|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Beginners Forum
|
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 30
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 30 |
I finally bought BIAB Pro last weekend and produced my first song with the cakewalk plugin, it took about 12 hours. What held me back for several years was concerns that it would not come with enough rock styles and that it might not have a human feel. I have not used it enough yet to determine that. Also, I am trying to find out if it is possible to add or replace instruments with other real instruments in the chosen style. I have much to learn. BIAB is my Vger moment as in Star Trek the motion picture. Let me explain why. Back in 1986 before even the first pc I wrote my own step time multi track midi sequencer. It took about a year to develop, initially for my own use, with the editor written in basic and the fast real time midi commands written in Z80 assembler and I sold about 150 copies worldwide. I wonder how many BIAB users there are now? In the pattern editor I could build 16, or 12 step patterns for triplets, with 8 instrument tracks, each could select a different instrument, and 4 percussion tracks as well as adding the tempo for that pattern. Notes were entered as numbers. Each track also had a volume setting. I could then build a song in the song editor by adding the pattern numbers and how many times they should be played. There is still a page about it: https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Foundation_Multi-Track_Step_Time_SequencerI gave up development sometime around 1988, mainly because midi always sounded so clockwork. However, I was pleasantly surprised and glad to discover that BIAB Realtracks works so well, with a more human touch, hence my Vger moment. The next thing I wish to learn is how to make it have an even more human feel, perhaps with instrument volume and tempo dynamics in each bar. Also, if there is a way to increase the volume of cymbals, for example, in a realtracks drum set for an especially big crash or similar. One other thing, when I was using the cakewalk plugin to produce my first song, I was only able to turn off bass and drums for the first 4 bars, and not later in the song. It worked fine in the BIAB application, but for some reason not in the cakewalk plugin. I was able to turn them off in the cakewalk audio files. This is the song: https://jademann4.wixsite.com/thebluegalaxy/mediaFinally, on the right there is an advert for XPro style packs. Would anyone know if any of these offer additional realband rock styles for my version of BIAB. thanks.
Last edited by Jademann; 08/17/23 03:47 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginners Forum
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,449
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,449 |
Welcome!
I’ll start with some low hanging ones.
Press F5 at any measure. You can change the tempo at that measure, or change the volume of each instrument. You can do fades, and you can mute instruments. You can also change styles.
Separately, there are normalize functions for MIDI melody and harmony tracks, and the ability to do what’s called slide tracks (making them lag or play on top of the beat more). These are examples of how to humanize the playback in BIAB.
The RealDrums are mostly stereo drum kits where the balance is pre-mixed. However, there are some newer RealDrums that have what are called Stems. These can have many drum tracks where you can adjust the volume of each piece of the kit, plus overhead mics etc. Be aware there aren’t many drums with stems yet but we expect more. Also be aware the parts of the kit are not isolated and you sometimes get quite s bit of bleed. Again, we hope to see improvements as these drums become more mature.
XPro styles for your Pro version offering more Rock styles? Yes.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginners Forum
|
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 30
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 30 |
Thanks Matt, great information. If I like a particular style can I add to or replace individual instruments in that style with other real instruments? Is there a resource to tell me what is included in the paks? What is the difference between XPRO style and Xtra Styles? Are they both realband and do they both work with my version of BIAB? Are they different to the paks in the Megapak and Ultrapak BIAB versions? I think I answered my own question here: https://www.pgmusic.com/xpro.php?pak=all&os=mac#pak5
Last edited by Jademann; 08/16/23 06:17 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginners Forum
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,449
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,449 |
Thanks Matt, great information. If I like a particular style can I add to or replace individual instruments in that style with other real instruments? Is there a resource to tell me what is included in the paks? What is the difference between XPRO style and Xtra Styles? Are they both realband and do they both work with my version of BIAB? Are they different to the paks in the Megapak and Ultrapak BIAB versions? I think I answered my own question here: https://www.pgmusic.com/xpro.php?pak=all&os=mac#pak5Replace = yes. Both = no. You can use XPro styles but not XTra Styles. You would need to upgrade from the Pro version to have the RealTracks needed for the Xtra styles to work. RealBand is a separate program bundled free with BIAB. It is a DAW and can read BIAB files. It uses the same RealTracks and RealDrums.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginners Forum
|
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 30
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 30 |
Matt, thanks for clarifying Realband is a DAW. I was mixing up the terms Realband and Realtracks.
I think that unless it offers some advantage, I will stay with Cakewalk for now, because I have used it for 10+ years. I will focus on learning BIAB and making it as human touch as possible. I suspect that this will be key to how often I will use it for recording songs.
Bass and drums will be my main BIAB Realtrack instruments, because I play rock guitar. When I switch to lead it would also be good to have a BIAB rock guitar as backing, occasionally some keyboards also.
Last edited by Jademann; 08/17/23 03:42 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginners Forum
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,449
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,449 |
I go back 30 years with Cakewalk Pro Audio/SONAR, although I’ve moved on.
Also take a look at the BIAB Plugin that is bundled with BIAB. You can open the plug-in within Cakewalk / BandLab.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginners Forum
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,727
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,727 |
The best way to get that "human" feel in the music is to play some of the parts yourself if you can. But that's really not necessary. Several folk here besides myself use BB & RB to render the tracks into WAV files and then export them to our DAW of choice. There, it's easy to use volume automation envelopes to bring things in and out as real players do. You can also add your own live tracks that will further enhance that "live human" feel. Most music on the radio today is rock solid and the variations are in the instruments and the overall groove. Tempo is normally dead on. So adding the instrument volume automation and then breaking it down to just acoustic and then back to the band..... makes it feel human and not so robotic.
regarding the drums..... some of the real drum tracks are now multitrack that allow the user to control the drums individually. Want more snare, more low toms, more or less cymbal? Easy, just volume automate the kit.
I have been using Sonar and the plug in that works within Sonar is pretty cool and saves me some steps and time. I used to use Real Band to generate the tracks and the extra tracks not found in a given style. I can do that from the plug in and drag those WAV files directly to the Sonar track.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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!
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)
- 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:
- 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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,750
Posts795,776
Members39,950
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean