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Hi,
I have 2012 version of BB. Just the bare basics which came with it. Except for a Forte soft synth downloaded from PG music. Been thinking of getting a sound module like the ketron sd 2 or the roland sound canvass. People say they greatly enhance the sound of midi music. Would getting some real tracks be as good? Which would be better? One or the other or both? The only real tracks I would need would be a cello, viola, grand piano & maybe an alto sax. Can real tracks be purchased separately or do you need to buy a whole package of stuff not wanted?
Thanks
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That;'s great you want to upgrade the sound. Just be careful not to confuse audio with MIDI. The RealTracks are audio and are available in groups, by style, as well as a full package. They will not play your MIDI melody or soloist tracks, however; you would still hear that via Coyote Forte. If you want to upgrade the sound of the MIDI, you not only have choices of a hardware synth like the two you mentioned, but also software synths ranging from free to as much as you want to pay. What is most important to you?
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; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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In addition to the good information above, the RealTracks are probably likely to give you a more realistic result than MIDI will overall (and please, I'm not starting a MIDI vs RealTracks war - I use both)
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Russ,
What do you require of BIAB? If you can give us a bit of an outline as to how you use it, it will help with making suggestions.
Kind regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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Personally, I use both Real Tracks and MIDI. If I was forced to give up one or the other, I'd give up the Real Tracks and keep the MIDI.But my needs may not be the same as yours. BTW, the Ketron SD2 is an excellent sound module especially for a General MIDI sound set. It has the best sounding GM set of all the dozen sound modules I have and better than the soft synths I've heard that have a GM bank. Now why would I keep MIDI? MIDI is thousands of times more editable than audio (Real Tracks included). And 'editability' equals creativity and flexibility. And don't believe the BS about RTs sounding better than MIDI - virtually every recording produced in Nashville, LA, NOLA and elsewhere, every song you hear on the radio that has been made in the last 30 years has had MIDI embedded in it's DNA. There are bad sounding MIDI synths and there are good ones. Don't confuse the bad ones with the good. There are things I do every day with MIDI that are impossible to do with audio. If you have a similar sounding recording studio, the same mics, the same console, the same instruments, the same amps, and the same talent you can do a few, but not all of the things listed below: - Insert song specific licks. Many popular recordings have little melody, simple chords but depend on song specific licks (motifs or figures). Without them you don't have the song. You can insert them in MIDI without changing the instrument sound
- Same for rhythmic kicks (breaks, shots) that occur in specific songs
- Some songs require more or less snare drum, more cowbell, less cymbal or whatever. Easy to do in MIDI
- You may want to change drum instruments, for example a ride to the ride bell or cowbell on a Latin/Rock song. Easy in MIDI, impossible in audio
- How about changing instruments? In a particular song, that piano part might sound better as a Rhodes, Clav, or Bright piano - a few clicks away in MIDI
- My Edirol SD-90 synth has many different clean guitar sounds. I can change a guitar to a Tele (front or rear pickup), Strat, LP, 335, funk, or something else.
- Expressive devices like crescendo, diminuendo, accelerando, ritardando, and fermata without annoying audio artifacts are a snap with MIDI
- Don't want that roll when changing from an A to a B substyl? Copy and paste a non roll measure - no problem
- Want the A in one BiaB style and the B in another but the instruments don't match? F5 and change the instruments of the second style to match the first
- and these are only a few
Now don't get me wrong, I like the Real Tracks and think there is genius and/or magic in them. When they are right, they are right, but when they are only partially right, I can't make them right - not even with Melodyne.There are advantages to both RTs and MIDI, and I like having both tools in my audio tool box, but if I had to live with only one, it would definitely be MIDI. But like I said, your needs may be different from mine so I can't make a recommendation, only tell you what is important to me. Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Hi,
I have 2012 version of BB. Just the bare basics which came with it. Except for a Forte soft synth downloaded from PG music. Been thinking of getting a sound module like the ketron sd 2 or the roland sound canvass. People say they greatly enhance the sound of midi music. Would getting some real tracks be as good? Which would be better? One or the other or both? The only real tracks I would need would be a cello, viola, grand piano & maybe an alto sax. Can real tracks be purchased separately or do you need to buy a whole package of stuff not wanted?
