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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I ordered a laptop today that comes with that operating system installed. I have no experience with later win os's. Is this OS considered pretty stable? `Tried a search It only comes up in peoples system info.

Thanks Ron

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I believe Windows 7 is by far the most stable of all the editions of Windows.

My present Windows 7 64-bit version runs on an SSD boot drive. I have not had even one BSOD since installing it 9 months ago.

If your laptop comes with 64-bit rather than 32 bit, you may encounter a few challenges finding drivers, but by now most current peripherals are supported.

Other than that, the one thing you will not be used to if you come from Windows XP is something called User Account Control, but even that is much improved in Windows 7 over Vista. If you receive any 'permission' issues, let us know and we can help.


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.
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I have no issues with win7 / 64. Running Ketron SD2 as my syth but since RealTracks latest edition almost never use midi.

I am of the opinion that if you take it 'on the road' most people have no clue what is going on other than it sounds very good.

For those who love to agonize over bar 32 or 10 or 8 having a clash between the strum on something against the comp of the b3 track not sounding right, the audience is clueless, unless one of them happens to be Joey Di.

My advice is the same as it was for midi tracks, don't sweat the small stuff, and if you have an issue try and pull back the volumes for a bar or two.

I've played in bands where the whole thing went south, the drummer was out of time, the guitars were 'bad' and the whole band sucked, but the dancers never really missed a beat, they drank enough libations to be oblivious to the warts. Might not pass the acid test in a studio with the guys on monitors going WHOA, but if you are so good as to warrant the cash for studio musicians what are you doing with software to begin with eh?


John Conley
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Quote:

but if you are so good as to warrant the cash for studio musicians what are you doing with software to begin with eh?



My answer: saving a ton of money in studio time.

Before I hit the studio, I always work over the song in BIAB so I am best prepared for recording. This is of obvious benefit in the case of my own compositions, but it also applies when someone hires me as a sideman. I transcribe their song into BIAB and work on horn lines and hits so I have good ideas to present to them in the studio. Maybe the muse strikes in the studio, maybe not, but I always come prepared with something that will be solid, and BIAB makes that possible.

But John, you were probably kidding, right?


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.
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Thanks Matt and John, Matt, I don't know what BSOD means. Is there a way in 7 to eliminate the log in feature? I'm very ignorant of windows conventions. This one, signing in or clicking the screen away is in my face every time I boot into XP. I don't like having to pass a test to get into my own computer. I live in a remote area and I trust my wife and two cats implicitly. So security stuff is just spurious noise in my life. Our house can't even be locked. I don't have anything in the puter to hide from anyone. I understand the reasons behind it but my life is outside of the need for such stuff.

You mentioned 64 bit drivers. The laptop will be for gigs only for me. My wife will use it occasionally to access online pages related to her work. The company she works for doesn't support mac browsers so she will be using it for that. I tell you this because I wonder what other 64 bit drivers might we need? I can foresee something for adobe pdfs. Java? and related stuff maybe?

Ron

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BSOD Blue screen of death, when your PC crashes.

Last edited by raymb1; 01/29/11 12:06 PM.

Asus Q500A i7 Win 10 64 bit 8GB ram 750 HD 15.5" touch screen, BIAB 2017, Casio PX 5s, Xw P1, Center Point Stereo SS V3 and EWI 4000s.
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If you use a sound card, like a pro one with multiple ins and outs, you will need a driver for that. Lots of guys with 'legacy' cards they bought some years ago for that purpose and they have no end of problems with 'drivers' needing updates but not done by the company who want to sell them a new board.

I got a new synth yesterday. Came with drivers. Said if I plug it into port 1 I need drivers. Then it says straight out plug it into port 2 (both usb) I need to re-do the drivers.

I plugged the keyboard in, no drivers, it waited, said ready, and in band in a box I could use the usb thing with my keyboard, and it showed up as a midi device in Band in a Box. So I didn't even need drivers.

You need drivers for you video card, they come with the system.

You need printer drivers.

Sound Card drivers.

Wireless drivers just in case.

And so on.

Tip: to keep work separate make 2 logins. Don't use passwords. Click on yours and Bob's yer uncle.


Matt: No I didn't mean you, certainly getting something ready for a CD is different from getting something ready and doing it live on a gig. That's when at some bar it sounds a bit off it sounds real. But sometimes I wonder what people are doing spending hours tweaking tracks. I just prefer to make music.

Going to do that now.


John Conley
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John, good plan!

Ron, the browser will tell you when it needs an extension (like java) and it will generally present you with a place to load it from.

As far as device drivers like John mentioned, you generally need to check the manufacturer's website.

Yes, you can disable the login in Windows 7, but I really do not recommend doing so. If you are still determined, you will find the instructions in the first page of Google results for "disable login in Windows 7".


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.
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Hi Ron

My laptop runs 64 bit windows 7 without any glitches and has never blue screened. I'm definitely not an MS fan, but they got it about right at last with 7 I think. I don't run loads of periphs, but never struggled for drivers. Generally it makes installing periphs and esp. networks much simpler.

There is a log in screen - havent tried to lose it, but its pretty quick.

I installed BIAB 2011 and it ran without a hitch.

Good Luck
Tom
PS - you say you cant lock your house.... so where exactly is this?

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I have a music system using XP and another with Win7, neither require login. Unless you and wife need different starting screeens, you could easily share. The benefit of having separate logins if there are multiple users is that her documents will be automatically stored in her folders (my documents, my pictures, my videos, etc) and yours will be in yours. If this feature is not needed you can share and have windows just launch to the startup screen right away. If there is only one profile (and no password) in the User Profile area of control panel, windows will just launch to the full start screen.

You can also have separate logins without needing to 'sign in' with a password. Just make the password empty in the User Profile area and then when Windows launches you just click on which user you want to be and it will launch windows right away with your preferences, desktop setup, and profile folders ready to go.


I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Thanks Ray I know it well.

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Thanks John, Audio midi i/o that's a biggie. I'll check into that while I wait for the puter. My pc has been behaving since I ordered the laptop. Just coincidence probably.

I opted out of the printer scam. It is the biggest ink golden egg there is. Haven't use one in about 3 years. Don't miss it. I'll sell it to you cheap.

Matt, Thanks again for the help. I'll wait and see how login is in 7

Tommo', turn left at the cowboy and right at the next hitchin post, keep going to the Billy the thug sign and it's the next right. Coffee's always good, cause it's not always on. Got good tea too next time you are in central New Mexico. I'll let you throw my tomahawk. Don't see that word too often these days. Great help everyone. I have much to learn.

Thanks for login lowdown rharv. need to think about that some.
Ron

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Quote:


Matt, Thanks again for the help. I'll wait and see how login is in 7
Ron



Login is unchanged from Windows XP and Vista (although I think it works faster than Vista).


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.
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