In Band-in-a-Box^® 2023, there is a very easy way to do this. The best way to access it is the F8 key. Simply select the track that you want to work with, select a region (on the Chord Sheet, Notation, Audio Edit or Piano Roll window) and press F8. That's it! You'll then have that section regenerated, and it will be different from what's there. It plays what's generated, so you can hear the difference.

Yes. Press F8 again, and you'll get a new generation, which will be different from the previous ones. You can keep going, up to 40 different variations. And choose Edit - Undo if you want to return to previous ones.

With Band-in-a-Box^® 2023, we've introduced a floating window for partial generation (option+F8 hotkey). This has the ability to manually select regions and change the RealTracks that is being generated. You can keep this window open as you work in Band-in-a-Box^® on other functions.

In Band-in-a-Box^® 2023, we've added "undo - song generation" that works for an entire generation of the song. The usual Edit - Undo (command+Z) will do this.

Yes, this is possible using Edit - Undo (command+Z).

You can now copy, cut, paste, delete, insert, and do other editing functions to the RealTracks tracks. This allows you to edit the tracks while preserving the ability for the tracks to regenerate new material, and the file size saved is tiny as the track isn't converted to audio.

We've added playable RealDrums, too. These are typically kits recorded at the same time as the RealDrums were recorded. This means you can get the RealDrums to play the notes you want at key parts of the performance, either augmenting or replacing what the RealDrums is playing, for any sections in the song. This includes full drum kits in GM note number format. You can enter the notes in the Notation (using drum notation) or the Piano Roll window.

We have playable MIDI tracks and playable MIDI SuperTracks, too. You can customize the MIDI generated tracks by adding your own notes (on the same track). This uses the same sound as the MIDI tracks. You can use this to replace or augment sections of the performance. You can re-generate the MIDI tracks, and your customizations will remain.

We've added Master Volume Automation. This node-based volume automation allows fine volume control of the Master track. This allows easy creation of fades, crescendos, mutes, etc. This is in addition to the individual track volume automation.

We now have RealTracks Stems for the ensemble RealTracks. You can generate the "stems," which are the individual tracks as recorded. So, for example, for a string quartet you would get 5 tracks - the full mix and 4 separate tracks for each of the instruments. This allows you to mix them as you'd like and also mute parts if you want to play along. You can select the stems in the RealTracks Picker.

Drums fills can now be controlled, so you can get a drum fill at any bar without needing a part marker section change. You can also get no drum fill on the bar before a part marker. Use the F5 key (the Bar Settings dialog) to do this.

We agree, and we now include SynthMaster Player synth. This award-winning synth by KV331 Audio has thousands of presets that are especially useful for modern, techno and arpeggiator sounds.

It's a VST plug-in so you can use it like any other plug-in, by choosing it as a VST. In addition, we've made a bunch of SynthMaster presets that you can choose in the Hi-Q Patch dialog by using "SynthMaster" as a text filter. We've also made styles that use SynthMaster sounds, and you can just choose them like any other styles. In the StylePicker, use "SynthMaster" as a text filter to find them.

Yes, you can use it with your other programs on the same computer that you have installed Band-in-a-Box^® 2023.

With Band-in-a-Box^® 2023, we've added MIDI SuperTracks that are arpeggiator sounds. To find them, open the Select MIDI SuperTracks dialog and use "arpeggio" as a filter.

We've added a new dialog that appears in the StylePicker when you press REBUILD. This dialog shows you the current locations of your RealTracks and RealDrums folders and allows you to change them. It also tells you how many RealTracks and RealDrums you have in the currently selected folders, so you'll know if you've found the correct folders. Then you can proceed to build the style list. This makes the StylePicker REBUILD button a one-stop-shop for getting your RealTracks, RealDrums and styles up to date. The dialog will display in the StylePicker when rebuilding the styles list, and also show once when you run or update the program. It is also accessible from the Track Settings and Actions dialog (F7).

We now have the "Different Riffs" setting for track re-generation. The floating Regeneration window (option+F8) and MultiRiff dialog (command+F8) have settings for "Different Riffs." If the option is set to "always," each generation will be different from previous ones. If it's set to "start," the first bar of the section generated will be different from previous ones. If it's set to "none," the generation might be similar to previous ones. For example, when you set it to always different and regenerate a few bars of a sax solo, you will hear different phrases each time.

You don't have to worry anymore! We've added the "Auto-Save Song" feature. If you did not close Band-in-a-Box® properly in the last session, then when you restart it, you will see a message dialog that asks if you want to load the auto-saved song. This prevents losing your work if something crashes on your system. This will restore the previous song you were working on before the crash.

We've added stereo VU meters on the Mixer so you will see panning information for each track!

We've added this feature. It's called "Audio Input Monitoring." This is like "Audio Thru" and it routes incoming audio to Audio Out. It works when you've setup a track for audio input monitoring, and have (optionally) added plug-ins, and you select that track and play!

In the RealTracks Picker, right-click on a RealTracks and select a menu option to show styles that use that RealTracks. This will launch the StylePicker that will show only styles that use the selected RealTracks. You can then audition them to see if they're right for your song.

