My question is about the availability of this year's 49-PAK RealTracks and MIDI SuperTracks in the future if they are not purchased within the one-month window set by PG Music.

Every year I purchase the disingenuously-named EverythingPAK plus the additional 49-PAK to actually get everything, since the 49-PAK always contains some essential tracks that were withheld from the EverythingPAK. This year the cost of upgrading (download only) is about $272 Canadian because of federal 5% and provincial 7% taxes and the 17% exchange rate. This happens to be too steep for me this year.

I know that when I upgrade next year I will get all the RealTracks and MIDI SuperTracks from the 2015 version. As far as I can tell from the PG website it appears that the RealTracks and MIDI SuperTracks from last year's 49-PAK are not currently available.

Can anyone confirm that the one-and-only opportunity to purchase these so-called unreleased Tracks is during this one month promo? Does anyone know if after upgrading to the Audiophile version in the future whether the 49-PAK RealTracks are made available in .wav format to those who purchased them previously in .wma format?

And even though I squeezed in my gripe about the Almost-EverythingPAK, I'm grateful for this software, this forum and its wonderful contributors, and any answers to my queries.

Thank you!

- Walter

I think you know the answer to all the above: only PG knows for sure.

But excellent question about bonus RT's if user HAS the Audiophile version or ever upgrades to it. I would think PG has those RT's in uncompressed format (WAV) since they recorded them (presumably) uncompressed.

Last year's bonus pak was a 12 pak (plus a FREE 6 pak) - did any of this show up this year ? From my perspective I'd hate to see ALL of it show up for free this year or even next because, then where would the "bonus" be for the buyers of those bonus paks last year? And the year before, etc., etc., etc.

Free Bonus 6-PAK:

New Features Video
WOW! UNRELEASED Bonus RealTracks Set: Pop StringsListen - coming soon
Artist Performance Set 4: Brent Mason Smokin' CountryListen - coming soon
MIDI SuperTracks Set 11: Blues, Funk & More!Listen - coming soon
RealDrums Set 21: Rock, Blues, Metal & More!Listen - coming soon
101 MIDI Jazz Guitar Phrases


Bonus 12-PAK – only $25!:

WOW! UNRELEASED Bonus RealTracks Set: Jazz Pollwinners 5 ‐ Killer Jazz Waltz
Rhythm Sections Listen - coming soon
WOW! UNRELEASED Bonus RealTracks Set: World Synths Listen - coming soon
Artist Performance Set 5: Andy Leftwich Bluegrass!Listen - coming soon
MIDI SuperTracks Set 16: Killer Country SoloistsListen - coming soon
Piano Chord Dictionary
Soloist Set 5: Bluegrass Soloing & The Bluegrass MIDI Fakebook

Larry

Great question, hope we get an answer...

Most every year since I use BIAB the sale has been extended for about two weeks. You just might want to gamble.

I did a quick calculation. Why don't you just order the PlusPAK download? That's inclusive JBrigde and Bonus 49 PAK about USD 160. In CAD that is about 180. (I don't know about Canadian taxes on internet purchases.)

Hi Walter,

I agree with the above post, why not consider the "PlusPak" at $99? This will give you everything at a much cheaper price.

The PlusPak was developed two or three years ago as the simplest and easiest way for those who own the previous year's UltraPlusPak or EverthingPak to upgrade to the new version of BIAB and to get all the new RTs, Styles, RDs, etc.

Regards,
Noel

2nd concur.

and an objective look:

1. The $159 Everything pak two extars (Videoturitoal and Song&lessons pak) which are above and beyond the $139 Ultraplus pak , are identical to last years. so at least don't get the Everything pak (Sorry PG for digging into your sales) - unless you want bragging rights for some reason.

2. The stuff that the Ultraplus pak 2015 has over the 2015 Plus pak are:

- MIDI Melodist (same as last year)

- MIDI Soloist (same as last year)

- MIDI Styles( same as last year)

- Artist performances (98 - I assume same as last year) but there are more in the free/20/and 49 bonus add-ons, and

- MIDI Supertracks - here there are THREE new sets this year (18, 19 and 20) - they are all in the the extra addons- the BONUS 49 PAK you get them all. The free pak has a few, the $20 bonus pak has a few more, and then the $49 pak has them all.

