|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,726
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,726 |
That's a great price for sure. The tunable speaker response with the M-Audio app is a cool feature. Have read some negative reviews about the Bluetooth interface creating popping noises, but these reports may be isolated. At any rate, looks like a good option for a studio on a budget. Never owned an M-Audio speaker. Rokits are decent low price options as well. My local Facebook Marketplace is FULL of used Rokit pairs in your price range, too. I had Rokit 5s for a long time (before upgrading to Yamahas) and liked them a lot. On foundational gear like speakers, I'm an advocate of buying the best quality you can afford and keeping it for years. Don't think I'll ever upgrade my Yamahas. If you buy these, would be cool to get a review though.  Good luck!
Last edited by DC Ron; 04/30/26 02:50 AM.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 637
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 637 |
I own a pair of M-Audio BX5a monitors and they are fine for my small bedroom studio.
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,756
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,756 |
I have been using M-Audio Studiophile SP-5B near field monitors for years.
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
That's a great price for sure. The tunable speaker response with the M-Audio app is a cool feature. Have read some negative reviews about the Bluetooth interface creating popping noises, but these reports may be isolated. At any rate, looks like a good option for a studio on a budget. Never owned an M-Audio speaker. Rokits are decent low price options as well. My local Facebook Marketplace is FULL of used Rokit pairs in your price range, too. I had Rokit 5s for a long time (before upgrading to Yamahas) and liked them a lot. On foundational gear like speakers, I'm an advocate of buying the best quality you can afford and keeping it for years. Don't think I'll ever upgrade my Yamahas. If you buy these, would be cool to get a review though. Good luck! Thanks so much for your detailed response! I ended up not buying them because my "studio" is a tiny corner in our tiny house and I finally concluded I just don't have the space for them at this time. I thought the decision would be based on audio quality but it came down to my tiny space!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
I own a pair of M-Audio BX5a monitors and they are fine for my small bedroom studio. Thanks for your response!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
I have been using M-Audio Studiophile SP-5B near field monitors for years. Thank you Mario! Good to hear you are happy with those.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,626
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,626 |
Make room for the monitors.
PM me if a set of wall mounts would maybe be of interest.
You'd have to pay the shipping though ..but I'd give 'em to you if it made a difference.
You have a studio, you need monitors and I agree M-Audio speakers are nice.
I have use their BX8a's (which is a lot of speaker) and these mounts held them until I moved them. They are adjustable and I'm sure would work fine on the 6" ..
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,155
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,155 |
We’ve had two sets of Rokits but ultimately settled in with Kalis. Reasonable price and an 8” woofer.
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
Make room for the monitors.
PM me if a set of wall mounts would maybe be of interest.
You'd have to pay the shipping though ..but I'd give 'em to you if it made a difference.
You have a studio, you need monitors and I agree M-Audio speakers are nice.
I have use their BX8a's (which is a lot of speaker) and these mounts held them until I moved them. They are adjustable and I'm sure would work fine on the 6" .. Thanks for the offer but I let the deal expire. And I'm still not convinced I can fit them in my tiny space.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
We’ve had two sets of Rokits but ultimately settled in with Kalis. Reasonable price and an 8” woofer. Thanks! I guess I'd be unwilling to part with $500 for a pair! Those M-Audios were quite tempting for $220 though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,285
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,285 |
Hi fellow headphone mixer. While I have an "OK" pair of Roland monitors, I mainly mix in headphones for several legitimate reasons. I am very happy with alternative I've found, which is VST reference emulator by dSONIQ Realphones 2 https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/dsoniq-realphones-2 I believe they do have demo. Usually you can find it with a decent discount.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,879
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,879 |
It's really not so much about which monitors you should buy as it is to spend the time to learn your particular monitors.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
Hi fellow headphone mixer. While I have an "OK" pair of Roland monitors, I mainly mix in headphones for several legitimate reasons. I am very happy with alternative I've found, which is VST reference emulator by dSONIQ Realphones 2 https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/dsoniq-realphones-2 I believe they do have demo. Usually you can find it with a decent discount. Thanks for that advice! I actually bought something like this several years ago but never used it much and had forgotten about it. Next time I'm mixing I'll have to check what I already own then maybe look further into your recommendation!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
