I'm brand new to BIAB but have used DAWs for decades.
I made a trial song file in BIAB standalone yesterday, and it works as I'd expect. I can export the tracks to WAVs for importing to Studio One. All as expected.
Today I went to find out about using BIAB as a plugin with Studio One DAW, for a smoother workflow when using it as a writing tool.
I watched the PG Music Video Tutorial showing how to do this with Studio One, and although I can open the BIAB plugin and it's all there, as in tutorial vid, I can't get it to open the song from yesterday. I tried 2 different songs, and it gives a message at the bottom of the plugin showing that it is "opening" the song, but then it stops, and there are no tracks, no chord chart...nowt.
To confirm...I am using the "File" tab within the BIAB plugin, not the Studio One file opener.
All help with this appreciated in advance. Also any suggestions of a tutorial showing how to "alter sections/notes" of real tracks would be handy, although at this stage I'll be happy if I can just open a song within the plugin.
Many Thanks...PS I'm on Mac OSX 10.15.7 Catalina
Last edited by Victor Kennedy; 08/27/2203:35 PM.
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You will have to tell us what version of the BIAB-VST you are using. But then comes the hard part, you will have to find someone on a Mac using the VST in Sonar One. Good luck.
You will have to tell us what version of the BIAB-VST you are using. But then comes the hard part, you will have to find someone on a Mac using the VST in Sonar One. Good luck.
This is the version: Band-in-a-Box® Pro for Macintosh Version 2022 (605) 64 bit application
I also got this extra set; XPro Styles PAK 3 for Mac (XP3-A)
As yet I don't know whether or not I have access to the XPro PAK, because I've just been trying to figure out the basics before going into that.
ALSO, I'm running STUDIO ONE 5 PRO, not Sonar.
I hope someone here has some useful suggestions...Thanks
Last edited by Victor Kennedy; 08/29/2208:21 PM.
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Victor, firstly welcome. You certainly were fine to place this post in the Beginners Forum. I wondered if it might get better attention by some of the Mac specialists if the question was posted in the Mac section of the forums?
Perhaps some of the Mac people focus more strongly on reviewing that particular section. Just a guess.
So I've posted a link to your question in that section. Someone will assist you for sure. Good luck!
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
The plugin might be having trouble connecting with the BIAB engine (bbm4.app). When this happens, could you try opening the Activity Monitor (Applications --> Utilities) and see if there is a process "BBM4.app" listed there. Quit the process, and then try File - Open again.
If that still doesn't work, quit any running bbm4 process again, and try opening the StylePicker first - does this work? Close the StylePicker and try opening your file now again. Let us know what you find.
I followed that procedure twice as suggested and both times failed to make a difference. I was able to open the Style Picker and preview within the picker, but after closing picker I still can't open the song file, which by the way, was originally done in BB Standalone.
I had also previously tried to import the WAVs and tracks from BB into Studio One using the Master Radio button at the top; dragging that into S1...I'd seen a tutorial video which showed that working, but that also didn't work for me here. I was able to manually drag each track from BB into S1 via the DropBox (or whatever it's called) up in the top left; one at a time into the box and then into S1. That worked fine.
I don't know if I'm missing some small but crucial action, and I'd really like to get things setup so that I can have BB running inside S1 for writing purposes etc. I'm sure it can be sorted eventually, and as for finding where my 'XPro Styles PAK 3 for Mac (XP3-A)' files are, well that will just have to wait.
I look forward to any further suggestions you have...Cheers
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Thanks AT for linking my question to the Mac Forum. I wasn't aware there is a Mac Forum. Andrew from PG Music has replied and after following his instructions, the issue persists, so I'll wait to see what else can be done to fix the problem. Cheers...
Last edited by Victor Kennedy; 08/29/2212:34 PM.
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Ok, so you didn't see a bbm4.app process in the activity monitor, and you can open the StylePicker. Could you please send a Band-in-a-Box song file (.SGU) to support@pgmusic.com that cannot be opened in the plugin? We'll see if we can duplicate the problem here with that file. Make sure to reference this forum thread. Or you could post a link to a sample file using Dropbox etc.
Quote:
as for finding where my 'XPro Styles PAK 3 for Mac (XP3-A)' files are, well that will just have to wait.
? _CLEAN.STY is an example of a style from XPro Styles PAK 3. See if you have this style in the Band-in-a-Box Styles folder, and check if it appears in the StylePicker.
Last edited by Andrew - PG Music; 08/29/2206:23 PM.
Just to be clear, the bbm4.app was present in the activity monitor, but after 'quitting' it as suggested there was no resolution.
Here's a dropbox link with 2 different short BB songs trials. These are the only ones I've tried to import so far. Neither are working, although they play fine in standalone mode. Also, within Studio One I can instantiate BB Plugin but nothing works; opening Style Picker does open it, and I can go through the motions of selecting one, but nothing loads.
DROPBOX LINK DELETED...FILES SENT TO SUPPORT.
I'll wait until we get this sorted before I explore the "files menus" properly. I don't think I have a real handle on how the filing system works yet...I'll check the user manuals in the meantime.
Please let me know if there's any issue with the link.
Cheers...
Last edited by Victor Kennedy; 08/31/2212:07 PM.
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I run Win 10 on a 5950x AMD processor and can confirm everything that Victor has wrong with his Mac system similarly I cannot use the plugin in Sonar Platinum or Bandlab Cakewalk. Nothing in the plugin works. I think that PG Music needs to take a good look at the plugin - PLEASE.
Here's a dropbox link with 2 different short BB songs trials. These are the only ones I've tried to import so far. Neither are working, although they play fine in standalone mode. Also, within Studio One I can instantiate BB Plugin but nothing works; opening Style Picker does open it, and I can go through the motions of selecting one, but nothing loads.
Thanks. Sorry for the delay, I did download and test the files earlier and was able to test them on a few machines including one with Studio One running the plugin (though it wasn't an M1). They did open in my testing. I don't think this issue is specific to those files, and it sounds like you can't even load in demo songs from the StylePicker... is that correct?
You said earlier that the you tried in the "standalone" version. I had assumed you meant the "standalone DAW Plugin" but now that I re-read and re-think this post, I think you were talking about the regular Band-in-a-Box program.
The standalone plugin is the same as the one that you access through your DAW, however it is literally just a standalone app that runs by itself. It is therefore useful for troubleshooting, since it removes all of the variables associated with the DAW. You can find it it the Band-in-a-Box folder in /BBPlugin/Files/Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin Standalone.app. Open the app and:
1. Double-check that the folder locations in File | Preferences, and make sure that the Band-in-a-Box path is in fact pointing to your valid Band-in-a-Box 2022 folder (e.g. /Applications/Band-in-a-Box/)
BTW, is your Band-in-a-Box folder on your internal Mac HD, or is it on a removable hard drive?
2. Open the StylePicker and click Rebuild.
After doing that, can you now load in a demo song from the StylePicker? If so, it should also work within Studio One, as it will use the same settings...
I have now resolved my issues with the vst plugin and found that the bb folder was incorrectly shown. Have now corrected that and everything is now fine. I have tried Victors files and they come through fine - even on my windows machine. Only problem noticed was that every bar had the red underline which was corrected with F5-Reset all bars.
Thanks Andrew, Those suggestions resolved a lot of the issues, but a few things still aren't right. Also, should I do the Rebuild Style Picker process in the non-DAW version...the one I referred to as Standalone?
Just so that we're using the same terminology, I'll clear this up first. I had referred to what PG Music call the Band-In-A-Box Program as the Standalone mode, because with most other software, for instance Kontakt, when not using it as a Plugin in a DAW, it's referred to as being in Standalone.
I see that in BIAB terminology you have the DAW Plugin as a plugin within the DAW, but you can also open that "version" as a Standalone whether or not your DAW is running. When using the DAW Plugin as Standalone or as a Plugin there is no MIXER. I'm not sure how or why other people use the DAW Standalone...is there a specific reason for this version? This puzzles me.
As you can see from my attached screenshots, #1 and #2 show the song I had started in the BB Program Mode opening properly in the DAW version both in Standalone and as a plugin within Studio One. I was able to Play through the song in both modes. However, when you compare the number and type of tracks in the song as seen in Screenshot #1 & #2 with Screenshot #3, (which is the original BB Prgm version from a few days ago), in the DAW modes (1&2) the song didn't load the Drum Stems at all. This leads me to think that when writing in the Prgrm mode, anything done on the Utility tracks would not be included when opening in DAW mode...I hope this is not so.
I'm going on a bit here, so will finish by saying that your suggestions worked with the exceptions I've pointed out. What I'm after is the ability to use the BB Prgrm mode for initial stages of writing, to experiment with varying chord patterns and such...I'm liking the flexibility as a writing/arranging tool; and then at any stage of the song process move over into Studio One where I can combine what I've done in BIAB with other tracks and mixing suites of Studio One.
There's a lot to learn and fortunately I have the time. Thanks for your suggestions, and I'm sure I'll be back asking questions in the forums quite a bit as I explore the potential of this new-found program.
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When using the DAW Plugin as Standalone or as a Plugin there is no MIXER. I'm not sure how or why other people use the DAW Standalone...is there a specific reason for this version? This puzzles me.
There is a mixer, you just are not seeing it. Look closer.
And regarding why a DAW-BIAB-VST and a Standalone BIAB-VST, and a BIAB Standalone and a BIAB-DAW mode, some people like one or the other. You can pick based on your workflow.
This leads me to think that when writing in the Prgrm mode, anything done on the Utility tracks would not be included when opening in DAW mode...I hope this is not so.
I'm not sure how or why other people use the DAW Standalone...is there a specific reason for this version? This puzzles me.
Well... it is essentially a 'simplified' version of Band-in-a-Box - it lacks alot of the features in the full program but at the same time is simpler to use for that reason, if you are not using those features and just want to quickly render a few files. Also, as I mentioned it is useful for troubleshooting problems that arise that are specific to using particular DAWs.
Quote:
the song didn't load the Drum Stems at all. This leads me to think that when writing in the Prgrm mode, anything done on the Utility tracks would not be included when opening in DAW mode
Utility tracks are supported, but you're correct about the Drum Stems - that feature is not currently supported by the plugin at all. I expect this to be available in the future.
(QUOTE Utility tracks are supported, but you're correct about the Drum Stems - that feature is not currently supported by the plugin at all. I expect this to be available in the future.)
Ok, so when using Drum Stems, which I'd do a lot, I'll need to do most of the work in the BB Prgrm mode instead of using the DAW Plugin, and then at a certain point, drag all the tracks from BB Prgrm into Studio One DAW. Are there any other limitations such as this? If so it seems the only way to use the flexibility of BB is to not use it in DAW mode. Mind you, if it is only Drum Stems that don't work in the DAW Plugin, I can probably live with that for the time being, but it sure would be good and help streamline the writing/arranging process if this could be put high on a features request list.
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... if it is only Drum Stems that don't work in the DAW Plugin, I can probably live with that for the time being, but it sure would be good and help streamline the writing/arranging process if this could be put high on a features request list.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Professional & Windows 11, Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors
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.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
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SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
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Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
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RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
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Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
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All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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