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RealBand
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,845
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,845 |
Are you aware that you can change the chord grid for each generation? This really is a cool feature of RealBand (and I have used it a few times). I really wish that you could save alternate chord grids that you could then call back up for specific tracks. Those would get saved with the file, so as you are working track to track, you don't have to remember previous changes. I know I had put that on the wishlist at some point, but it would be a cool feature in that you could then generate multiple tracks (even sections of multiple tracks) simultaneously against different chord grids with one operation.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,060
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,060 |
There is some nice responses describing nice features of RealBand but not many that respnd to the original question, "What daw features does RealBand lack that other daws have?"
The answers so far are: Clunky GUI, VST timing and midi based versus sample based. Are there any other daw features RealBand lacks?
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RealBand
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 86
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 86 |
Has too many windows -- needs ability to drag window to second monitor.
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RealBand
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,632
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,632 |
Do you mean having RB share 2 screens all on its own? Yeah, that would be nice if you could drag a window out of the main frame; keep mixer and tracks windows both visible.
Who knows .. surprising things are coming from PGMusic. As usual.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
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RealBand
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,845
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,845 |
You can do this if you drag the main RealBand screen across both video monitors. Not exactly what the OP was looking for, but an intermediate workaround;
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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RealBand
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732 |
You can do this if you drag the main RealBand screen across both video monitors. Yeah, I do that with my other DAWs too.
 Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics. PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,512
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,512 |
I personally LOVE Real Band and could not really say what is "missing" beyond what the tech department gradually adds as useful features. I think they are doing a great job with steadily improving it as essentially a free tool that comes with BIAB.
Real Band was never designed to compete with a Sonar or anything like it --that's not what PG Music does, and the costs would be prohibitive, I think, to try and enter the market of high end products with floating screens and titanium colored mixing panels and all the bells and whistles.
What Real Band does extremely well, in my opinion, is GENERATE AUDIO and RECORD AUDIO. In that aspect, it is a beast, and it is my go to workhorse DAW for recording audio. It loads fast, and I never have any spiking issues. I get a good clean solid .wav than I can drag into another DAW (I mix in Sonar.) Also, let's not forget that RB doesn't just generate audio, it also generates midi, and that is HUGE, if you know what to do with it.
I suppose they might work on the mixing board of RB to give you the type of slider and "board feel" you would get with a Sonar, but I am not sure that would be worth their investment.
$99 gets you Sonar Artist, which is pretty darned close to Platinum except you don't get a few of the high end mastering plug ins. But you can substitute your own VSTs.
So, my process is:
A.) I record in RB.
B.) I tweak in Audacity. C.) I mix and do all effects and EQing per channel and in the master bus in Sonar.
D.) I do a final run in Ozone for the final master.
This all seems to work pretty well, and it is not expensive at all, but seems to be highly effective.
So I personally feel I am living in heaven with all these great tools around me.
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,060
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,060 |
Fixed with release of 2016 RealBand Build 10!
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RealBand
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,632
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,632 |
Fixed with release of 2016 RealBand Build 10! Pleasant surprise to see it posted for public consumption tonight. There are many cool things coming. This goes against protocol, but certain other members were instrumental in helping push this along. I was more of a 'thorn in the foot'; they really helped in the trenches with testing.. so KUDOS to those who contributed. This is a HUGE step toward something that has been requested by serious users for a long time. Once again PGMusic pulled through and it is given to us as an 'update' to existing users. Many companies may have held out until 'upgrade' time (read more $$) This is the type of thing that makes PGMusic stand out to me. They figgered it out and are still working with other developers/companies to help define the standard(s) for this feature. They realized there are lots of potential 'holes' in the current system and are contributing to solving this. /I am NOT a PGMusic employee, so this is just my opinion (not official by any means). Just sharing my experience. PGMusic rocks.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,060
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,060 |
I don't think I've ever seen PG Music release a program update this late in the season. This year has been full of pleasant surprises but this is truly something special.
Once again PG Music - - - - - - - - - THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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RealBand
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 110
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 110 |
Hi David, I'm curious about your comment "B" that you "tweak in Audacity." Would you mind giving a little more explanation? Thanks.
Keep on Rockin' Sonny Ray
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RealBand
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,897
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,897 |
Hi David, I'm curious about your comment "B" that you "tweak in Audacity." Would you mind giving a little more explanation? Thanks. Many of us use a similar process.... I write in BB and get the song itself how I want... key, tempo, structure, etc... I move it to Real Band where I render my tracks as audio waves. I import them all to Sonar where I mix, and add my live tracks. All my mixing, polishing, and "tweeking" is done in Sonar. I export the finished Wave and use Wavepad, an audio editor/converter to trim to length as well as set the final wave level and then convert my MP3's from it.
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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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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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.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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!
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