In the RealTracks Picker, you can set favorites by using the right-click menu or clicking on the [*]> (Set as Favorite) button. The Choose RealTracks from Favorites and Recent dialog shows favorites followed by recently used RealTracks. The list can be filtered with text string. For example, type banjo to find the favorites with banjo in the name. There is a Favorite RealTracks Editor that allows you to re-arrange/add/remove your favorites and add comments, which are searchable in the filter.

In the RealTracks Picker, we've added a right-click menu item and a "Similar" button that will show RealTracks similar to the currently selected one. For example, if you find a pedal steel at tempo 120 swing, choosing the similar will show you what other pedal steels are with the same tempo, feel and genre, followed by similar instruments (resonator guitar, banjo etc.).

The RealDrums Picker now has a right-click menu with commonly used functions (e.g., clear filter, set or edit favorites, show similar or compatible RealDrums, etc.) You can set favorites by using this right-click menu or clicking on the [*] column. The Choose RealDrums from Favorites and Recent dialog shows favorites followed by recently used RealDrums. The list can be filtered with text string. For example, type fusion to find the ones with fusion in the name. There is a Favorite RealDrums Editor that allows you to re-arrange/add/remove your favorites and add comments, which are searchable in the filter.

In the RealDrums Picker, you use the right-click menu item or the "Similar" button that shows RealDrums that are similar to the currently selected one.

Yes, there is a new menu item in the [#] filter button to find RealDrums or RealTracks with stems.

Yes, we've added an option to make the output tab delimited, so you can paste them into a spreadsheet like Excel or Sheets.

We've added an option to include lyrics. We've also added an option to add bar numbers for each bar, and another one to add beat markers "/" for every beat |C / / / | F / G / |.

We've added that! The SongPicker now auto-rebuilds for folders if they contain less than a specified number of songs. This means that the SongPicker will show all songs including new ones without needing to rebuild. There is also an option to include/exclude subfolders from the song list. Also, the message about rebuilding is now a question so that pressing YES saves the extra step of needing to rebuild it.

Yes, we've added the ability to write a chord track to any track. You have control over the type of chord track (e.g., note range, root on bottom, triads/7ths only vs 9ths/13ths, play during lead-in, etc.). To use this, right-click on a track and select Edit MIDI | Generate Chord Track on This Track from the menu.

We already have this, but it sends MIDI out the main synth (or MIDI out), but not a VST synth. So, we've added a new option to write the chords to the selected track, and that track will get output with every play. The chords update with every play, and this stays on for every song you play.

We've added this constrain notes transpose, available as a menu item on the track's right-click menu >Edit MIDI. This is useful for creating interesting MIDI backing tracks or moving notes to the range of another instrument (e.g., guitar, where you don't want notes below low E).

OK. The notification messages that appear at the bottom right of the screen are enhanced. They are smaller, occupying less of the screen. Also, the message colors can now be chosen in the Display Options dialog.

A handy function is added to easily see the flash message log. Type L O G return, and the data/FlashMessageLog.txt will open in a text editor.

OK, the 4-bar preview is now settable to 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 or 32 bars. And the double-click on a style can be set to play the Chord Sheet chords instead of the pre-made demo. If you make these settings, you can double click on a style in the StylePicker and hear a preview using the chords of your song.

Now, when you load a song and you don't have the style, you'll have the option to launch the StylePicker to find similar styles to the missing style. If it's a PG Music style, you'll be able to preview the missing style, and find similar styles that you do have.

There's now an option for the generated intro to use chords from your song. For example, you can use the last 4 bars of the chorus, which are usually good chords for an intro.

OK, we've added those.  The dialog has a new button for various MIDI editing commands like transpose, generate chord track, transpose octave to note range, etc. There is also a new button to copy/move tracks.

Please note that the Track Settings and Actions dialog (F7 hotkey) has that. Just select a track and you will see radio buttons for all the track types (RealTracks, RealDrums, MIDI SuperTracks, loops, UserTracks, custom MIDI, etc.). You can select one of them and then the corresponding picker will show the available options for that track type. This F7 track settings dialog is also a one-stop shopping to make track settings for all the settings on the track's menu, so you can use it if you prefer this to using the track's menus/sub-menus.

We've added a new section at the bottom of the dialog that lists missing styles, RealTracks, RealDrums, XPro and Xtra style sets, with links to pgmusic.com where you can download them.

Good idea. We've added demos for all of the playable RealTracks. These demo these MIDI sounds, first by playing 4 bars of playable sound, then 4 bars of playable sound with a band, and then 4 bars of RealTracks with a band. Then you can decide how close to the real sound the MIDI sound is.

You can do two things. From the menu on the playable RealTracks button, choose the option to increase/decrease the volume/velocity of the sound. You can then change both the volume (0-127) and the MIDI velocity (0-127). The loudest the sound can be will be 127 for volume and velocity. 

The Notation window (Editable or Staff Roll mode) now has hotkeys (command+option+arrow R/L) for changing note times left/right.

You can now highlight an area in the Standard (non-editable) Notation window.

