[Rog] "I tend to work in Realband and I often find that I'm piecing together several RTs, all from radically different genres, but ones which still seem to work for the song."
[Rog] "I remember when I got a DX7 and I knew what all the 32 voices sounded like. A few years later we had keyboards with 1000 voices and I hardly knew five percent of them. Now it's the same with RTs.
So, is the problem really that we don't have enough RTs and genres, or just that we don't have time to audition them all?"
______________________________________
Excellent points and you're explaining what's a very common workflow for many audio enthusiasts using BIAB as cross-platform software for creating accompaniment tracks, practice tracks and original music. As you noted, BIAB in a similar fashion to the keyboard analogy, has grown dramatically in the volume of RealTracks, RealStyles, genres/sub-genres and Real instruments over a relatively short period of years. An issue besides what you've listed is that for cross-platform users, cross-platform compatibility has not kept pace with BIAB growth. This is true even for users that use RealBand.
If you start a project in BIAB, enter the chords, select a style, key and tempo and then save and open that song in RealBand to audition, load additional instruments and comp instrument tracks, that process severely restricts search options and some features that are available in BIAB that are not cross-platform compatible with any DAW including RealBand.
A search example that BIAB offers which RealBand, can't replicate is to audition a Style, Real or Midi, over the Chord Progression, tempo and key of the song project. A Style can sound radically different on the users Chord Chart than the Style Demo does. Simply opening RealBand, the only DAW having the capability to audition PG Music Styles, eliminates the opportunity to take advantage of this unique, exclusive and powerful search tool to the point of not finding a suitable instrument or style for your song project.
Another restrictive deficiency of bypassing BIAB for RealBand is the loss of the BIAB exclusive MultiStyle feature. PG Music Style developers have long made use of MultiStyles. They predate the introduction of RealTracks and RealStyles. My system has more than 8,000 Styles and nearly 1,000 of them are MultiStyles. Bypassing BIAB and using RealBand to either search Styles or to take advantage of pre-made PG Music MultiStyles, negates those nearly 1,000 Styles because RealBand doesn't respond to the MultiStyle Feature. All of the built-in programming is ignored and the feature is negated and the file is generated as if no editing had been done. To accomplish what a MultiStyle provides can take hours to get the same results in RealBand or every other DAW. MultiStyles are a very powerful programming tool and also quite versatile. Every Style in your StylePicker can be modified and converted into a custom MultiStyle by users. It's a simple process that can be done quickly either from scratch or by modifying an existing Style. MultiStyles can have up to 24 Substyles with each substyle having 'a and b' sections.
I've attached two m4a versions of a PG Music developed MultiStyle, Western swing soloist MultiStyle Demo, WSWING+.STY. One version is the Demo opened, loaded and rendered unaltered in BIAB and the second, opened, loading the style demo in RealBand and rendering it unaltered. The demo is the same in both programs but the rendered audio has radically different results that you'll hear for yourself and quickly realize the loss of productivity and ease of creating more complex, higher quality arranged tracks by opening your project in RealBand rather than BIAB. The BIAB version has multiple Soloists, different Styles, is more dynamic, interesting and lively.
Unfortunately, such radical differences will apply to every MultiStyle opened between the two programs. Cross-platform capability doesn't apply to the feature. Of course MultiStyles can be generated and exported from BIAB and the exported audio will play correctly in any DAW but my point here is to demonstrate the deficiency and restrictions of bypassing BIAB and searching and playing Styles and RealTracks from RealBand. There are many other features that are negated or unavailable to users of the cross-platform workflow with RealBand.
Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.