|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85 |
difference in Performance? I am not just talking about faster access and rendering times but also asking if it will make timing and beat reliability among tracks better.
I already run the BIAB program on the computer with SSD, but I am accessing the RealTracks on a peripheral 7,200 spin Hard Drive. If my peripheral drive is a Thunderbolt SSD would my sessions be "qualitatively" better?
Also, my Mac has 16mb of memory. When I am working on a PT session is there a way to load the RT data into RAM so my BIAB session does not keep accessing the RT data on the peripheral HD?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
Are you using the compressed files as that could cause timing problems. You could try converting them to wav in the real track folders so the program is using direct from wav without having to decompress the file first. If they are late in timing you could try and trim that amount off the front of all the files in that real track folder. I don't think having 16gig of ram would make a difference to the timing. Um..that's all I can think off that might help you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85 |
Fascinating reply - I guess buying the audiophile version is the way to go but it is incredibly expensive. And, I cannot imagine how big a 7200rpm hard drive I would need to store them.
I guess you are saying is that for each song I have selected and settled on a set of RT's for I could uncompress those only. So, for each song I would be doing different uncompresses. I do not have a program to uncompress but I use iTunes (it has a file converter) to do that and it works really well.
I never considered actually cutting a piece off of a PG RealTrack. This is a totally new thought for me. I have found some of the acoustic guitar strum RT's to be lagging. I might give that a go.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
I just did a G search and found this http://www.mediahuman.com/audio-converter/ check to see if it converts mono tracks to mono and stereo tracks to stereo.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85 |
Yes - it converts mono to stereo and looks really capable. It does not covert other formats to .wav or .aiff which is what I need - but I do that in iTunes. WHAT I HAVE NOT TESTED YET is whether I can convert .m4a into a .wav or .aiff.
I NEED THIS BECAUSE I have just found that rendering audio files out of Garageband means having an .m4a as a final product. I NEVER THOUGH I WOULD USE GARAGEBAND for anything but just discovered that you can apply Apple's iteration of AutoTune to any track. It works well (the technology was stolen from Antares when Antares forgot to protect it's patient in Germany).
From now on I will do all of my vocal tracks in GBand and then import them into BIAB or ProTools for further work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
I saw a windows version of it so I just got that, it should convert anything to wav or aiff. In the preferences config you select custom in the drop down and set channels to original so it will convert your mono real track to mono and not stereo and make it double the size.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602 |
Are you using the compressed files as that could cause timing problems. Pipeline, Could you please elaborate on this statement that you made? I'm a little confused about what you mean. I have used the compressed-file version of BIAB since Realtracks were first invented in 2008. I have not had a problem with timing. As I understand it, the process that PG Music use when generating backing is to convert the compressed file to a non-compressed wav (on PC) and then generate the backing from that wav. I'd imagine the process is similar on Mac. I can't see how pre-converting a file to decompressed audio will make for more accurate timing when that happens as part of the generating process any way. Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602 |
Kevin, In relation to your timing issue... Is it possible that you have combined tracks from the swing-beat family with tracks from the even-beat family? Doing this can create a sound that does fit together well. (Mixing 4/4 timed tracks with waltz tracks can also create a mismatch effect.) As shown on the image below, even-beat tracks will have EV in their name and swing-beat tracks will have SW in their name.  Also, if tracks are mixed and the tempo of the song is significantly different from the tempo at which the track was designed, strange consequences can arise. On the image above, the top track say 'EV 065' which means "even beat, designed to be used at 65 beat per minute (bpm)". The lower track says 'SW 090' and this means "swing beat designed to be used at 90 bpm". If the above tracks were used in a song that was set to a tempo of around 80 bpm, they'd probably both work fine. If, however, the song's tempo was 60 bpm, the track designed at 90 bpm may not work well. Similarly, if the song's tempo is 100 bpm, the track designed for use at 65 bpm would probably not work too well. Hope this helps, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85 |
No, I have been careful about this. There are just some RT instruments and RT's sets that really have a tough time rendering without glitching. For example, open Real Track Set 72 - electric piano based cool Jazz tracks. Check out the first one - =SJAZZC2 Demo - (RealTracks-PianoElecSmoothCoolSw100,BassElSmoothCool).SGU
this one and many in the set are so glitchy the piano is simply not useable unless you bury it in the mix.
AGAIN - I am on 2010.5 and maybe later versions of BIAB handle it better. But I am running a Quad Core Intel i7 processor and not running the BIAB program and the audio files on the same drive. I have 16GB of memory installed and my Drive is solid-state. So computing power is not my problem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602 |
Thanks for the style names, Kevin. I'll have a look and get back to you.
Regards
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602 |
Kevin,
I had a look at the style. The electric piano that's used has a delay effect on it and sometimes this delay seems to echo out of time. I wonder if this is partly what you're hearing.
As an experiment, try changing to Realtrack 907. This is the 'dry' version of 906. That is, RT 907 is the same electric piano but it doesn't have the effect added to it that RT 906 has.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 85 |
I will try that - but it seems to me that this RT Song stumbles over itself at some chord changes.
I maybe should wait till I have a version of BIAB newer than 2010.5 running before I make further comments. As I recall, 2020.5 was compatible with Leopard and Snow Leopard. I am probably (hoping) I am running software from PG that does not operate too well on an i7 Intel Quad Core processor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602 |
Kevin,
I can't remember with certainty but there have been 2 or 3 changes of engine that drive BIAB since 2010.5 version. It's good idea to wait for the up-grade.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,296
Posts802,855
Members40,085
| |
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