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I know this will make folks mad BUT if your new to DAW use buy Power Tracks Pro. It's 29 dollars and has 100s of features you'll know about howevr that's better than Reaper,etc. that'll have 1000s of features you know nothing about.
PT will keep the waters less muddy and works perfectly as an add on to BIAB.
JohnnyD
Hi John, Even though I have only been on the PGmusic forums for less than a week, I have learned enough about the people here to say that I would be very surprised if anyone here would get mad about your recommendation of Power Tracks Pro. I think that your rationale for suggesting that to Vincente is a wonderful one, and I agree completely that Reaper (and some other DAWs) are so complicated at first that it could put someone off. I am grateful for the other suggestions, too.
Last edited by drutgat; 10/14/18 10:52 AM.
"If The Beatles or the 60's had a message, it was 'Learn to swim'. And once you've learned - swim!"
John Lennon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I used SONAR for decades. When we thought they were gone, I tested all the demos I could find and switched to Mixcraft.
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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I used SONAR for decades. When we thought they were gone, I tested all the demos I could find and switched to Mixcraft. In my last huge purchase on a computer to do audio recording (in 2007), I went Mac, and I have to say that I really, really liked the simplicity of workflow in GarageBand - more than Logic, actually. That was a great 'starter' DAW. Am going to look at Mixcraft now, if it is still around.
"If The Beatles or the 60's had a message, it was 'Learn to swim'. And once you've learned - swim!"
John Lennon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Wow, so much great advice here.
I'm just gonna add that I think Matt Finley said it best earlier in the thread "Most people will recommend the one they know best because if you learn one there is rarely a good reason to use another."
The most important thing, IMO, is to pick one based on what you read here and stick with it.
Each DAW will have its own way of accomplishing things and its own learning curve.
That said, as someone else in this thread very wisely pointed out, since it appears that the DAW of choice in these forums seems to be Reaper, go with that to the extent that you may be soliciting advice from forum members throughout your musical journey.
Band-in-a-Box 2024. Custom Build Desktop PC W/ Windows 10 Home 64-bit. CPU: Intel Core i5-9600k @ 3.7GHz (6 core x 6 threads) RAM: 16GB DDR4. Storage 238GB SSD + 2.7 TB HDD. GPU: ZOTAC NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
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+1 for learning RealBand and seeing if it meets your needs. If not, start shopping for something that has features you need. I grew up with Cakewalk from the DOS days. You can now use it free at www.bandlab.com , but it pretty much expects you to be connected to the Internet. https://cakewalk.bandlab.com/
Last edited by PhillyJazz; 10/15/18 01:58 AM.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
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Yamaha RX-v381amp
VB-Audio virtual cables
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I should confess I don't use RealBand, but like PhillyJazz I had long since learned Cakewalk Pro Audio (which became SONAR, which recently became BandLab). I'm wrongly following my own advice by not learning this particular "new" one when I already knew another quite well. Many users here make a great case to learn RealBand for the special abilities it has, most notably regenerating sections of a track.
If I were starting out, I certainly would have learned RealBand first. Then moved to a standalone DAW.
Standalone DAWs are like foreign languages. They all do the almost the same things; they just go about it differently. The more of them you learn, the easier it gets as you see the similarities. Often it's a case of learning the terminology (what one DAW calls this, another calls that).
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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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I agree that RB is a good place to start if you are a BB user. In addition, you can generate additional RT's for the same instrument so you can make composite tracks. I also like the interface for RB. Once you get used to the DAW concept (I am just getting comfortable), I would think about Reaper. I have been watching the videos about Reaper lately and it seems to do things that RB can't. I am going to bring my next BB project into Reaper to see how it goes. As far as your wife killing you for spending the money, you might want to put it in perspective for her. You could be a big game hunter, a car enthusiast or spend your dough on boating and fishing gear. Recording is a lot cheaper.  2b
i5-3210 laptop. Win 10 Home. 2.5ghz, 64 bit. 6gb RAM. Focusrite Scarlet 2i2.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks, John. I didn't know that. I will take a look.
i5-3210 laptop. Win 10 Home. 2.5ghz, 64 bit. 6gb RAM. Focusrite Scarlet 2i2.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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+1 for learning RealBand and seeing if it meets your needs. If not, start shopping for something that has features you need. I grew up with Cakewalk from the DOS days. You can now use it free at www.bandlab.com , but it pretty much expects you to be connected to the Internet. https://cakewalk.bandlab.com/ Hi PhillyJazz, Thanks for the Bandlab link. Even though it has loops for various genres, it seems to be aimed at the Electronic Dance Music crowd in terms of the sonic quality of the instruments and so on. For "sonic" read "MIDI". Still, it is somewhat interesting. Very, very different from Sonar.
