PG Music Band-In-a-Box Pro 2012 Upgrade from 2010 or Earlier & Crossgrade (Win)

New Features in Band-in-a-Box 2012

101 more RealTracks available since the last version.

Loop support added, allowing you to add your own or third-party loops to any Band-in-a-Box track.

A new Simpler RealTracks setting with a checkbox that makes the RealTracks play a simpler (less busy or embellished) arrangement.

VST synth support for each track allows the use of third-party synths for Band-in-a-Box parts.

VST audio plug-ins (reverb, delay etc.) can be inserted on each track.

MIDI tracks now have four slots. The first slot can take a synthesizer (e.g. Coyote GM, Garritan Aria, and HyperCanvas) the other three can take audio effects (e.g. reverb, compression etc.).

Audio tracks (RealTracks, Loops, or the Audio Track) now have four slots. There is no synthesizer slot, so they have four for audio effects (e.g. Reverb, compression, AmpliTube Amp simulation).

Customize over 150 of the Guitar based RealTracks using the new Guitar Amp Simulator that is included (AmpliTube CS).

Direct Input (DI) guitar recordings of 150 of the guitar-based RealTracks, so all of the added effects can come from the Guitar Amp Simulator.

You can now add MIDITracks individually. Simply select your favorite MIDITrack from any style to any track of your current song.

Right-click (or control+click) the mouse on any of the Band-in-a-Box part names (e.g. Guitar, Piano) to open the contextual menu. Choose Select a Loop for this track and the Pick a Loop dialog will open.

The BB Remote app for iPhone, iPad, Android has been updated with new features.

StylePicker Filter has been enhanced. There is an easy search feature on the main StylePicker filter window. Type a search term, press Enter, and the styles are filtered.

StylePicker memo has been enhanced.

"Band" button added to main screen, allowing you to quickly choose the most commonly used styles for jazz, pop, and country.

Yellow Hint Messages can now be clicked on to perform the action.

Styles can now contain extra information, such as:

Custom Panning: If set, you can enter panning values, which will apply to the style. Note that if you press "save style" in the RealTracks Picker, panning will now get saved with the style, which can be edited here.

Reverb: If set, enter custom reverb values for the style.

Tone Control: If set, enter custom Tone (bass/treble) values for the style.

Use Simple Version: This will only be enabled if a simple version of the RealTracks currently selected is available.

Use Direct Input: This will only be enabled on styles that have Direct Input available. If set, the style will use a DirectInput guitar sound (clean). If you set this, you should also choose a plug-in like AmpliTube.

Plug-in Name: If set, you can choose a plug-in to use (.tgs file in \DX Settings folder).

RealDrum names have been improved.

EZ selection of DrumGrooves has been added, which are different grooves within drum styles.

List of RealTracks now includes [half-time] [double-time], [triple-time], [Direct Input guitar] and [Bluesy].

The RealTracks Demos folder names are improved, and they now list the names of the RealTracks set they're from (e.g. Instead of "RealTracks Set 42" it says "RealTracks Set 42 Boogie n' Texas Rock).

The Same But Different feature has been improved, and finds more varied playing.

Rests now apply to the Melody and Soloist tracks (if they have RealTracks, Loops, or MIDITracks on them). Note that for purposes of excluding the tracks from the rests, the Melody and Soloist tracks use the same setting as the Strings track.

The Bar Settings Dialog (F5) has been improved. An asterisk (*) is shown on F5 dialog on caption when any non default information is set. Also on each chorus number in the choruses drop down list, so you can see if there is any custom information set, and what choruses are set.

N/A is added to the RealTracks and RealDrums name on the Main Screen, Mixer, and Song memo when styles are not found.

RealTracks arrangements have been enhanced.

More intelligent handling of major triads, considering their function in the key of the song.

Better playing over 2-beat chords (sometimes two 1-beat riffs will be pieced together for a chord lasting two beats).

Soloists can now be made to play differently in the 'a' and 'b' substyles. Some of the Dixieland soloists are examples of this, and they play 'background' soloing during the 'a' section and full-out soloing in the 'b' section.

On notation, note names are now shown when transposing for an instrument and displaying relative note numbers.

In Editable Notation mode, notes entered with the mouse now take the notation offset into account. So if a note is clicked on the beat 1:1:0 will get entered at 1:1:7 if the notation offset is -7. This gives a more human feel to the arrangement.

Improvements made to the Mixer and top-of-screen Instrument radio buttons:

Easy way to disable/enable a track, including as the song is playing. To disable a track, right-click on the track name (at top of the screen or on the mixer), and select enable/disable the track.

When a track is disabled, the color is now dark gray on the main screen and on the mixer.

When a track is MIDI, and will be used in the style, or has MIDI data, color is yellow.

Patch names now say "not used" for unused MIDI tracks, and "empty" for blank melody tracks.

Ability to assign an individual track as "simple" (not embellished). This is done by right-clicking on the part name at the top of the screen, and selecting the menu item, or choosing the option in the RealTracks Picker.

You can now choose MIDI Tracks from this dialog.

You can also choose Loops from the dialog, so this dialog can be used to choose all types: RealTracks, RealDrums, MIDI Tracks, and Loops.

New columns have been added for "Direct Input" guitars available and "Simpler" version available.

Woodshed Tempo feature added. For use when practicing ("woodshedding"). Speeds up tempo every time the section loops or the song restarts from the beginning.