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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 10
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 10 |
I'm having a real hard time with BIAB Styles. I find some really good MIDI Tracks out there, but when I bring them into BIAB, I can't find a style to match them, especially RT/RD. Can BIAB read the MIDI file and come up with a close match or am I missing something here. I don't have time to create my own styles from scratch, have tried Norton Music for styles, but nothing comes close. Any suggestions? I'm looking for quick and automated or am I dreaming here? 
Giovanni Stefani
HP Spectre X360 Laptop
Intel i7 8550
16GB DDR3, 1 2TB NVMe SSD
Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
BIAB UltraPAK 2020, Cakewalk Sonar Platinum by BandLab
Midas M32c Digital Mixer
Midas DL32 Digital Snake
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616 |
I would recommend spending a little time listening to some styles. The StylePicker has some very good tools for helping you find a style. On the left side of the window is the Category section. Narrow down choices by picking one of these, such as Raggae. There is a Search button where you can enter the name of a song and it will find a style match if possible. Then there is a 'Show Styles by Feel and Tempo' dropdown box. Once you find a style you like, you use this to find other matching styles. With so many styles, I'm sure you can find what you want.
If you're importing a Midi track, BIAB won't do what you want unless you enter the chords, tempo, and style. Once these are set, you can import the track(s) into either the Melody or Soloist. Any other part will be erased once you press play. There are plenty of sites with BIAB arrangements already done. Try searching the web for 'BIAB songs'. Yahoo has a really big selection.
R
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 5,278
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 5,278 |
You might like to check out the Style Creation Wizard. Styles created via this wizard often resemble the original midi file.
Martin
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
I feel your pain. Been there done that. A couple of times, I just could not find the style I wanted in BIAB. I then went to real band and set up tracks and put my own instruments and notation in. Mostly I did this by copying a piano part or just putting in my own harmony from a fake book or whatever else I could find. But, you can find songs, midi, biab, etc., already done and modify, copy or whatever. Sometimes I have been able to get a song done pretty fast. Other times it has taken me many hours to get what I wanted. Finally, I mght have had to just live with something that was almost there but not quite. To me sometimes Stylemaker is just overwhelming. If I'm trying to come up with a Christmas carol with just a few parts, I don't even use it.
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Usually when someone asks about this they want to create an exact cover of something. Biab is not good at that, it's designed to create backing tracks to practice or play along with, not create covers. For that, stay in Real Band. There, you can keep the elements of your midi file that have the song specific hooks and riffs you want but you can still add Biab tracks. As you've already found out, many time's the RT's are not suitable for this, use a good midi synth like the Ketron and midi tracks can approach the RT's in quality and you still have exact control over them. Many times just adding a background RT like a strumming guitar part or a partial RD part adds such an element of authenticity that you're fooled into thinking the whole thing is audio, not midi.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616 |
You still need the chords to generate a RT part.
R
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,504
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,504 |
When I wrote my first style disk, I thought that would complete BiaB. Then I found a lot of songs that didn't fit the styles that both PG and myself provided, so I wrote some more -- and then I needed more and more and more. After a while I decided that you can't have too many styles. Although a multitude of styles makes it harder to find a suitable one, your chances of finding just the right style is increased. And as jazzmmamal stated, cover version styles are hard to find. Why? I discovered this myself. Fairly early in my style writing adventure, I wrote a style for the Elvis Presley song, Don't Be Cruel and I found out, it was only good for Don't Be Cruel and nothing else. That signature guitar lick just identified that particular song. Writing the Don't Be Cruel style actually took more time than it would have to take a more generic style and then add the signature guitar lick in Real Band, Power Tracks Pro or some other MIDI sequencer. So I came to realize that auto accompaniment styles are best to be written as more generic rhythms. Song specific motifs are best added in a MIDI sequencer, because if they were included in the style, the style would only be good for one song. To read how I make backing tracks for my duo, using BiaB and a MIDI sequencer, plus how I use them on stage, go to: http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.htmlInsights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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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.
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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
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Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
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