For whatever reason Realband stop doing it's thing last night. I can't get it fixed.

It's gone from "this is annoying" to "ok, I seriously need to get to get some work done, and this is chewing up my weekend!"

So does anyone have any recommendations of a program with a Free Trial that may even be a long term solution for me? As I said, I would like a free trial to see if I like it; but it also has to be able to do midi with VSTi and have the ability to import wav and .mp3 files in session format.

Also, something that has a fairly easy learning curve. I am familiar with Realband, Adobe Audition, and pro-tools...so I'm not a TOTAL newbie. Just prefer not to have to over thing the simple things.

I'm ALL ears on this! Thanks so much in advance on this.

Besides BiaB, there's nothing that replaces RealBand, as RealBand allows Styles and RealTracks to be loaded.

Reaper might work if you just want a DAW.

Try renaming the Realband settings files. This will force RB to create new versions of the files when it restarts.

There are two files found in the \Realband directory. These are...

1) RB.CFG (rename it to RB.CFG.OLD)

2) Realband.ini (rename it to Realband.ini.old)

Once the files are renamed, start Realband.

Renaming effectively delete the files from Realband's gaze but means that it's always possible to get the old files back if needed.

Regards,
Noel

• my latest song: So Beautiful

Thanks for the suggestion Noel. I did both of those and it's still locking up right after the "initializing accompaniment function" screen.

Locking up usually means that it is not being run in "Run as administrator mode".

Just as a test, rename/delete the above files and right-click on the shortcut and select "Run as administrator".

Actually, prior to running Realband after renaming the above files, download and manually install the latest build. Maybe this will fix whatever glitch has occurred by overwriting the main program components with working files.

http://www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm

Regards,
Noel

Also,

If I remember correctly, when I first started Realband 2018, it locked up on me. After a second startup, though, it worked.

(I know that there was a locking up issue that occurred with Realband build 1, too.)

If you manage to get into Realband, change the audio driver to MME. That is more stable when problem solving.

For Midi and VSTi's I suggest Ableton Live. I have a Lite version 9 that came with a piece of gear. Went to the site and it was automatically upgraded to version 10.

It has a 30 day trial and is a free download.

Will do. Do I have to do each of the updates, or can I do just the last/most current one?

Just use the latest.

Each update is built on the previous one so installing the latest installs all previous ones, too.

Awesome! Thanks Charlie. I've heard good things about Ableton.

Thanks Noel!

The update did the trick!

THANK YOU NOEL!!!!!!

Excellent.

Sometimes if a program shuts down without properly exiting the components that drive it, a corrupted file can be created. It sounds like this is what might have happened.

Regards,
Noel

• my latest song: So Beautiful

Do yourself a favor and download and start learning to use REAPER. BIAB and REAPER and a perfect combination. Use REAPER as long as you want and it won't cost a dime, until you realize how wonderful it is and you send in the $60 for a license.

+++ Tracktion 6 +++ is a free, full fledged DAW that works on Linux, Mac and Windows operating systems. It differs from most DAWs by doing everything in one window.

Reaper isn't going to help him replace what BIAB does. I use Real Band and Pro Tools. Nothing that doesn't write backing tracks can replace Real Band. A DAW is a DAW. It depends on what you became familiar with. Reaper, Samplitude, Sonar, Ableton, CuBase, Logic, and for the OLD guys, Texture.... they all do what they do. Mix tracks.

Just because it's 60 bucks doesn't make it a value unless 60 bucks is all the money you can afford to spend. I had no problem playing for Pro Tools. Once you learn it, it is MARVELOUS.

That being said, once I learned it (and by no means to expert levels), I pretty much let it sit now. I write and rough mix in Real Band, then send it to Rog to add his parts, mix and master.

So I guess Rog is my DAW. My Designated Augmentation Workman!

I gotta ask this JUST because how often I read threads about how cheap something is made me curious. When you buy tools for your day job, is the #1 consideration how cheap something is? Nobody here is struggling to pay rent and buy food, are they? And I am not asking to be a condescending jerk. When I decided to spend $600 for Pro Tools, it called for some planning and concessions. Especially when you consider that it was for a home studio and I no longer play. Your DAW is as important as your guitar or your keyboard if you are a professional. I'd never play a gig with a toy keyboard from Toys'R'Us. Would you?

