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Back to add, that BiaB should reopen to that screen I want. I have a 4 monitor setup and want Biab to always open on screen #3, It doe not!
it just defaults to screen 1 (Windows default).
Robert I wonder if a window manager might resolve that. I've never done it on Windows, but on Linux I use a window manager to size and place specific windows onto specific screen in specific workspaces (cf 'Desktops' in Win10 and Win11). On my music PC I have a single large touch-screem and have one-touch access to any workspace. There are certainly window managers around for Windows, but I haven't investigated any of them personally and don't know if they're as effective.
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
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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What is needed, is to allow the user to hide parts of the interface they do not use.
It's best to make everything into a tool bar, where they can use the ones they want, and place them where they want! that includes floating the toolbar. There have definitely been requests for configurable menu options, starting off with a 'basic' menu setup and also including an 'advanced' menu option(s).
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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What is needed, is to allow the user to hide parts of the interface they do not use. It's best to make everything into a tool bar, where they can use the ones they want, and place them where they want! that includes floating the toolbar. Let the user setup the way they want BiaB UI! Robert  Band-in-a-Box has two display modes, normal and minimal. The normal mode is the classic view with the Drop, Song, Transport, Tools, Views and Tracks toolbars. The minimal mode replaces with tabs labeled Files, Views, Tools, Tracks, Misc., Custom and Mixer. Both modes have methods to display or hide the audio mixer. The audio mixer can also float and resized. The minimal mode's Custom tab allows you to display only the tool icons you want. There are two ways to toggle between display modes; use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T or select one of the two buttons just to the left of the DAW button. ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=28882&filename=Clipboard01.jpg)
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Jim is right. Main chord view in Minimalistic GUI is pretty slim. The biggest eyesore and real estate parasite is the "radio bar" at the top. Which is kind of useless considering all the tracks we have now. I never used it and never will. I wish they would remove it, or at least make it optional for those who can't live without it. Navigator is also not up to specs, especially if you are working with ~100+ bars. Otherwise layout is pretty good.
In my view, most complexity comes from menus. Their locations and wording. If they were sorted, positioned more intuitively and worded better it would make life easier.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I use BIAB to either generate backing tracks for my own use at home, or to generate parts that I can import into Reaper, replace with my own samples, and form the basis of a track with other live instruments.
I am strongly against messing with the current melody and solo generation in any way (unless it's adding a new melodists to the existing ones), just because it still produces more usable results than the AI software currently out there. And the MIDI aspect means that you can replace it with whatever patch you want, or throw it onto notation and learn things from it, or seamlessly edit choruses together, etc
I know not everyone is a fan of the presentation but I've been using BIAB since 2002 so I always have a pretty good idea of where I need to go.
I guess what I'm saying is, please don't touch the features of BIAB that are still the best at what they do.
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Just an example, one of the better AI melody composers currently available still has a fundamental limitation where it doesn't stick to a prescribed set of chord changes, and the longer the passage you have it generate, the farther it wanders away from the original melody and form.
Great for experimental and generative music, not so great for pop and jazz forms.
BIAB gives me what I need when I'm just wanting a bass line for a set of changes that I might not come up with, or a burning Rhoads solo that I wouldn't be able to play at tempo.
Last edited by ziggysane; 11/02/24 07:51 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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First of all, please excuse my English...
as a BIAB user since the DOS days, I think that time is mature for a radical change. We can not ignore the actual and future importance of AI. I think that this should be implemented *someway so far better* in BIAB 2025 and future releases. I've tried to use both SUNO and Udio, and I am really impressed with the quality of some of the results. Now, just try to imagine what results could be obtained by an integration of the great auto-accompaniment expertise of BIAB with a better use of AI composition tools inside BIAB (melodist)!
In this way PGM would have a double advantage, IMO: keeping the main characteristics of the best auto-accompaniment software (for mature musicians and amateurs who don't like approach AI); AND begin to look seriously to the future of assisted composition, a very likely future reality, I think. If not so, there's the risk that others (SUNO, Udio and so on) will be the ones chosen by young generations of (potential) customers.
And, please...no more styles...more than 10000 are already enough to choose...
Alfredo
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alfstone,
You made a well thought out and phrased post. I like your idea of using Artificial Intelligence to enhance the capability of the Melodist. Along with that idea perhaps AI could enhance the Soloist.
Thank you for your contribution to this conversation.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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alfstone,
You made a well thought out and phrased post. I like your idea of using Artificial Intelligence to enhance the capability of the Melodist. Along with that idea perhaps AI could enhance the Soloist.
Thank you for your contribution to this conversation. Thank you Jim! AI is making giant steps and, set aside the ethical aspects of the whole thing, just in few months has achieved great results in terms of "quality". I think it will not be a long time from now, when we'll be able to throw a specific chord progression in SUNO-Udio etc...we can already instruct to make its music according to ANY music style. Now, if I were PGM, I would be rather worried about this possibility... Alfredo
Last edited by alfstone; 11/06/24 01:41 AM.
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I like Bob’s point----don’t need, now, nor will use, new features----just new styles and real tracks. No deep diving, here. Only need good-sounding, realistic, reliable backing tracks. 2024 is working great at the moment. Quite so. Its why I didn't buy 2024. I didn't want or need 50 more features that need a year of updates to get to work properly. I want more RTs and MORE RDs and not have relearn the System all over again. How about selling a Set Pack of 2025 RT/RDs that will work on earlier versions?
