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I've got the bulk of a good arrangement of a tune in BIAB. I did ACW, edited the chords, using a lot of Chord Options with pushes, a few MicroChords activities, etc. I did a bunch of Bar Settings activities as well as a bunch of Volume Automations to make string quartet sound more "real", etc.
I ended up with only the Vocal stem, and the Real Tracks are doing the rest. Now I want to import into RB to edit a few of the Real Tracks, mix my own vocals in, probably edit the form of the tune to add solos, etc. Can I do that? I'd like to not lose the Volume Automation edits and Bar Settings edits. Do these come over into RB?
What's the best way to import the file with an eye on keeping all BIAB edits?
Band-in-a-Box® for Windows
Version 2026 (1237)
64 bit application
RealBand 2026 (4)
Windows 11 Home
Intel(R) Core(TM) 5 120U (1.40 GHz)
12.0 GB (11.7 GB usable)
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For a start, I chose "Open" and pointed to the .sgu file. The tracks have been imported, but they're way out of synch. The Vocal stem track is at maybe 75% speed, coming in really late and slow. The Bar Settings edits did not come with the track, so there's a lot of excess noise that needs editing out. I thought BIAB and RB worked together fairly seamlessly?
Last edited by Funkifized; 05/30/25 10:54 AM.
Band-in-a-Box® for Windows
Version 2026 (1237)
64 bit application
RealBand 2026 (4)
Windows 11 Home
Intel(R) Core(TM) 5 120U (1.40 GHz)
12.0 GB (11.7 GB usable)
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RealBand
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best bet...
post the song somewhere so people can test it.
more details would help re rb menu actions your useing to import the song. how are you opening the song ??
om
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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RealBand
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I could post it later once I'm done teaching for the day.
As far as opening the song, I'm just doing the basic File-->Open, point to the file in the dialogue box.
Band-in-a-Box® for Windows
Version 2026 (1237)
64 bit application
RealBand 2026 (4)
Windows 11 Home
Intel(R) Core(TM) 5 120U (1.40 GHz)
12.0 GB (11.7 GB usable)
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While in Band-in-a-Box save each track as a wave file then use the wave files in RealBand.
I don't believe you will keep all your edits when moving a SGU file from Band-in-a-Box to RealBand. As a test, in Band-in-a-Box freeze all the tracks then save the SGU file under a different name. The new name gives you a working copy. Open the new name SGU file in RealBand.
You loose several features when moving out of Band-in-a-Box. Track freezing is one, MultiStyles is another and bar settings is another.
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Funk.
try the following.
1..make sure that all saves from bb and rb go into SAME FOLDER.
2..open bb tracks view
3..open rb tracks view so its on screen by the side of bb tracks view.
4..with both track views open drag EACH bb track to a rb track.
5..NOTE...YOU MUST ENSURE AS I SAID THE TRACKS IN RB are saved into the same folder as bb song OTHERWISE youll be hunting around for the default where rb saves tracks if the user forgets to do such.
SOOO...if your song folder for bb is called 'crazy funky street cats';
ENSURE the rb tracks are saved into the 'crazy funky street cats' folder.
report back if the above works for you with no anomolies.
@jim....and any lurkers.
the problem is rb does things bb doesnt as to features and vice versa.
and thus imho the coders of both rb and bb need to update both bb and rb to establish commonality between both apps as this seems to cause confusion for new users.
jim...with respect actually the points you make re rb not doing certain things have never stopped me doing a song in rb. lots of ways to do things and alternatives.
for example with great respect i would far prefer to do audio and midi editing in rb than bb which is a dogs breakfast imho by comparison.
rb tracks view is king imho. plus in rb...its superior in handling imho odd time sigs
etc etc. while bb's advantage is speed of generation.
as i said plusses and minuses of each.
some seasoned rb users ive talked to have done 100 songs in rb.
ive lost count myself how many songs ...both bb and rb have their 'quirks'.
(for any lurkers see some of my tips in pg tips forum re getting a song down fast in
rb.)
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 05/31/25 04:58 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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...
You loose several features when moving out of Band-in-a-Box. Track freezing is one, This is misleading... In RB default a track is 'frozen' automatically. Unless you specifically change it, it is for all intents and purposes froze /The exception is if you use RB in BiaB mode where it generates everything .. . // why would someone do that?