I am just SO curious why this " this is great because it's cheap" thing keeps resurfacing. I get that you are going to defend what you use, but remember you use it because you don't want to bother learning anything new even if it may be more fully featured. Studios use Pro Tools for a reason.

HearToLearn,

You didn't do yourself any favors.

You specifically asked "I Hate To Ask This But I Need A Real Band Replacement"

There is no RealBand replacement, but that's not what you really wanted at all.

Why didn't you ask "Please help me get RealBand working"?

Boy, we're sure lucky to have Noel here, and also RHarv (who had already helped you in the RealBand forum on your same problem).

You have taken that sentence out of context. Did you miss very next sentence?



Honestly I am always amazed when folks make recommendations to someone struggling with Realband that they continue to work with it. It's issues and limitations as a "DAW" are historically acknowledged on the forum. Eddie, with all due respect, have you not been one of he loudest voices pointing out issues with RB over the years?

I try to keep negative comments regarding RealBand to a minimum. It is what it is and that is what it is. However, when an individual is looking for solid DAW I have no hesitation to provide alternate recommendations.


OK, sorry if I am stirring the pot here. I just felt a bit feisty tonight.

Concur with Jim

Tracktion 6 is a full featured DAW and IT IS FREE it can;t hurt to have it on hand

Larry

Trev,

My apologies. I take full responsibility for diverting this thread off on a tangent. Up until my entry, this was a genuine request to find something that could (temporarily, at least) substitute for Realband.

Unfortunately, I didn't see the post in the Realband forum until after all my comments here. Had I seen that, I would have offered my suggestions over there.

Hope all is going good for you so far in the New Year!
Noel

Hi Noel

Please, absolutely no need for an apology. You did the right thing. You got the O/P running again.

It was the way the O/P posed the request that was the problem.

The O/P was never going to get the same functionality from any other product. Instead of giving up on RealBand, you encouraged them to take the correct option and get it working again. And that's really what the O/P needed.

You didn't divert the thread on a tangent, you steered it back on the correct course!

Thanks for your valuable input. Total success.

Trev

Hate to burst anyone's bubble but DAWs are NOT all the same. If Realband was reviewed alongside modern DAWs it would not hold up very well. I avoid it unless I really need to closely control generation of RealTracks and then use it only to get the tracks exported as quickly as possible into a real DAW.

I agree 100%!

Band In A Box for what Band In A Box does. Realband for what Realband does. And Reaper for the rest of it.
In my opinion Reaper is more like a $500 program for $60. Plus the added value of having Kenny Gioia as a free teacher. Any technique I've needed to do I've learning it in 10 - 15 minutes just watching his videos.

I hate to say it, but what irks me the most is that Realband does not "do what it does." It's so horrifically dysfunctional and neglected by PG Music that it's been rendered virtually useless. Which is a real big shame-because BIAB and Realband together could be a wonderful thing. :-(

I use a bunch of music programs. Each has its place and like BIAB and RealBand, unique features as well as some overlap.

This thread gave info I had not seen before about how to get RealBand started when it has a problem. BIAB has a similar trick. Thanks for that info.

I guess a fair amount has happened since I posted this yesterday.

I'm so thankful for the help that was given. I was in a situation where I had about 2 hours worth of work to do, that I already didn't want to be doing this weekend.

We are "getting away from it all" and as a result I only have a 3g connection for any kind of internet. I swear at times I only had 1/2 "g" I could sporadically look things up, but really couldn't d/l much.

Well, RB stopped working Friday night. I spent 2 1/2 hours trying to get it to work. I woke up Saturday and spent another 3 hours trying to get it to work. At this point, my 2 hour project was at just over 5 hours AND I wasn't any further forward! I still had the 2 hours of work to do. Again, this was on a weekend with family. It wasn't going well.

Trying to get threads to load was interesting enough, let alone downloads of patch updates.

BIAB was working fine. It was simply RB that wasn't. So...I could generate real tracks, but I couldn't do custom midi editing AND mix audio tracks with it in an efficient manner. Actually at this point, any manner. That is what I was using RB for...a DAW.

I had posted in the RB forum about trying to fix it. I couldn't get it fixed and decided I need something to replace RB until I could get home and spend the time to really trouble shoot it. I had already spent too much time on that. So I came to this section to look for a RB replacement short term. I understand now that I should have just asked for DAW recommendations. I was using RB as a DAW this weekend and mistakenly asked for a replacement for what I was using...RealBand. That's 100% on me. I can TOTALLY see where people would hesitate to recommend a different program, because other programs don't generate real tracks. I get it.

I am really thankful to those who recommend various DAW options to my poorly worded question. I have options that I will be checking out even thought I won't "need" them. I really haven't looked in a while and like options. So again, a BIG "thank you" for the suggestions!

My solution idea was I would go into town, find a WiFi hotspot and d/l one of the recommendations, and use it to get the job done. I can't even tell you how thankful I am to Noel for NOT giving up on what I had. My thought was, "well, I couldn't d/l the patch, but since I'm going to town anyway...why not give it a try?" Boom! It worked! YES!!! I can tell you I would have not remembered to try that had he not brought it up in this thread! Some may argue he took the thread in a different direction. I say, THANK GOD HE DID!

I hope some of you can relate to having to trouble shoot technical problems while you have less than ideal circumstances...poor internet connection, reading suggestions on your phone, family and "in-laws" wondering why you're on the computer all the time, kids running around, AND...not making progress.

With all the crap hitting the fan, you all were so damn helpful, taking time from YOUR weekend. THANK YOU!





Because I'm human, not perfect and made a mistake. I hope that covers it.

Actually, after I thought about it, you did take the time to respond, I should do the same. In case my answer seems like a "cop out."



I worded my request poorly, no doubt about that. As far as doing myself a favor...I'm SO glad I asked what I asked. It got me up and running again.



I was using RealBand as a DAW; not to generate tracks. I was doing rough mixes and writing of audio and midi. So because I was using Realband, and it wasn't working, I was looking for something to replace Realband.

I pretty much did in the Realband section. You obviously know that because you make reference to it here. I didn't double post if that's what you are insinuating. One thread was trouble shooting. The other was about looking for an alternate DAW. Noel was kind enough to not give up on my other problem in this thread. I'm thankful for that.



I so agree I am lucky...and very appreciative for their help. This, however, was a different problem than that one. I will be downloading and trying some different DAW's to see if there are better options for what I was working on this weekend. I would have been nice to have a "plan B" in place, rather than have happen what did. For generating tracks, I can us RealBand OR BIAB. When it came to my DAW going down, I didn't have a backup. Lesson learned.

Again, I completely understand where I could have worded things differently and MUCH better. However, this was meant to be a separate topic and I'm glad I asked it for many reasons.

May I ask what the intent of your post was?

+1! Great advice.

If anyone is looking for a DAW, now is a good time. With SONAR going out of business (though still working), I have been downloading free trial versions of many competitors. You can try each one to see what fits your needs and personal preference. Many have sales going on until the end of this month. While all are similar, each has strengths and weaknesses.

I firstly got the impression from the title that RealBand was no good.

It was later I realized that it just wasn't working for you.

And what happened next was it seemed to create a huge 'debate' between members over which was the best DAW and also how RealBand is (more or less) "virtually useless"

I'm absolutely pleased that you got running again. Peace.

There is only one best DAW and that is the one you are most comfortable with, i.e. one that fits your workflow.

Yes, I agree totally with this, you hit the nail on the head.

In my case a couple of years back I needed to replace an old version of Adobe Audition that I totally loved and had used for many years, but was not compatible with the newer VST plugins that I wanted to use.

I downloaded demo versions of many DAWs and spent a few hours with each one getting my head around the workflow and finally settled on Reaper. Money had nothing to do with it, I would have happily spent much more than they are asking, and still would. Not saying it is the best DAW out there, just saying that it is the best DAW for me.

Oh! I actually love that product. I lean on the program and BIAB in a MASSIVE way. It has made my life SO much better!

I totally understand where you might think that though. I do see where my wording was not the best. If I could change the title I would.



All good



Yeah, I didn't mean to spark a Chevy/Ford discussion. I do think there where some great recommendations given without the bashing too.

Again, for me, Realband is my go to for things I simply can't do another way in such a simple way. It's amazing in my book. I use it pretty much daily, if that tells you it's importance in what I do.



I am too! Thanks for clearing everything up. I'm not big on wondering or assuming what people mean. You are a class act.

Glad you got your problems solved and completed. I followed the threads between the two postings on different forums because this could happen to anyone.

I do a lot of DAW type tasks from within BIAB itself rather than export tracks to a DAW. I'm curious to your particular situation and if your project could have been completed in BIAB without the use of either RB or a DAW.

I waited until the original question was resolved so not to interfere with the eventual solution. But if I may impose a few questions regarding your project, I'd like to ask the following.

