So, I opened BB and had my midi keyboard turned on with it's sound turned off.
I played a few notes and heard the piano. All good. I observer the following on the screen.
THRU on the mixer screen was showing me activity. So.. I right clicked on THRU and a new window opened.
It had 4 options. The bottom one is SELECT MIDI INSTRUMENT (patch)
Clicking on that one gave me a new drop down with a variety of options. Near the middle of the list was favorite patches. One of those was Muted trumpet and below that was Tenor sax. Clicking on those gave me that instrument immediately.
I did a screenshot with my camera and attached it as a file you should be able to open.
One would have assumed by this he already had at least some basics down.
Yeah. You would think.
Apparently not, judging from his posts.
The catch is that the OP may know too little about MIDI to know how best to phrase the post. I think the post was a little unclear for that reason and we perhaps presumed too much.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency.
One would have assumed by this he already had at least some basics down.
Yeah. You would think.
Apparently not, judging from his posts.
The catch is that the OP may know too little about MIDI to know how best to phrase the post. I think the post was a little unclear for that reason and we perhaps presumed too much.
I know that I did!
It takes courage for a man to admit his wife was wrong.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I've just posted 'Are RTs killing midi' in the BIAB forum. Maybe I should have posted here. Not sure if cut and paste between forums is allowed but here's what i said..............
buy BIAB today and you can jump straight into RTs. amazing real isntruments playing in wonderful styles.
i have every RT and every style so far, and i must admit i tend to use real styles almost automatically these days on new projects.
but i have midi when i need it. i have favourite midi parts i drop in - like a wonderful strings part i discovered years ago.
and for solos i often use midi - exactly the notes and timings i want and after hunting around for samples, exactly the instument sound i want.
but there have been a number of recent posts which suggest new users have no idea about midi. and given that RTs are so good they have no need to learn midi to create superb songs. but i can't help but feel they are missing out on a wonderful musical tool.
if their experience is the mickey mouse sounds of a bad midi player then no wonder they get put off. but a little extra work and investigation will open up a huge sonic arsenal that broadens their musical horizons.
what do other users think? is the excellence of RTs killing midi? and how do we sell the benefits to new users that make the learning curve worthwhile?
some users may not know it, but MIDI is what allows RTs to even exist, so I don't think RTs are killing MIDI at all, just showing the possibilities .. though a beginner may not grasp that yet Without MIDI Key and Tempo, RTs would be like canned loops from the 90s (just prerecorded audio)
Plus without MIDI there would be no Kontakt, GM sounds etc. so eventually it becomes something new to learn, just depends on your starting point and path to learning music Some of us old users learned MIDI first, I suppose some very new users may not have learned it yet, but it is definitely not 'killing MIDI' by taking advantage of it
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Thank you Mario D. I really appreciate yours and everyone else's input. I am working through your suggestions and I am sure I'll get the hang of it. It does seem that I am doing something wrong somewhere, because now I got the brass(ish) sound, but trying to figure out how, I cannot get any other(ish) sound. It's like playing golf: that one time you get it perfect, you don't know what you did...
some users may not know it, but MIDI is what allows RTs to even exist, so I don't think RTs are killing MIDI at all, just showing the possibilities .. though a beginner may not grasp that yet Without MIDI Key and Tempo, RTs would be like canned loops from the 90s (just prerecorded audio)
Plus without MIDI there would be no Kontakt, GM sounds etc. so eventually it becomes something new to learn, just depends on your starting point and path to learning music Some of us old users learned MIDI first, I suppose some very new users may not have learned it yet, but it is definitely not 'killing MIDI' by taking advantage of it
Indeed. Many of the early DAWs including Cakewalk started life as Midi sequencers before they added audio capabilities.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
rharv makes a very good point and Guitarhacker expands it well. those of us of a certain age started out with midi only and we learnt how to manipulate and edit our tracks. i used the same work process then as i do now. rough out in BIAB then edit the midi in PowerTracks. except today its RB for the edit and polish.
then the wonder of RTs came along. we got a huge bonus in musical terms.
but come to BIAB today and you can just plug in RTs and get great sounding music without midi. and the call is for extra funcionlaity within BIAB rather than use a separate DAW.
I made a prediction (always risky!) in the BIAB forum - i think one of 2024's suite of 'improvements' will be making playable RT's capable of taking a keyboard input and recording parts from scratch or at least adding hooks and riffs in the right places to a generated RT.
We all know that that will in fact be mainly a midi process but BIAB will become the 'front end' of midi much the same as windows became the 'front end'of DOS.
but come to BIAB today and you can just plug in RTs and get great sounding music without midi
I think that's incorrect; as I understand it you are still using MIDI to generate those RTs behind the scenes I am pretty sure the whole basis is still MIDI .. the tempo and key sig are still based on MIDI
You may not be using MIDI for 'sounds' but it still uses MIDI
//not trying to be snarky, just pointing it out for clarity
Last edited by rharv; 07/29/2311:39 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
yes of course midi is involved but maybe the phrase should be 'without consciously using anything to do with midi and without learning any of its capabilties' which was my main point
I think that, in addition to RealTracks that are 'controlled' by MIDI as described by rharv and others above, PG Music has delivered on exactly what so many people requested: the ability of RealTracks to play your melody. Again, it's under control of MIDI. Playable RealTracks are more related to MIDI than most users may realize.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Hi folks, Thank you for all your comments and help. I am only beginning to understand what I am confused about, but
I have as Midi Output Driver selected VirtualMidiSynth which I downloaded from Coolsoft. Synthesizer Sound Card setting is :Coyote Wavetable DXI GM2 Support is General Midi 2 Support When I tick Use VSTi/DXi Synth I get a screen that looks like some sort of a control panel which says sforzando, but when I do that there is no midi sound. When I untick it, I get midi sound if I select the sforzando plugin. I also downloaded Compifont_NEW.sf2, but don't know what to do with it. I am beginning to understand what I am confused about, but not near having it under wraps yet.
BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency.
I have as Midi Output Driver selected VirtualMidiSynth which I downloaded from Coolsoft. Synthesizer Sound Card setting is :Coyote Wavetable DXI
If I understand correctly what you've written, I think that means BIAB is still using the Coyote synth for you sounds
In the "MIDI/Audio Drivers setup" dialog, I think you want the "MIDI Output driver" set to "<No MIDI/sound output>", the two checkboxes to the right checked and to set the "VSTi/DXI Synth" to be VSTSynthFont64. See pages 8 and 9 of the manual.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
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.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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!
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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
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
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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)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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.
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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 Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
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)!
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!
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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.
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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