Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#712718 04/10/22 06:26 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
B
Bent Offline OP
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
B
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Hi everybody

My BB is the Windows version. I use BB to enter the chords of a song into the chord sheet, so I can play back the chords to accompany my sax playing. It is the simplest possible setup.

I have not used Audio, because I don't know how it functions vis-à-vis my setup. Recently I've begun to suspect that Audio might make a positive difference somehow, but before I decide to add Audio to all my songs, I would appreciate any info or advice regarding this.

Thanks!

/Bent

Bent #712720 04/10/22 06:36 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,232
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,232


BIAB – 2025, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, 1TB WD Black NVMe SSD, 2TB WDC Blue SSD, 1TB WD Blue, 2 TB SK NVMe, 6 TB External, Motu Audio Express 6x6

Bent #712752 04/10/22 01:26 PM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
B
Bent Offline OP
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
B
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Thanks a lot, MusicStudent!

I won't pretend to understand all of it (to put it mildly), but it certainly helps me to have the relevant Audio settings.

I would very much like to hear your opinion as to whether or not it might improve my songs to add
Audio to my settings, in view of how I described my use of BB?

/Bent

Bent #712753 04/10/22 01:35 PM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,033
Veteran
Online Happy
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,033
Could you define what 'Audio' means to you, please? I'm not sure what you are asking.


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Bent #712821 04/11/22 03:29 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
B
Bent Offline OP
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
B
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 23
Yea, I'm not either, probably smile

In BB, under the Audio menu, there is an option saying “Render song to audio track (and mute tracks).”
Why would one do that? What is gained by doing that?

I can see what happens in the Chord Sheet mixer: the Audio track slider is activated, and the other tracks become inactive, though this doesn’t seem to affect the music (?)

So, other than making it possible to control the volume in one place (the “Master”), instead of having to adjust each track separately, what is the purpose of “rendering the song to audio track”?

I know I’m missing something important, and I’m sorry for being so ignorant. If you could enlighten me a little I would really appreciate it.

/Bent

Bent #712832 04/11/22 04:01 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,033
Veteran
Online Happy
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,033
There are many possible reasons, including:

- preserve a performance

- reduce the load on your computer’s CPU

- take or send the music elsewhere, like SoundCloud

- make a play-along file to perform with live

Etc.


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Bent #712842 04/11/22 04:38 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Quote:
In BB, under the Audio menu, there is an option saying “Render song to audio track (and mute tracks).”
Why would one do that? What is gained by doing that?

My understanding is that it simply creates an Audio Wav file of the BaiB performance that could be used separately without requiring the use of the BiaB program.

If I follow your requirement correctly, this video may assist:


BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Bent #712854 04/11/22 06:13 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Originally Posted By: Bent
In BB, under the Audio menu, there is an option saying
“Render song to audio track (and mute tracks).”
Why would one do that? What is gained by doing that?

Good question. I export audio all the time and never knew that option existed. Here's what the manual has to say:

Quote:
Render Song to Audio Tracks (and mute tracks): Use this to render all tracks to the Audio track and disable track generation.

Un-Render Song from Audio Tracks (Enables tracks, erase audio track):
Use this to erase the rendered Audio track and restore track generation.

So the idea is to change the project into an audio snapshot that will be what you hear when you hit play, because everything else has been frozen and silenced. Note that this does NOT export audio files for use by another application, and prevents further non-audio development unless reversed.

So I also wonder: Why offer this option? I guess somebody asked for it, but why?

My best guess is that this feature is for those who use BIAB in a 2-stage process, (A) generating and perfecting the band tracks then (B) post-processing the audio result without leaving the application. It’s like: OK, time for the DAW, but the DAW is still BIAB, and if you eventually export to audio files that's to save a final playable product.

To the OP: If you can arrange and hear music, you aren’t missing anything. =8^) If you’re looking to export audio for sharing or further processing, that another matter, but it sounds like you aren't, and even if you are it probably won’t involve that particular menu option.

Last edited by Mark Hayes; 04/11/22 11:15 AM.
Bent #712881 04/11/22 11:15 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
The intention is to combine all of the existing tracks (RealTracks and MIDI tracks) into a WAV file and automatically place it on the Audio Track. This WAV file is then played instead of the data on the other tracks.

Note that while there are other export methods available, the produced WAV file from this action is a physical disk file and can definitely be used by other applications if required.


BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Bent #712883 04/11/22 11:28 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Does the Windows operation prompt for a file name? If it does prompt, obviously disregard my previous statement.

I can't test my own statement, as the operation doesn't exist on the Mac in that form, at least it isn't labelled that or explained that way. Here's what it does have, with the manual note:

Quote:
Render Song to Audio File (WAV,AIFF,M4A) opens the “Render to Audio File” dialog which lets you convert the song to an audio file.

