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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 11
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 11 |
I was pretty disappointed in the performance of the BIAB external drive I received. So I got a cheap ($15) USB 3.0 enclosure and a relatively cheap ($70) solid state drive and put BIAB on that. It it way way faster. Realtracks/soloists used to take up to 30 seconds to get going, and now it's just a couple of seconds.
All computers now have USB 3.0, and solid state drives are fast enough to make use of that bandwidth, so I suggest that BIAB should come on a solid state drive in a USB 3.0 enclosure.
- Prices are low enough that you could buy 90GB-100GB drives in bulk for not much more than what is currently used.
- USB 3.0 is backwards-compatible with USB 2.0.
- You will save time installing/copying files to the disk before sending to a customer, because SSDs are so much faster than traditional 5400rpm 2.5" drives.
- You could just have the USB 3.0 / SSD as an option for an extra amount of money, for those who so choose.
If I had known about the severe speed handicap, I would not have purchased BIAB on disk (even as cheap as it was, only paying for shipping). I would have just downloaded it and put it on a USB 3.0 SSD to begin with...
thanks!
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,693
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,693 |
Good points and it sounds very tempting but what about some reports that say SSD's are not as long lasting as regular HD's, when they fail there's no warning at all and when they're dead, they're dead.
I just did a quick Google search about this and quite a few people say use an SSD for your system boot drive but use a regular HD for data storage because it's safer. If that's the case then considering PG's HD is about 95% Real Track data then there's little advantage from that point of view. But others say these drives are improving all the time, the prices have come way down as you say and reliability is now as good as anything else.
I have no experinece with SSD's just throwing this out there for discussion because I'm interested in this as well.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831 |
Thanks. Good suggestions, and those are exciting results that you've found, both in the price and the performance of SSD .
We are looking into it, and as hopefully will move to that when the price is right.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 335
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 335 |
Quote:
I was pretty disappointed in the performance of the BIAB external drive I received. So I got a cheap ($15) USB 3.0 enclosure and a relatively cheap ($70) solid state drive and put BIAB on that. It it way way faster. Realtracks/soloists used to take up to 30 seconds to get going, and now it's just a couple of seconds.
First world problems. Not fast enough. Geeze. Maybe PGMusic should throw in iPads with every purchase as well? I think the whole selling it on a Hard Drive is because it is a PAIN IN THE ASS to load Band in a Box from DVD, and downloading it and then keeping a backup copy is a pain as well. And since hard drives are real cheap.....makes sense that PGMusic gets some hard drives, offers them in lieu of DVDs and the added bonus is that you can, if you want, run the program from it.
But it is a laptop drive.....so what do you expect?
Quote:
All computers now have USB 3.0, and solid state drives are fast enough to make use of that bandwidth, so I suggest that BIAB should come on a solid state drive in a USB 3.0 enclosure.
And iPads. We want iPads with it too. But serious, not every computer has USB 3 (I'm using one right now that is 3 years old that does not have USB3). And musicians are more likely to have OLD gear rather than new fangled stuff. I know a few guys still running Windows XP and one that runs Windows 95!
Quote:
- Prices are low enough that you could buy 90GB-100GB drives in bulk for not much more than what is currently used.
Nope. It is still a lot more expensive per megabyte for SSD than standard.
Quote:
- USB 3.0 is backwards-compatible with USB 2.0.
Ok....
Quote:
- You will save time installing/copying files to the disk before sending to a customer, because SSDs are so much faster than traditional 5400rpm 2.5" drives.
They probably clone the disks......and it's not like they are selling 50,000 units a week (though they should be damn it!)
Quote:
- You could just have the USB 3.0 / SSD as an option for an extra amount of money, for those who so choose.
I guess, but then again you'd have people complaining that the SSD is this or that or doesn't have leveling or garbage collection or......the list goes on.
Quote:
If I had known about the severe speed handicap, I would not have purchased BIAB on disk (even as cheap as it was, only paying for shipping). I would have just downloaded it and put it on a USB 3.0 SSD to begin with...
Thank God you didn't chose the DVD option. You'd probably have gone on and wanted everything on BluRay or Holographic crystals.........
I think the hard drive is just fine. It's cheap, it works, and if someone wants to go faster than what the laptop drive can handle, they can use the drive as a backup and copy the files to where ever they want......just.....like.........you.......did.
Musician, Polymath, Google Jedi, Apple Master, Windows Wrangler and Digital Wizard. High ratings in Nerd-fu & Geek-fu.
M1 Mac Mini, MacBook Pro Touchbar 15", Intel 27" iMac, M1 Mac Mini
https://musician.social/@ericdano
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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 335
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 335 |
Quote:
Good points and it sounds very tempting but what about some reports that say SSD's are not as long lasting as regular HD's, when they fail there's no warning at all and when they're dead, they're dead.
Well, they have a limited number of times they can be accessed. The technology is still rapidly moving forward, so todays SSDs are not going to be in the same league as ones next year.
Quote:
I just did a quick Google search about this and quite a few people say use an SSD for your system boot drive but use a regular HD for data storage because it's safer. If that's the case then considering PG's HD is about 95% Real Track data then there's little advantage from that point of view. But others say these drives are improving all the time, the prices have come way down as you say and reliability is now as good as anything else.
Safer? Not really. The 5400+ RPM spinning platter and the head that is hovering like 1/20th the size of a piece of hair above said platter.....the potential is there for failure. Regular hard drives have been around for a LONG TIME and the tech is pretty reliable. Years usually. SSDs........not so much.
For what it is worth, my webserver has been running on an SSD for almost 2 years now. Not a single glitch.......yet.
Musician, Polymath, Google Jedi, Apple Master, Windows Wrangler and Digital Wizard. High ratings in Nerd-fu & Geek-fu.
M1 Mac Mini, MacBook Pro Touchbar 15", Intel 27" iMac, M1 Mac Mini
https://musician.social/@ericdano
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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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New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 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 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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