How many tracks did your project have?

I know your project was a mixture between midi and RealTracks, but were there any live recorded tracks? Either played by you or imported files.

If so, how many?

Had you completed generating the final versions of the tracks?

How many different instruments did your project have?

I'm aware that BIAB is not a DAW nor is it the right 'tool' for your project but that doesn't mean it is not capable in an emergency situation of successfully and competently completing your project.

Your issue has been resolved so I'm not trying to solve any issue but rather satisfy in my mind, how far would you, or if you would have had to at all, have had to back up in your project to complete it had BIAB been your only option.

I'm convinced BIAB has the features and I have the skills to completely finish a project similar to yours, that in most cases the project, is transferred to a DAW for completion.

Regeneration, multi riffs, multiple instrument changes coming in/out, duel instruments sounding at the same time, more than 8 tracks, mixing, panning, volume automation, VST's, VSTi's, and other plug ins can all be accomplished in BIAB. But, pre planning is required to develop a specific order completing tracks is necessary.

I'm just curious to know where I would have to start from or if the entire project would have to be started over from scratch.

Thanks,

Charlie

Hey Charlie! Thanks for taking it to the next level. I always appreciate the opportunity to learn. I actually had a MUCH longer response to your questions and in a flicker of our electricity, it was gone. I was rather frustrated by that. So, you are now getting a much more condensed version. Perhaps God intervened for your sanity. lol



There were 5 projects. Real tracks were typically 5, 2-3 midi, and 5-10 vocals tracks. Each of those depended on the project.

Had you completed generating the final versions of the tracks?

Real tracks, yes. I was editing midi. Also doing arranging of all the tracks.



7ish. Then I do take parts of those tracks and move parts of tracks to other parts of the arrangement.



I will admit, I don't know. I'm aware of it having the ability to play an audio ttrack along with your session, but really don't know much beyond that it can do.



Very cool! I guess I will have to learn more of the capabilities of BIAB. I think I wrongly assumed Real Band was to do more midi and arranging than BIAB and was the reason it was created. I guess I don't totally understand the reason for both.



Agreed. Where I struggled was the number of vocal tracks, and pieces of instrument tracks that I apply specific effects to for emphasis. By the sounds of it, there may have been a way.



I know I would have had the real tracks from biab and been fine on that front. I pretty much use real band as a DAW with the ability to regenerate a part of a real track if I need to. Otherwise, the song, as far as real tracks, is pretty much done when I move it to real band.



Thank you Charlie! I'm impressed you would even think to ask these question. Class act in my book!

Thanks for the detailed reply. Your troubles created and interesting question in my mind thinking how far can the limits of BIAB be stretched. I'm sure you found the timing of a crash and deadline so close together to be much more than a casual point to ponder.

Thanks for taking the time to share your project layout.

I'm fairly confident that BIAB could have worked as a last ditch effort to salvage your product but think it would in no way inspire you to change your work flow.

This brings back my desire that when we save a song it clears the edit buffer because it seems like a lot of these crashes we see reported stem from that save buffer being overfilled. Once a song si saves we can always reload from the saved copy to get back to where we were. I don't need my last 30 edits saved for undo. The last 2 will be sufficient.

I ran into a mess today with crashes. I had to do some tempo adjustments. I did a fair amount of track regeneration as well. Part of it was my fault for not saving often enough, but it was crashing with memory access violations always at the same memory address. It was inconsistent as far as what procedures I had just done so there was no real pattern of things I did before the crash. The only thing in common was that it crashed when I tried to save, which means I also lost my edits, whatever number of edits was in that undo buffer. They included a style change, a regenerate in the new style, and when I went to save it crashed and I lost the work. I was going for that ONE MORE FUNCTION before saving and got burned 4 times. So I changed the style and regenerated, saved, restarted Real Band. Then with EVERY edit I saved and restarted. It just got to the point where this song wasn't important enough to me to put this much time into it.

I have been working on doing songs in a style I have never done before. I did that big band thing a month or so ago. Once in the oven right now is a kind of a spoof on hip hop trance type music. It's pretty funny actually, so it should get some laughs. The one I started today was a pop disco thing. (Maybe that's why it kept crashing. Real Band was begging me to NOT revive disco!!)

Trying to stretch myself as a writer.

All in all though, no matter how mad I get at the program when it acts stupid, there is nothing else that will do what it does and I am pretty glad I own it.