I know you can check the box to "ignore all slash notes except for bass" but I'm not aware of simply turning off ALL slash bass notes altogether. I've tried three different bass RT's and they're all the same. No slash bass. The song is Smooth by Santana. That song is all slash bass. On the screenshot see the first bar the Am goes to an Am/F but the bass does an octave A leading to the next bar and all the other slash bass notes are just ignored. Oh, and I just did a Return to Factory Settings. Is this somehow in the style itself? EDIT: Something else is messed up here. I added the Background Pop EV 120 B3 organ which sounds great but it drops out on every pushed chord with the slash bass and I did NOT check the box saying to have the instruments ignore the slash bass notes. Here's the screenshot:
Bob, I wonder if this is related to the Pushes? I know that shouldn't matter, but as a test if you removed the push does it then play the slash note?
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.
Yes I think the same as pushes use the holds and you are limited to the chords in them. The holds have something along these lines: C Cm C7 CMaj7 Cm7 Cm7b5 Csus4 C7sus Caug Cm7#5 EDIT: though the Bass holds have all the notes and some have a few octaves: RealTrack Bass Samples for Sforzando More Control over Shots n Holds
Here's the Holds_136 for the B3 it has 5 keys and 11 chords: EDIT: and the bass you are using uses Hold_195 that has 2 octaves of notes. Don't know what the NA is in your tracks see if they are available.
I have just written and arranged a song with a number slash chords. These were mostly on beat 3 and occasionally on beat 4. All of them worked. I didn't have any pushes, though.
Bob, I wonder if this is related to the Pushes? I know that shouldn't matter, but as a test if you removed the push does it then play the slash note?
Good catch. That's the issue. I moved the slash pushes to the downbeat of 4 and with the recorded rhythm of that RT bass about half of them wind up being pushed anyway so it actually sounds almost correct. The organ is now at playing the correct low note (not organ bass), just a lower keyboard note and it fills it in now.
Now the question is what's the deal with no slash bass on a pushed chord?
Pipeline, I can't read most of your attachment but I don't know what those N/A's mean because I've solo'd all the instruments and they're all playing. This is a pretty good style for Santana btw. Funny that it doesn't include the organ but it's easy enough to add it.
I just discovered the Return to Factory Settings messed with the RT picker window. When I clicked on show N/A about a window and a half of RT's showed up which should not be since I'm pulling the RT's from my UltraPak hard drive. I should have everything. I unchecked that then clicked Show All, then clicked Show N/A's again. Then I went back to the song and those N/A's are no longer there in the mixer. Then I went back to the RT picker, checked the list and no more N/A's. I've seen a few posts where someone was getting N/A's when they had the tracks so I guess Return to Factory Settings changes that somehow. I can't say if what I did is the correct way to clear that, all I did was just go in there and start clicking on stuff and see what happens.
Well, it's good that you got the reason sorted and have found a workaround, however, I agree, the push shouldn't stop the slash chord from playing correctly. One for the developers?
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.
John, not sure what you're saying. The slash bass is simply part of the chord, it's not a separate thing. To enter it you do ^Am7/F using my example above. That's it.
Also, for Pipeline I just spent the last hour reading your very interesting links embedded in other links embedded in other links train of thought. Very cool ways to get different bass lines and chord voicings to play in Biab using midi and VST's to sub for a RT.
I do a lot of work with midi files in RB, I will replace some midi tracks with RT's but where I need certain chords, punches or whatever I will mute the RT and keep the midi part. I'll use one of several softsynths I have to do basically the same thing you're talking about, replace an RT section with a proper midi section and use EQ and other effects to match the tone quality with the RT. Similar things have been asked about here for years and nothing has been done but we can hope.
Try playing the slash chord as a hold with the bass and see if it plays the root for you, as i'm pretty sure it uses the holds played earlier for the pushes.
Ok I tried the Bass in RB the hold is playing the F in Am7/F... but the push ^Am7/F plays the A. So it must be a bug. You can use a Hold on the beat as on bar7.3 then move it back same as in Bar3.
Thanks for that test. I just realized I did not try an obvious one, using a midi latin rock style and using midi the bass does the push slash chord.
It sounds like this is a bug with the RT styles but if we start with a midi style, no problem so the workaround is to do that to get the correct bass and then replace the other midi instruments with RT ones as needed.
The only other issue and this comes up on the forums all the time, is the octave selection. Musically it's obvious where the bass is going with Smooth, it goes down from A to F to E but Biab keeps playing that low E which is the open E string on a bass guitar, an octave up. So it's going A down to F then up to E which is stupid. The song requires that low growling E. And it's the same at the end of the verse. Smooth has that two bar downward cadance D, C, B, G#, A, G, F, E. It's all correct except Biab plays that final low E one octave up. Is that a style thing and if so where in the style is that decision made?
Bob, I think you know this but for others. When it comes to Real Track styles the style is just a bunch of rts made into a style that can be loaded all at once.Unlike a midi style. Try this: Load your style then replace just the bass part with a different rt bass. Try a bunch. This will tell us if it's the program bug or a faulty rt bass.
Yeah I know the RT styles are not really "styles". I did try a bunch of different bass RT's and no go. Of course there are so many of them it would take a week to test them all. I put this into the testing forum so lets see what is said there.
As to my comments about the midi bass playing that higher E, I've been trying out a bunch of midi latin styles and turns out it's definitely style related. Some of them do go to the low E but it really varies a lot depending on the style. Some do it all the time some part of the time and of course if I keep regenerating that can change too. I think the best answer to that is just keep regenerating until it's right and freeze the bass track.
You and I are mostly RB guys, this is a no brainer in RB. There I can pick and choose different midi styles for each track or even part of a track and this would not be an issue but for Biab it is. If I was really concerned about getting this song close to the original I'd be using RB starting with a midi file that I found in about 10 seconds on Google. It's a decent file and the bass is exact so I would keep that and play around with RT's and other fun stuff. This Biab bug would be irrelevant but since we're all trying to make these products better, that's why I reported this.
Finger Electric Bass (34) Hold 195.sfz these are the notes for Bass, Electric, TexasBluesRockStraight Ev 120 Bass, Electric, TexasBluesRockFunky Ev16 090 Bass, Electric, TexasBluesRockShuffle Sw 130 Bass, Electric, TexasBluesRockSlow12-8 Sw 060 Put this in X:\bb\RealTracks\Library\Holds\Holds_195 if you don't have wav save the wma as mono wav see here RealTrack Bass Samples for Sforzando or I think you can copy decompress.exe from C:\bb\Data\Util folder to that folder and run it (it may be in a zip). Drag Finger Electric Bass (34) Hold 195.sfz into Sforzando VSTi it had 2 octaves but I added another in the instrument.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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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.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
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!
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.
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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.
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