Last edited by rharv; 05/31/25 12:52 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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@justanoldmuso @jim....and any lurkers.
the problem is rb does things bb doesnt as to features and vice versa. Very true. The features in Band-in-a-Box and the features in RealBand complement each other. It is helpful for a user to be familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of both programs.
and thus imho the coders of both rb and bb need to update both bb and rb to establish commonality between both apps as this seems to cause confusion for new users.
jim...with respect actually the points you make re rb not doing certain things have never stopped me doing a song in rb. lots of ways to do things and alternatives.I did not say don't use RealBand. I said that not all the work Funkifized performed in Band-in-a-Box will accurately transfer to RealBand. I suggested one (of numerous) way he might accomplish what he wants to do.
for example with great respect i would far prefer to do audio and midi editing in rb than bb which is a dogs breakfast imho by comparison.
rb tracks view is king imho. plus in rb...its superior in handling imho odd time sigs
etc etc. while bb's advantage is speed of generation.
as i said plusses and minuses of each. True. @rharv This is misleading...
In RB default a track is 'frozen' automatically. So, if I freeze a track in Band-in-a-Box and then drag the BiaB frozen track to RealBand the RealBand track does not regenerate?
Unless you specifically change it, it is for all intents and purposes froze Correct, RealBand only regenerates by user control. However, that is only after the initial generation is automatically performed.
/The exception is if you use RB in BiaB mode where it generates everything .. .
// why would someone do that? By using RealBand in Band-in-a-Box mode do you mean where the first eight RealBand tracks act as legacy Band-in-a-Box midi tracks? I'm not sure what you mean by BiaB mode in RealBand.
Last edited by Jim Fogle; 05/31/25 05:12 PM. Reason: typos.
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Yes
by BiaB mode I meant as you described
that mode seems useless since BiaB does it faster ..
I prefer working track by track *as do most RB users
If every track keeps changing all willy-nilly how do you ever finish anything?
As for RB regenerating when opening a BiaB file, yes that happens, and your workaround by saving as audio is valid if you stayed in BiaB too long before moving to RB ..
just my thoughts
*at one point enough RB users complained that a BiaB file opened in RB saved as a BiaB SGU/MGU in RB as default, and that got changed to saving as SEQ file because enough users thought that behavior was detrimental
Last edited by rharv; 05/31/25 05:32 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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The nice thing about RealBand's "Band-in-a-Box mode" is it transfers both RealTrack audio and the underlying midi. That makes it easy to edit the midi and come up with tracks that can complement and support the audio tracks.
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Some great input here. I like to point out that while RB will not import all the BiaB features it does a lot of them and no other DAW will do most of this. So, the best thing to do is as mentioned above convert tracks you feel re just right into audio track and import them that way. Orrrrrr!!! even better once you get to the automation and mixing process move to RB first!
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
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@Jim.
jim i wasnt trying to be negative in any way.
i'm very respectfull re your pg knowledge.
just concerned about 'lurkers' thats all.
@Funk.
my studio is being rearranged right now but i seem to remember there is a trick in getting the underlying midi of a bb audio track.
so do these tests....not guaranteeing anything.
1..firstly before the test save your sgu so you have backup.
2..try this...drag the audio tracks into rb...and THEN...
3..delete in bb each audio track and you should get a bb message
'wanna keep the midi ?'....say yes...then...
4..drag across the midi track to rb.
see if the above works....another way..
1..export the songs bb midi file and then import into rb.
2.then drag the audio tracks into rb.
remember bb has a drop station top left you can use also.
as i said i'm not at the pc right now.
it would help if you posted the sgu somewhere so the rest of us can see which methods work the easiest and fastest....because there are various alternatives.
and nothing beats trying things and running tests with your sgu.
happiness
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/01/25 04:54 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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RealBand
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I've got the bulk of a good arrangement of a tune in BIAB. I did ACW, edited the chords, using a lot of Chord Options with pushes, a few MicroChords activities, etc. I did a bunch of Bar Settings activities as well as a bunch of Volume Automations to make string quartet sound more "real", etc.
