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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 201
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 201 |
Hi guys, it’s no secret that band in a box is a near miracle, but as is human nature, once we achieve certain things, we want more.
I upgraded to 2021, but was quite disappointed in the tracks available for smooth jazz. I work at a high, professional level, so I am going to apologize upfront for being more demanding than a hobbyist.
I find the drum tracks quite good. Although I’d like a bit more variety in fills and such, they’ve taken me a long way. The same is true for Jeff Lorber‘s piano tracks. There’s enough variation there that I can avoid stepping on my own toes. More acoustic piano would certainly be nice.
My biggest complaint lies with guitar, and specifically bass. Brent Mason, Dwight Sills, and Michael Thompson are all fine players as we know. But it’s fairly limiting, and Michael’s tracks are compromised with a very thin tone to them, which can only be altered so much. Missing are certain critical rhythmic strums, which can be found in abundance in the acoustic guitar tracks, but have no corresponding electric tracks for basic strumming. As good as Mark Lettieri and Bob Lanzetti can be, I find their tracks generally unusable.
Lastly, as I mentioned, and most frustrating, the bass is a real problem. Yes Alex Al, Vernon Barberry, etc. are great players. The problem is that there are some basic feels that are missing. What’s worse, the ‘Simple’ generation feature simply doesn’t work. Many of the tracks suffer from overplaying, especially since there’s no respect for developing parts by laying low in song intros and building from there. Just too busy from the get go! Additionally, 5-6 string lead bass has become very popular in the genre (Brendan Rothwell, Julian Vaughn, etc.), and I'd love some solo parts and more slapping rhythm tracks!
Thanks for allowing me to speak my mind. You guys do great work, but I am afeared that I am reaching the wall in the program. I’d be perfectly happy if you never developed or improved a single feature, but put the time and resources into recording more quality realtracks and realdrums, both rhythm and solo. No complaints on the quality of playing, but the variety is lacking, and there are some tone choices that could’ve been better. Dry tracks are always best!
Last edited by Warren Keller; 02/16/21 07:32 AM.
Best, Warren
Warren A. Keller- Woodwindist/Producer
Spontaneous Groovin' Combustion
Tune 9 Music- SESAC
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,048
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,048 |
I absolutely agree with your comments Warren. There is a RealTracks request forum, but I'm aware that you know about it. Perhaps consider repeating these detailed suggestions there also.
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.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,000
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,000 |
Warren,
I agree there is always room for more RealTracks. I also believe there is room for additional MIDI SuperTracks and MIDI styles.
Believe it or not, I want more Pop, Country, Bluegrass, Gospel and Folk tracks. Some complain there are too many of them at the expense of other genres. What I've found is what we have is great but I still find gaps.
The good news is PG Music appears to realize content is the current star and deliver more content every year.
I will mention that one way to overcome busy tracks or tone is by offering additional MIDI content, be it in the form of MIDI SuperTracks or MIDI styles. MIDI can be edited much easier than audio. MIDI also lets the user choose the instrument patch so you can change the tone to suit your taste and the song.
PG Music has issued some "Look Ma More MIDI" styles the last few years. I'd love to see more.
I would also like to see some MIDI SuperTracks based on instruments like bass, guitar and sax.
I'm sure there will be more content released in the future. We just don't know what it will be.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 201
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 201 |
Oops, forgot about it Video Track- thanks, will repost!
Best, Warren
Warren A. Keller- Woodwindist/Producer
Spontaneous Groovin' Combustion
Tune 9 Music- SESAC
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 201
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 201 |
Thanks Jim. Good idea on the MIDI!
Best, Warren
Warren A. Keller- Woodwindist/Producer
Spontaneous Groovin' Combustion
Tune 9 Music- SESAC
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 448
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 448 |
I just checked out your SoundCloud and now I follow. http://soundcloud.com/spontaneousgrvncombustionVery very nice work, and finest sax and flute, to make it real I can recognize some of the RT styles from my own YT and SoundCloud tunes. Great inspiration to see how you do it
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 201
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 201 |
Thanks so very much, Stratos- I really appreciate that! You'll find Spontaneous Groovin' Combusion at Spotify, Apple, etc. We released an album in February https://ffm.to/sgcsgc.
Best, Warren
Warren A. Keller- Woodwindist/Producer
Spontaneous Groovin' Combustion
Tune 9 Music- SESAC
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,000
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,000 |
Warren,
That is a great sounding sample you linked to.
I'm not as fond of contemporary jazz as you and Stratos so I can say with all honesty I can't tell what is from Band-in-a-Box RealTracks and what is not. I hope you will take that statement as the compliment it is meant to be.
I don't know who mixed and mastered your songs but what I've heard is very tasteful.
I wish you much success with your music!
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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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PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
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Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
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We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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!
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