|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6 |
Hello, I am a long time BB user first time forum poster. I am going to upgrade to BB 2015 and need some advice on the Audiophile version. I like to record and occasionally like to use BB to generate a backing track to record to. I am wondering how much noticeable improvement I am going to hear from the Audiophile version. I appreciate any comments.
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
Welcome to the forum.
This is a frequent question each year when new versions are released. In my opinion, you will hear the difference if you have good ears, good monitors, a good listening environment, and all tracks in the mix are CD-quality. If any of these are missing, you will not likely hear much difference (such as listening in a car, or making MP3s as your final product).
Some instruments show the difference more than others, such as solo acoustic guitar, acoustic piano, and certain drum sounds, particularly cymbals.
The more instruments in the mix, the more there may be a noticeable difference as 'noise' adds up in a mix. This may apply more to RealBand, where you may have many more tracks than in BIAB.
The audiophile version will cost you more for annual updates.
The difference is less now than it was several years ago, before the use of the Elastique algorithm.
I've noticed over the years that my fellow users may have different opinions than mine on your question. Bottom line, my recommendation is to get the audiophile version if your intent is to produce commercial recordings.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,096
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,096 |
Hi GtrDude
Welcome also to the Forum
Matt's comments are accurate and concise.
I started with the normal version, and upgraded to the Audiophile version. There is a difference. It is subtle and as Matt stated, you need good equipment to notice the difference. High frequencies are crisper.
Also, as Matt mentioned, not everyone agrees that there is a worthwhile or identifiable difference, but there certainly is for me. I've got both, and compared both, and I did a lot of research before upgrading.
Don't expect an outstanding difference. But there is one for sure, especially if you need to produce high-end output and are looking for that performance 'edge'.
Hope this helps in some way
best
Trevor
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,096
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,096 |
As a follow up, at $669, the Audiophile version is 42% more expensive than the Ultra Plus Pack ($469)
Is the audiophile quality better? Yes.
Is it 42% better? No, (Just my opinion)
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732 |
P.S. - VideoTrack, I don't recall if it was you or maybe Solidrock several months ago had shown I believe an Adobe Audition spectral analysis on Audiophile vs. Standard realtracks on some files. Visually, you could see the different in frequency ranges between the two types.
That proved it for me since I don't have the 'expert' ears for detecting the difference.
 Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6 |
This is what I had hoped to hear. I do notice the lack of quality especially on the cymbals (kind of a wooshy sound) and have found that it is hard to get certain sounds to fit properly in the mix. I do use BB occasionally to generate parts for Pro Tools projects and have always felt those sounds were the weak link. I am not sure I understand the reason for such a difference in cost to provide uncompressed wave files, this has to be where the sounds start originally and if anything they don't have to convert them. I am undecided as of now, I guess I will think on it a few more days. Thanks for the input!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732 |
Another thing you can do to improve your recording quality a little bit is to set your recording audio preferences to 24-bit, 96K rather than the default 16-bit, 44.1K.
Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
Steve, I'm sure you mean, when you record new sounds. Obviously the files from PG Music will not be improved by converting or re-recording them to a higher bit and sample rate. In other words, the audiophile files are recorded at 16/44.1 CD quality.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732 |
Hey Matt, yeah you are technically upsampling when you record that way but from that point on, all the edits you do will be in a higher resolution than if you left it in the 16/44.1 mode.
Just checked the .WAVs on some RealTrack generation with those settings and it did upconvert to that.
Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6 |
So if I purchase the Audiophile version and next year decide to not upgrade to the audiophile version but just a regular upgrade, can I still use my Audiophile sounds from this year with next years program? I would think I could and then just add in next years styles onto the Audiophile drive. Do you think it would work? Just weighing my options.
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732 |
Yeah, those files would still work.
Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
Agreed, they will work. BIAB first looks for a .WAV file. If it finds it (the audiophile one), it loads that. Otherwise, it finds and loads the .WMA (compressed) file, and uncompresses it. The audiophile version actually contains both .WAV and .WMA files.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,827
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,827 |
..the audiophile files are recorded at 16/44.1 CD quality.
Is that what they are recorded at or downsampled to 16bit ? I was just thinking if that is what they are recorded at then they could not release a 48KHz 24bit Audiophile HD. WMA...................................................................WAV 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572 |
An appropriate question, but I do not believe we know that answer. PG Music has never told us, to my knowledge. Their process of making RealTracks is proprietary, and I only know a small part of it.