I ended up with only the Vocal stem, and the Real Tracks are doing the rest. Now I want to import into RB to edit a few of the Real Tracks, mix my own vocals in, probably edit the form of the tune to add solos, etc. Can I do that? I'd like to not lose the Volume Automation edits and Bar Settings edits. Do these come over into RB?
What's the best way to import the file with an eye on keeping all BIAB edits? It sounds like you want those BiaB tracks in RB exactly how they sound now - Export it all as Audio tracks and Import those to RB. That's really the best way considering how far you are in the process. The resulting wav files should incorporate into the render and sound the same in RB as far as automations and such. Expected Caveat: In RB you won't be able to go back and undo something already done in BiaB (prior) // Which, again, is why many users move to RB earlier; to do volume automation and selected RT edits (etc.)
Last edited by rharv; 06/01/25 10:32 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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So, is that to say that volume automation, RT edits, micro chord edits, etc., are easier to do in RB?
Band-in-a-Box® for Windows
Version 2026 (1237)
64 bit application
RealBand 2026 (4)
Windows 11 Home
Intel(R) Core(TM) 5 120U (1.40 GHz)
12.0 GB (11.7 GB usable)
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I find Volume automation and Rt or audio edits easier. Micro chords i have not done there other than to check it works. Once i have my basic tracks i move on to RB for the most part.
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
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I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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what rob said seconded.
as ive said before i really think that pg need to post a table of feature differences between bb and rb.
re volume automation i'll be totally frank.
ive found it too 'fiddly' no matter which daw i try.
drives me bonkers putting all the points in and mucking around.
for someone like myself with vision problems...tho' improved now due to some brilliant eye docs vol auto is a pita.
i can never get it the way i want and end up often doing things manually. eg if a vocal note or section is too high or low i have to drill down into the waveform and do editing.
if one wants to understand rb think of a marriage one often sees between big film stars. some marriages have lasted decades while others a few months.
same with rb...some people walk away after a 'look see' and others persist with rb.
lmao...why my wife persists with me i have no idea.
she deserves a zillion gold medals.
thus to realise the potential of rb ya gotta persist as it can be exacting but also very exciting when ya delve into it.
but what isnt in life ?
ive found all music apps/daws have their idiosyncracies.
just gotta dive right in and get to it.
bottom line is songs are loads of work no matter what one uses.
happiness.
om
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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How should I post the song?
This is a really frustrating activity. I can create a song in BIAB, and supposed to be able to edit it in a more DAW-like fashion in RB, but there are apparently a number of undocumented hoops to jump through to make this happen. I'm dealing with a piano-and-voice arrangement that I want to add a band to. Using File->Open and picking the .sgu file brings in the stems, but there is some sort of tempo problem, so they don't play well together. In RB, I muted the stems except for the Master Stem, because the other stems are wildly out of tempo with everything else.
I suppose I could redo the stems from the Master Stem, but I can't see how to do that in RB.
Band-in-a-Box® for Windows
Version 2026 (1237)
64 bit application
RealBand 2026 (4)
Windows 11 Home
Intel(R) Core(TM) 5 120U (1.40 GHz)
12.0 GB (11.7 GB usable)
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Okay, this is beyond vexxing. Importing an .sgu file through standard Open->File does not work even remotely correctly. This really needs to be addressed by the company. It's useless.
Band-in-a-Box® for Windows
Version 2026 (1237)
64 bit application
RealBand 2026 (4)
Windows 11 Home
Intel(R) Core(TM) 5 120U (1.40 GHz)
12.0 GB (11.7 GB usable)
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< It sounds like you want those BiaB tracks in RB exactly how they sound now -
Export it all as Audio tracks and Import those to RB. >Yes. This is how to use BIAB tracks exactly as they sound in BIAB when imported into RB or any DAW. Okay, this is beyond vexxing. Importing an .sgu file through standard Open->File does not work even remotely correctly. This really needs to be addressed by the company. It's useless. No. Open and import are not the same. Two different functions for two different outcomes of the tracks. RealBand is BIAB lite. Opening an SGU file has limited BIAB features apparently some by PGM design and others because of confusion that BIAB is not a DAW. You want to import tracks to retain the BIAB processing. Opening a BIAB file is meant to merge BIAB features in a DAW environment. It's unique to PGM products.
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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