Can somebody explain me WHY exactly is a great, desirable feature to have?
Pretty please?
Do we "need" to have Band-in-a-Box? Is there a "need" to have RealTracks? Is there a "need" to have a tv? Is there a "need" to have ____________ (fill in the blank with whatever you like/want that someone else might not like/want!) It ain't about "need"!
When I am president of the BIAB VSTi fan club, long-time BIAB users who love the interface and functionality will be able to keep it! But for others who want to use the latest, greatest software, GUI, 64-bit, DAW of choice, etc. the new VSTi version will be great for them! (I just realized I may have doomed my idea with that association in this forum!!!)
There is an enormous market for virtual instruments to add in to my DAW and help me create amazing music. I own lots of these libraries such as Kontakt and others. But in most cases the instrument samples are note by note and while that provides great flexibility and control, I also have to play everything on a MIDI controller to get them into my DAW. Some of them include patterns that get close to what RealTracks offers and I like those a lot.
For me, and I suspect lots of others, I have zero interest in many of the things BIAB does. I will never ever use it live and will not even use it to produce complete backing tracks. Mainly that is because I have a DAW that I much prefer to use (and there are LOTS of people out there who have a preferred DAW and will not be changing that!) I am not going to use the built-in metronome or any of the other gadgets.
But those RealTracks! Oh My God...those RealTracks! A pirate's dream. A king's ransom. A maiden's knight in shining armor. Well, the RealTracks are nothing short of amazing! And they blow everything else in the virtual instrument arena out of the water! Hands down. End of story. Slam the door. It it fits it ships!
Having the ability to drop the RealTracks engine into my DAW would be the best thing since sliced bread! And this would indeed be a Killer Product! Can you imagine the excitement among the millions of music producers who could now add RealTracks to their productions directly in their DAW of choice
The only downside is a whole lot of people could start producing music that is as cool as what we BIAB users are producing! Wait...I have changed my mind! Let's cancel the whole VSTi idea before I lose my edge!
ReWire VST works as a standard VST instruments and can load all versions of Reason (32-bit and 64-bit) on PC and Mac OS X. Want to use Reason inside energyXT, MPC, Maschine or any other VST DAW/sequencer, then ReWire VST is for you.
The vst can work in a similar way - just needs to use the c:\realband\data\bbw2.exe like real band does to bring the tracks into the daw instead.
C'mon, let's be pragmatic. There's always room for improvement, but I don't think a single file date of July 24 1991 means the entire system was last written/developed/improved in the 1990's.
Maybe it means that it's fantastic in it's backwards compatibility (!)
It goes without saying that your intentions are all good, no doubt. All things need constant attention & upgrading. But sorry; that's just not a realistic example. I too want to see continual improvement. But let's start with where we are now, not where we were then, yes?
Trev
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
sorry "files" in the bb root going all the way back to 07/24/1991 5:47PM "8.3" "1995,1996,1997,1998,1999 - - - where we are now is still using 8.3 - I remember be limited to working in 8.3 file names back in the dos days trying to squeeze all the different company names and areas into 8 characters I think it would be a good thing not a bad thing it might be just that old notion fear of change
Sometimes I look at this thread and think is this really the biab windows forum, the subject would seem more at home on a computer programming forum. Of course your view may differ.
I think there has been a vast improvement in the biab GUI over the past few years, it has come along in leaps and bounds, and now is a lot easier to use.
Just look at the 2013 GUI and does anyone want to go back to this?
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
a long time back somewhere in the forums here I remember watching a video someone made of a whole new band in a box with a totally quantum leap interface that was totally user ajustable - I think that combined with new 64 bit programming would be fantastic. It's just good to see new ideas and new ways of doing things being suggested - sure most would just rather just sit back and not get involved or come up with any new ways and just hope for some good things at the end of another year.
It's always new ideas that we first imagine that bring about change - let's face it that guy that first imagined that the world was round would have coped a pretty hard time - I think some were even scorned, jailed or executed.
I might be just 5-10 years too soon - I could always come back in 5 n try again when there is a collective shift in consciousness.
Hope this helps.
** again I did suggest to keep the old 32 bit delphi for those long term users from back in 07/24/1991 5:47PM
a long time back somewhere in the forums here I remember watching a video someone made of a whole new band in a box with a totally quantum leap interface that was totally user ajustable
Sometimes I look at this thread and think is this really the biab windows forum, the subject would seem more at home on a computer programming forum. Of course your view may differ.
I think there has been a vast improvement in the biab GUI over the past few years, it has come along in leaps and bounds, and now is a lot easier to use.
Just look at the 2013 GUI and does anyone want to go back to this?
Who cares what programming language is used.