Last edited by Mark Hayes; 04/11/22 11:47 AM.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
The operation automatically creates a WAV file with the same name as the song file (but a .WAV extension). It also produces this message, and of course, places the WAV file on the Audio Track:

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
2022-04-12_6-59-15.jpg (10.12 KB, 97 downloads)
2022-04-12_7-53-48.jpg (109.42 KB, 94 downloads)
Last edited by AudioTrack; 04/11/22 11:55 AM. Reason: Added Mixer screen capture

BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Bent #712886 04/11/22 11:53 AM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Copy that, it appears I was wrong about the export.

But then what does the "un-render" operation do, does it actually delete that file?

Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Originally Posted By: Mark Hayes
Copy that, it appears I was wrong about the export.

But then what does the "un-render" operation do, does it actually delete that file?

Yes. It asks for confirmation, then removes it from the Audio Track and deletes the .WAV file from disk. (It also changes some naming conventions in the mixer, not sure why this is.)

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
2022-04-12_7-56-00.jpg (7.86 KB, 90 downloads)
2022-04-12_7-58-26.jpg (104.54 KB, 90 downloads)

BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
For comparison, these are the original Track ID's before any export/un-render etc is performed:

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
2022-04-12_8-05-01.jpg (103.56 KB, 86 downloads)

BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Bent #712892 04/11/22 12:07 PM
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Thank you, sir. It does strike me as an odd composite option to have, but I'm sure it would be +1'd if suggested.

You gotta love the complete difference in language from one platform to another, though.

Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Yes, for a long time now we have all been wanting to see identical functionality on both platforms.
It's getting much closer, so that's a good thing.


BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,481
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,481
Originally Posted By: AudioTrack
... places the WAV file on the Audio Track

There's a "gotcha" here, because within BiaB, that audio file will now play at the same time as the song tracks, causing some confusion. In practice it's probably better to render to some other location and/or name.


Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Originally Posted By: Gordon Scott
Originally Posted By: AudioTrack
... places the WAV file on the Audio Track

There's a "gotcha" here, because within BiaB, that audio file will now play at the same time as the song tracks, causing some confusion. In practice it's probably better to render to some other location and/or name.

Yes, good point, and I agree. However, the documentation states:
Quote:
You can Render Song to Audio Track, which mutes the individual tracks and plays the rendered audio wave, or you can UnRender Song from Audio Track, which will erase the audio track and play the individual tracks again.

Now despite the statement about muting, the jury is still out on whether it mutes the individual tracks. It's supposed to, but from my tests, I'm not so sure...


BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
OK, more tests.
These three images show the mixer information before the render, after the render and after the 'un-render'.
I don't know why the drums changed from RealDrums to MIDI drums.
More tests to follow...

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
2022-04-12_18-58-47.jpg (95 KB, 74 downloads)
2022-04-12_19-00-28.jpg (101.86 KB, 74 downloads)
2022-04-12_19-03-36.jpg (96.15 KB, 73 downloads)

BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,313
OK, I'm back.
Here's the interesting bit.
Despite the mention of muting, nothing actually shows that the tracks have been muted in the mixer (see previous post).
However, further testing I found that if any tracks were frozen before the render to audio was selected, they are not muted and also show as playing in the mixer, as can be seen in the screen capture...

So I don't think this works in the way it is described in the documentation.

I'll report it.

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
2022-04-12_19-13-13.jpg (113.76 KB, 70 downloads)

BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Andrew - PG Music, PeterGannon 

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support

Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins

Join the conversation on our forum.

Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac Videos

With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.

From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.

Reference this forum post for One-Stop Shopping of our Band-in-a-Box® 2025 Mac Videos — we’ll be adding more videos as they’re released!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!

Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until July 31, 2025! Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.

If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us directly—we’re here to help!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 Italian Version is Here!

Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.

Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.

Band-in-a-Box 2025 - Italiano
RealBand 2025 - Italiano

Band-in-a-Box 2025 French Version is Here!

Bonjour à tous,

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music

Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:

BIAB 2025 - francisation
RealBand 2025 - francisation

Voilà, enjoy!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 German Version is Here!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!

Die deutsche Version Band-in-a-Box® 2025 für Windows ist ab sofort verfügbar!

Alle die bereits die englische Version von Band-in-a-Box und RealBand 2024 installiert haben, finden hier die Installationsdateien für das Sprachenupdate:

https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025.exe
https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025RB.exe

Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!

Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.

Stay up to date—get the latest update now!

Forum Statistics
Forums58
Topics84,299
Posts777,461
Members39,614
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
honeyvip, weedindubai, Claudio Paolini, bjornen71, CATBELLOU
39,614 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 148
zedd 120
DC Ron 106
nonchai 104
WaoBand 102
rsdean 85
Today's Birthdays
timbalera, WineRider
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5