Thanks for the explanation. That help understand the ask. Maybe this can be adjusted in time. As a workaround for now a stereo effect could mimic that need or duplicate the overhead stem track and pan 1 each direction. Add some reverb and it should sound pretty decent.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
rayc and mcity, can I ask a question? Why does it matter if a stem is stereo?
Hello Rob, "Building a stereo image from stems usually starts with matching the panning placement of individual elements with their position in the overheads and then tweaking levels, EQ, etc. to get the sound desired. I can't do this if the overheads are mono. I CAN work on the toms by panning automation but that's lot of effort & time that ought not be required IF the stems that should be stereo were." Simply put a kit usually has a ride cymbal on one side and a crash on the other. Between them in places off centre are tome, hi hat, snare etc. Since the stereo era took hold drums have mostly been recreated to audibly reflect how they look on stage. Placing drums in position other than represented in the overheads can cause all sorts of problems sonically and even more in the mind of the listener...with the current arrangement Even if the overheads were just cymbals the sound of all cymbals coming from the centre front would be odd but imagine a hi hat set up placed about 10.30 on the clock as well as noon. As mentioned panning & automation can be a workaround for some elements BUT that'll take time & effort & suck the joy out of things. Hope that helps.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Hi Rayc, I've recorded live drums for many albums, and the way BIAB makes the stems available (all mono) is 100% correct. This is how all mixing engineers receive drum stems for mixing, and that's why PG Music makes it available as mono tracks.
Hello Etienne, your statement would be true and correct is TWO mono mics were recorded to get the stereo spread. The fairly conservative "Recorderman" set up doesn't place a far left & far right mic for the stereo image but the placement of the two overhead mics WITH spill from the rest allows for a decent stereo image - that's why it's famous. Most other set ups go for a separate L & R overhead arrangement. I suspect BIAB/PG provide JUST mono tracks is becasue someone in a critical position didn't actually know about mixing drums...well, that's the generous assumption though it could simply be that they figured most BIAB users would, at best, use stems to reinforce sounds in concert with the stereo mix track. I've mixed many fully multitracked kits...I've worked with a few VERY professional and talented drummers. Each drummer sets up for a stereo image in their overheads no matter what "system" they use. They ensure that a properly mixed stereo overhead track is created OR that the two separate mono overhead tracks are created.
You seem to have missed my point regarding TOMS. Most kits have more than one and a VERY popular trope in classic rock is to have the toms arranged so that playing across them walks across a chunk of the stereo image. I don't have any use for a stereo conversion of a mono tom track. I can use automation to pan such a movement BUT I shouldn't have to. In most situations these days each tom is miced so that mono files panned present no problem.
I've been mixing real drums from real drummers for over a decade and I usually receive a set up that has either 2 x mono or a stereo overhead. Top snare, bottom snare, 1x each tom, one of two kick tracks depending on the session, (some drummers like and in & out while others don't), hi hat, and 2x mono or 1x stereo ROOM track.
You writing about changing mono to stereo in the DAW etc. really makes little sense when a mono track is converted to two track mono it's less flexible than when just mono. You idea about exporting and incorporating toms in the overheads is interesting but convoluted and of no use in this situation, (let's face it good overheads would already have toms in them and in their proper kit position), where the overhead is one mono track. You seem to have missed some of the key points whilst addressing others. If musocity's extraction technique produces REAL stereo image files from the source then there's no problem other than BIAB/PG having missed an important element of stems. If musocity's method extracts two channel mono then the problem remains. I've yet to have success with the extraction method but stay tuned and THANKS for the good points you've added as well as bringing this to the attention of PG even if you've confused the issue with you MONO for mixer message.
Last edited by rayc; 12/19/2303:14 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
I haven't bought 2024 yet...but that gives some hope. I tried the new scripts and I'm one step closer...see attached images.
I tried an experiment with a different tsong & a new stem set - this one AltRockSlowSteady8ths^1-a has 15 stems so thought that PERHAPS it'd be a good chance. Weirdly this set has OH1, OH2, OHRibbon amongst it's obsessive oversupply. I tried the script and it has the same result as the image. I then tried generating the files in the VST. EVERY drum track but the mix comes out as mono. The three OH tracks differ only in tonality & level. I tried panning but they can't replicate a stereo image. The Stereo Mix track has the crash cymbal on the left so is DEFINITELY in some form of stereo. Script wise I'm making progress but BIAB wise I'm not getting anywhere but more perplexed. The Mix Engineers only get mono doesn't hold up when the ohs are variations on the same mono and can't be used to create stereo. Maybe by Xmas?