Thanks Ahhhh and so beings the search for the best sound. I prefer to use a combination of real tracks and midi as well as live playing. But to answer your questions........... You can in fact buy the individual real track packs. Browse this page: http://www.pgmusic.com/realtracks.all.php?os=winfind the ones you like and get them. They will save you a bunch of time when you do not need a specific melody played. If you want a cello part to play a specific melody, you will either need to hire a cello player and record them or use a decent synth with a reasonably realistic patch or better yet, a sampled cello. The better samples will cost you more than a patch player, but, the difference in quality is apparent from the beginning. For about the price of the sound module, you could alternatively pick up a copy of Kontakt. It is one of the better synths on the market and comes in on the low end of the ones the professionals use for film and TV scoring among other things. It uses samples and comes with an entire orchestral compliment of samples and there are tons of 3rd party sample libraries made for it that are available at decent prices. It leaves TTS and most all the other "included in the package" synths in the dust when it comes to versatility and quality. Using Kontakt and one of it's cello or piano samples, you can easily get the right sound to the melody you want played in the song.... use real tracks for the background parts and it will amaze you at how real it sounds. Check it out. >>>> http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/samplers/kontakt-5/
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 02/07/16 05:48 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Although I do use RTs on occasion I mostly use MIDI for the same reasons as Notes. As Notes indicated there is a lot you can do with MIDI, however it does have a learning curve. Fortunately almost all of what you learn can be applied to any MIDI sound source, that is one set of instructions for many different hard or soft synths. Plus this is not a steep learning curve.
My experience says that you can get excellent results with either of the sound modules you mentioned for the cellos, violas, and grand piano. Straight out of BiaB they may sound dull but with a little MIDI manipulation they can sound as good as RTs IMHO plus you can make them play what you want when you want with the sound you want very easily.
I would either use RTs for the Alto sax or a much more expensive MIDI sound source. Saxes are impossible to realistically emulate with inexpensive sound sources. I had to buy Samplemodeling's saxes and a wind controller to get realistic sounding saxes. A good keyboard MIDI controller with an expression pedal would get the same results except that I do not play the keys very well.
A MIDI rule of thumb is the more money you spend on a sound source the more realistic your sounds will be. This includes both hard and soft synths. Having said that your two choices are a perfect way to get into MIDI.
I agree with the other posters that it is not an either or choice when it comes to MIDI and RTs. Use the best tool that fits the job.
{edit} I see that Herb was writing at the same time! Kontakt is my go to MIDI sound source. If you can buy that do it. You will be much happier in the long run.
Last edited by MarioD; 02/07/16 04:56 AM.
The fitness trainer asked me, "What kind of a squat are you accustomed to doing?" I said, "Diddly."
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Hi russ66,
In 2012 every Band-in-a-Box (Biab) package included some midi styles, the Coyote WT soft synth and at least one RealBand combo. So you have everything to need to discover using all the different types of accessories available to Band-in-a-Box at that time. As others have indicated it boils down to do you prefer using midi or audio.
I strongly suggest that, at the very least, you update the Band-in-a-Box program to the current edition (2016 for Windows or 2015 for Mac). Then you can take advantage of new audio sources such as loops and UserTracks.
Both Usertracks and loops are audio so you will find there is a great amount of audio available for use without additional investment.
Jim Fogle - 2025 BiaB (Build 1128) RB (Build 5) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
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Russ, a few questions and a comment for you:
1. How well do you understand midi?
2. What's your budget?
3. How much do you know about controllers?
The thing is Notes is a pro at this. He's an excellent player and plays reeds, guitar and keys. Maybe more, not sure. He has controllers and knows how to use them.
I kinda think that's not you Russ because if it were you wouldn't be asking your question.
