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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 6
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 6 |
BIAB is already capable of analysing an audio file to work out what the chord structure is. There are tools on the market that can also process an audio file to work out what each instrument is playing (e.g. RipX to name just one) and some of those tools clearly offer APIs. What I would find really useful is if BIAB could analyse an audio file and not only suggest the chords but also give a shortlist of perhaps 5 Styles that would probably match that audio file. Surely it can't be too difficult to pick out the bass and the drums and use that to suggest some styles?
Yes, we have a humungous list of excellent styles, but that means it can take forever to find a good match. Often I end up giving up and using one of the many great styles on my Tyros 4.
Each year BIAB upgrades offer an ever increasing list of new styles and for me this just means it will take even longer to find a good match for a particular song.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,142
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,142 |
This is an idea definitely worthy of consideration.
+1
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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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 188
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 188 |
+1 for anything that will help us find the right styles quicker!
I've started keeping a list of which styles sound similar to which songs (I know there's something similar already in BiaB but it's not very useful as it just tries to match the style parameters, rather than the actual sound).
A big collaborative list might be handy. It would be a bit subjective, but definitely more helpful than nothing.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,276
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Veteran
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,276 |
SteveM:
This was bandied about on the forum earlier this year, when BIAB2022 was available,
but the discussion got bogged down in AI (artificial intelligence) references.
Regarding your post, I believe that your suggestion "BIAB could analyse an audio file ... and give a shortlist of perhaps 5 Styles that would probably match that audio file." is pretty much what BIAB does now,
although the list of styles it pulls up is more comprehensive.
Even if BIAB had an algorithm (like RipX) to figure out what instruments were playing (and perhaps BIAB already does), it's not much help when it comes to applying the parameters to suggest a style.
Thus the previous AI discussion.
You said: "A big collaborative list might be handy".
That would get my vote with a big PLUS ONE!
LLOYD S
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 7
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 7 |
I guess the feature Toontrack has in the superior drummer would be much easier to implement.
To select drum patterns - which could be the base for all this ..
1. you can play a rhythm with keys or mouse..
2. then you get a result list.
This helps a lot.
Steffen Bernd-(Blues-Funk-Fusion)
=
BiaBAudiop.2023,Cubase12,Cinesamples,UHE,TAL,Spire, Pianoteq,SWAM,IKMultim,Spitfire Audio,NICollector
Yamaha Montage,HammondXK5,ASM Hydrasynth,KawaiVPC1
Charvel,Gibson,Maybach,Vola+AXEFX Turbo
Basses FenderJazz,Sandberg
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,700
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,700 |
TO THE OP STEVE // ALL.
haveing used biab/rb n' realtraks/drums/styles over many years and having done more than 90 songs with the pg products ive found there is no alternative if one is doing a serious (rather than a 'rough demo') song that one MUST go thru' every single rt//drum//style ie the thousands of options ie…many hours of work.
otherwise the prob by doing limited searches with keywords is one misses those 'golden nuggets of sound' that would really contribute to a song. just my opinion.
also imho AI/software suggestions will only take you so far.
i realised a long time ago…just gotta suck it up n' put in the hours of work…like we used to do in commercial studios. there are no shortcuts imho.
merry xmas // happiness to all.
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 12/09/22 03:37 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.)
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 7
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 7 |
Yes - you are right.
I guess this is the same for all tools we as musicians use.
For instance - I bought a Yamaha Montage quite some time ago, but I simply had not the energy to work through Manual,
Youtube Videos, the User Interface and even the sounds ..
There were little issues every time - like how to transpose a part ... though this is so logical if you split your keys, that you have to transpose. But its not at the main performance screen.
Things like this are way to often in BiaB its even more crazy.
For me - I work this way ..
First I take some weeks and months to find out all about my VST Plugins, vst effects, software, keyboards, guitar effects and so forth. I try to do it like the pareto principle with 20% time I know 80% of the features .. mostly those I need most .. I organize performances, styles, sounds, effects, rank them and so forth
WHY
Because when I get into my creative moments I dont want to loose track, I want to stay in the flow and this IS REALLY REALLY hard with BiaB. To be honest I NEVER EVER used it for new songs the last year, though I wrote more than 50. I only use it for training myself playing chords, solos at the guitar or keyboards thats it.