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sixchannel,
Can you elaborate?
I believe more, not less RT's were introduced in 2024 than prior year(s). And the price you pay for upgrade at promotional period is very reasonable considering amount of content (RTs, RDs and MIDI) you are getting. Consider software as a freebie. Of course you can wait to upgrade mid year (still get the "upgrade" discount) and have most new bugs of that year addressed.
What exactly is that you think would make you "relearn the System all over again"?
With exception of handful of people (about 5 to be more specific) that for very minor reasons didn't want to use new MTP Library, no major issues were reported specifically with 2024. Almost zero items concerning "new features" that "prevented" people from using BIAB. Nobody is forcing you to use new features. Ignore new buttons - problem solved!
New "features" aside, did you know that 2024 BIAB generates tracks about 5 times faster? If this was the only item on the table for 2024, I would still upgrade.
Having said that, I do agree with you that RT's should be backward compatible at least for 2-3 years of last version of software.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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From my use & perspective there are lots of things in BIAB I've not used &/or not been interested in.
I slowly try to use new aspects so that I might find something that works for me - but it's a slow process. I've tried the Melodists a few times. I can't say it generated anything worth using even after serious editing & comping but, then again, I try not to replace myself with a machine when I can manage it. As I've improved by skill & discernment, (I think the latter being the more important), I've found using Multiriff I can generate decent solos, with a bit of cutting & pasting in the DAW, from the solo RTs I have in my stack.
I'm not interested in A.I. music generation.
I think I'd like BIAB 2025 to be a "making time" version in which many things that need fixing, correcting, smoothing & debugging are addressed, tarted up with new RTs and Real Drum stems, (with the addition of a cymbal choke in the source file) - dare I say it - some Video tracks too, (I used a video track in my latest song video but as it was a completely different style from the song I had to obscure it a bit). Definitely not a sales pitch for the new buyer but that'd give me more time to explore what currently exists and use new sections with confidence.
Menu clarity? Yes that would be part of the fixing.
I know PG can't afford to hold its collective breath on new sales bait but one can always wish.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Sixchannel, Misha (Rustyspoon) has nicely responded to the concerns you raised. I would only add that I do not expect software to introduce new features that can be used on older versions, and I think that practice is normal. For example, I use the DAW Studio One. They just introduced version 7. Version 7 loads a project written in my prior version (6.5) just fine, but when you go to save, it will first give you a caution that if you continue with the save, the project can only be reopened in version 7 from then on. I think that's fair.
Specifically, about BIAB, this subject was raised before, maybe within the past year or two, when someone asked if the newest styles or RealTracks could be used in an older version of BIAB. Don't hold me to this, but I think the answer was sometimes yes, sometimes no. The biggest hurdle was selecting the new tracks because they were not contained in the index that had been made without knowing of their existence. I believe they could be located manually and would work, however don't hold me to that either because I did not need to test it, having purchased the upgrade.
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.
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Well, I will most certainly disagree with the 'no more styles' request. I mean, we have a full thread devoted to further requested styles. https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=6&page=1Whether some of them are viable or not, I don't know. Furthermore, even though we have Utility tracks, I still would like to see an expansion of some of the older (and newer) styles to up to 8 parts. I use an Arranger Keyboard, and I don't know, currently, of any Arranger Keyboard that doesn't use up to 8 accompaniment tracks. I would love to see that expansion in an upcoming version, for both Real Tracks and MIDI tracks. MIDI keyboards today are getting a lot better in sounds, so having more MIDI styles wouldn't be a bad thing. G
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi Gary. In the discussions we have had about concentrating on improving existing functions over introducing 50+ new ones, it was assumed that the company would continue releasing new RealTracks and styles. The assumption is that these are two different areas of the company. That could be wrong.
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.
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I just want one single thing in the new 2025 BIAB, nothing else.
An efficient and improved “Search Concept” so I can use BIAB and find what I am looking for in the huge amount of content that I have.
(I don’t see any point of more styles/instruments if there is no way for me to easily find them in the database).
BIAB 2026, Studio One 7 Pro, Song Master Pro, Win11 Home. i7-9700K CPU, 32GB, ESI MAYA44eX, ZOOM UAC-2, Guitar Pro 8, Transcribe, (EZKeys2, EZD3, SD3, EZBass, EZMix3)
Amateur: fiddle, guitar, vocal, beginner on bass.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I just want one single thing in the new 2025 BIAB, nothing else.
An efficient and improved “Search Concept” so I can use BIAB and find what I am looking for in the huge amount of content that I have.
(I don’t see any point of more styles/instruments if there is no way for me to easily find them in the database). Yes, that has also been the subject of much discussion here.
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.
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2025 So What To Expect? ![[Linked Image from djangoinabox.com]](https://www.djangoinabox.com/UserEditorImages/the-horizontal-mixer.png) An Horizontal Mixer? DiaB
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At this point, nobody, except for PGM, knows what 2025 might bring. Lots of excellent ideas have been put forward though.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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One December we will get a streamlined interface and good search tools. Maybe it’s this year, maybe five years from now. I’ll still keep buying the upgrades.
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ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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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!
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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
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Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
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Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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