Band In A Box Realtracks For Mac Osx
Band In A Box Realtracks Mac Download

Band-in-a-Box
Stable release
Developer(s)	PG Music
Initial release	1990; 30 years ago
Operating system	Windows, macOS
Available in	Published in ten languages
Type	Music Generation
Website	www.pgmusic.com

Band-in-a-Box is a music accompaniment software package for Windows and macOS produced by PG Music Incorporated in Victoria, British Columbia. The software allows the user to create songs by simple keyboard inputs: a musical style, a tempo and a key. The screen resembles a blank page of music. The user types in a series of chords, even complex ones, and the software generates a song, typically played by four or five musical instruments. The software can create backgrounds for almost any chord progressions used in Westernpopular music, and can play them in any of thousands of different music styles.^[1] The software is published in ten different languages.^[2]

Band-in-a-Box was first introduced in 1990 for PC computers and the Atari ST. The creator of the software is a Canadian, Dr. Peter Gannon, for whom 'PG Music' is named.^[3] Early versions of the software featured only MIDI data often emulating the phrasing of noted musicians.^[3] Later editions included recordings (called 'RealTracks') of real musicians playing real instruments in the user-specified style, key and tempo, a breakthrough in the quality of the music. The developers have enlisted the help of a number of skilled artists as soloists and sidemen to build huge databases of phrases in many styles of music. The software intelligently retrieves and customizes groups of measures that are appropriate for soloing over a particular chord at a selected key and tempo.^[3] See example below.

Band-in-a-Box has hundreds of “Real Tracks” which are studio recorded samples of real musicians. You can choose from many different instruments and musical styles like jazz, country, and rock. You can even change the key or time signature with the click of a button. “.sgu” is a file extension that Band-in-a-Box uses for the song files. Auto created songs are saved in a format with extension of the file “.sgu”. It can be exchanged between musicians or downloaded through the internet, allowing modifications. The sgu file can be opened by BiaB and modified as you like, key, instruments etc. Band-in-a-Box® 2020 for Mac is 64-bit and fully compatible with Catalina! It works well with the latest plugins and 64-bit OS features and is also legacy compatible back to Snow Leopard 10.6.8. There are over 50 exciting new features in Band-in-a-Box ® 2020! The new Band-in-a-Box 2019 Pro Edition for Mac is now available! Over 64 new features have been added to the best-selling program. The 2019 Edition is a brand-new 64-bit version of Band-in-a-Box, which works well with the latest plugins and 64-bit OS features! Buy PG Music Band-in-a-Box 2019 UltraPAK+ - Automatic Accompaniment Software (Mac, Download) featuring Arrangement & Accompaniment Software, Over 2900 Hours of Studio Recordings, Automatically Creates Melodies and Solos, Over 2700 RealTracks Instruments, 175 MIDI SuperTracks, 145 Artist Performances, Record/Arrange Music in Multiple Styles, Print Sheet Music or Export Audio, Supports Standalone or Plug-In Operation, Compatible with Windows.

Development[edit]

Widely known as 'BIAB' by its users,^[1] the software was initially used as a practice aid for musicians but quickly became popular for 'one-man bands' to play at weddings or similar venues. It also became popular in karaoke venues which touted 'Band in a Box Karaoke' in advertisements.^[4] Gannon said, 'We started out with Band-in-a-Box as a MIDI program, generating MIDI and synth accompaniments.'^[5] In late 1997, the 'soloist' feature was introduced, allowing the software to generate solos choosing from a menu that includes emulations of jazz luminaries, past and present; e.g., Miles Davis or Freddie Hubbard in what reviewer Peter Hum calls 'credible imitations'.^[3] Jazz guitarist Geof Dresser, whose day job is a network software developer said,' It's playing hipper lines than I can'.^[3] Those lines were likely due to the company's musical director for many years, Vancouver Jazz guitarist Oliver Gannon,^[a] the older brother of company founder Peter Gannon.^[3] Their father, Joe Gannon, was a professional pianist in Dublin, Ireland, before moving the family to Winnipeg in 1957.^[7] Oliver Gannon retired from PG Music in 2008.

From MIDI to real instruments[edit]

Band-In-a-Box used only MIDI until 1999, when digital audio was added, letting users record vocals and instruments directly into songs. The 'Audio Chord Wizard', released with the 2007 version of BIAB, made it possible for a user choose any audio song from his computer; the Audio Chord Wizard then analyzes it and writes out the names of all the chords for it such as Fm7 or G7b9; however, if the imported song is not correctly tuned to standard pitch, the error rate is high.

A songwriter can create backing track, then go to 'notation mode' and enter the notes on a staff to the melody he has conceived, then enter lyrics and play and print the result.^[8] Melodies and solos can be generated and these can be edited note-by-note in MIDI form.

A guitarist can input any single-note melody line (no chords) and the software can generate, as a learning tool, a Lenny Breau or Joe Pass style chord solo with chords than the user can actually reach that are shown on a screen window of a guitar fretboard. The user can specify just how close the chords must be, e.g., 'within five frets'.

In November 2006, PG Music released 'RealDrums', which was the first step in providing users with tracks recorded by real instruments. Gannon said synthetic sounds were decreasing in popularity and real audio tracks were becoming so much easier to record.^[5]

'RealTracks'[edit]

In 2007, 'RealTracks' was introduced, providing real musicians' recordings to be manipulated to fit any user's song— pianos, bass and guitars, as well as soloing instruments such as saxophones, guitars, and pedal steel, and many others, even double bass solos. RealTracks has significantly increased the quality of the sounds produced since the sounds are, in fact, real instruments played by real musicians. As of 2017, over 100 session players and performing musicians have contributed to Band-in-a-Box.^[1] They typically record in five different keys, with the remaining keys accommodated by a pitch-stretching algorithm. The musicians are requested to avoid playing across bar lines if possible on the sessions.

Band In A Box Realtracks For Mac Osx

Piano solo (as well as all instruments) generated by BIAB, prefaced by a user-designated 'push' and stop
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Later versions of the software provide the name the musician who is performing; e.g., the user can select Nashville session guitarist Brent Mason if he so chooses. RealTracks uses the élastique Pro V3 time-stretching and pitch-transposition engine by Berlin-based 'zplane.development',^[9] which allows the prerecorded instruments to retain much of their natural sound when the tempo and pitch are varied. Software updates continue to widen the acceptable tempo range.

Audio files can be exported from Band-in-a-Box either mixed together or as individual tracks (one for each instrument) into any DAW for mixing, added effects and mastering. Songs created in BIAB can be burned to CD or copied to media-playing devices.

Band In A Box Realtracks Mac Download

Capabilities[edit]

Band in a box realtracs for mac catalina

The software provide