On a practical level, the audiophile version requires a 1TB drive just to hold it all. Can you imagine any other program that needs more space than that? And then consider how much bigger 24/48 files would be...
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 32
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 32 |
On certain real tracks, especially acoustic guitar strumming, I hear a kind of slight phasing or chorusing sound in the standard BIAB version. Similar to what someone above described as a "wooshy" sound for cymbals. But I don't know if that sound is attributable to the wma files or to the fact that the files -- whether they are wav or wma -- are being stretched and pitch shifted by the BIAB program.
For example, if I play the actual wma file for real track Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm, NorthernRockBallad EV 065, it sounds perfectly clear to me with no phasing. If I play that same real track through BIAB, I think I hear some slight phasing.
If the Audiophile version eliminates that phasing or wooshy sound, I also am interested in upgrading to the Audiophile version this year, but I'm thinking it's more attributable to the pitch shifting/stretching than the wma conversion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
Hello, I am a long time BB user first time forum poster. I am going to upgrade to BB 2015 and need some advice on the Audiophile version. I like to record and occasionally like to use BB to generate a backing track to record to. I am wondering how much noticeable improvement I am going to hear from the Audiophile version. I appreciate any comments.
Thanks! Gtrdude - With the gear you are using (and your musical chops), you will hear the difference (especially when your track count gets up there). Bite the bullet. Get the Audiophile. By the way..... Gtrdude is no slacker guys. Check out his website. The videos, and especially the photos. There are a few faces you might recognize.  Gorgeous studio as well. http://jlkstudio.com/Home_Page.htmlRegards, Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 193
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 193 |
I'm an audiophile user since Bandinabox 2007 (the first year they sent to me a lot of free CDs I still have as a souvenir of the time).
I produce not commercial music for a theatre and some short movie maker.
I agree that the difference from wma is not so great, and I must say that, according to me, that is due to the no excellent recording of the Realtracks samples.
I turn off all the Biab effects while exporting the wave files, but the quality is rarely as good as for my Vienna Library instruments that are recorded 44.1k-24bits as well.
Sergino
Bandinabox 2024 standard (2020 Audiophile)
VST3 plugins on Studio One Pro 6.1
Windows 11(SSD) - AMD Radeon R9 5950X - 32GB RAM
MOTU: 2408 MkIII - 24i - Traveler - MIDI Express XT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,869
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,869 |
On certain real tracks, especially acoustic guitar strumming, I hear a kind of slight phasing or chorusing sound in the standard BIAB version. Similar to what someone above described as a "wooshy" sound for cymbals. But I don't know if that sound is attributable to the wma files or to the fact that the files -- whether they are wav or wma -- are being stretched and pitch shifted by the BIAB program.
For example, if I play the actual wma file for real track Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm, NorthernRockBallad EV 065, it sounds perfectly clear to me with no phasing. If I play that same real track through BIAB, I think I hear some slight phasing.
If the Audiophile version eliminates that phasing or wooshy sound, I also am interested in upgrading to the Audiophile version this year, but I'm thinking it's more attributable to the pitch shifting/stretching than the wma conversion.
BINGO!!! You hear the artifacts from the conversion (key and tempo) and this will likely exist to some degree or another in the Audiophile Version. On occasion, when the RT's sound bad, due to the artifacts, I will either not use that track or I go into the folder, find the original RT's and determine their original key and if possible, change the key of the song closer to the original key and tempo. If that doesn't work, the other option is to try some other RT's to see if I can find one with less artifacts.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6 |
Well as 90 dB puts it, I bit the bullet (and thanks for the kind words). I will be interested in seeing how big a part the time stretching plays in degrading the sound. Regardless, the files are going to sound better! It is such a great program for building a bed and now I hope to be able to leave some of these tracks on the final version!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
Well as 90 dB puts it, I bit the bullet (and thanks for the kind words). I will be interested in seeing how big a part the time stretching plays in degrading the sound. Regardless, the files are going to sound better! It is such a great program for building a bed and now I hope to be able to leave some of these tracks on the final version! As this seems an appropriate time for a shameless plug , if any of your clients come up short on some filler material, we have some modest demos on our Bandcamp site. https://90dbband.bandcamp.com/ Best of luck with your Audiophile. You're going to love it! Regards, Bob
Last edited by 90 dB; 10/17/15 05:20 AM. Reason: I Edit, Therefore I am.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,219
Posts802,027
Members40,070
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean