The first time I saw band in a box was many, many years ago. It must have been more than 10 years. The interface drove me away and I really won't use it.
Yes, many of us have tried to encourage the developers to make changes to the interface over recent years.
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.
If you don’t change or keep up with the times, you can easily be eliminated. I found that many people who use BAND IN A BOX are middle-aged and elderly people.
Since 2019, band in a box has been making progress. I believe it will be better and better! I read a lot of Posts today. My worry is superfluous, because everyone thinks the same, and the work team knows that it has been working hard! Let's continue to wait for a better tomorrow!
Yes. A lot of positive encouragement was provided to enhance the original user interface. Some great results were delivered, but there is always room for continual improvement, and we hope the developers are continually working towards that goal.
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.
SBmix. heres my viewpoint. 1. whether your 8 or 98 years old, if you apply yourself you can do a great song useing biab and realband. 2. as to contemporary songs//modern day.... you can do a song in any genre you want. if you dont find the RT sounds you want , just use added vst plug ins/instruments which are often free see kvraudio.com or the free instruments in computer music magazine>>>see you tube. just a slew of modern sounds. once again its a question if one is willing to put in the work. 3. over the years ive done about 90 songs useing pg products...some i'm now displaying in the user showcase for critique.....i think ive used b iab in every possible genre. best om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 09/21/2105:13 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
I'm 80 years old and BIAB has enabled me to write for well-known recording artists in Country and Folk genres. You would be surprised to learn how many major artists are using the program in their work. Famed Julliard School of Music is currently teaching it. Nuf said?
It has been very hard getting improvements to the interface as there are many long time users that don't like change.
Even if that were true, which I dispute, what would it matter? Can’t PG Music continue to improve as it sees fit?
Yes, of course they can. And paying customers can express their concerns and desires. Here on this forum most folks tend to be big fans and many do indeed actively defend the product against perceived slights even when those "slights" are valid gripes. (Admittedly, it has gotten better around here since I got here in 2012.) This product is judged a lot more harshly on other public forums where it is discussed.
We are here because we love the end result of Biab, something that nothing else does, we don't come rubbish it and leave, we want to make it BETTER so no one comes rubbishes it and leaves anymore.
Band-in-a-Box is a tool for people who MAKE MUSIC or use it to PRACTICE if they know how to PLAY SOMETHING. Even a spoon. That would be good enough.
If you are not MAKING MUSIC or using it to practice it is a door stop. Since there are many people making "modern music" who cannot play a single instrument but are good at pushing buttons on Ableton Live, we will not address the practice aspect of BIAB, but only the music-making aspect.
To me, (and this is my opinion, but I am entitled to it), it is somewhat illogical and counter-productive in these forums to constantly talk in generalities about what BIAB can and can't do, if you NEVER POST A SONG.
If you want to write something more MODERN then you should POST SOMETHING and say "Hey, I want this to sound more like [fill in the blanks] and you will have a bunch of people tell you what to try from the massive collection of instruments and .wav files in your handy little hard drive. But they have to HEAR SOMETHING FIRST.
Watcha got??? We are all ears!!!
As for Modern: Lil Nas X had one of the most popular songs in modern music history after purchasing the cheesiest loop ever on the Internet for $75 and mumbling some words to it. Now he is a mega star. Do you want to sound like Lil Nas? Then crank up Band-in-a-Box, go to Guitar Center or Sam Ash, buy the cheapest keyboard they have and get to work.
But for heaven's sake, DO SOMETHING. Let us HEAR what you are doing and explain the missing sounds that you WANT so maybe PG can then say--"Oh, you want that sound? Why didn't you say so??"
Or maybe a forum member will say: "Uh, dude, that's a synth you are looking for. So go buy one, yo."
If you show PG Music what you are trying to do, they might help you.
If you just say "I want you to be more modern" they will not read or respond.
That's how the world works.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
However, I haven't understood many functions of BIAB. It turns out that I know what the options are, and I have a straw for myself. I can't find a detailed description on the official page, so I can only rely on request. Yesterday I saw TRACK SETTING again, and I didn’t explain it again. I don’t want to make it in the main program, I want to make it in BIAB VST. Yesterday I wanted to make a framework in the main program, and then open it in BIAB VST, but after opening it to generate a song, it feels completely changed. I want to combine it right away, but the current BIAB VST may still have a lot to improve. So, I have been learning. Now, what I am most happy about is that I finally figured out the rendering. See if you can’t figure out TRACK SETTING and section A and section B today.
To be honest, I would rather not divide the A section and B section, just write the harmony, and then choose the prelude, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, so it’s simple and understandable. As for how to use it after generation, it’s up to everyone’s own Thoughts.
With the Timebase option you can play any RealTracks at normal, half time, double time or triple time. Half time is used for fast tempo songs when a much slower tempo RealTrack has been chosen. Double time is used for slow tempo songs (e.g. ballads) when a much faster tempo RealTrack is chosen. This allows you, for example, in a ballad at a tempo of 70, to add a RealTracks Sax solo with a tempo of 140, and play it as a double time, which will match the ballad tempo of 70. All of your existing RealTracks can be used at three different tempos (normal, half-time, double time).
The [Medley] button allows you to create a medley of RealTracks on the same track.
If Bluesy is checked, the selected RealTracks will play in a bluesy style, where major triads are treated like 8th chords.
If Simpler is checked, the selected RealTracks will play a simpler arrangement (less busy, less embellished). See the "Simple Available" column for availability of simpler RealTracks.
If Direct Input is checked, the selected RealTracks will use a "clean signal" guitar so that you can add your own effects. See the "Direct Input Available" column for availability of clean recordings.
Sometimes you want the very simplest comping part possible, which is just "held chords" for the whole piece. This would mean that the piano player, for example, just plays a single chord and holds it for the duration until the next chord. If you check Held option, the selected RealTracks will play held chords.
People who say you can't do modern with BIAB, I just have no idea what they are talking about.
Maybe I can repeat something I have said here several times that will help you understand.
I CAN do modern music. I CAN do it with my physical instruments. I CAN do it with my virtual instruments. And I CAN do it with BIAB.
But what I am looking for is for BIAB to create modern music as quickly and easily as it does jazz or country or classic rock. If I want a song in any of those three genres I can simply choose one of hundreds of BIAB styles and in a matter of minutes I can have an incredible start on a song!
On the other hand, BIAB just does not offer the same agility and variety when it comes to modern music. And I wish that it did!
Perhaps it is a pipe dream and BIAB will only ever be good at the stuff that has been done over and over in the past. Certainly, jazz and country and classic rock are fairly easy to describe and quantify. And modern music is a lot tougher to nail down.
But I hope PGM will endeavor to create some fresh styles that sound, right out of the box, like they could have been created in 2021 instead of the 1990s or earlier.
With modern stuff, if you had more variations of the same instrument like you have with Drums, like the same guitar going from one strumming/picking/held/muted strum pattern to another. You now have A part that plays in A and B part the plays in B, if you were able to F5 change to another pattern of the same guitar having the same tone and recorded level it would blend in seamlessly at pattern changes as a virtual instrument guitar would do. This will give way more control and creativity to the user. When the bar to bar regenerate is implemented this will be so easy.
I just want to know when their band in a box VST plug-in will be upgraded. There will be no popping sound when band in a box VST plug-in is loaded. This is a very serious problem.
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.
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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!
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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.
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