I have been with BIAB and I so agree it’s a mess. All they have done is rejigged the same stuff. My personal pet hate is the way that the loop function is so flakey and even when you have a couple of bars highlighted there is often no guarantee that the cursor follows on. Just one little click almost anywhere else and it’s lost its setting. This gets on my nerves every day and all I do is bung in a few chords for piano practice. It still can’t do this well, since 2007. Recently I went below deck in order to cover repeats, regretted it, so obscure and flakey. Will not be doing that again. Repeat functions like simple repeats, type one and two endings, del segno and so forth, should be the most easy thing to do. It should be a simple function of the interface. It’s not, it’s very tricky. I just won’t go there any more. Many just write the whole piece avoiding then.
The chord entry needs a total redesign. It’s not going to get one IMO, nor are all the back room windows. It still reeks of Win 95. No young person is going to have an interest, I run a Musicians Meet Musicians Group locally. If I mention Band in a Box they all go ‘whaaaot?..’ if I show them in my studio, you can see faces dropping as they look at the obviously ancient interface with the weird design, fonts etc. if PG were even to tart up the visuals this would help. Another lost opportunity in PG, is the fact that it’s crowning glory is real tracks. On the website all you see silhouettes , manikins. The WHOLE point of Biab is real tracks, without these they would be dead. I own a Nord Keyboard, if I go to their website I can find interviews with real artists and demos of them playing the keyboard. It sells the product. There is none of this to be found on the PG website, not even a picture of their session men and a bio. It. Criminally undersells the product. Frankly the site is almost unnavigable, full of unnecessary tosh that only the understand, megaplusextaproxtraplusaudioplhilicbonuspak jargon that must send customers away in their droves. They just do NOT get it and will not face facts. There could be a truly great product, but there is a mess.
I think you have to ask yourself Zero whether or not you are happy or unhappy with Band in a Box in your Music Making Toolkit.
Reading your posts I get the distinct impression that this software is not for you, such seems to be your grievances against Band in a Box and even PGMusic in general.
We can all think of improvements that can be made, but your posts seem to go beyond that. I for one, down through the years (as many others have done) have used Band in a Box for backing tracks for little songs that I have done, that has saved me a fortune in Studio Time, and got me in a few cases over 100k views on Youtube.
Overall Band in a Box is my favourite bit of software, It really has something for everyone, Often I just open it up and go the Artists Performance sets, or other option let it play its stuff and be thoroughly entertained by it.
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
Zerozero, you must had soured cream put in your coffee this morning... Most of us (users) have some kind of annoyances with BIAB. It is normal, like with a family member Lots(!) of room for improvement, but not to see the progress team made in the past few years, that's simply being unfair and blind.
Fair enough. I realise my opinions are contentious but I still hold them. Missed opportunities and flakey programming everywhere. Most of PG customers are OAPs like me. We can all praise the small improvements and BIAb does some things well, irreplaceably well. It is also totally old skool
I've kinda been holding back from commenting too much until I've had a chance to actually use BIAB 2026 on some real projects. So far I can easily acknowledge that this represents substantial improvement to BIAB! But, I would also agree with ZeroZero on certain points.
Anyone can see that the main screen UI is dramatically improved. Once I switched to dark mode and changed the font from the "classic" BIAB font I felt the main screen UI looks as good or better than anything else out there!
I mean, c'mon, that is light years from where it came from, right?
---------- My suggestion to PGM for immediate implementation: In the next build for 2026, and in all of your marketing materials/presentations, set the default color scheme to dark and change the font to a common, modern Windows/Mac font.
What made me stop and go "WOW!" was DrDan's screenshot of the main screen UI AFTER he had modified it (DrDan's post )!
Out of the box, for me, it was still too reminiscent of older versions of BIAB. For something this cool, I think you should dress it up to look new and exciting without remnants from the past like the old font and background color. ---------- One of the main places where I agree with ZeroZero is, once you get past the beautiful new main screen UI you quickly remember you're back in Windows 95 territory!
There are so many of these "classic" Windows screens and dialogs, all loaded up with hundreds of obscure options and settings, that it makes my eyes roll whenever I have to go there. Thank goodness for folks here who know the program so well that I can usually just ask how to do something and I get a kind response with a roadmap to the option or setting I'm seeking. I fear new users or prospective younger users might be quite put off by this aspect. ---------- My suggestion to PGM for future implementation: You need to tame this beast! And we know it won't be easy because there are so many settings and options spread all over the place in this program. Maybe start by moving all non-essential stuff to a less visible area. And make the most commonly used settings and options easier to find. This is a tough one but if you can pull it off that will make the program a lot easier to use. ---------- My suggestion to PGM for near-term implementation: Change the screens and dialogs throughout the program to match the dark mode main screen UI. They will still be complex but they will look more modern. ---------- In summary, I am really looking forward to exploring the new main screen UI as it looks really beautiful and seems to offer significant workflow improvements! I think the PGM team deserves a big round of applause for this version. And I hope more UI improvements throughout are planned!
The dark mode has nothing to do with if a GUI is modern or not. It is the functionality of the GUI, i.e. how the user can work in the GUI that makes the difference.and makes it modern. And if it is configurable.
