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I love BIAB and I would like to add more styles, and $29 seems like a bargain, but I can't figure out what's what.

The most important thing is that whatever style pak I choose, the results must be exportable to MIDI for use in my DAW. As incredible as they are, I don't need the real sounds, just the MIDI. Currently, when working with BIAB I filter styles by MIDI-only.

- Xtra Styles PAK 11? XPro Styles PAK 1? After reading the literature, I still don't understand the difference, nor am I entirely sure what's compatible with my past purchases (below).

- Are there MIDI versions of styles in these new style paks? (I just chatted with Live Help and they told me they are not exportable as MIDI; is this correct?)

According to my account, my current products are:

Band-in-a-Box Pro Upgrade Windows 2021
Band-in-a-Box Pro Upgrade with RealBand Windows 2020
Band-in-a-Box Pro with RealBand Windows 2018

Can someone clarify, or direct me to more information? Thanks.


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Originally Posted By: XilburQost

- Xtra Styles PAK 11? XPro Styles PAK 1? After reading the literature, I still don't understand the difference, nor am I entirely sure what's compatible with my past purchases (below).

- Are there MIDI versions of styles in these new style paks? (I just chatted with Live Help and they told me they are not exportable as MIDI; is this correct?)

There is another thread on the difference and it was just cleared up by PG Music. https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=658606&gonew=1#UNREAD

However, my understanding is that these Xtra and XPro styles draw on RealTracks and thus I don't know how much value they would have for a person interested only in MIDI.


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
...my understanding is that these Xtra and XPro styles draw on RealTracks and thus I don't know how much value they would have for a person interested only in MIDI.

Thanks for the response. That's the crux of my inquiry. I know that my current BIAB product has plenty of styles available when the Style Filter search MIDI box is checked; sounds like you're suggesting that none of styles in these new paks would be available when search filtered by MIDI.

I use BIAB as a composition tool, not as a final cut or performance tool, so again my interest is in MIDI export only.

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I don't know for sure, so do not be discouraged from checking further. Someone here who might know about the filtering question is MarioD, who mainly uses MIDI only.

Don't forget that some of the RealTracks have notation. I even wrote some of it for them in the early days. All keyboard tracks, for example, have notation. While it is for educational purposes only, in some cases you can take the MIDI into a good synth and make something out of it. The RealTracks picker will show you if it has notation or not.

And as I say, I do not yet know the the Xtra Paks and XPro do NOT have new MIDI.


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I just checked and the Xtra Pak 11 Styles certainly uses RealTracks only, however, could you substitute something like a MIDI Super Track, or as mentioned, extract and use the RealTrack transcriptions as MIDI?


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Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
I just checked and the Xtra Pak 11 Styles certainly uses RealTracks only, however, could you substitute something like a MIDI Super Track, or as mentioned, extract and use the RealTrack transcriptions as MIDI?

Thanks for the suggestions. Much appreciated. I hadn't heard of MIDI Super Tracks before. Intriguing, however, they appear to be single-instrument solo performances rather than full styles.

Regarding RealTrack transcriptions, from what I can tell those are geared toward generating charts, correct? If there were a simple way to export them to MIDI then I might be interested, otherwise sounds too complicated.

Again, I'm looking for styles than can be exported to MIDI without too much fuss. Thanks.

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Definitely, check out the MIDI super tracks. Some great sounds. Yes, they are individual instruments, which you can use like individual RealTracks.

The main purpose of RealTrack notation for some (many, by now) RealTracks is for education. But in some cases the MIDI is usable on its own.


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MIDI Super Tracks are individual instrument tracks of a specific instrument, so you can mix and match whatever you wish. They are not intended to comprise a final mix output of multiple instruments. They are each single instrument recordings.

RealTracks with transcription can be exported to MIDI with a mouse operation. Drag the track and drop it onto the MIDI target zone. When the target zone color changes to green, drag it to the destination (e.g. directly into your DAW). Alternately, the MID file will be located in your x:\bb\DragDrop\ folder.

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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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Thank you everyone! smile

By the way, I really love BIAB. There's nothing else like it!

Last edited by XilburQost; 06/03/21 10:19 AM.

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Originally Posted By: XilburQost

Thanks for the response. That's the crux of my inquiry. I know that my current BIAB product has plenty of styles available when the Style Filter search MIDI box is checked; sounds like you're suggesting that none of styles in these new paks would be available when search filtered by MIDI.

I use BIAB as a composition tool, not as a final cut or performance tool, so again my interest is in MIDI export only.


If the new styles are all RTs then no they will not show up with a MIDI search.

BUT if the RTs have MIDI transcripts then you could use them as MIDI.

That brings me to the question does anyone know if these RTs have MIDI transcripts? If they do then I am interested but if not them I am not interested.


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Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
MIDI Super Tracks are individual instrument tracks of a specific instrument, so you can mix and match whatever you wish. They are not intended to comprise a final mix output of multiple instruments. They are each single instrument recordings.

RealTracks with transcription can be exported to MIDI with a mouse operation. Drag the track and drop it onto the MIDI target zone. When the target zone color changes to green, drag it to the destination (e.g. directly into your DAW). Alternately, the MID file will be located in your x:\bb\DragDrop\ folder.


I would like to add that you can also drag and drop a MIDI transcribed RT directly to your DAW via the BiaB VSTi.


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Originally Posted By: MarioD
...That brings me to the question does anyone know if these RTs have MIDI transcripts? If they do then I am interested but if not them I am not interested.

I think Peter answered in a separate post that about 80% of them have transcriptions (RealCharts)


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