Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#771826 07/23/23 08:03 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 127
A
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
A
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 127
Wonder if there is a more ‘streamlined’ method of listening to chords in BIAB other than by using a chord track? As far as I can tell, chord track does not update automatically if any changes are made to a chord or chords.

The ideal, from my point of view, would be to be able to make chord changes and then immediately play the track to hear these changes without updating the chord track. I’m aware, by the way, of using ‘Shift / Enter’ to listen to any single chord, but this, I think, won’t play a series of them.

Any thoughts please? .

Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,507
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,507
What do you mean by chord track? The Chordsheet?

Yes, shift+Enter plays one chord, although you can tab or mouse to the next chords to audition them reasonably quickly. You could put a request in the Wishlist if you wanted something more.

The song should regenerate if you change any chord and then click on Play.

You can right-click at a measure in the Chordsheet and select to play from that point, including which chorus. Click a few bars before the change to hear the new progression.

Does that help?


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 127
A
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
A
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 127
Matt,

Thanks. 'Chord Track' is the one generated by right-clicking in any track in Mixer, selecting 'Edit Midi' and 'Generate Chord Track on this Track'.

What I'm hoping for is to be able to hear just chords playing (which soloing the chord track does), and then for any changes made to chords to be reflected immediately in the chord track without the need to regenerate it. Suspect it isn't possible, but am ever-hopeful given the resourcefulness of forum contributors!

Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,507
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,507
I did not know that. Let me try it.


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 127
A
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
A
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 127
Matt,

OK - will await any findings with interest!

Allan

Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,507
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,507
It’s crazy what I still don’t know after 30 years using BIAB. Always something to discover.


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944
PG Music Staff
Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944
> What I'm hoping for is to be able to hear just chords playing (which soloing the chord track does), and then for any changes made to chords to be reflected immediately in the chord track without the need to regenerate it. Suspect it isn't possible, but am ever-hopeful given the resourcefulness of forum contributors!

It would help if you described what you are trying to do. For example, the output chords dialog (in 2023) does have a setting to output chords to a selected track (e.g. utility track 1). And if you set that, utility track 1 will always contain the chord track, and it gets updated. And this will persist between songs and sessions, so you’d always hear that, until you turn that setting off. That would be useful if you had some type of plugin or midi module that you were using for every song.
—-
If instead, you only want a chord track for certain songs, then that’s the one you generate as you describe. It doesn’t update the chords with each play, because it hasn’t remembered the specific settings you’ve made for each chord track in your song (like octave range, chord types etc.). So you need to manually re-do that command if you change the chords. In the future, perhaps BiaB could remember and store the chord track settings for each track, and then it could auto-update. ( This is planned)


Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,896
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,896
These are all new actions with BIAB 2023, and yes, it does work as Peter says.


BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.

Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 127
A
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
A
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 127
Peter,

Many thanks. The 'Output Chords to Selected Track' does exactly what I needed - ability to solo chords (for 'tinkering' purposes) and have any changes made update in straightforward way.

Allan

Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944
PG Music Staff
Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944
Great!


Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,643
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,643
Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
It’s crazy what I still don’t know after 30 years using BIAB. Always something to discover.

It's a new feature, Matt, that I guess flew in under your radar.


Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,507
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,507
Thanks again. I always export using Music XML but I’ll take a look at this new feature. I don’t recall it in the testing stage.


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

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
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!

If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!

Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!

PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.

The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.

The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.

Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!

Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.

Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!

Order now!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!

Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!

We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

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 new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!

Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!

Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!

We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.

Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!

Season's Greetings!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!

The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.

Team PG

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,065
Posts799,696
Members40,026
Most Online44,367
Mar 4th, 2026
Newest Members
jyotish karan, bububz, Ramon C., WernerF, B Positive Music
40,026 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 144
DC Ron 103
rsdean 97
WaoBand 76
DrDan 71
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5