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As I purchase more RealTracks, I'm finding the space they take up on my laptop a problem.

What I am thinking of is purchasing an external drive to use with my laptop.

On my desktop PC I can store all the RealTracks in the default (C:\BB) folder, but on my laptop I'd like to have a small subset of the RealTracks installed in C:\BB, which will deal with most gigging situations, but also to be able to access all of the RealTracks when I take the external disc with me.

If I understand the set-up properly, I can only set BIAB to use one location for RealTracks at a time, so I'd have to switch the settings every time I plugged in and unplugged my external drive.

My ideal would be able to set up a path (such as "C:\BB;X:\BB") so that BIAB would look first for a RealTrack on the laptop itself, and only if it couldn't find the RealTrack would it try the external drive ("X:"), and fail gracefully if no drive X: is connected.

This raises a further question - what happens if I've got a frozen RealTrack in a BIAB file, but this RealTrack is only available on drive X: which is currently disconnected? Will BIAB default to a corresponding MIDI instrument, or what?

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Hi

At the moment you have to have a set place for realtracks like C/bb or D/bb if you can do what you want i have not heard if you can do this but i would think somebody will give it some thought and come up with a anwser they do in most cases

regards Dave Hoskins


I always play the right notes but not always in the right order
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If you're like most you probably stick to one type of music. If so you may be able to just off load those RTs that you'll never use thus conserving space on the internal drive. Just a thought


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You could have one instance of bb installed to the laptop drive and have it with a truncated set of RealTracks/RealDrums in its respective folders and pointed to use those folders.

You could also have an external hard drive with *another instance entirely* of BB installed on it, complete with all RealTracks, pointed to use those folders.


Run the two programs separately as needed.



--Mac

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Quote:

Run the two programs separately as needed.




Mac's solution makes the most sense. You have your bb folder on both your internal hard drive and on your external drive. You have the preferences in BIAB set to look for your real drums and real tracks in c:\bb in the one you run from the internal drive and set for x\bb in the one on the external You only need the option for BIAB to look for files on the external drive when it is actually attached so running BIAB from that drive when it is there really is the smart way to go.

Quote:

what happens if I've got a frozen RealTrack in a BIAB file, but this RealTrack is only available on drive X: which is currently disconnected?


I suppose that could happen with this setup. what is going to happen is that BIAB will tell you that it can't find the file and it won't play anything for that particular instrument assignement. It will just play the instruments that it can find. There is no defaulting back to a MIDI instrument. You would actually have to change the instrument to either another real track or a MIDI instrument.


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FWIW . . . I used the setup Mac suggest above but because my laptop is long of tooth and short of memory and space and the real tracks keep coming I just run the program and all it's real tracks from the external only as I have deleted BIAB and RTs from the computer entirely.

Later,

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Thanks to you all for clarifying the situation.

I've found that I can buy a second internal drive for my own long of tooth and short of memory laptop (a Dell Inspiron 8600), which slides in in place of the DVD player, and I'm planning to go down this route, because although it's more expensive than a USB drive it's going to be much tidier on a gig, and probably less vulnerable to being dropped off the music stand.

I've got my desktop PC's CD and DVD drives shared on my network, so installation of software won't be a problem in the absence of the laptop's DVD drive.

I'll remove BIAB from the original drive and install the software and all the RealTracks on the new drive.

Nonetheless, I think it would be a good idea if BIAB could be revised so that it can look in more than one directory for big files like RealTracks, as there may be users who need to split up libraries as they run out of disc space.

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foxylady--

I used a couple of strips of stick on "velcro" hook and loop fastener to be able to attach my external little USB drive w/BiaB on it to the back of my laptop screen on gigs. You can get a package of 1" X 3" fasteners at Radio Shack or other places.

Keeps the drive right there with the lappy, can't get knocked around on the gig and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.


--Mac

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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.

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Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

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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.

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In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

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