It's really not so much about which monitors you should buy as it is to spend the time to learn your particular monitors. Makes sense. But there must be some minimum requirement for decent monitors, right? The $23 gaming speakers (Creative Labs Pebble 2.0) I'm using won't cut it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,879
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,879 |
It's really not so much about which monitors you should buy as it is to spend the time to learn your particular monitors. Makes sense. But there must be some minimum requirement for decent monitors, right? The $23 gaming speakers (Creative Labs Pebble 2.0) I'm using won't cut it! You should read the (Part 1) first 4 chapters in the book by Mike Senior called Mixing Secrets for the small Studio. Every single one of those chapters deal with the monitors and the listening environment. One of the highlighted quotes is: " The less you're going to spend on monitors, the more you should approach ported models armed with holy water and cloves of garlic." Practically every single low cost monitor is a ported model to deal with the low end. I've got the Mackie MR-5 ported monitors myself. Yeah, I would definitely upgrade to the monitors you pointed out if I was using anything from Creative Labs. So you;re making a good move. However, if you don't currently have the Mike Senior book I referenced, buy it. It's a very good investment and read on better studio practices and you will lean a lot of useful information.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,155
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,155 |
We’ve had two sets of Rokits but ultimately settled in with Kalis. Reasonable price and an 8” woofer. Thanks! I guess I'd be unwilling to part with $500 for a pair! Those M-Audios were quite tempting for $220 though. Our Kali LP 8 version 1 monitors were $350 for the pair 4 years ago. They are self powered and allow many settings for the room and proximity to walls etc. It certainly seems that the latest models have gone way up in price. Along with a zillion other things. FWIW if we like a mix on the Kalis we also like it on our living room system (Polk Audio / Yamaha subwoofer / Yamaha amp), on the Bose Audio in the Subaru and on Janice’s AirPods. Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,626
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,626 |
Make room for the monitors.
PM me if a set of wall mounts would maybe be of interest.
You'd have to pay the shipping though ..but I'd give 'em to you if it made a difference.
You have a studio, you need monitors and I agree M-Audio speakers are nice.
I have use their BX8a's (which is a lot of speaker) and these mounts held them until I moved them. They are adjustable and I'm sure would work fine on the 6" .. Thanks for the offer but I let the deal expire. And I'm still not convinced I can fit them in my tiny space. Literally quoting from a friend - "Thats crazy. The sound is the most important thing on a desk to make room for" 
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
You should read the (Part 1) first 4 chapters in the book by Mike Senior called Mixing Secrets for the small Studio. Every single one of those chapters deal with the monitors and the listening environment. One of the highlighted quotes is: "The less you're going to spend on monitors, the more you should approach ported models armed with holy water and cloves of garlic." Practically every single low cost monitor is a ported model to deal with the low end. I've got the Mackie MR-5 ported monitors myself.
Yeah, I would definitely upgrade to the monitors you pointed out if I was using anything from Creative Labs. So you;re making a good move. However, if you don't currently have the Mike Senior book I referenced, buy it. It's a very good investment and read on better studio practices and you will lean a lot of useful information. I bought that book in 2012 along with my first pair of Sony MDR7506 cans (maybe on your recommendation!) I read most of the book but then promptly forgot most everything I "learned"! And I blame the Sonys at least in part for that because I have been very satisfied with the results I've managed mixing with them. Thanks for the reminder though; I'll pull that book down off the shelf and refresh my failing memory a bit. I already missed the deal on those monitors but there will be more deals!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,928 |
Our Kali LP 8 version 1 monitors were $350 for the pair 4 years ago. They are self powered and allow many settings for the room and proximity to walls etc. It certainly seems that the latest models have gone way up in price. Along with a zillion other things.
FWIW if we like a mix on the Kalis we also like it on our living room system (Polk Audio / Yamaha subwoofer / Yamaha amp), on the Bose Audio in the Subaru and on Janice’s AirPods.
Bud Thanks Bud, those Kalis sound like something I should consider when I get my space figured out!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
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.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
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.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,287
Posts802,701
Members40,081
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean