It's all about what you like. People I work in the office with that like dark mode apps also like the surrounding lighting to be dimmer too.
I'm the opposite and all about bright lights in the room and bright/light screens.
Everyone has their preference and I'm all about using whatever you want. Having a choice is awesome.
EDIT: Another "general" observation, polling about a couple dozen folks I see around me..... age 30s and younger tend to go dark mode and above that age, light..... me in the 50s trending to the light side.
Are we talking about BIAB, or the Forum software? There are some possibilities to change the color scheme in BIAB. But yes, it would be great to have dark mode as a choice, anywhere. I think this request would get a lot of support in the Wishlist, and that's possibly a better place to get PG Music staff to see the request.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
I think we're talking about the forum software. Yes, a choice would be good. Firefox has a dark color scheme available through Tools > Settings, but not all websites adapt their scheme based on those settings.
Yes, the Wishlist is the place to go.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Forum and Biab, just like you have a dark mode option in the BBPlugin. There is too much eye strain spending nights on the PC looking at brilliant bright white.
"Peter Gannon is the Santa Claus. Can't wait for this to happen on this year's Christmas." LOL that's what I always say, the xmas wishlist.
I tried a lot of settings and add-ons but the PG website it stayed the same. I have seen dark mode theme options for the BB forum software some time back.
That's helpful. A few of us thought it was about the forum software (though that would be nice, too). For BIAB, you can make the chordsheet dark, using the Display Options and playing with the settings in the upper left. A number of us made our own color schemes a decade ago, and I used the one Allanah made. However, there are large parts of the new GUI (2018) that I'm not sure how to change.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
You have a high contrast theme setting to make most things dark but it's not as good as a dark mode as you have all the bright white borders. See in the pic the piano roll is still brilliant bright white.
I had a conversation with my eye doctor a few years back about computer screens and brightness. He said, that whole thing about blue light being damaging to your eyes? Not true. At least if we're talking about electronic screens. According to my doctor, and I fully recommend this myself, is to set the brightness of your screen properly in the environment they're in. Easiest way to do that is to adjust the amount of light in the room to your liking. Turn the brightness on your screen(s) all the way down. Slowly turn the brightness up until black text on white background is easy and comfortable to read.
Tl;dr Lower the brightness on your screens to save your eyes from strain.
My eye doc disagrees. She says it isn't so much the blue, but the UV that you don't see. But she adds that she works with computers all day.
If there is a dark mode in an app, and if it's well done, I'll use it. If not, I don't freak out. I just figure it's best to err on the side of safety.
My eye doc disagrees. She says it isn't so much the blue, but the UV that you don't see.
UV was an issue with cathode ray tubes, but neither electroluminescent nor LED backlighting tends to have that UV content. They tend to be a blue light at about 430-470nm and fluorescent coatings in the yellow and/or red areas. High colour rendition usually also has green fluorescence.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
My eye doc disagrees. She says it isn't so much the blue, but the UV that you don't see. But she adds that she works with computers all day.
If you are concerned about UV radiation then the sun is your biggest enemy. My point was that the blue light emitted from an LED screen is harmless for your eyes. There are some interesting studies made that suggest that blue light interferes with our circadian rhythm, but that's a slightly different topic.
<...snip...> If you are concerned about UV radiation then the sun is your biggest enemy.
I wear sunglasses outdoors.
We have a 3 days a week gig, outdoors, near the beach, but under a very big, blue canopy. I wear my sunglasses under there as well.
I've also surrounded my house with shade trees, mostly for the shade, but that helps with UV and short trips out of the house like to the mailbox.
Macular Degeneration runs in my father's family (one out of 6 siblings) so I make sure to take care of my eyes, and err on the side of safety.
It's nice to hear about UV in the LED is harmless, but I'll continue to use the dark mode when I can. I actually prefer it on pages where it is done well.
Andrew introduced a dark mode for the forum software recently. It's the only one I use now. It is much easier on the eyes, but sometimes can be a little difficult to read when posts contain user-added colored text segments. Regardless, it provides for a much better and clearer display.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 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 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Norton Music
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean