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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21 |
One reason I decided to upgrade to 2020 was to get those vocal styles I heard, the 2 part a 3 part ones such as _laud.sty or _Glory.
I decided to punch in some cowboy chords for what might sound good (G,A,C,G), a little "Pink Floydy", and I find that the vocals are literally singing wrong notes. It sounds kind of like a comical YouTube video of "World's worst choir) where an inexperienced choir is making a horrible racket.
Is there some way I can improve on this. I understand that these gospel-style background vocals may sound a little bit discordant at times because of the style, but they sometimes seem to be singing completely different chords than the ones I have set in the grid. Perhaps they need more complex chords assigned instead of those basic "cowboy chords"?
Any advice would be appreciated. I was hoping to use these vocals sparingly, just as a little flavor toward the end of some of my songs.
As always, thanks a million!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,703
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Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,703 |
My experiments using the demo song chords yielded the same results as you report. Tried forcing the vocals to a simple arrangement, which did not change my results much, if any.
Y'know, it sounds pretty cool if you don't look at the chords. But choices like singing a G# over an Em just don't fit in any of my musical contexts.
My early attempts to use the Oohs/Aahs were similarly frustrating, but these have gotten better over time with PGMusic's improvements, and are now often very useful. Hopefully these newer ones will improve as well.
Sorry I can't offer much more.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,587
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,587 |
When I tried the progression G A C G just now using _LAUD.STY, it worked for me. What I suggest if it happens is to freeze all the tracks on the file and then send the file to PG Music so that they can hear the issue. They will then implement a fix as soon as the problem is solved. Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 583
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 583 |
And, how about cutting back on all that vibrato? If BIAB could only get close to the jazzy vocal voicings found in the Genos and SX 900 arranger keyboards. Such voices would layer-in behind chord changes quite well.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 266
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 266 |
One reason I decided to upgrade to 2020 was to get those vocal styles I heard, the 2 part a 3 part ones such as _laud.sty or _Glory.
I decided to punch in some cowboy chords for what might sound good (G,A,C,G), a little "Pink Floydy", and I find that the vocals are literally singing wrong notes. It sounds kind of like a comical YouTube video of "World's worst choir) where an inexperienced choir is making a horrible racket.
Is there some way I can improve on this. I understand that these gospel-style background vocals may sound a little bit discordant at times because of the style, but they sometimes seem to be singing completely different chords than the ones I have set in the grid. Perhaps they need more complex chords assigned instead of those basic "cowboy chords"?
Any advice would be appreciated. I was hoping to use these vocals sparingly, just as a little flavor toward the end of some of my songs.
As always, thanks a million! Considering your desire to use these vocals "sparingly," you may want to consider creating your own background vocals using Synthesizer V (Synth V for short) with BiaB's vocal styles as reference. Synth V is a powerful free voice synthesizer program that has gotten a lot of attention in the last year or so. You can also create midi files of the notes you want the vocals to sing and import them into Synth V where you can then add your lyrics. And if you happen to use MuseScore, another user has created a script to convert MuseScore files to Synth V formatted files. Though it only has one female English voice, you can create your own male voices from hers that span all of the vocal ranges. I've explained how to do this in the Synth V forums (search for English male vocals topics) and provided links to samples that I created because I'm planning to enhance some of my BiaB created instrumental demos with synthesized vocals due to the fact that I'm not a singer. Here's the link to Synth V's website if you're interested: https://synthesizerv.com/en/
Tom Levan (pronounced La-VAN)
BiaB 2024 Win UltraPAK Build 1109, Xtra Style PAKs 1-11, RB 2024, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Intel Q9650 3 GHz, 16 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD & 2 TB HDD, Tracktion 6 & 7 (freebies), Cakewalk, Audacity, MuseScore 2.1 & 3.4, Synthesizer V
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 266
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 266 |
And, how about cutting back on all that vibrato? If BIAB could only get close to the jazzy vocal voicings found in the Genos and SX 900 arranger keyboards. Such voices would layer-in behind chord changes quite well. You can completely control how much or how little vibrato you want the vocals to have in Synth V as well as how much breathiness and tension.
Tom Levan (pronounced La-VAN)
BiaB 2024 Win UltraPAK Build 1109, Xtra Style PAKs 1-11, RB 2024, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Intel Q9650 3 GHz, 16 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD & 2 TB HDD, Tracktion 6 & 7 (freebies), Cakewalk, Audacity, MuseScore 2.1 & 3.4, Synthesizer V
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 540
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 540 |
One reason I decided to upgrade to 2020 was to get those vocal styles I heard, the 2 part a 3 part ones such as _laud.sty or _Glory.