Here you can see what new MIDI Supertracks, Artist performances, studies, and additional RT's there are to see if those extras are worth the extra $49.

http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.bonuspaks_2015.htm

So it would be as mentioned by GHinCH: (US) $99 + $49 + $10 (for Jbridge unless you are running purely 32 OS - but probably worth buying now at $10 anyway) = $158 .

Good luck
Larry

As usual, saner heads prevail. Thanks for the good advice, gentlemen. Downloading the PlusPAK and 49-PAK as I write this.

But my questions still stand.

Noel, unless I am reading it wrong it looks like you do not get the new Super Midi Tracks with the PlusPak.

I have a request for two new Paks, one with just RTs /RDs and one with just Super Midi Paks. It looks like there is one for just RTs/RDs but not for MIDI. Am I correct?

I just don't rightly know the answer...

I counted them up and compared them to what is listed as NEW in my "Style Picker" for MIDI Super Tracks (15 total) and the $49 "49 Bonus pak" has all 15 OF the new MIDI Super Tracks (sets 18, 19, and 20 ).

I also did some M_*.sty file date checking: there are only 15 (M_*.sty) dated Nov 2014 and up (the 15 in the 49 pak). I have three (3) more with dates mid-2014 (from one of the mid-year BIAB 2014 updates)


Someone from PG can correct if this is wrong but as long as you buy the 49 pak, in addition to the BIAB "Plus pak," and ASSUMING you have everything from last year, you should be golden with respect to MIDI Super Tracks for 2015!

Larry

Larry, this is very confusing for me (maybe it's because I'm getting old?) but according to this part of the new ad these add-ons are exclusive to bonus paks.

"Purchase Band-in-a-Box 2015 for Windows during our special and you will receive these bonus add-ons absolutely free! Upgrade to the 20-PAK Bonus for only $20, to receive 10 Bonus UNRELEASED RealTracks, 20 Artist Performances, 10 Instrumental Studies, and 10 MIDI SuperTracks. Or upgrade to the 49-PAK Bonus for just $49 and get ALL 49 Bonus UNRELEASED RealTracks, 46 Artist Performances, 15 MIDI SuperTracks and 18 Instrumental Studies. These Add-ons are not included in any other package."


Ps - yes I have everything up to and including 2014.

Mario

ALL I was saying (with too much detail) was:

If you BUY the $99 BIAB "2015 PLUS pak" (upgrade to 2014) AND ALSO buy the $49 "Bonus 49 pak" you WILL have all the MIDI Super Tracks (a well as all RD's and RT's) since you already HAVE ALL of 2014!


But CALL PG and confirm it for yourself - I might be wrong (would not even be first time this hour) .

Larry

Mario,

Someone, I can't remember who, posted the text from Live Chat where they were talking to PG Music staff. My recollection of that text was that the PlusPak + Bonus Paks gave everything (if you own 2014 UltraPlusPak or EverythingPak).

Seeing I'm not PG Music sales staff, though, the best thing to do would be to use Live Chat (or phone or email) and ask.

Regards,
Noel

It's very easy to get confused with this, 'everything' which is not everything and all the other plus, ultra etc.
Its yet another thing that PG seems not to want to deal with.

It seems to me it would bge much better to label the packs more informatively - like pack 1, pack 2, pack 3. If they say 'everything' it should mean everything.

PG wont be the first company to sell merely by intetionally confusing the user. It's a common business practice which I think is immoral, like phone 'tarrifs'.



I nearly bought the 'everything pack' when actually its the ultra pack I required. East to think yo need this every time

Z

Only if one stops reading after the name and then tries to put something in it. There are tables with enough information about the content of each PAK. So far I have bought the EverythingPAK only once. "Everthing", as I understand it, goes for all they regularly sell in those PAKs except the audiophile file versions. It does not account for bonuses.

I agree, the PAKs could be named more appropriately. But these names are also a marketing tool, just like big wattage figures on consumer hifi equipment that only are good for a couple of seconds or lots of gigabytes for storage disks because the marketing guys think computer users are stupid.

Just take the ProPAK. I have friends who are professional musicians and just bought the ProPAK. Why? They only need the rapid accompaniment generator for practising and save lots of time because they don't need to play all the parts by themselves in several keys or tempos. Others are disappointed, because "ProPAK" suggests that if you buy it you have everything to make you a Pro, only to find out that many things seem to be missing and they aren't Pro enough to fill the gap.

I have seen enough commercials and ads to ask appropriate questions about the intentions of a certain phrasing.

Don't let it spoil Christmas for you. Have a happy day.
Guido