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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2011
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OP
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I bought a dell with no special sound card and now I need something better. I see the choices at Dell right now seem to be these: http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=dh...amp;y=0&p=1Sound Blaster X-Fi Extreme Audio Sound Card Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI Express Sound Card Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium PCI Express Sound Card Sound Blaster Audigy SE PCI Sound Card Any thoughts? Thanks, Saxmaam
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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What do you want to do, and what are system specs (so we know the options)?
OS? Win7?
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Get a M-Audio card instead, much better, and very stable driver wise. 10 years here and going strong.
24/96 delta
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2008
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I agree with Robh...don't get a Sound Blaster card. They are not very good for anything other than basic audio.
Just my 2 cents!
Dave
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 289
Apprentice
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Apprentice
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Posts: 289 |
Quote:
Get a M-Audio card instead, much better, and very stable driver wise. 10 years here and going strong.
24/96 delta
Yep that's +1 from me as well - never had any probs with mine.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28
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OP
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OS - Win 7
Dell Studio XPS 8100
Those are some pretty strong votes for M-Audio. Dell tells me I need an
PCI Express x1 interface. Does that sound right? I didn't see anything but
regular PCI cards when I looked at the m-audio site, but maybe I wasn't
looking in the right place.
SaxMaam
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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While I might tend to disagree about what can be done with Creative cards -- there are some folks who have been able to get stellar results from them -- they are no longer the easy-to-use and rock solid in operation situation that could be. Creative has had driver problems, there have been features advertised for use by the working musician that are either not implemented very well or even nonexistant, and IMO the hardware of the cards outstrips the software and drivers that Creative typically supplies with them. It is revealing that an open source project (the KX drivers) can get so much more out of the cards, but use of those is not advisable for the nontechnical type or the person who just wants to get on with the music rather than deal with operational and control issues that might look more like the cockpit of a 737 to them <g>.
The M-Audio Delta card, as already recommended to you, such as the AP 24/96, on the other hand, enjoys very good driver support, has a large and generally happy customer base and has indeed proven to be able to turn in yeoman's duty day after day with little to no sudden problems cropping up out of nowhere. There is a learning curve, but it is very minimal by comparison to other sound devices IMO. And the track record of the card is getting to be quite venerable indeed, many of us have had the same AP card going on years, simply installing it into new machines with new Operating System releases, download and install the correct and latest drivers from the M-Audio suppport pages - and are up and running with very little technical fuss.
M-Audio AP2496
Known to work and play well with PGMusic products.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2003
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I'm one of those guys that love the 737 cockpit.
Check my specs.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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So that AP2496 is a regular PCI, not PCI Express x1. It's a different connector. So I'm still not sure what to do here.
Maybe I'm on the wrong track. What I want is to get good MIDI sounds. Should I just be using a software emulator? I have a BIAB everything pack that's a couple of years old, and I seem to recall there's some kind of good software emulator in there ...
Susan
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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If good MIDI is all you want go with a HW unit like the Ketron.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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For software emulator in Win 7 you can't use the old free one that came with BiaB (VSC DXi) IF you are running 64 bit Win 7. VSC only works on 32 bit systems.
Next suggestion would be the Coyote Forte for $40, or hardware synth for a few hundred. Forte is sold here on this site (or on Coyote site), and comes with a demo period to try it out.
Delta cards come with no MIDI synth sounds, you'd have to use software synth or hardware synth running thru the card. Creative cards usually do include a synth.
Last edited by rharv; 09/24/11 09:39 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2009
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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I use M-Audio USB. No problems yet. Was the most cost effective as well ...
I'm doing allright for Country Trash ....
I used to care, but things have changed (Bob Dylan)
BIAB 2026W + RB
M-Audio FastTrack C600, Rode NT2-A
Digitech VoiceLive 4
Epiphone Sheraton, Ibanez 12str, Washburn 6str, Cort 6Str Nylon
Yanagisawa Tenor Sax
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Posts: 28
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Quote:
I use M-Audio USB. No problems yet. Was the most cost effective as well ...
Does that include a hardware synthesized midi sounds? What model?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2011
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OP
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Quote:
For software emulator in Win 7 you can't use the old free one that came with BiaB (VSC DXi) IF you are running 64 bit Win 7. VSC only works on 32 bit systems.
Next suggestion would be the Coyote Forte for $40, or hardware synth for a few hundred. Forte is sold here on this site (or on Coyote site), and comes with a demo period to try it out.
Delta cards come with no MIDI synth sounds, you'd have to use software synth or hardware synth running thru the card. Creative cards usually do include a synth.
Does Coyote Forte come with any version of BIAB these days?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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No but you can still buy it. The version that does come free is the Coyote Wavetable, which is different and not as good.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2011
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Apprentice
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Apprentice
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Is it midi sounds that you want or are you more interested in VST plugins. They can be very realistic and use midi data to trigger the sounds. They are also soundcard independent.
There are some good free vst downloads to be had.
Regards.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28
Enthusiast
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OP
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Posts: 28 |
Quote:
Is it midi sounds that you want or are you more interested in VST plugins. They can be very realistic and use midi data to trigger the sounds. They are also soundcard independent.
There are some good free vst downloads to be had.
Regards.
I don't know! I think technology has changed a bit since I last paid attention. I'd like BIAB to sound well of course. But there are some other music programs that use MIDI sounds and I would like them to be decent also.
Can you point me to a good VST site?
SaxMaam
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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MIDI samples that come bundled in or with the soundcard are all but nonexistant anymore.
Some of the Creative cards still support use of Soundfonts for the MIDI sounds, but apparently even some of those are now no longer actual separate hardware storing and controlling those sounds, the cards now just come bundled with the equivalent of a software based soundfont player.
My advice to SaxMaam is to keep it simple and first purchase and install Band in a Box, use the computer's internal soundcard and either the built in Microsoft MIDI software synthesizer that is a part of the Operating System. The purchase of Band in a Box will include an evaluation copy of the DXi software synth that works with Win7 and it is good for 30 days. That should give you time to decide whether to go that 40 dollar route or perhaps look into hardware MIDI synth options.
Meanwhile, Band in a Box can run quite well enough using the computer's already included sound device.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks Mac,
I think you're right about my path forward. I've had BIAB for many years and I think I have the 2010 everything pack. Do you know if that will run under win7? I have win7 "home premium". Do you know how to tell if that's 64 bit or 32?
Susan
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Right click on 'My Computer' and select properties. That should say if it is 64 bit Windows. If it doesn't it is likely 32 bit.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
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Season's Greetings!
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Team PG
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