With insane amount of MIDI content hidden in BIAB, I am talking about Midi styles (not SM), Midi charts from RTs... If a proper non-modal console/picker is made that can audition these within chord sheet context, it could DWARF EZkeys with all their "packs" combined.
This really piqued my interest so I figured another thread would be in order! Also, I apologize in advance if these questions have been asked and answered before.
1) The idea of a console is great but for now what would workflow be with current BIAB?
2) Could I just create my song as usual and then export to MIDI and assign EZ Keys to it in my DAW?
3) Which BIAB MIDI is the "good stuff"? I might want to avoid the really old stuff that sounds like classic carnival-came-to-town MIDI. I know a big part of that sound is because of the cheesy default MIDI instruments but I'd prefer to focus on MIDI that was captured from live players and not generated on a computer (unless it has convincing humanizing.) How do I find the MIDI bits that are live players and/or otherwise humanized?
4) Is it possible to export chords from BIAB as MIDI? I'd love to be able to export my complete chordsheet without music so I could import that into programs like EZ Keys or EZ Bass.
I'm always beyond delighted with RealTracks and what I can do with them. I've recently become quite enamored with the EZ Line. So, if I can take my BIAB investment even further by using this "insane amount of MIDI content hidden in BIAB" that will be quite a new direction of joy for me!
Sometimes making music in BIAB with RTs can make you feel a bit like a Disc Jockey. On the other hand, working with MIDI can allow the musician within you to come out a bit more.
JJJ, #1 Did you watch Musocity's gif video in Dan's heart stopper thread? That is one way to import Chord sheet to EZstuff. I am sure there are more ways than one. You can always export BIAB chord track as a MIDI file. As of now, you have to export whole arrangement which will have all available MIDI tracks, but it will have that separate track with just block Chords in it.
Which BIAB Midi is good stuff? Well if we are not talking about Super Midi, it is difficult question to answer. But I will try. So we have a few thousand MIDI styles. Most styles have piano, electric piano, organ or other instrument(s) that can be "re-voiced" as piano. So that pool alone would yield thousands of stems that would transpose to your chord sheet and accept changes, could be voiced with any other synths, etc.
Then we have MIDI from RT, that can be sliced in ~8 bar MIDI chops phrases. What is good..? Well out of thousands stems I am sure there will be at least 10%-20% very usable material. Obviously it would have to be curated first time to jump start the feature, but sky could be the limit as pool is deep. I am not even talking about 3rd party...
About console. It just came to me yesterday, while I tinkered with EZkeys for the first time. BIAB essentially was doing same thing all along, way before EZKeys. Toontrack just sweetened it with easy workflow and hierarchy of files (from simple to more complex). I was not impressed with their "instruments". Good, but nothing fantastic. Useful and fun, I just don't see it as something "WOW". In any case, enough bout Toontrack. I have an idea of how this might work in BIAB, but I need a couple of days to make a mock drawing. I will come back to this thread.
Thanks Rustyspoon! I look forward to more conversation about this with you.
I would def disagree about Toontrack's instruments. I have an assortment of their EZ products and find them to be quite good. And I suspect, if EZD2 to EZD3 is any indication, EZ Keys 2 will be even better!
I agree with your assessment of some similarities between BIAB and EZ. Both are essentially recorded bits and pieces of real instruments that were played by session musicians and recorded professionally. The differences are interesting too. BIAB has many tracks that, because they are audio, tend to have a bit more variety sometimes. But EZ has the benefit of all tracks being totally editable because it is all MIDI. BIAB has an advantage in being a more complete package with tons of various instruments that have been curated into RealStyles so you can put together a complete song much faster. EZ has the advantage of allowing me to select the specific patterns I want from the library whereas BIAB requires me to click the random button over and over until I come up with what I want.
My bottom line is these are two incredible tools to have in my songwriting toolkit! They complement each other quite well!!
I look forward to figuring out how to quickly isolate the BIAB MIDI good stuff and to see your console idea!