Now, the rests will be visually transposed.

There is a new notation setting for note colors: black (a chord tone), green (not a chord tone) and orange (not a chord tone and not a scale tone).

Yes. There is a new File | Print Lead Sheet menu item that prints the song using the Lead Sheet options (such as fake sheet). The hotkey is command+shift+P. This is in addition to File | Print (command+P) that prints using the Notation window options.

Importing a MusicXML file to Utility tracks is enhanced, so you can specify which tracks they will go to. 

A song setting to allow chord variations in repeated sections is added. If this is set, Band-in-a-Box^® will use the custom chords you have entered in the repeats.

Yes, you can now press option+shift+Z to solo the current track.

The Feature Browser (accessed from the / return keys) has been updated to include the latest 2023 features. There is a new button to filter the list to show the latest 2023 features. You can add keywords to find new features for topics of interest.

Now, the DAW button turns bright red to clearly indicate the DAW plugin mode is currently on!

We've expanded our collection of "producer" country guitars, which are intended to be layered in your song for a full, produced sound.

We've added new jazz piano RealTracks where there is a left-hand only comping part, so when you use it with a right-hand soloing RealTrack, it now generates parts that are realistic for someone doing a 2-handed solo.

We've added new jazz, fusion and funk styles that feature legendary drummer Mike Clark, who has played with some of the world's most influential musicians, such as Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, and many more. He's probably most well known as the drummer for Herbie Hancock's Headhunters band.

We've added lots of requested blues styles, including new guitar and harmonica with Pat Bergeson, lap steel with Rob Ickes & Eddy Dunlap, and more blues with Nashville great Johnny Hiland.

We've added a new set of blues Instrumental Studies for guitar. These are short studies that you can play along with to work on your blues chops! And, even if you're not a guitarist, you could use these studies by playing some of the studies on OTHER instruments as well.

We've added the new "Synthmaster Player" synth, and with that we've included new styles that utilize the great sounds in that synth. Some of these include "Unbend Relaxed Modern Pop," "Bee Bad Minmal Modern Pop," "Picnic Funky Indie Synth Pop," "Put Upon Ambient Modern Pop," and more!

Along with our new modern pop Synthmaster styles, we've also made new Songs with Vocals that USE those styles, such as "And I Forgive," "Hearts Upon Our Sleeve" from Songs with Vocals volume 3, and "As If (I Could Get Away)," "Put Upon," and "So You Wanna Be Bad" from Songs with Vocals volume 4.

We've added new Prog Rock styles to Band-in-a-Box, with multiple grooves, each with brand new guitars, drums, and bass.

We've added requested "New Wave" RealTracks and RealStyles, in the styles of some of your favourite 80s New Wave bands.

Last year we added sitar, tabla, and dholak, with RealStyles to go along with them, and this year we've added even MORE of those instruments. In addition to that, we've added a traditional Chinese instrument, erhu, and plan on expanding that collection even more in the future.

There are also requested Metal styles featuring new drums, basses and guitar, and the guitars are all "12-key," meaning Band-in-a-Box does not need to use any pitch shifting on the audio, making for a more consistent tone no matter what chords you enter. In addition to that, the guitars are 7-string guitars, with the extra string being a lower string, so you get that great growly low metal sound.

We've added 6 new autoharp RealTracks to add to our existing collection.

There are three new MIDI Supertracks sets available, and there are two new "Look Ma! More MIDI!" styles sets!

There is a whole set of "Indie-Folk" singer-songwriter styles, with a laid-back, but still very modern, sound.

Yes, we have a whole set of contradance guitar and piano, along with RealStyles that use those RealTracks. There are also even song demos that you could use for your dance!

We now have a "One-click installer" program that greatly simplifies downloading and installing Band-in-a-Box® packages. After installing this small app and specifying your download and install locations, you just need to click a single "Download and Install All" button. You can walk away from your computer and let it do all the work for you

This is easy in the "One-click installer" (Install Manager). You specify the Band-in-a-Box folder, and RealTracks / Drums folder locations one time; the setting is saved from then on, and the Install Manager does the rest of the work.

Yes, you can (re)download and (re)install any individual package included in your order.

Yes, you can do that also, from your download page.  The files you install will be exactly the same.

Yes! We have Xtra Styles PAKs 14 and 15 (released Dec 2022) that add hundreds of new styles compatible with UltraPAK and Audiophile packages.

This year, with the RealCombos booster PAK, we've added 45 RealTracks and 80 Styles that are new to the Pro package! In addition, we've added XPro Styles PAKs, which contain hundreds of styles compatible with ANY Band-in-a-Box® package. These include all of the RealTracks and RealDrums needed.

Yes, the RealCombos booster PAK also adds new styles and RealTracks to the MegaPAK.  In addition, XPro styles are compatible with both Pro and MegaPAK.

Yes! We have XPro Styles PAK 4 that adds 100 more styles that are compatible with any Band-in-a-Box® package, including Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, and Audiophile Edition.  The XPro Styles PAKs also include all the needed content (RealTracks, Drums, Loops, MIDI SuperTracks) for these styles.