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
That's good you have it working now, you just need to install SWS Extensions to get it to set the 2 bar count-in without going into project settings. I can't see the tracks as you have them set offline so uncheck that setting:
I tried the AltRockSlowSteady8ths^ and I got 4 stereo tracks at the end Overhead Overhead2 OverheadRibbon Room If I put on headphones I can hear stereo in the stereo tracks. Try other variations or just drag n drop the source file into Reaper and play the different sections:
NEXT STEP, Tried the "deselect" suggestion but received the same result...only MIDI data. I tried another of the scripts and it gave me a bad argument message, and another time a poop up said that there was more than one frozen track and wouldn't proceed. I resave the BIAB song, reloaded it in the VST and the same thing happened. Well, the midi stuff is a great leap forward but having the files remain OFFLINE isn't quite useful...yet... This is an interesting and educative process and I'm not tearing my hair out...hope you're not either.
Last edited by rayc; 12/19/2311:21 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
I was up early today so managed to get to the computer sooner than usual. The "set all media online" thing was a complete bust. Until it wasn't. The day started with my G drive inexplicably being renamed H. I edited the scripts to reflect this and upon selecting that action AFTER running the one that gave me midi info only. The action box just hung there with nothing happening & the RUN box remaining blue outlined. After a few goes I gave up & shut down Reaper. I reopened so I could get an error message type snap and ran the scripts but this time I received a "can't find file" dialogue. I was unable to find the 1st file (the mix one for the style) and left that offline then I was able to locate the next file ""unfound & bang all the rest were pulled up. Stereo overheads x 3 and a stereo tom track. SUCCESS. I experimented with a quick mix based on the overhead image and saved everything for safety. I have to say that the stereo files aren't VERY stereo - must have been a narrow placement BUT I am able to create a decent stereo image with this set of stems. MUSOCITY - I knew you knew what you were doing - I just feared I didn't know enough to get there. It took some fiddling and lots of guidance but at least one set of stems has been rendered USEFUL. This also makes the case that BIAB/PG could and should facilitate this.
I'll pull up another project later today to see if it works elsewhere. I'll report back...BUT, for the moment, I'm a happy chappy.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
That's great ! I'm glad you stuck with it and got it sorted. Once you have it all working it will make things so much easier. You can load the BIab frozen SGU into any varying tempo map and it will automatically fit, so you can add BB tracks to any live recorded band session. Once you get comfortable with the Reaper scripts there are others that will do so many things you can't do in Biab like instantly change an FX guitar to a DI guitar keeping the same riffs, you can write the chord names as Take Markers into the track and save the track as a template. Reaper is a great companion for Biab whether you are using the new BBPlugin 6 importing tracks instantly or you prefer to work with the main Biab to build up your songs/tracks and instantly transfer to Reaper. justanoldmuso prefers to use flac format in his Reaper projects, this allows you to set the file type to use so any Reaper compatible audio/video format that will work if you batch convert the RealTracks and Drums folders to add another format. This way will also let you change the tracks to Video RealTracks/Drums if you have them. I haven't look to see if any of the Video RealDrums have Stems now ?
I tried on another song today. It had a slight complication. When I reached the point where it couldn't find the files I realized it was looking for .WAV files not the WMA of BIAB. I searched for the wav files with no success...(I suppose BIAB creates them when it does the freeze but I couldn't locate where). Being lazy I dug up the WMA files, converted them to WAV, dropped in a folder & pointed to that. Worked a treat - though I only did a 16bit conversion...no real problem given the source. Seems like I have a "workaround" in true BIAB fashion. If the DAW VST has it sorted as you suggest it might, I'll see how that works in future. I'll have to buy 2024 now. AGAIN PHANQUE.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Reaper can batch convert your files to any compatible format you like then set the type in the script else just use wma. There is also a script to create the reapeak files for whatever media type you are using so the tracks load instantly.
Reaper can batch convert your files to any compatible format you like then set the type in the script else just use wma. There is also a script to create the reapeak files for whatever media type you are using so the tracks load instantly.
ah, I have renewed respect for Reaper - all of the "open source" tweaking is embraced and makes things even better. I'll have a crack at the file type change with my next song. At present I'm happily mixing & treating drum stems to address the VERY, VERY common BOING that appears in a majority of BIAB snare stems. Thanks
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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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!
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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.
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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)
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)
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