"If The Beatles or the 60's had a message, it was 'Learn to swim'. And once you've learned - swim!"
John Lennon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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So what's the catch there .... ?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Okay, don't get confused here folks. Yes, BandLab is an online platform for creating (as indicated, loop based EDM music), but that's not what we're talking about here. When Cakewalk went out of business, Bandlab bought their software resources and are now marketing what was previously Cakewalk Sonar Platinum as Cakewalk by Bandlab. This is a full featured DAW that has been in use by many musicians for many, many years, capable of creating all types of music.
So, by downloading the Bandlab installer, in addition to using your account to access the online Bandlab software and loops, you also use it to install and keep updated the new Cakewalk DAW on your computer. The only difference between Sonar Platinum and the new Cakewalk by Bandlab is they don't have all the additional add-ons (because those agreements were originally made between Cakewalk and the 3rd party vendors, which wasn't included in the transfer of Cakewalks intellectual property).
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks John for the detailed explanation. That certainly clarifies the position. We are talking about two separate products, essentially.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I have not tried using it offline, but I had not used it for a while, and when I fired it up, it demanded I log into my bandcamp account and update my status. I don't know what would have happened had I been offline.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
Ketron SD4,SD1000
Yamaha RX-v381amp
VB-Audio virtual cables
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Yes.. I merely brought up Bandlab as the means of obtaining Cakewalk. I do not know that there is another (legal) way to install the bits locally, as Sonor is not "abandonware."
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
Ketron SD4,SD1000
Yamaha RX-v381amp
VB-Audio virtual cables
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I deleted Bandlab installer after I got cakewalk and it still runs fine.
win 10 64 bit 16gb,i7 chip, ssd 500gb, m-audio air, ,Roland BK-7M, 1000,shure sm7b,sonar,acid,mixcraft, variety of plugins.Sample tank 3,Kontakt. TC Helicon Voicelive 3 2 . https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases
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Cakewalk by BandLab is not (or at least was not) run from the BandLab site. From BandLab one downloads the installer and runs it. Then you let the installer download and install Cakewalk by BandLab and whatever extras they now have (eg the Melodyne demo). Once installed the download tool just sits there, a download tool will be required for updates etc.
If you have a present install of Sonar, Cakewalk by BandLab will pick up all the goodies you may have loaded. It will also pick it any VSTs (assuming you have the correct paths set in preferences). As said many times Cakewalk by BandLab is basically Sonar Platinum without all the add ons. In reality it is the add ons that really cost.
My two bobs worth
Tony
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home,
Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612
BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Okay, don't get confused here folks. Yes, BandLab is an online platform for creating (as indicated, loop based EDM music), but that's not what we're talking about here. When Cakewalk went out of business, Bandlab bought their software resources and are now marketing what was previously Cakewalk Sonar Platinum as Cakewalk by Bandlab. This is a full featured DAW that has been in use by many musicians for many, many years, capable of creating all types of music.
So, by downloading the Bandlab installer, in addition to using your account to access the online Bandlab software and loops, you also use it to install and keep updated the new Cakewalk DAW on your computer. The only difference between Sonar Platinum and the new Cakewalk by Bandlab is they don't have all the additional add-ons (because those agreements were originally made between Cakewalk and the 3rd party vendors, which wasn't included in the transfer of Cakewalks intellectual property).
Hi John, Thanks for this. That is what I thought was the case, but when I created the Bandlab account earlier today and played around with the interface and website, I saw no mention of Cakewalk, even though I was looking for it. There was a download link, but it in no way gave any clue that the product you could download was any different from the very different-from-Sonar product online. I will try again.
"If The Beatles or the 60's had a message, it was 'Learn to swim'. And once you've learned - swim!"
John Lennon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Charlie,
Interesting post about hardware DAWs. How do you transfer files from BB to the machine?
2b
i5-3210 laptop. Win 10 Home. 2.5ghz, 64 bit. 6gb RAM. Focusrite Scarlet 2i2.
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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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PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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 new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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