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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Hey Folks,
just curious, I help a lot of buddies get BIAB installed when they first buy it. I've had some of them ask me "Why doesn't it install into the Program files directory?". Hummmm..........no answer from me. I recall BIAB always installing to the Root directory. Anyone know why? Doesn't seem like it would make a big difference.
Thanks,
Ed
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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That is becauwse BiaB does not write to the Program Registry. A good thing, actually, we enjoy being able to run bb.exe as the standalone that it is.
For example, that's why it can be run directly off of the USB hard drive right out of the box without doing an install routine.
It also alleviates transfer of BB to a new machine when you buy new.
Not a bug, but a feature.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2006
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A most excellent explanation, Mac!
Thanks,
Ed
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Ed,
Actually, you can install just about any program anywhere you wanted, and if you wanted to install BIAB to C:\Program Files\BB you could do that, just as easily as installing it to D:\My Music Programs\Band In A Box. Likewise, you could install any other program to the root directories as well. During the installation, an entry is made to the registry that allows the OS to know where the program is. That's why you can 'associate' files, and click on the files, and have them open the correct program.
The default for C:\BB is just what PG Music chose for their default, and you can change that to anything you want.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Years ago, maybe a decade ago, I decided to install BIAB to the folder Gary cited, C:\Program Files\BB, to put it where I thought it more properly belonged. After having to change the target location in the next update, I decided it was easier to let it stay in \BB as the installer suggested, and that's where it is today. With all the updates I have installed since, I saved having to make this correction each time and avoided the possibility of making an error. I know - small thing, but small things add up.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Because the newer OS's (Vista/Win7) have issues with some programs installed under C:\Program Files, depending on your UAC permissions (problems generally with programs that want to write back files in the program folder), I instead install all my PGMusic applications under C:\Apps\PGMusic. So I change the default, but that's what works for me. I created C:\Apps to install legacy applications that maybe don't play well with Vista's and Win7's new rules.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 2x2TB, 1x4TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 2x1.5TB, 2x2TB, 1x4TB SATA BB2024/UMC404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/MixBus/Notion/Finale/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Yes, I do remember what John said, that Vista really did not make life easy for you if you tried to put a file into the Program Files folder. That specific folder was "overprotected". So far, I think Windows 7 is easier to deal with than Vista, though, in this regard.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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As already mentioned, BiaB can be installed anywhere.
I put it in a sub-folder named Music Apps
What irritates me is that PGMusic uses a different path listing logic than all other application in its updating dialog boxes. Or, at least, the wording is confusing.
Most other applications list the parent of where updates need to go, BiaB lists the content folder (one level down).
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
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Yes, Windows treats the Program FIles folder as something special, with a lot of rules to it. For example, files that get saved inside by an app only appear visible to the user that saved them. So if you logon as a different user, the files you saved there aren't visible. This is because you're not supposed to saved data files to the Program Files folder, they should go somewhere else (My Documents), and Preferences shouldn't be saved there (likely another location).
With each new version of the Windows OS, these rules seem to change. But, so far, they've left other folders alone (like c:\bb), and you can do whatever you like in them.
Anyway, for most programs that makes sense, but for BB, people are used to saving files within the BB folder (and not to My Documents), and all of our documention talks about that.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
jford: ...I created C:\Apps to install legacy applications that maybe don't play well with Vista's and Win7's new rules.
Makes sense, John, but don't you ever wish BB were in another partition entirely? It's getting to be huge, and the OS disk image that causes is enormous and slow to deal with. Including BB more than doubles the size of my Macrium Reflect image.
I've never had any trouble with it living in D:\BB\ . After you install one upgrade to that folder, BiaB nowadays learns its way home. In future maneuvers, it automatically points itself there. There doesn't seem any downside to shoving the program right out of the way onto another drive.
I don't understand the general reluctance to do that. Perhaps Win7 doesn't work so well that way -- I intend to run XP for 2 years more, so modernity is a mystery to me.
Larry
______
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Actually, I put all the RealTracks and RealDrums in my D:\AppsData\PGMusic\RealInstruments folder. That splits everything off nicely.
My computer is actually a triple boot system now with XP, Vista, and Win7 on it. I have separate instances of BIAB, RealBand, and PowerTracks for each O/S, but all three read the common RealInstruments from the D: drive.
