I'm trying to finish a song for my grandson's wedding this Saturday and having trouble with it. It's a straight 4/4 time signature. It's a wedding song I wrote years ago. I'm using the style -P_PHILC. I love the style.
In some measures the bass drops out for certain chords, just for that measure. Also, the style does not change from a to b like I programmed it to. It is random and there seems to be no pattern to it.
Any ideas. I'm running BIAB 2021 on an old computer with Windows Vista OS. I would love to run it on a newer system but don't have the money to. I was told by PG Music it would run fine on Vista.
P_PHILC is a MIDI style. The probable cause of the bass drops is the bass patch isn't playing in the proper octave making some notes be out of the range of the patch.
This can be corrected with editing in the Piano Roll screen or alternately change the Bass to a MST instrument or RealTrack Bass.
I created a song test file and the Style changes between A and B styles worked correctly in the test song. Save your song project, close and reopen the project and regenerate may correct the issue on your system.
As Charlie said the bass may be out of the range of the instrument that you are using. I run into this a lot with bass tracks and some of the bass instruments I use. Tell us what bass sound you are using and it would help us solve that problem.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Assuming Charlie is correct that some of the notes are below the lowest note the program expects, you can change the lowest note setting. Go to Ctrl+E > Arrange button and change from the E2 default to E1 or E0.
Depending on what the bass sound source is I would go to options/preferences/channels and change the bass octave from -1 to 0. That would raise the entire bass track one octave. As I said previously I have to raise the bass track an octave for many of my bass presets.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
its surprising - a bass part that plays fine on my GM synth needs to be raised an octave on some vst bass parts. no idea why and it confused me too.
GM sounds use the entire keyboard range regardless if said range is in the actual instrument's range. Good bass presets come in the actual bass range. This causes a problem at times.
Bass and guitar notation is an octave higher than the actual instrument sounds. This is done to eliminate ledger lines and or the grand staff. BUT BiaB writes bass parts in the actual pitch. Thus it is an octave lower than a bass notation. If your bass VSTi is expecting bass notation and you give it BiaB's actual pitch notation is will play an octave lower , thus your low notes are out of the VSTi's range.
Last edited by MarioD; 02/17/2112:22 PM.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Well, I finally just exported it as a midi file, thinking that if any notes were missing in the bass track, I could just copy and paste to fill the empty measures, but lo and behold it worked just fine...no missing bass notes. So it's fine for now. I just need to record one piano track over it and it will be done. The words "thank you" do not come close to how grateful I am for all your help. I wrote the song decades ago for a friends wedding. My grandsons wedding is almost a miracle so this means the world to me.
thanks Mario but my bass lines in GM play at the right pitch - some of the bass vsts i've auditioned played an octave lower and i had to raise them. i was trying to find a better bass sound for the intro of 'stand by me' and a midi aprt i'd played in at the right pitch on a keyboard suddenly played an octave low......maybe there's a disconnect between midi note numbers and the vsts
thanks Mario but my bass lines in GM play at the right pitch - some of the bass vsts i've auditioned played an octave lower and i had to raise them. i was trying to find a better bass sound for the intro of 'stand by me' and a midi aprt i'd played in at the right pitch on a keyboard suddenly played an octave low......maybe there's a disconnect between midi note numbers and the vsts
That is because your bass VSTi is expecting the notes to be written in bass guitar notation, that is one octave higher then it sounds.
For example if the bass plays an A (440, MIDI note 69) in a GM sound source then you will get the right bass note, that is standard notation. But your bass VSTi is expecting MIDI note 81 (an octave higher) then that is bass guitar notation, thus your GM note 69 will be played an octave lower than expected.
I have found that most good bass VSTis expect the notes to be in bass notation.
I know it can get confusing.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
thanks Mario - its not at all confusing when you explain it!
The bottom line is that if you have good bass sound sources you will have to raise BiaB's bass line up one octave. I do that prior to trying out different bass VSTis. If one has been using GM for a while then getting into the real world of MIDI sound sources can be a bit intimidating. Been there - done that - sometimes still there!
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
i know its all subjective Mario but can you recommend a good free bass sound that will play in sforzando? it would save me downloading and auditioning at random!
i know its all subjective Mario but can you recommend a good free bass sound that will play in sforzando? it would save me downloading and auditioning at random!
I don't do much in sforzando. But I can recommend Ample Sounds free P-bass:
It is a VSTi so it should work in BiaB. I won the entire Ample Sound bass collection and I can say from that that they are some of the best bass guitar sounds around.
Also you didn't specify what type of bass you want. Let me know and I can do some looking around for you.
PS - google/bing free sfz sounds and you will find a ton of sounds.
PPS - if you want send me the bass MIDI track and I will use one of my basses and send you back a MP3. Just be sure to specify what kind of bass you want, i.e. p-bass, jazz bass, upright, etc.
Back in my day the only time we started panic buying was when the bartender shouted "last call"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
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!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
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!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
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!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean