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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 36
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 36 |
without PROTOOLS!!!! I have an XP P4 w 2 Gig and protools 8 barely runs and I have to turn off every service except windows--I even have to turn of restore points to save CPU space.
Look, all I want to do is get some BIAB track into RB then add my guitar and maybe add my steel too. Is there ANY reasonable solution???
I can't dedicate my Pc to this. I'm just a hobbyist and I'm playing for myself. Surely there's something I can do. Maybe record in BIAB then add steel In RB?? something.
Please!!?!?!?!?!
how about an M-audio delta 44 with its breakout box. would that work??? I'm ready to go back to my little Korg Pandora recorder and kill myself!
Win 7 64 biab 2016
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 583
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 583 |
All the more reason for the ease and simplicity of stand alone digital recorders. As a hobbyist, too, I can't imagine fretting and worrying over computer based recording. I simply bounce BIAB to a stand alone recorder, then add guitars, vocals, etc. Works beautifully. All that valuable time is spent on recording and mixing to CD, not chasing problems.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926 |
"I feel your pain." I have just come through the same difficulties and was on the verge of giving up. My PC matched the limited specs you give above; see full sys info, below. I had been trying to use the same machine for Internet and recording, it wasn't working, and I was gonna go postal.
What worked for me after all was the dedicated Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)--a PC devoted to music production. It's the same four-year-old machine, but with a clean install of XP Pro on a new fast hard drive and nothing else but other music apps on board. After sorting out numerous issues, mainly drivers and getting programs to talk to each other, it works beautifully. Note that my XP is so stripped down that it almost looks like Windows 95. There is no eye candy whatsoever.
I can tell you from recent experience that music and non-music apps (read: antivirus, firewall, antimalware, printer driver, instant messengers, scheduled tasks, system utilities, MS Office Fast Find, program updaters, screen savers, etc., etc., etc.--anything that stays in memory and is likely to take up processing cycles unexpectedly) don't play well together and aren't going to, no matter the tweaks. A Word From The Wise.
It sounds like you've been to blackviper.com to see about unnecessary services and followed those pointers. Try this: If you have Spybot S&D or the free Glary Utilities, look up either's Program Startup manager, which allows you to de-select unneeded programs from Windows startup. Doing so immediately removes them from memory and keeps them from starting with Windows. (Notable exceptions are QuickTime, HP printer drivers and Java update and a handful of others; them you have to tell a few times.)
If you really can't afford $300 or less for a machine to dedicate to Internet ops--a refurb or a Wal-Mart emachine, say, with a KVMA switch so they can share the same keyboard, mouse, monitor and speakers if necessary--consider a dual-boot system. Two installs of the same or a different OS on two partitions of the same drive. Maybe a $3 Ubuntu Linux for the Internet side, if you're any kind of a hacker and feeling frisky; maybe two installs of the same XP. There are people here who have done that and can tell you how.
But the best advice I can give you from my own experience is to dedicate a PC to the purpose of making music.
R.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,982
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,982 |
Hi, Quote:
Look, all I want to do is get some BIAB track into RB then add my guitar and maybe add my steel too. Is there ANY reasonable solution???
I can't dedicate my Pc to this. I'm just a hobbyist and I'm playing for myself. Surely there's something I can do. Maybe record in BIAB then add steel In RB?? something.
You can record audio in either Band-in-a-Box or RealBand, but RealBand offers you much more flexibility, one advantage being that you can record multiple tracks of audio in RB and only 1 track in BB.
You could generate an automatic arrangement using either Band-in-a-Box or RealBand. If you decide to use Band-in-a-Box, you can still open that .MGU or .SGU file (Band-in-a-Box song file) into RealBand. Then you can record your audio tracks.
It sounds like you are having trouble recording audio. At the very least, you could just plug an audio cable into the 1/8 inch stereo line-input on the back of your computer, then select a blank audio track in the Tracks Window, and press the Record Audio button.
If that's not working for you, then we would need to go through some steps such as making sure the correct recording device is selected in the Windows Mixer, and making sure the correct audio input driver is selected in RealBand. It would be best if we new what part of the process isn't working...
Andrew
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 62
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 62 |
I use a Line-6 Guitar port(Hardware) along with their Software Gear box or POD Farm. I record pedal steel into Real Band. It can be used as a stand alone amplifier with decent reverb etc. I listen to the wet output and record dry and add what I need on mix.
I use the line-6 ASIO. I have a good set of speakers hooked to the output of the guitar port and use this for all of my computer sound output. I also have a decent headset plugged into it also. I like this for recording amd practicing
I paid a little over $100 at guitar center.
I have a gateway laptop Vista Home Premium,
2G RAM
533 mhz CPU
160G Hard drive (40% Free)
I put my internet in standby and turn off anti virus while recording.
I have no problems with the system. I recorded into BIAB before Real Band
Ron
Line 6 Guitar Port Gear Box POD Farm Pedal Steel Guitar My Music
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199 |
Chappy,
I would recommend reading the reply in your other two posts on this forum, I've laid out a pretty good answer (in my opinion) that I think would be helpful to you.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 436
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 436 |
Yeah, if the computer is straining, just bang it over to a standalone digital recorder and multitrack. As long as BIAB will work, get the basics down in there, record to another device, and mix away.
Gene
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 126
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 126 |
For what it's worth...
I have been using this configuration to record multiple instruments, multiple tracks (typically 8-24) on the following configuration.
HP Pavilion with AMD (Athlon) 64 X 2 Dual Core Processor 4400+, 2.19 Ghz Processors, which is about 3 years old
2 GB ram
Windows XP Media Edition, Service Pack 2
Dual internal disk drives (500MB ea, one for O/S, applications, and one for audio)
Cakewalk Sonar Studio 5 (latest version available is 8)
Presonus Firepod (firewire), ten ch, Edirol FA-66, six channel(firewire)
Several soft synths, a pair of hardware synths/keyboards
I use BB to lay down ideas, and export that (midi/audio) to Sonar, and do all my instrument recording, mixing, etc. in Sonar. One can certainly use BB or RealBand (or PowerTracks Pro) to record instruments, mix, etc. However, I find that for my projects, I like the ability to bring in any number of synths, instruments, etc. Sonar provides me with that ability. Not to say you can't do it with BB, Realband (but you are limited to one Synth at a time), or others, but this is what I use. And, I can also run Sonar on a lap top (1.25 GB ram, single processor under 2 GHz.
I also have hardware multitrack recorders I use for live situations, and they afford other benefits, such as hands on multi-channel controls, etc. But for studio, I use my PC. I like the additional graphic views and more powerful/easier to use editing than most hardware recorders affort.
Depending on the other specs of you PC, you should be able to even use RealBand to do what you want. A suggestion, is to make sure no other applications are running, including antivirus/spyware utilities, as they can really hog system resources.
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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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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 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 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 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.
Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
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 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
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