Whats the main reason for this?
Hm, easy to answer, ITS SO HARD TO ADD FAVORITES and rank them. The workaround people provide are at CSV, file level and this not with 500 but thousands of styles included .. how should this work.
If for example I want to do a funk song.
I end up adding "FUNK" to the style or song filter .. then get 100s of results ..
Then I almost always loose myself in clicking through tracks soloing to tracks ..
Does not help.
One of my favorite tools EVER to work with was the ensoniq MR61 ..
Though not enough drum styles, worse sounds than TS or ASR, but it was so easy to use ..
1-2-3-4 record .. arrange with a few buttons click click click arrangement done ..
But save to floppy - not appropriate this days ..
But all the montages and this does not help, so I do it now with Cubase and Toontrack Superior Drummer.
Sometimes I take my bass while playing find a bassline- > record, then maybe add guitars or keys or immediately select from the drum sequences provided ..
Sometimes I start with the drums, sometimes with the keys, sometimes with the guitar, almost never with chord progressions, its mostly about good riffs ..
So still am happy I can use BiaB, I bought all styles all upgrades everything .. and its nice .
But I will only begin to really work with BiaB Song Writing if I am able to
1. Search for funk .. and get results
2. audition of tracks while ranking
3. sort by ranking -> select the best
4. come back - try the ranked - if they dont work, continue with the unranked
This way at some point all is ranked.
BEST WOULD BE to rank in different dimensions. But as my proposal said, if I would be able to just press
a key from 0 to 9 which is whatever rank I want it to be - and then use this to structure FAST..
->1 (at my keyboard) <- could be "best country songs" or "best in BiaB" or "style I will write songs for" or whatever ..
This is sooo easy, to implement and use, and its sooooooo helpful for everyone ..., as with nearly every approach towards biab it gives you fast structure to styles, songs or realtracks even midis ..
Last edited by Steffen Bernd; 12/17/22 03:59 AM.
Steffen Bernd-(Blues-Funk-Fusion)
=
BiaBAudiop.2023,Cubase12,Cinesamples,UHE,TAL,Spire, Pianoteq,SWAM,IKMultim,Spitfire Audio,NICollector
Yamaha Montage,HammondXK5,ASM Hydrasynth,KawaiVPC1
Charvel,Gibson,Maybach,Vola+AXEFX Turbo
Basses FenderJazz,Sandberg
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 617
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 617 |
I guess the feature Toontrack has in the superior drummer would be much easier to implement.
To select drum patterns - which could be the base for all this ..
1. you can play a rhythm with keys or mouse..
2. then you get a result list.
This helps a lot. +1
BIAB 2026, Studio Pro 8, Song Master Pro, Win11 Home. i7-9700K CPU, 32GB, ESI MAYA44eX, ZOOM UAC-2, Guitar Pro 8, Transcribe, (EZKeys2, EZD3, SD3, EZBass, EZMix3)
Amateur: fiddle, guitar, vocal, beginner on bass.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 617
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 617 |
I think the song title search function in BIAB is not of much help when it comes to help users find a style with matching characteristics/groove of a particular song (what I hears in my head and what I am looking for).
It helps setting the filter parameters; time signature, feel, and tempo to match the song and producing a list of styles with these parameters in no ranking order at all when it comes to match the underlying groove of the song.
In addition to these parameters It would be nice (not sure how) to have some type of search funktion that matches the drums (drum pattern/drum groove ..) of a song (best match).
Easiest would be to drop an mp3 file and BIAB suggests a list of best matching RealDrums.
Selecting one of the RDs drums would then show a list of styles with that RD in the stylepicker
Or even better as a second step to add another level of matching criteria e.g. to add on the bass and find the best matching combination of drum&bass and so on.
BIAB 2026, Studio Pro 8, Song Master Pro, Win11 Home. i7-9700K CPU, 32GB, ESI MAYA44eX, ZOOM UAC-2, Guitar Pro 8, Transcribe, (EZKeys2, EZD3, SD3, EZBass, EZMix3)
Amateur: fiddle, guitar, vocal, beginner on bass.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,976
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,976 |
Yes, a good idea. Will look into it.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 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 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 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.
Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac 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 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
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