|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 253
Apprentice
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 253 |
I hope this is not a stupid question...But I really don't know the answer so I'll just fire it off: Does a 64 bit operating system have better sound quality than a 32 bit operating system or does the bit rate just refer to how much processing power the operating system itself takes to run? (graphics etc) I have windows xp 32 bit I find it to be surprisingly stable yet I'm wondering if I'm missing some sound quality because of not running in 64 bit......Thanks in advance:) 
...........Jeff......
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 48
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 48 |
Hi Jeff: It's a reasonable question, and unequivocally, there is no difference ... zilch... in 32 and 64-bit OS sound quality. What the 64-bits refers to is the memory fetch size -- when the CPU (the computing chip) makes a call to random access memory (RAM ...these are the vertical cards on your motherboard ... see the picture of my motherboard below ... the RAM is up front and to the left... the CPU is under the fan) it brings back 64-bits (twice as much as with a 32-bit OS). Since these fetch operations are on a clock (e.g., my x*3.5 billion fetches a second for my computer where the x* is the CPU to clock multiplier) you technically could do twice as much computing with a 64-bit OS. You have to have a 64-bit CPU chipset to use the 64-bit OS; 64-bit OS give you access to more than 4GB of RAM (your upper limit with 32-bit computing ... 4GB is what I have in the computer shown below) But, when it comes to an application like BiaB ... 64 and 32-bit OS are processing exactly the same information ... the same stream of digital 1s and 0s for audio DAC and output on the audio board, at exactly the same time and the sound output is identical. Also, I have found from a practical standpoint, there is very little speedup in going from 32 to 64 bit Windows. I have a dual boot on the machine below and both 32 and 64 bit Win 7 have computation performance of 7.4 and memory fetch performance of 7.3 on the Windows Performance metric (right click on 'Start/Computer' and go from there to compute your performance ... 7.9 is tops). I think adding cores is a lot cheaper and better way to improve performance. My four core AMD Phenom II is running about 3 times the number of instructions of a single core on the AMD chip ... see my other post (click here) for how I did this on the cheap  ) Chris 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 253
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 253 |
Thanks for the reply...Very informative. I have an older p.c. (2g processor and maxed out @ 2g ram) It seems to be doing alright though. I'm looking forward to seeing your other post ....Thanks again and have a great day.
...........Jeff......
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
Yo Chris. Thanks for that great explanation. I just upgraded from XP to Win 7. It took me some time to learn if I had a 32 or 64 bit processor. It's 32 and my laptop is about 4 years old. As you say, BIAB works fine. I have Sibelius 4 and it works okay, but I've heard the newer versions will not work with Windows 7. It's an expensive pgm so that provides enough motivation to learn how to do notation in BIAB and RB. FWIW. Stan 
Cornet Curmudgeon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 48
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 48 |
Stan:
BiaB 2010.5 (but not earlier versions) works with Win 7 64-bit; but I've run BiaB on both the 32bit and 64bit Win 7 (on the above AMD/ASUS computer) and I can't see any performance difference. I think the chipset is much more important -- as I said, the 4 cores give you about 3 times the processing of a single core with BiaB, and because Win 7 is assigning tasks to chips, the load balancing is very good across cores on the 4-core chip.
Another thought .... Win 7 32 will support almost all applications (down to Win 95 compatibility) whereas the 64 bit supports a much smaller set of apps (importantly, a lot of the free utility apps for sound, video, compression, etc. only run on 32 bit Win). This mainly (to me) means that Win 7 64-bit is a PITA; So I've settled on Win 7 32bit as my standard (and I do think Win 7 is much better than Vista)
Chris
Last edited by westland; 11/01/10 03:04 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Chris, thanks again for a very informative and thought provoking post and your insights.
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 623
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 623 |
64-Bit OS MIGHT restrict the drivers / hardware you can use on your system.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
Ketron SD90
Aerophone AE-30, Yamaha WX-7
Yamaha RX-v381amp
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
It does limit a number of options including the VscDxi which I like a lot. 90 percent of my backing tracks, which just go from downstairs where my 'system' is to upstairs where there is a small desktop Bose on the acoustic piano, are just 3 RealTracks rendered to mp3's and put on my mp3 player and plugged into the Bose. That gives me 3 verses of each song I'm playing, and Bob's yer uncle.
Given the 'evidence' in this thread, my suggestion to those who want to go midi with a laptop is to stick with 32 bit systems for now. I'm sure the upgrade won't hurt you ...later..
My downstairs system is Win 7 64 bit, I do have some regrets now.....that said I have the Ketron Sd2 on that system if I want to render slowly...
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,605
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,605 |
Chris, FYI, I was running version 2010 for several months under Windows 7 64-bit before version 2010.5 was available.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 301
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 301 |
Quote:
Chris, FYI, I was running version 2010 for several months under Windows 7 64-bit before version 2010.5 was available.
Hi guys, Great info Chris but I'm running 2009.5 on win 7 64 bit.
Dave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,605
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,605 |
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 48
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 48 |
I actually upgraded to 2010.5 from some ancient version of BiaB (I've just gotten back into music, so it had been awhile). I couldn't get my old version to run on Win7 at all. It's good to know, though that BiaB has been stable on 64-bit systems for some time. As others have noted (and I've found from experience) it's not the PG Music software that is the problem -- it is the drivers (especially) and other software that create problems. PG Music (judging from my reading of the forum posts) seems to have done a very good job of providing quality, stable, cross-platform versions of their products.
Chris
Last edited by westland; 11/06/10 12:10 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
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®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,420
Posts804,753
Members40,120
| |
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