Wondering if it is worth installing or should I try to go for an upgrade immediately?

I’m not even sure it will install and run on my win 8.1 laptop.

Hi Scott,

Go for an upgrade immediately. You're way to good to settle for 2007. It's totally MIDI, or might have 3 or 4 Realdrums, I'm not sure. Realtracks came in at 2008 or 2008.5 -- the link below is for the 2007 manual -- just in case it's not easily accessible on the CD/disks you have.

BIAB 2007 manual (pdf)

Given your expertise, I'd encourage you to go for the UltraPak 2020. At $169 -- if I'm reading the price page correctly -- it's great value.

Regards,
Noel

Scott, I don’t understand. Are you saying this would be a later version than you have? Whoa.

RealDrums came in, I think 2008 and RealTracks a year later - might be off by a year on those dates. Although someone with BIAB of that era will recognize the program now (using Ctrl+T) it is magnitudes ahead now.

"Go for the upgrade", "Go for the upgrade", <chant repeats...>

Bottom line: go for the upgrade....

Scott...

Well, it's about time!!!

Upgrade. No question. The amount of new RealTracks AND RealDrums since I first bought the New BIAB - version 2012.5 (I bought the early version - BIAB 5 but never used it much) is significant.

As it stand now, the RealTracks and RealDrums included in the 2020 version (of UltraPak) will serve you well in your recording endeavors - for a lifetime. Just including a single RT or RD in a mix (with whatever else you provide yourself) can open a whole new world of possibilities. Heck, the original Cello RT alone is worth the price of the upgrade (just one example).

You will not regret it. And more likely will say "Why did I wait so long??!!"

That version is over 12 years old..... duhhhhhhh

Scott,

If I maybe so bold, what annual release are you presently using?

I do remember, Scott long ago said he wasn't using BIAB, but used Power Tracks Pro. He's always been a great resource here for that, and recording and audio in general.

Matt is right, I never have owned BIAB.

I have considered it many times, but have opted to learn the instruments that I like to put into my arrangements, or buy specialty software where I can’t play something that I wouldn’t want to listen to again (EZ Drummer 2).

The other instruments are bass and B3. I have not regretted learning those to just north of hack level one bit. Bass especially.

I actually don’t think I can upgrade anyways. I see no serial number stamped on the disc or box. As far as I can tell I need a serial number to upgrade. I have the box, the spiral bound manual, a BIAB 2007 pro cd with the number 233 in parentheses, a product guide CD, a power track pro cd, and a real drums Rock and Jazz 1 cd.

There is a clear plastic envelope glued to the front of the box which is empty. I wonder if there was a serial number in that envelope?

Scott

Scott, give Sales a call. I don't think any of us remember how this was handled back then. But, welcome to BIAB!

I won't tell you to upgrade or not, I suggest it but your call; however,

1) BIAB 2007 had no serial numbers, that did not start until BIAB 2014, and

2) Yes BIAB 2007 will install on Win 8.1 it's a standard 32-bit Windows app - it installs on Win 7 64 bit Pro and Win 10 Pro here I just tested it both OS's so no reason it won;t install and run on the in-between OS

Larry

Thanks for that info Larry!

Looks like for my needs, I should upgrade to the pro mega pak version.

If the difference (for you) between the upgrade to the MegaPak and the UltraPak is $69... go for the UltraPak.

It will be THE best $69 you EVER spent. 500 RealTracks (mega) vs. 2900 RealTracks (ultra) is huge.

totally agree!

Although, if you do get the MegaPak and then decide on going the extra step within 30 days, past comments on these forums show that PG Music will refund the purchase of the MegaPak towards the UltraPak. Maybe this is something to ask sales staff about.

i upgraded in 2018 after having 2008. at that time there was no registration or activation - they just trusted you! and there were no realtracks but i do remember getting realdrums 1-3

not sure if the OP needs to install 2007 to qualify for the upgrade as opposed to the first time purchase

and some of us still love Powertracks even though we have RB. i think its a little less resource demanding and quicker as it doesn't have the BIAB auto accompaniment load

I guess only PG Music can provide the definitive answer in this particular case.

Hi Scott
With FAWM around the corner, if you can very quickly learn the basics of entering chords and generating arrangements you will find FAWM most enjoyable.... You have two weeks

Do it...

finally pulled the trigger today on the megapak upgrade. If I find it to be the indispensable tool that you all swear by, I probably will go for more realtracks in the future. Need to learn the basics first! Over my entire 20+ years of home recording, I have spent less than $600 on music software:
PowerTracksProAudio: $69
PTPA upgrade: $19 or $29 can't recall
Tracktion 3: $20
Jamstix 1: $99 (maybe, I forget)
Jamstix 2 upgrade: $49, I think
ACID: $30
EZDrummer 2: $130
EZDrummer Expansion Pack: $30
Groove Monkey midi expansion packs: $22
BIAB: $99

So this was a big decision for me. See you around the user showcase eventually!

Hi Scott,

Since so much of your purchases to date have been drum related (Groove Monkey, JamStick Pro and EZ Drummer) I'll be real interested in your response to RealDrums!

Looking forward to it, Scott!

Wow, less than $30 a year. Now that has to be some sort of record!

I hope he deletes that before my wife sees it.

I use a lot of freeware and plugins I have won in the kvraudio.com song contests. I also have bartered with Tracktion for a Tracktion 6 license when I pointed out a systemwide error on their website that they were unaware of.

I have probably spent another $100 on individual copies of Computer Music magazine and use many plugins and loops from the cover DVDs.

Still a record, I reckon
Sorry, rharv, but this time it's not your fault

I spent more than that while we were still using the DOS OS

- Cakewalk for DOS V2, Live and 4 ;

- then BIAB for DOS V 2, 3, 4 and some styles disk as well as PG's Jazz Guitarist and Pianist, and not sure if my first PowerTracks was for DOS only or Win 3.1 (probably Win dows since its dated 1994)

- then Jammer Pro V3 with some band and styles disks;

- then MIDI Quest an editor/librarian for my Roland GR-50, D110, a Kawaii piano unit and???

and I'm sure there were a few others - again ALL DOS - and by time Win 3.1 needed care and feeding the sky was the limit - LOL

Larry

This will be my year of only obtaining low and no cost music software and sounds (my new septic field was not cheap and pretty much wiped out my music budget...and probably every other discretionary expense budget, as well). Good news is that I'm pretty well set already (see my signature below).