So far, it works great.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 2x2TB, 1x4TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 2x1.5TB, 2x2TB, 1x4TB SATA BB2024/UMC404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/MixBus/Notion/Finale/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 225
Apprentice
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Apprentice
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Hi- I agree, Mac, that it is good, that BIAB doesn't use the registry much or at all, and one can use it directly from any drive, like the portable hard drive. However, I don't see how being installed to the root directory, rather than to \Program Files, has anything to do with that. I have apps installed to \Program files, that do not use the registry, that can even be run without any installation routine, etc. (Especially true with a lot of freeware utilities.) Of course, one can install BIAB to \Program Files, as I recently did on a computer. Doing that does not make the app use the registry. The question is--why is the default installation location set to the root directory of the c drive? (One does not have to stick with that default, however, and the program will function the same.) I guess the only person who could answer that question is the BIAB creator, Peter Gannon. It is interesting, that in some ways BIAB never moved past how it was setup in Windows 3.1, even before Windows 95. I believe the \Program Files directory began with 95, and prior to that most apps were installed in the root directory. I think the registry thing also started with 95, and they never moved to it. I agree with you, that I am glad they did not. Even the graphics of BIAB look pretty much the same as it did under Win 3.1. If i recall correctly, it was a long time after W95, before BIAB officially supported it, although the 3.1 BIAB version worked in 95 and later win versions. i kind of agree with the person who wrote that it is about time for BIAB to have a major makeover, not only to add realtracks and drums to what is basically a very old program. (In a way we have come full circle. Does anyone remember back in the early BIAB days, in DOS, with the much slower computers of the day, how long it took to generate the BIAB (MIDI, of course) tracks? Now we get to experience that again, with the wait for RT and RD to generate. kind of nostalgic, in a way, reminding one of younger days, etc.) Quote:
That is becauwse BiaB does not write to the Program Registry. A good thing, actually, we enjoy being able to run bb.exe as the standalone that it is.
For example, that's why it can be run directly off of the USB hard drive right out of the box without doing an install routine.
It also alleviates transfer of BB to a new machine when you buy new.
Not a bug, but a feature.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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Since the RealStuff directories are the troublesome ones, that gets around the trouble nicely. Thanks for explaining your solution.
Larry
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
In a way we have come full circle. Does anyone remember back in the early BIAB days, in DOS, with the much slower computers of the day, how long it took to generate the BIAB (MIDI, of course) tracks? Now we get to experience that again, with the wait for RT and RD to generate. kind of nostalgic, in a way, reminding one of younger days, etc.
Actually, I do not remember that. I've used BIAB since 1994, and never experienced a significant delay generating tracks until the advent of Real Tracks. Now, with the Fast Generation option in version 2010, it's greatly improved and closer to 'normal' again.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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Quote:
Actually, I do not remember that. I've used BIAB since 1994, and never experienced a significant delay generating tracks until the advent of Real Tracks.
I don't remember it either, although I got a DOS copy in 1989, I believe. In a 12 MHz 286 running DOS, it took at most two seconds to make an arrangement. Probably less than one second. Its blinding speed was part of the attraction and a fair selling point.
What kind of a lead sled were you driving that took so long, Maiki?
Last edited by allis; 03/04/10 08:16 AM.
Larry
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Well, we know it couldn't have been longer than 255 measures.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Heh.
At one time, there was a a little progress bar in the program, indicating the slow loading of the MIDI style generation.
Then, somewhere along the way, the process was improved by allowing the song to start after only part of the generation had been completed, the progress bar continuing to show the generation of the rest of the song while the music started playing back.
Following that same path, we now have that same sort of dance implemented with the generation of RealTracks. The song starts while the tracks are still finishing the full generation.
Sure, faster is nicer, but I've never found the wait states to be a show stopper, myself.
Not when considering the end result.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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Oh, yes, Mac! I remember that progress bar now, in about version 2. It ticked along for some seconds and then started play. The improvement you describe was very welcome. It made things seem more or less instantaneous.
Now I'm guessing Maiki might remember sitting there watching that progress bar chug along on a green IBM XT screen. Four and three-quarter megaherz really was slow.
Larry
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I installed a double-pole-double throw switch and two crystals on my old XT back in the day.
First crystal was the original and the second was the 10MHz overclock.
It didn't work on all programs, some, like those early games, would race by and be done in like two seconds. Hence the switch. Hadda reboot and throw the switch in between, don't try hotswitchin' that one...
But it really made my XT and my later AT machines run the old Autocad program much perkier to go to 10MHz.
Didn't work at all with BiaB at that speed.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Expert
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Quote:
Actually, I put all the RealTracks and RealDrums in my D:\AppsData\PGMusic\RealInstruments folder. That splits everything off nicely.
So far, it works great.
Yup, same here. Better organized that way.
Must be a Virginia thing. 
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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.
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Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed!
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