It is only a user preference. Some people like it (find it easier to work) in dark and some in light mode.
Some people have very hard to read and use a GUI in the dark mode. The problem with the industri and some developers is that they think that they know what is optimal for the user experience, but they don't! They think a modern GUI must be a dark GUI and some don't even provide an option to switch between modes. (It seems to be a trend thing rather than based on user experience)
I never buy a software with a GUI that only has dark mode and can't be switched to a light mode (i.e. too dark mode with no options to configure the intensity, colors of the text). Why? it is useless to me, many times I can't read the text (dark grey or dark colored text on dark background) and I know that many users have the same issues with dark mode. It is very different between users what is optimal för visability and it might be hard for many with no issues with the dark mode to understand that many people have big problems with this.
Otherwise I agree in full with JJJ comments above.
The good think about the new BIAB GUI is that the user can switch between light and dark mode as they prefere. So it is not an issue.Very good.
It is very important for software with a dark mode to have the option for the user to configure and select, fonts, intensity and color of the text so it will be readable against the dark background.
BIAB dark mode is not so dark so it will work fine. But the user need to be able to configure the color of the text eg green on dark can be very hard to read for some users.
Colors can be very pretty but the main issue in a GUI for the user is usability i.e. to be able see and read the text and information with ease. So for that purpose it is always better to use white text on grey background as default when in a dark mode and let the user configure other colors for the font depending on preferences. As an example in BIAB the tiny mixer box in the multipicker view is completely useless for me dark green text on black background. I can't read it at all in there (what a shame).
For the same reason as above I would like to be able to configure the colors for some of the text in the BIAB mixer and the track view (eg green on black background not very easy to read, especially not in the multipicker mixer view). I have not found any options for that, but maybe I have missed it.
BIAB 2026, Studio Pro 8, Song Master Pro, Win11 Home. i7-9700K CPU, 32GB, ESI MAYA44eX, ZOOM UAC-2, Guitar Pro 8, Transcribe, (EZKeys2, EZD3, SD3, EZBass, EZMix3) Amateur: fiddle, guitar, vocal, beginner on bass.
Notice this attachment below is also BIAB 2007 (updated to RealTracks in 2012)
It's a MultiStyle with 14 substyles of 7 soloists programmed to seamlessly flow between substyles and from one soloist to another every 8 bars Four drum patterns also alternating with Part Markers. This is a simple MultiStyle. BIAB is capable of creating much more complex arrangements than this.
Maybe show friends what BIAB can do. This SGU project can be turned into a completely different song arrangement in 33 seconds. Soloist instruments can be changed out with over four thousand different instruments, genres, or grooves.
How many know that BIAB can generate the equivalent of 264 tracks in a single render?
How many know that user recorded audio can be merged with midi or RealTracks in BIAB?
How many know that Artist Performance Files can have transcription and tab?
The dark mode has nothing to do with if a GUI is modern or not. It is the functionality of the GUI, i.e. how the user can work in the GUI that makes the difference.and makes it modern. And if it is configurable.
It is only a user preference. Some people like it (find it easier to work) in dark and some in light mode.
I agree with you and I think I needed to make a finer point than I made! IMHO, dark mode BIAB, with a better font choice, looks more modern than the default 2026 version or any previous version of BIAB (especially the old colorful icon versions!) And I agree 100% that this must be user configurable (and it is) since some people prefer light mode!
My main point was (or should have been) that PGM should present the product in the most modern-looking configuration possible to definitively distinguish it from past incarnations. I believe the chord sheet's default pale background and that old font detract a bit from the NEW UI stuff and remind me too much of the old BIAB. I just feel that a better approach would be to move everything forward and then allow full user config. And I get that there may be some benefit with old-timers that there are still familiar artifacts from the "good old days" but I was thinking more about new, younger potential customers. And maybe reviewers who have seen the old BIAB would be more impressed seeing what's possible in the new UI.
Nice video. Just a thought, but if I wanted to emphasize the new, modern look of the GUI to prospective buyers, I wouldn't show the legacy guitar window right up front. I'm sure it works perfectly, but WOW, is that ever dated looking. Better yet, I'd update the guitar GUI.
I know, I know: Work in progress...
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
Nice video. Just a thought, but if I wanted to emphasize the new, modern look of the GUI to prospective buyers, I wouldn't show the legacy guitar window right up front. I'm sure it works perfectly, but WOW, is that ever dated looking. Better yet, I'd update the guitar GUI.
I know, I know: Work in progress...
It sure is and that drum window is from long time past
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
... It sure is and that drum window is from long time past
I might not be mistaken if I said it might have been from the last century
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.
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
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.
![[Linked Image from petrichoric.com]](https://petrichoric.com/biab/2026-screen-01.jpg)
![[Linked Image from petrichoric.com]](https://petrichoric.com/biab/2026-screen-03.jpg)
![[Linked Image from petrichoric.com]](https://petrichoric.com/biab/2026-screen-02.jpg)
![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=31874&filename=WSWING Style.jpg)
[size:14pt]
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean