Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#91783 11/20/10 02:21 AM
Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 262
D
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
D
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 262
Would it be possible to use Real Tracks Soloists to play some of the Harmony parts in BnBox?
This would be a very desirable feature.

Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,201
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,201
If you're referring to the harmony parts that are generated to accompany a MIDI melody line, then no, it can't do that without some serious rewriting.

It's very much like expecting a BiaB style to generate a harmony that follows a melody. RealTracks uses pre-recorded phrases of notes - the length of a bar or longer. To create a harmony part, you'd need the resolution of the RealTrack to go down to the note level.

Your best bet is to get a more realistic sound source, such as Garritan Jazz and Big Band. Unfortunately, all the real cool articulation and human phrasing that comes for free with RealTracks has to be put in using a controller or manually. But since you've got a wind controller and a Ketron SD2, you already know that...

What you're asking for (in essense) is a program which could use a MIDI file as input, and patch together its output similar to RealBand. Instead of using notes that have been selected to be bland and blend (for a sampler), if the notes were pieced together out of phrases, they should be able to keep their articulations and sound much better.

There are a number of products on the market that do that. Synful Orchestra was the first sample library that I know of that developed a commercial product using that idea. It's got a bunch of instrumental phrases, and builds the output line from there, instead of from individual notes. In theory, the result is a much more natural, expressive output. Unfortunately, the target output is orchestral, not jazz or big band.

Similar technology was apparently used in Garritan's (now discontinued) solo cello and violin. People love these products, but they are currently unavailable, apparently because an agreement couldn't be reached with the folk who developed the technology, who have gone on to develop their own sets of products, including solo trumpet, trombone and saxophones. These would sound awesome through your wind controller - I hope you've got deep pockets!

There's also The Mojo Horn Section that appears to use a similar technology, but aims to reproduce a horn section, instead of simply solo instruments. That's probably closer along the lines of what you've got in mind.

All right, I'll drift way off tangent for a moment. At this point, there aren't any RealTrack string sections or brass sections, and I'm sort of curious about how you'd put one together. To be useful, you'd have to create a string or brass arrangement that works well over a lot of different songs in a given style. I suspect that's the real sticking point: you want enough "style" to be usable, but not to much that it can't be transferred to a lot of songs. That's a tall order.

Plus, unless you're using RealBand, you want a style which you don't have to micro-edit. At some point, it's simpler to play it yourself, or get a sample CD. The real strength of BiaB is the ability to plug and play. A single instrument is a lot cheaper to record than a group, so it's more cost effective.

Still, I'd imagine that it would be possible to write a RealTrack along the lines of the Organ RT - a generic pad. Maybe a horn section could be done with 1/3/7 voicings, and generic riffs between held chords? Most of the sample CDs of horn sections that I've seen concentrate of phrases (which RealTrack already does) and section hits (which I haven't seen). That would be a cool addition!

Anyway, I agree that this would be a cool addition. But I'm not sure how it would be added to BiaB without really going outside their core product line.


-- David Cuny

My virtual singer development blog
Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?

BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Very informative post, David.


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
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.

The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

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.

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,220
Posts802,034
Members40,070
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
Newest Members
Orchestr8, dimtass, Quamido Pirendo, Allan63, isledge
40,070 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 127
zedd 110
DC Ron 94
rsdean 86
Noel96 76
Today's Birthdays
flashlarue, gary133, kirbonite
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5