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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Is there anyway to record from a guitar into band in a box? BIAB looks like it only accepts single notes for the melody track. So if I'm trying to record from a guitar with 6 strings into band in a box--is there some way to make that work?
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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See my previous answer to your other post. Roland synth-pickup interfaces let you run all six strings' output into a single MIDI channel.
Also, don't confuse notes with channels. Single notes vs chords is one thing. Whether those notes come over one MIDI channel or several is another.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Airchair,
If you are attempting to replace the automatically generated guitar track, then the answer is no. Since Band In A Box has only one audio track (PC version, I'm not sure about the Mac version) you could mute the guitar track and record your own guitar track as audio, but that would leave you no place to record anything else.
Moving everything to a DAW or Audio Sequencer would allow you to record all the tracks you wished.
If you are looking to record the guitar as MIDI, then you will need the appropriate guitar/MIDI interface, and however you have that set up, you can record that to the Melody track. However, your output will have to be on a single MIDI channel, and will need to be the same MIDI channel as the Melody.
If you wish to record each string as an individual MIDI channel, that is possible, but not in Band In A Box.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Hi Gary,
Thanks for your reply. I think I'm getting closer. Yes I want to record a melody track in biab but instead of using a keyboard I want to use a guitar. Now I just need to find out if theRoland GI-10 outputs all 6 notes in a single channel--I'm not sure if it does that. I would be using a g2k pickup into the GI-10 interface into a midi to usb interface.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Air,
Since I am a keyboard player, I don't know. However, I believe that most MIDI guitars and MIDI Guitar pick ups have the option of doing to either way. One of the biggest things that you have to do is make sure the tracking is correct. That determines how well the pickup will interpret the notes. Also, slides and other guitar technique may not work very well when you are trying to transcribe to a MIDI format. Again, I am a keyboard player, and my experience with MIDI guitars is very old, and goes way back. The newer gear may be head and shoulders above what I experimented with.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Yes, the GI-10 can be configured to send MIDI out on one channel or 6 channels (one per string). I use a GI-10 w/ a GK-2 and I've always had it configured to send on one channel. If you got a used GI-10 w/ a GK-2 for $100 that's a serious score ! I paid $100 for the GI-10 used alone, without a pickup or cable.
Don't stress about it too much, just set it on one channel and record into a MIDI track. Hopefully you have a manual for the GI-10, if not post an email address, and I'll send you a copy.
Personally I find it much easier to create the backing tracks in BIAB and export them into another sequencer (I've used Cubase SX and Logic Express, as well as GarageBand). Then record the MIDI melody onto a single channel track there. Right now the Mac version of BIAB is lacking in MIDI editing capabilities. Hopefully that will change soon, but you will probably find it easier to record and edit the MIDI in another program.
Hopefully this helps.
- Jay
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- MacOS 12.7.6 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2026 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 14 -- Too many plugins
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Hi Jay,
Thanks for the reply. That finally makes sense. I do have the owners manual--just haven't had time to go thru it yet. One last question--if I configure it for one channel does it output all 6 notes on that one channel? If not which note would it pick? I'm still a bit unsure about that. Basically I'm a drummer by nature. I am probably doing things a bit backwards anyways. i write the lyrics for songs, then I send them to my musician friend who comes up with a melody. That's where we get slowed down, because he's self taught and can play great but can't read very well. So I struggle to get his "melody" into biab thru a keyboard. Once the melody gets in, then I build the rest of the song(instruments) around the "original" melody. Once that's done, I export the whole thing to garageband to final mixing, harmonies/vocals etc. kind of a pain, but if I could get him to play his guitar or the melody right into biab that would save a ton of time. Thanks again,
Roger
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Yup, just like a keyboard works, all that good multiple MIDI note data get sent to the same channel, along with pitchbend and a whole bunch of other good stuff. If I were you I'd do my melody recording and editing in Garageband, much easier to work in than BIAB (at the moment). Hopefully BIAB 2010 for mac will have the same MIDI sequencing capabilities as the Windoze version (or better  ), but for now I'd send everything over to GB, and then do your melody there. Much easier to edit notes in GB's piano roll editor, than moving MIDI notes around in BIAB. Trust me I've tried.  If you are just starting out with a guitar-MIDI controller, you may be spending a fair amount of time working on cleaning up your playing technique, ease of editing notes is going to be a sanity saver. You'll be moving a lot of notes around (at least for a while). When I started with MIDI guitar a bunch of years ago, it really exposed a lot of sloppy playing techniques that I'd developed over the years. Playing the MIDI rig has actually helped my playing a lot (even though I still suck at guitar ). Hopefully this helps. - Jay
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- MacOS 12.7.6 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2026 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 14 -- Too many plugins
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Now ya got me confused again. lol. Everything else you said makes perfect sense. But if I record directly into garageband--it will not export midi files---. So being that I use the melody to build my songs from in biab how could I ever export a melody from garageband and get it into the melody track for biab? Also you can only import midi files into the mac version of biab so I'm not sure how you're getting the melody from garageband into biab.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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No it's me who is confused, you did say you did it backwards, didn't you ? My bad, I read too fast, your way will work just fine. I was just having bad flashbacks about trying to move all those tiny notes around in the notation editor. - Jay
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- MacOS 12.7.6 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2026 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 14 -- Too many plugins
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Hi Jay,
thanks again for all your help. I can relate to manually putting all those notes--there's nothing worse. LOl
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Hi Jay,
Maybe a little help--again. lol. Well I got the g2k and the gi10 interface. I have it recording into biab--but when I play it back it always sounds like vibrophone--not guitar. I've tried setting the melody and guitar patches under midi setup to 26--which should be acoustic guitar--but it never changes. I'm sure it's something simple but so far I have not found it. Just wondering of you could help me out with your settings maybe. Thanks
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Are you using an external sound module or the built in Mac sounds ?
Does the patch change to acoustic guitar if you change it during playback ?
If you are able to get the guitar sound during playback, make sure the next time you save your song to do "Save with patches" and select the "Acoustic Guitar" sound from the pop-up menu (for melody track) in the dialog, otherwise it may revert to vibraphone on the next launch.
If you're using an external sound module make sure you have "Program Changes" checked under the "Recording Filter" dialog under the MIDI menu.
Hopefully this helps.
- Jay
Last edited by JayO; 03/20/10 09:13 PM.
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- MacOS 12.7.6 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2026 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 14 -- Too many plugins
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Hi Jay,
Well I'm getting closer. Lol. Still cannot get the original guitar sound from when I first record using the g2k--but I can get it after I save with patches and play back--and it sounds real accurate. I'll play around with it a bit more. Thanks
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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You could try putting the GI-10 in "Program Change Mode" ( P. C on the front panel ) and use the GK-2 up and down buttons to select the patch before you start recording, then save the song with patches.
Hopefully this helps.
- Jay
MacPro 5,1/12 core@3.46GHz -- MacOS 12.7.6 -- ATI 7970 -- 32 Gig RAM -- Crucial 500GB OS SSD -- Samsung EVO 1TB Audio/Sample SSD -- BIAB 2026 -- Logic Pro X -- Cubase Elements 14 -- Too many plugins
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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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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!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
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.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
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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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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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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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.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
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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.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
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.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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