Hi here I am again ;-) Please change the default setting for Natural arrangement to NEVER
1)Options 2)Preferences 3)Arrange 4) Find roll down menu for Natural Arrangement
NEVER (as default)
So many jazz customers avoid buying BB as the rumor says that BB puts plain 9 chords on a dominant7 V chord or altered over a IV 7. I also believe that beginners can get trouble with this
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.
Matt: Yes, but the default setting has been an overlooked feature that imho has degraded BB. I see bad comments about it on many forums, so I want to shine a light on it, so BB hopefully do something about it.
Matt: Yes, but the default setting has been an overlooked feature that imho has degraded BB. I see bad comments about it on many forums, so I want to shine a light on it, so BB hopefully do something about it.
Stratos, I agree there is an issue here. The comical post linked by Videotrack shows one example of this. Natural Arrangement is a fascinating concept and it often works very well, though it also can give odd results. I know: I compose Brazilian jazz. Every chord is ‘complex’ according to their definition (and then some). Natural Arrangement never gives unmusical results, just sometimes not exactly what I specified. I think that’s the way AI is supposed to work: it offers to ‘refine’ my entries, and I can override it.
So my issue here is not the main idea but how it is implemented. I’m not sure about just turning Natural Arrangement off by default, thus hiding a powerful feature from new users. Perhaps if the green info screen were then shown every regeneration (not just once per session as it is now), it would be available to all to try. Then make that green screen optional as users become more experienced. Would this work?
Or, another approach: have the green info message offer to ‘analyze’ the song for possible ‘enhancement’ via AI. Ideally, display the original chord and the possible suggested replacement, and let the user choose. Now, that’s powerful.
Remember that BIAB has a tremendous wealth of chords to choose from, but it’s not infinite. Natural Arrangement has never been completely explained, and it probably won’t be because it’s proprietary. But I believe it is at least partially based on knowledge of what chord progressions are available that are known to work well. My song’s chords might specify something for which the program has to substitute from what’s available (and that can improve over time). Or, I’m completely wrong on all of this.
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; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Hi Matt I´ll try to make a comparison of normal arrangement and natural arrangement of the same tune to be sure if it makes a difference in a good or a bad way. I am aware that styles means something for the BB choice of chords. Cheers
As a mainly Jazz player, I need to know what it's going to do to my song before I can be comfortable with using it.
I would like to see a check-box or similar displayed on the chord sheet that I could use to toggle Natural Arrangement on/off. Then I could see exactly how it would change my structure and decide if I wish to use it.
(BTW: I normally write using just slightly more that a single C chord )
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.
As a mainly Jazz player, I need to know what it's going to do to my song before I can be comfortable with using it.
I would like to see a check-box or similar displayed on the chord sheet that I could use to toggle Natural Arrangement on/off. Then I could see exactly how it would change my structure and decide if I wish to use it.
(BTW: I normally write using just slightly more that a single C chord )
+1 That was a very good suggestion. Sorry I didn´t see it out of your post Matt Cheers
I believe the issues with the "Natural Arrangement" feature are three fold, user expectation, feature implementation and undocumented chord changes.
The first issue is available by answering the question, "What does a user EXPECT to hear on playback once chords are entered on a Band-in-a-Box chord sheet and the play or regen and play button are pressed; chord improvisation (natural arrangement) or the entered chords?" My guess is users expect entered chords but the current default is chord improvisation (natural arrangement turned on).
The second issue is the focus of the green message is on song complexity, not changing the chord arrangement based on an analysis of the song. So the message is confusing at best and inaccurate or misleading at times.
The third issue is the chord sheet does not clearly indicate what chords are substituted, where the substituted chords were placed nor why those substitutions were made.
A on/off checkbox could help address the first issue but the second and third issues also needs addressing.
I like the idea of having a checkbox to easily turn the feature on and off. My proposal is to make the checkbox part of the regen and play button. Then during initial and subsequent song generations the check box will control operation of the natural arrangement feature as desired. Meanwhile the natural arrangement checkbox operation is ignored when the play button is pressed.
The second issue can be addressed by changing the green box message wording. A simple "natural arrangement is on" when the feature is used should be sufficient.
The third issue requires the most attention. Both the user manual and help file should be updated to provide a clear explanation of what the natural arrangement feature is and a non technical overview of how the features makes it's decisions. Finally, chord substitutions should be highlighted on both display and print chord sheets.
... Finally, chord substitutions should be highlighted on both display and print chord sheets.
All valid points Jim, and worthy of consideration.
I for one, want to see what it does to my arrangement and this could be best presented by highlighting on the chords that are displayed.
One item to challenge this option is that natural arrangements can be turned on/off per individual track from the mixer. So how would that be presented on the chord sheet.
Also, two different guitar tracks could have different chords if only one used natural arrangements.
It's been asked many times that we would like to know more about what this feature actually does to our songs.
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.
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.
I didn't realize each track has settings so natural arrangement can be enabled or disabled. Amazing. This opens the door to a lot of arrangement possibilities.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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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)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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)
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!
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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.
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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.
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!
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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.
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