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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 31
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 31 |
Hi all, Could anybody please explain what the various upgrade options are, as I'm finding it rather confusing. I bought the 2011 Megapak for Mac - which arrived just over a week ago by airmail. I'm now working my way through both the manual and the program, trying to get a general feel for it reasonably quickly. It's been something of mixture of delight at what it can do and bafflement at some weird quirks (some of which are probably user errors, but at least one of which has been confirmed by support as a bug with the current version). That's not unusual with new software though. But what I am still struggling with is trying to figure out the details of the Real Tracks, and what the options are if it looks as if I could do with more. The printed manual tells me that that I should be able to find some useful demos "from folders with names like Applications/Band-in-a-Box/RealTracks - Demos/RealTracks102 Demos" but no such useful sub-folders exist. Instead, there is one huge folder with over 300 files in, all of which have cryptic names that aren't very helpful and don't include the RealTrack set numbers. The only simple name among them was "RealSaxDemo.MGU" but when I clicked on it and opened it with BiaB it was a Jazz swing style track which didn't feature a sax at all??? The name that showed in BiaB was then "RealSaxdemo - see memo". Memo? What memo? There does seem to be a lot of loose ends with this current compilation and I'm having trouble finding the useful string amongst them all. I'm sure that the manuals and general layout and installation makes reasonable sense to users who are familiar with earlier versions and have been along for the ride as it grew. But to a newcomer it can be pretty cryptic. Mostly the demo have names like: Guitar,Acoustic,Rhythm,Jazz Freddie sw 140 A only #559solo.m4a or _BLSHUFF.SGU =NEALGP Demo.MGU There doesn't seem to be a list of what belongs to which pack or collection. When I've looked at this site the options also seem hard to fathom. On the one hand there's a list of 120 RealTrack sets at $29 each (for a rather unattractive total of over $3,000 - plus 29 Real Drum set, which would cost over $800 more. There are bundles of sets available at less stellar prices, but these are far too big for me to download, and I can't spot any option to buy them on discs. On the other hand, buying the UltraPlusPak on a hard drive would seem to give the lot for not a whole lot more than the cost of a Megapak and a hard drive.???  I gather than there is some kind of 30 day clause with BiaB and I'm still within that (order processed 16th May, received here on 27th May) but I don't know if whether that would apply in practice to overseas orders (I'm in Australia). Could anybody please suggest whether there is a reasonable upgrade path other than downloading lots of small sets over a long period of time, at considerable expense, or having to buy the whole lot again on a hard drive? Thanks for any help or enlightenment, Chris
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360 |
Hi Chris,
PG Music are a sensational company to deal with. They honour the 30 cay money back guarantee worldwide. I'm not sure how it works but I'd get straight on the phone on the toll-free number if it were me and find out. There's probably some small charge to cover freight if two shippings were involved. I don't know this for sure, though.
Like you, I started out cautiously because I wasn't sure how good the program was. After a few months, though,I upgraded to the UltraPlusPak.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,793
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,793 |
Quote:
Could anybody please suggest whether there is a reasonable upgrade path other than downloading lots of small sets over a long period of time, at considerable expense, or having to buy the whole lot again on a hard drive?
Thanks for any help or enlightenment,
Wow, so many questions.
This is why I alway have two recommendations:
1) By the ultrapak on HD - best bang for the buck adn you need all those addons.
2) Buy it when it is on sale.
Yes there is an upgrade path to go Mega to Ultrapac. You simply have to pay the difference (within the 30 day period). Best to call PG direct to arrange.
To your other questions.
1) This app takes a looooong time to learn.
2) Go to Help - What add on's do I have to see a comprehensive list of what you got and what is available.
Good luck.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 31
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 31 |
Thanks very much for the prompt and thoughtful replies guys. I guess I'm rushing things a bit - as Jazzmandan says it takes a long time to learn, and that was expected. But 30 days isn't much time to review it all, especially when a chunk of it gets eaten up by the shipping across the world. The tip about the "What add-on do I have " button was very useful - thanks for that. It showed that I have a number of RealTracks, including "11 - All Bluegrass Rhythm". Yet when I used a style that required that set, I got a message saying that some of 11 was missing and that I had no mandolin. So I guess that they make choices with the less than complete Megapak version, about which files to include. Normally, I'd expect to take a lot of weeks or months to work through exactly what you can and can't do with new software, but the range of options is so big here, and the task of trying to assess each element so huge that I think I'll just have to make something of a guess whether to stay with what I've got or take a leap of faith and shell out some more dollars. I guess you can't take it with you.... I'll email the sales guys later today and see what they can suggest or offer. Thanks for the help Chris
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360 |
Chris,
One other thing I discovered is that once you have the complete version of BAIB, it's very reasonable to keep up-to-date with upgrades every 6 - 12 months.
All the best,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944 |
Hi Chris,
With the posting of your song. As you suggested, I tried to move the post to the User Showcase Forum. But it got accidentally zapped instead - I don't know why. Sorry about that. So please repost that thread in the User Showcase Forum. It's a real nice tune and performance.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944 |
Chris,
The Pro Pak come with about 20 RealTracks.
The MegaPAK comes with about 80 RealTracks.
The UltraPAK comes with all of the RealTracks - which is over 600!
The RealTracks on the Pro and Mega are grouped into "Combos" (which are like bands). So they aren't grouped according to RealTracks Set #. That's why there is no folder to see the demos, just a big list of all of the demos that you get in the RealTracks - demos folder.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 31
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 31 |
Thanks everybody for all your patience, and for the useful suggestions and explanations.  Cheers, Chris
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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.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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 new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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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 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
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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)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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 PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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