Just a quick note on how to actually get the MIDI from BIAB to a working .MID file...
So I went to the BIAB Help and searched on MIDI and found a topic "MIDI File - Saving". It includes the following "menu command File | Make a Standard MIDI File or F6 key" neither of which seem to work!
Then I found "File/Save Special/Save Song as MIDI file" in the main menu and I tried that. I chose Type 1 and I got an empty file with chords but no MIDI information. I tried again with Type 0 but again I got an empty file.
Finally I remembered something someone here had posted (maybe Mario or Dan). So I clicked and dragged my piano track from the top bar to the tiny gray MID box. And, a few seconds later I was able to retrieve an actual working MIDI file from the DragDrop folder!
This is why I never really enjoy experimenting with BIAB! There are just too many empty rabbit holes! But I am happy to have figured out a way to get the MIDI so there's that!
4) Is it possible to export chords from BIAB as MIDI? I'd love to be able to export my complete chordsheet without music so I could import that into programs like EZ Keys or EZ Bass.
There is so much potential in Biab without having to go to other apps. This is what Biab needs, users that see the potential rather than saying don't worry PG we will use this app or that app. That's why it can be an AIO (all in one) goto.
JJJ, Toontrack is a fun program. It is useful. It is a bit overpriced in my opinion for what it is. As far as their actual "instruments" I would pick any piano from Komplete base version or ones included in Halion factory over theirs. But I understand it is a matter of taste. We will talk about it later
John, here is a video on how to get MIDI block Chords out of BIAB (2 ways). The last few seconds, you will not hear Strummed Accoustics as DAW is in ASIO mode so did not record the sound to video.
......................... This is why I never really enjoy experimenting with BIAB! There are just too many empty rabbit holes!................
Same here. I can do many things much faster in my DAW than in BiaB. I use BiaB for my chord progressions and style(s) choices then I get out of it ASAP. But that is my workflow and others have other workflows.
Its the little things that get me. Like in the notation view there is a bar on the bottom like every other Windows program. Does it work like every other Windows program, no you have to click on the little arrows. How many copy and paste functions do we really need? I could go on but you all know what I mean.
I appreciate all of the suggested improvements that are mentioned and/or administrated here in these forums but IMHO they are workarounds. I have said many times that BiaB has to be rewritten from the ground up. It is a great little gold mine being held back by old code. YMMV
Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"?
Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
This really piqued my interest so I figured another thread would be in order! Also, I apologize in advance if these questions have been asked and answered before.
1) The idea of a console is great but for now what would workflow be with current BIAB?
Good question - don't know the answer
Originally Posted By: JohnJohnJohn
2) Could I just create my song as usual and then export to MIDI and assign EZ Keys to it in my DAW?
Yes. As you already know you can assign an EZKeys sound source to your track. But if you have a DAW that has a chord track (not BiaB's chord track) and you can assign notes in a track to follow said chord track then yes you can bring an EZKeys MIDI track into your DAW and have it play to BiaB chords. You may have to do some editing but I have found this to be very easy in Studio One Pro 6.
Originally Posted By: JohnJohnJohn
3) Which BIAB MIDI is the "good stuff"? I might want to avoid the really old stuff that sounds like classic carnival-came-to-town MIDI. I know a big part of that sound is because of the cheesy default MIDI instruments but I'd prefer to focus on MIDI that was captured from live players and not generated on a computer (unless it has convincing humanizing.) How do I find the MIDI bits that are live players and/or otherwise humanized?
In BiaB the only way is with sm. But you can easily modify any BiaB track to accommodate your wishes. Or in your DAW input a non-quantized MIDI file. With some modification, humanizing, and a very good MIDI sound source you can get satisfying results, at least in my mind I can.
Originally Posted By: JohnJohnJohn
4) Is it possible to export chords from BIAB as MIDI? I'd love to be able to export my complete chordsheet without music so I could import that into programs like EZ Keys or EZ Bass.
Yes, that is explained in another thread.
Originally Posted By: JohnJohnJohn
I'm always beyond delighted with RealTracks and what I can do with them. I've recently become quite enamored with the EZ Line. So, if I can take my BIAB investment even further by using this "insane amount of MIDI content hidden in BIAB" that will be quite a new direction of joy for me!
Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"?
Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
JJJ, Toontrack is a fun program. It is useful. It is a bit overpriced in my opinion for what it is. As far as their actual "instruments" I would pick any piano from Komplete base version or ones included in Halion factory over theirs. But I understand it is a matter of taste. We will talk about it later
John, here is a video on how to get MIDI block Chords out of BIAB (2 ways). The last few seconds, you will not hear Strummed Accoustics as DAW is in ASIO mode so did not record the sound to video.
Thanks Rustyspoon! I went through your steps and got the chord blocks exported from BIAB and imported into my DAW! I appreciate you teaching me something new! I hope I can remember those steps.
Yeah, I'd agree you can sink a lot of money into Toontracks stuff for sure!
Just as a test for myself, tonight I generated a MIDI piano piece and put it on 4 tracks. Then I assigned EZ Keys Grand Piano to track #1, NI New York Concert Grand to track #2, NI The Grandeur to track #3 and NI Kontakt Factory Library Concert Grand to track #4.
Next I spent about 30 minutes listening to these 4 tracks trying to A-B them and detect qualitative differences. While there were certainly minor differences I personally could not point to one or the other as a "better" grand piano! They all sounded superb. And that was raw without any f/x or processing of any kind. Furthermore, this was a direct comparison of single instruments which, to me, would indicate that in a mix any differences would be mostly undetectable.
John, You are welcome. I hope you have seen Musocity's method. Direct dragging is possible from BIAB track straight to EZkeys MIDI window.
P.S. The point on Toontrack pianos I am trying to make is, many people already own similar synths that sound on par or better. Toontrack's instruments are good, but I would definitely use something I already have, if they had a choice to buy just the MIDI version of the software. I will pick it up when it goes on decent sale. It has some cool lines.
I have said many times that BiaB has to be rewritten from the ground up. It is a great little gold mine being held back by old code.
1. This won't happen in the next 10 years. The current version of BiaB is already profitable, why would PG Music risk the status quo to build something from scratch?
2. As far as I know, the old code infested GUI is the main reason prevent young people from wanting to use BiaB. That gives all existing BiaB users the advantage over these young musicians who don't use BiaB.
3. The less young people use BiaB, the more valuable a current BiaB user can be. It would be a nightmare when BiaB becomes an iPhone type of popularity, all of a sudden every young musician knows how to use it, wants to use it, and makes top notch music with ease. It would be devastating to the current music market.
4. A bit of industrial barrier is always a good thing. It prevents new competitors from flooding into the industry.
BiaB's old code embeded interface and steep learning curve is the "protective barrier", and I consider it a bless under disguise.
A Canadian music producer, singer songwriter, composer, and professional guitarist.
You would not want a rewrite as you would get the Mac version at the same time with the same features, that's no good, you want 6 months on Win then 6 months on Mac:
You have a dream, but unfortunately it won't come true.
Quote:
So, if I can take my BIAB investment even further by using this "insane amount of MIDI content hidden in BIAB" that will be quite a new direction of joy for me!
While Rustyfork showed a great video of exporting MIDI from a single track then re-import to BiaB to be played by EZkeys, there is only one flaw.
EZkeys doesn't work without CC64.
As a veteran user of Toontrack for almost a decade, I can confirm this, without the correct CC64 Suspend/Damper MIDI events, EZkeys, along with any piano VSTs, will sound like garbage.
Unfortunately, most MIDIs in BiaB, either don't have the correct CC64 data, or simply have no CC64 data.
Solutions?
You have to draw CC64 event curves yourself, or better off, go and purchase the official MIDI packs from Toontrack, which contain the correct pre-recorded CC64 data.
No pay, no gain, right?
A Canadian music producer, singer songwriter, composer, and professional guitarist.
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.
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
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
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean