners Forum
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
D
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
D
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
thank,s jford
i will give that a go and see how i get on with it .
thank,s on behalf of Georgie
carlton

Beginners Forum
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,157
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,157
Originally Posted By: deaf dog
hi ,sorry if this has been covered before .
can you load a song /chords directly from the web into BB ?
or would i need to type in the chords ect my self.
i dont do cover,s but have a mate who would like to do a few for her set list,
1940,s/50,s styles.
thank,s for your time


You can also load songs that were made with Band In a Box that are found on various websites. They are usually complete with the appropriate style/chords etc. Just type in songs made with Biab.

Trax

Beginners Forum
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
P
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
P
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Originally Posted By: deaf dog
...can you load a song /chords directly from the web into BB ?


What format are the chords from web in, can you give some examples ? as there is an ABC Import that is just text and a script can be made maybe to convert the text chord from the web to ABC to import into BB.
Also look at the Chord Picker in the link below, you just enter chords with the buttons:

Beginners Forum
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
P
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
P
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Here's some ABC Chord Import info to allow text chord import:

ABC Notation Header Info

So G=1bar Em=1bar F=1/2bar G=1/2bar F=1/4bar Em=1/4bar G=1/bar F=1/4bar....
So if you save that in Notepad to Pop Song.abc it will import into BB > Open Special ABC Notation..
(BB2019 has an ABC Import bug at the moment and should be fixed soon but earlier versions work)

See also OpenSong and OpenSong Import v1.3

If you have text chords you can copy & paste bar, half bar, quarter bar, start or end in the space between the text chords
eg.
G Em F G F Em G F
G
G Em F C
......

4/4
1bar >" z8 | "
1/2bar >" z4 | "
1/4bar >" z2 | "
empty bar > z8 |
start >|: "
End > :|
Code:
X:1
T:PopSong
L:1/8
K:G  
Q:1/4=120
R:Rhythm
M:4/4
|: "G" z8 | "Em" z8 | "F" z4 "G" z4 | "F" z2 "Em" z2 "G" z2 "F" z2 |
| "G" z8 | z8 | z8 | z8 |
| "G" z8 | "Em" z8 | "F" z8 | "C" z8 |
| "G" z4 "D" z4 | "Em" z8 | "D" z4 "Bm" z4 | "C" z4 "D" z4 |
| "G" z8 | "FMaj7" z8 | "C" z8 | "C" z8 |
| "G" z8 | "FMaj7" z8 | "C" z8 | "G" z8 |
| "G" z8 | "Em" z8 | "F" z8 | "C" z8 |
| "G" z8 | "FMaj7" z8 | "C" z4 "Am" z4 | "G" z8 :|


3/4
1bar >" z6 | "
2/3bar >" z4 | "
1/3bar >" z2 | "
empty bar > z6 |
start >|: "
End > :|
Code:
X:1
T:PopSong2
L:1/8
K:D  
Q:1/4=120
R:Rhythm
M:3/4
|: "D" z6 | z6 | "A" z6 | z6 |
| "A" z6 | z6 | "D" z6 | z6 |
| "D" z6 | z6 | "A" z6 | z6 |
| "A" z6 | z6 | "D" z6 | z6 |
| "G" z6 | z6 | "D" z6 | z6 |
| "Bm" z6 | "A" z6 | "D" z6 | z6 |
| "G" z6 | z6 | "D" z6 | z6 |
| "Em" z6 | "A" z6 | "D" z6 | z6 :|

You could even create an AutoHotKey script to paste them in with shortcut keys on your keyboard or create a AutoHotKey GUI like the Chord Picker Tool to add them with the click of a button.

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Moderated by  Andrew - PG Music, PeterGannon 

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
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.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

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)

Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Video: New User Interface (GUI)

Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!

Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

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.

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!

Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!

In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!

Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

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.

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!

Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!

In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,294
Posts790,648
Members39,854
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
StratMan1965, CPIA2002, janhardo, Minstrel, Deb D
39,854 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
jpettit 321
MarioD 217
DrDan 214
Noel96 163
DC Ron 145
Rob Helms 127
Today's Birthdays
Kara Music Production, Алик
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5