My sentiments exactly! Thanks for that post!
Cheers, Mike
My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
just trying out RapidComposer http://www.musicdevelopments.com/rapidcomposer.html it is a standalone and a vsti - the vst RapidComposer_x64.dll (400k) is just used to connect the daw to the RapidComposer_x64.exe (9meg) that starts up when the vst is loaded. BBW.exe is only 8meg so a vst version would be a must to lay tracks down straight in your daw.. though the syncing problem would have to be fixed, like that rewire vst didn't work http://www.energy-xt.com/index.php?id=0115
1 would we have to load a biab vst for every track?
2 And if so load and edit each instance of the vst (realtracks etc) separately for each track?
If so seems a rather long winded and way about way of doing things, might just be a lot handier just to do everything in biab or rb, and then render to .WAV and import into the DAW.
What I am saying though it might be a nice feature to have could be more trouble than its worth.
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
rather than saying no that's way too hard it'll never happen - get your thinking caps on and come up with some ideas how it can be done - if Peter came on here asking you for ideas on how to do it you would be straight in there - we would not say oh no Peter forget it that's way too hard Doc. The original post was about programming language but you guys said that would never happen as it's way too hard to do, don't rock the boat. Why not make a list of what is possible and what is not and pin it to the top of the forum, that way anyone coming here with "crazy ideas" will be cut off quick smart and sent on their merry way never to return again - how dare they ! Men on the moon, off to the insane asylum for you mister !.
Come on you Guys, I know you have it in you, I'm sure each one can come come up with an idea, don't be embarrassed it won't sound silly, come on do it for ol' pipeline
just trying out RapidComposer http://www.musicdevelopments.com/rapidcomposer.html it is a standalone and a vsti - the vst RapidComposer_x64.dll (400k) is just used to connect the daw to the RapidComposer_x64.exe (9meg) that starts up when the vst is loaded. BBW.exe is only 8meg so a vst version would be a must to lay tracks down straight in your daw.. though the syncing problem would have to be fixed, like that rewire vst didn't work http://www.energy-xt.com/index.php?id=0115
I have owned RapidComposer for over a year and it is a very impressive tool! In a lot of ways it does what BIAB does but strictly with MIDI and VSTis. And in some ways it does a lot more! PG would do well to study some of the features RC provides and bring those into BIAB. Things like huge libraries of riffs...automatic suggestions for chords that might typically follow the last one...huge library of chord progressions as well as a chord progression generator...stand-alone and VST versions...32-bit and 64-bit...and so on! The RC interface seems a bit quirky to me but is still a much more modern one.
Of course, nothing compares to the end result I can get quickly with RealTracks! So I see these two tools, BIAB and RC, as two important tools in my songwriting toolbox! I would now never be without either one!
1 would we have to load a biab vst for every track?
2 And if so load and edit each instance of the vst (realtracks etc) separately for each track?
If so seems a rather long winded and way about way of doing things, might just be a lot handier just to do everything in biab or rb, and then render to .WAV and import into the DAW.
What I am saying though it might be a nice feature to have could be more trouble than its worth.
Musiclover
It may be that some of us think of BIAB rather one-dimensionally. If you think of it as a performance tool, a chord detector, a training aid and all of the other myriad of features new and old that occupy (litter?) the complex menu and toolbar, then I'd have to agree with you that this should never be converted to a VSTi!
BUT, if you view BIAB, as I do, as simply a shell I have to struggle with to get to those SWEET RealTracks, then having a RealTracks VSTi would be a godsend! I would venture to guess the vast majority of modern music producers work inside their DAW and prefer NOT to have to leave it to use external software on their tracks! Imagine what a pain it would be if your favorite VSTs/VSTis required you to output your tracks, process them inside their own proprietary software, then export and bring them back into your DAW!! There is a very BIG reason for the whole plugin concept...we want to work in a unified environment to the greatest degree possible!
So, imagine a new product from PG called RealTracks VSTi where you mainly get two things...a huge RealTracks library and an engine to manage them (select, stretch, tempo adjust, etc.)! This new product would leave out maybe 75% of the BIAB "features" like a metronome or jukebox and leave out most/all of the MIDI-specific features!
My feeling is such a product would be a killer, best-of-NAMM type deal! Every music producer and every wannabe music producer would be the target market for such a product! I am even a little nervous that PG might actually do this some day and let the rest of the music world know what a great thing we have here!
And before anyone says "just use RealBand" I won't bother to list the reasons why I will not do that but let me just state the very simplest one...what if every plug-in you use, every compressor, every EQ, every reverb required you to use a DAW designed for that plug? That would get old pretty quick, right?
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
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 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.
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.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
Playable RealTracks Set 4
RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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