PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Beginners Forum need assistance

I'm new to BIAB though I did have it several years ago. It has progressed a lot since I had it.
I'm willing to pay a reasonable fee to someone to spend a couple of hours with me - zoom - to get me up and running quickly. anyone interested? I have a Mac version

Hi DanHart, and welcome to the forum. Interestingly there is another similar request and it's on the forum where I think you will get better attention, for Mac users. Because there are some differences between the Mac and Windows version, and the setup is different, I think you should post there: https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=39&page=1

Hi Matt

thanks for your reply. I took your suggestion. We'll see. I'm in the NY Hudson valley - Putnam County. and I spend time each summer near Lake George - 4th Lake which is near Lake Luzerne / Hadley. I'm going up to Glens Falls this week. Any chance you could help me with BIAB?

Dan. 914 329 3819. in case you care to chat!!!

Dan, you may find the +++ Groove3 +++ video tutorial interesting. The series uses 2014 Band-in-a-Box for Mac but everything covers 2022 Band-in-a-Box for Mac.


BIAB 2014 for Mac Explained

Music studio master Eli Krantzberg brings you a series all about the awesome PG Music Band-in-a-Box accompaniment software suite! Get up and running fast and start making ultra-realistic backing tracks easily for your songs today!

Terminology (05:00) - Learn abut the various components BIAB uses to generate accompaniments in various musical styles.

MIDI Setup (05:56) - BIAB sends MIDI output to either the computer's built in synthesizer, or to physical or virtual MIDI devices outside the program. Learn where to set the destination ports, channels, and playback parameters for each of the BIAB instruments.

Main Screen Overview (09:08) - See how the six main sections of the Man Screen are used to to set and control various BIAB parameters and sounds.

Loading & Playing Songs (08:20) - Explore the various ways of loading in songs and controlling playback with both the mouse and keyboard shortcuts.
Creating Songs

Starting a New Song (06:04) - See how to clear the chordsheet, name the new song, set the key signature and tempo, and how to set up key signature or tempo changes at specific bars.

Framing the Song (03:12) - Learn how to designate a desired number of bars as an introduction, and then set which part of the song BIAB will repeat, and how many times it will repeat it.

Entering & Displaying Chords (07:18) - Learn how to type in chords using various short cuts, and how to control the background color and display of chords in the chord sheet.

Alternate Chord Entry (08:10) - Discover four other methods to get chords into BIAB. Using a MIDI controller, using the ChordBuilder window, using the MIDI Chord Wizard, and finally with the Audio Chord Wizard.

Rests, Shots & Holds (04:48) - Learn how to type instructions in the Chordsheet to have either all or some of instruments rest, or play shots, or hold chords, at any position in the song.

Pushes (02:16) - Learn now to type instructions in the Chordsheet to create anticipations and have chords play either and eighth note or sixteenth note in advance of their indicated position.

Chord Settings Dialog (05:26) - See how this dialog box is used for alternate entry or editing of pushes, rests, shots, and holds.

Auto Generated Intros (03:24) - See how introductions are generated automatically by BIAB based on customized instructions.

Part Markers & SubStyles (05:21) - See how Part Markers are placed on the ChordSheet to indicate new sections of a song, change substyles, and generate drum fills.

Song Settings (08:04) - Explore various ways to turn your song into an arrangement, including controlling rests, pushes, shots, and holds separately in first, last, and middle choruses, the use of tags, endings, fade-outs, and more.

Song Form Maker (02:45) - See how the Song Form Maker function is used to define sections of a song, and then rearrange the song by typing the form you want.
Editing the Chordsheet (07:43) - Learn how to insert, delete, copy, paste, move, shrink, expand, unfold, and alter chords, melodies, soloists, and rests, once they have already been created.

Working With Styles (05:40) - Learn about Built-In styles, User MIDI styles, Real Styles, Style Aliases, as well as auditioning and replacing styles.

StylePicker - Prototype & Columns (05:45) - Discover the inner working of the StylePicker window; how to set the default prototype style and how to decode the column heading symbols used to identify various qualities of each style.

StylePicker Filters (04:29) - Discover how to search for styles by keyword, and how to use the Filter window to search styles based on multiple criteria simultaneously.

StylePicker General Functions (04:40) - Explore additional StylePicker functions and how they are used in conjunction with the currently loaded song.

MultiStyles, Style Aliases & Forced Styles (05:07) - Discover some style management workflows that allow adding substyles to existing styles, replacing existing styles with aliases, and forcing BIAB to keep a style loaded in memory when loading new songs.

MIDI SuperTracks (03:34) - MIDI SuperTracks are based on performances of live musicians instead of patterns. See how to change MIDI tracks in an existing style to MIDI SuperTracks, as well as how to access them directly from the StylePicker.

RealTracks (07:46) - Learn how to work with the RealTracks picker, and how the various RealTracks settings affect their usage.

Bar Settings (03:43) - See how to change RealTracks, styles, meter, and more, at specific locations within your song.

Editing & Creating Styles (03:31) - Learn how to use the Patch button in the StyleMaker window to edit a current style of assemble a custom group of RealTracks and settings to form a new Style.
Working With Tracks

Track & Thru Settings (08:07) - Learn about freezing tracks, sliding them in time, offsetting sound shaping parameters together with the Combo slider, and playing the thru track in real time with and without auto generated harmonies using either a MIDI or a QWERTY keyboard.

Melodies & Solos (07:30) - See how to record melodies, how to have BIAB generate harmonies; and how to generate solos based on various criteria and choices.

The Melodist (05:37) - Learn how to use BIAB to generate either partial or complete original songs either including or excluding melodies, chords, solos, intro, and style changes.

Notation Basics (04:56) - Explore some of basic BIAB notation functions, including selecting tracks to display, switching between the three different notation views, editing notes, velocities, and durations, switching to lead sheet view, and working with lyrics.

Band Outside the Box (06:38) - Discover various ways of getting your tracks and performances out of BIAB and as either audio or MIDI files. And see how the new DAW Plug-in mode is used to easily and quickly transfer individual or combined tracks into your DAW of choice.

Great references, Jim.

Dan, what a coincidence. I live in northern Dutchess. Just came down today. I should be back on Lake George Tuesday. Sure, I know 4th Lake.

I’m probably not your guy for the Mac version. I’ve used it but do not claim to know Mac OS. I am pretty good with BIAB in general, but on Windows.

There’s a very accomplished user in Southeast Dutchess who I think uses a Mac. Are you close to there? I’ll see if he is receptive to giving you some guidance. I just wrote to him.

i think it would be helpful if you shared what you expect to be able to accomplish with BIAB after the time spent with someone helping you

information about the mac and it's operating system as well as what other equipment you expect to be using in your music production will also be helpful to the person helping you