High level midi work is not for older nooby's. It's for young cats who learned it when they had the time which is the reason for the RT's. RT's get you close and sound great without tons of midi frustration. But if you want note for note perfection then midi is the only way other than hiring players.
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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Yes, MIDI like any instrumet takes a learning curve. But you don't have to be young to learn it. I started in my 40s.
Learning MIDI was much, much easier than learning guitar. And listening to your creations as you learn is fun.
Since you posed the question as an either/or situation, the choice has to be MIDI or else you are stuck with whatever someone else played. You may as well listen to the radio or spotify.
MIDI lets you unleash your creativity and make YOUR music instead of someone else's music.
Of course, it's best to have both and use either RTs, MIDI or both. You can't have too many tools in your musical tool box.
Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hey, thanks to all of you for the replies. Here's my situation. Yes, I'm still a newbie even tho I've had BB for 3 years now. I'm 71 yrs. old. when I started with this I barely knew the diff. between a track & a channel. I don't understand a lot about midi. Midi, Schmidi! I have however learned how to put in songs readily with some basic edits & tweeks to enhance it. I don't play keyboard & don't understand controllers. I bought BB as an accompaniment tool (for which it is hyped). I've always played acoustic guitar & sang & was intrigued when I heard others using digital music for backing tacks. I have about 90 songs in BB now and use it for singing & playing guitar live @ small venue settings. Mostly care facilities & the like. I have a Bose L1 compact & have recently bought a Bose T1 tone match & really like sound it gives me for my voice & guitar. I am now thinking to enhance the sound of the backing tracks. The songs I sing are ballads, the sweet oldies songs & classics (stuff older people would like) some gospel & some Celtic. Maybe some soft rock. I only use a couple of styles. Smooth & easy going but not jazz. The instruments I choose are grand piano, fretless electric bass. standard drum kit, (witch is RT) a cello or viola for strings, piano or electric jazz guitar for melody although not in a jazz style. Been thinking about putting in some loops in some songs with a sax for the solo but don't like the sound of the midi sax in BB. This is what got me thinking about getting a sound module for better sounding instruments. I do no recording, except my voice on the audio track to add a little background harmony to my live singing voice on some songs. I'm a simple guy with a simple need here. Just would like a little better sounding instruments. That little Ketron sounds interesting. This has been lengthy, but I hope it gives a clear picture of who I am, what I do & what I need. What say you guys?
russ66
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Been thinking about putting in some loops in some songs with a sax for the solo but don't like the sound of the midi sax in BB. This is what got me thinking about getting a sound module for better sounding instruments. ....... What say you guys?
russ66 Just use Real Tracks. Simple. Sax real tracks in this tune: http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=8255563And this one: http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=8085316And this one: http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=8235970they work superbly
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Russ
After describing your situation and experiences, I agree with Herb's comment above. Unless you require specific riffs and special music phrases, Realtracks will give you great sounds, fantastic realism with minimum effort.
Trev
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Hey, thanks to all of you for the replies. Here's my situation. Yes, I'm still a newbie even tho I've had BB for 3 years now. I'm 71 yrs. old. when I started with this I barely knew the diff. between a track & a channel. I don't understand a lot about midi. Midi, Schmidi! I have however learned how to put in songs readily with some basic edits & tweeks to enhance it. I don't play keyboard & don't understand controllers. I bought BB as an accompaniment tool (for which it is hyped). I've always played acoustic guitar & sang & was intrigued when I heard others using digital music for backing tacks. I have about 90 songs in BB now and use it for singing & playing guitar live @ small venue settings. Mostly care facilities & the like. I have a Bose L1 compact & have recently bought a Bose T1 tone match & really like sound it gives me for my voice & guitar. I am now thinking to enhance the sound of the backing tracks. The songs I sing are ballads, the sweet oldies songs & classics (stuff older people would like) some gospel & some Celtic. Maybe some soft rock. I only use a couple of styles. Smooth & easy going but not jazz. The instruments I choose are grand piano, fretless electric bass. standard drum kit, (witch is RT) a cello or viola for strings, piano or electric jazz guitar for melody although not in a jazz style. Been thinking about putting in some loops in some songs with a sax for the solo but don't like the sound of the midi sax in BB. This is what got me thinking about getting a sound module for better sounding instruments. I do no recording, except my voice on the audio track to add a little background harmony to my live singing voice on some songs. I'm a simple guy with a simple need here. Just would like a little better sounding instruments. That little Ketron sounds interesting. This has been lengthy, but I hope it gives a clear picture of who I am, what I do & what I need. What say you guys?
russ66
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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From reading your post, my impression of who you are, what you do & what you need tells me to recommend an external sound module. They are the least hassle, are not obsoleted by computer operating system changes and upgrades. Stay configured once they are configured. Are straightforward to learn and solid as a rock.
Once you get comfortable with using midi, you will enjoy it and will recognize the increase in quality of your backing tracks. Since you use BIAB for backing tracks, that means you do covers. Covers many times have specific riffs, instruments, solos, etc that cannot easily be obtained with RealTracks. They are extremely easy with midi.
Don't underbuy because at this point in time you do not understand. Once you begin working with midi, the understanding comes rather quickly.
Once you begin to understand midi, you will also understand that your sound module or soft synth if you decide to go that way was an investment in your music.
Therefore, you should approach your purchase as an investment. The better quality, higher featured modules hold their value very well.
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 02/08/16 02:35 PM.
BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Thanks to you all, I think I'll get a couple sets of RT for now. @ $29 per set ain't bad. I need to ask more questions of you guys from time to time, even if they are stupid questions I might be embarrassed to ask. In the few years I've had BB I have learned a lot from where I've started & BB has made me a better musician & reader of music.
russ66
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Thanks to you all, I think I'll get a couple sets of RT for now. @ $29 per set ain't bad. I need to ask more questions of you guys from time to time, even if they are stupid questions I might be embarrassed to ask. In the few years I've had BB I have learned a lot from where I've started & BB has made me a better musician & reader of music.
russ66 The only stupid question is the one that is not asked! No one here has ever made fun of a question. I should know as I have asked a lot of them!
The fitness trainer asked me, "What kind of a squat are you accustomed to doing?" I said, "Diddly."
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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You say you have BIAB 2012 and also are headed toward 1 - 2 $29 sets of Real Tracks.
Jim Fogle said,"I strongly suggest that, at the very least, you update the Band-in-a-Box program to the current edition (2016 for Windows or 2015 for Mac). Then you can take advantage of new audio sources such as loops and UserTracks."
This is a great suggestion because 2016 will get you a tone more real tracks with the upgrade. That's what I did. It's likely that the cost of the upgrade could be less that if you were to purchase the same "included" sets individually. You'd have to research that a little.
I'm also exploring the Kontact route since there are many 3rd party free samples that can be loaded into it.
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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Russ, I'm just a kid compared to you. I was born in 1945...
This is the key question. Do you really need those song specific hooks that you hear on records? If yes, you really want those then you have to learn midi. If it's no, you can live without them then the Real Tracks are awesome, no muss, no fuss.
Here's something else. If you like song specific backing tracks you can buy a hundred or so of them from several professional studio websites for about the same price as the Biab Ultra Pak. Just sayin. You can also go on Youtube and search for the name of a song and the words "backing tracks". You will be amazed at what you can find and you can download them for free.
But to all of us here, this isn't just that it's also a very interesting hobby, it's fun to roll your own.
Let us know what you think of this and I'll have some more comments for you.
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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Love the "Roll your own" analogy !!
BIAB 2017 Everything, RB 2017
Lenovo All-in-One. i5, 8gb Ram, 1 TB SHDD, Windows 10
Presonus AudioBox,Studio One 3, Behringer Xenyx302,
M-Audio Axiom 61, Samson Graphite 49.
Lenove Flex 15, i3,Windows 10
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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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XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
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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 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.
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.
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Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, 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, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
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.
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