I decided to punch in some cowboy chords for what might sound good (G,A,C,G), a little "Pink Floydy", and I find that the vocals are literally singing wrong notes. It sounds kind of like a comical YouTube video of "World's worst choir) where an inexperienced choir is making a horrible racket.
Is there some way I can improve on this. I understand that these gospel-style background vocals may sound a little bit discordant at times because of the style, but they sometimes seem to be singing completely different chords than the ones I have set in the grid. Perhaps they need more complex chords assigned instead of those basic "cowboy chords"?
Any advice would be appreciated. I was hoping to use these vocals sparingly, just as a little flavor toward the end of some of my songs.
As always, thanks a million! Hi steambc, Thanks very much for reporting that. I wasn't able to duplicate the issue, and I made a little video showing me using that _laud style, along with the progression you put in: https://youtu.be/Dhl8REVejiIBut, there might be other issues at play in your song file that are causing the issues. Another user mentioned freezing the Band-in-a-Box file and sending that to us, and that would also be a great way for us to hear exactly what you're hearing, and maybe we can help that way as well. Thanks, Tobin
*************************
Tobin Frank (he/him)
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,147
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,147 |
well done Tobin - what a great way of dealing with a problem
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21 |
One reason I decided to upgrade to 2020 was to get those vocal styles I heard, the 2 part a 3 part ones such as _laud.sty or _Glory.
I decided to punch in some cowboy chords for what might sound good (G,A,C,G), a little "Pink Floydy", and I find that the vocals are literally singing wrong notes. It sounds kind of like a comical YouTube video of "World's worst choir) where an inexperienced choir is making a horrible racket.
Is there some way I can improve on this. I understand that these gospel-style background vocals may sound a little bit discordant at times because of the style, but they sometimes seem to be singing completely different chords than the ones I have set in the grid. Perhaps they need more complex chords assigned instead of those basic "cowboy chords"?
Any advice would be appreciated. I was hoping to use these vocals sparingly, just as a little flavor toward the end of some of my songs.
As always, thanks a million! Hi steambc, Thanks very much for reporting that. I wasn't able to duplicate the issue, and I made a little video showing me using that _laud style, along with the progression you put in: https://youtu.be/Dhl8REVejiIBut, there might be other issues at play in your song file that are causing the issues. Another user mentioned freezing the Band-in-a-Box file and sending that to us, and that would also be a great way for us to hear exactly what you're hearing, and maybe we can help that way as well. Thanks, Tobin Wow, thanks to all who responded! I have a serious flu that is making it hard for me to even sit at my desk, so I will reply to everyone shortly as my condition improves. Tobin, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your getting back to me and making the video. I'll bet dollars to donuts that I neglected to set the key. A very stupid rookie mistake. Your examples sounded just fine. My results were comical, but this was because I hadn't set the key... I'm sure of it. To anyone who is reading this and is considering buying this software or upgrading: Don't hesitate! Do it! Look at the attention they give to technical support... Absolutely outstanding. And in version 2020 it is SO MUCH EASIER to find styles and RealTracks that are appropriate for your songs. I was hedging on upgrading from V. 2014 and I am ecstatic that I upgraded. Again, I'll be back in touch with everyone shortly after the flu starts making its exit. Thanks to all. What a great community!
Last edited by steambc; 01/08/20 08:11 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21 |
"well done Tobin - what a great way of dealing with a problem"
You got that right. Where else do we see such attention to customers' concerns?
Last edited by steambc; 01/08/20 08:12 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 14
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 14 |
One reason I decided to upgrade to 2020 was to get those vocal styles I heard, the 2 part a 3 part ones such as _laud.sty or _Glory.
I decided to punch in some cowboy chords for what might sound good (G,A,C,G), a little "Pink Floydy", and I find that the vocals are literally singing wrong notes. It sounds kind of like a comical YouTube video of "World's worst choir) where an inexperienced choir is making a horrible racket.
Is there some way I can improve on this. I understand that these gospel-style background vocals may sound a little bit discordant at times because of the style, but they sometimes seem to be singing completely different chords than the ones I have set in the grid. Perhaps they need more complex chords assigned instead of those basic "cowboy chords"?
Any advice would be appreciated. I was hoping to use these vocals sparingly, just as a little flavor toward the end of some of my songs.
As always, thanks a million! An old thread, LOL. However, inasmuch as I am still using BIAB 2008 and was having a similar problem - and solved it - I'll post! I set up a backing track to practice saxophone with Keith Jarrett's tune "Country" using the C_Soft style, and kept on hearing occasional minor thirds where they didn't belong, eg. on Bb7sus chords and on Bb/D chords. Really didn't want to hear those #9's! Unchecking "Add embellishment of chords" made them go away.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 8
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 8 |
Where is that checkbox located?
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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.
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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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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
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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
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Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
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