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HI ALL
How wrong can you be about BIAB I was for years.
Many moons ago when BIAB was born and appeared on the market.
I and many of my friends and keyboard players thought it was just another collection of midi voices and some sort of player and editor for midi files.
The very name Band In A Box and the cartoon character musician logo reinforced this.
So for many years I ignored it while I was wooed with the likes of Cubase and Cakewalk and so on.
Eventually about 5 years ago I began to see thing on Youtube that made me curious, so I investigated, and almost immediately bought BIAB 2014 Pro.
Since then there has been no stopping me and now up to scratch with 2018 ultra plus.
It took a long time to get here but I am so glad that I am here now, magical program and I don’t think twice on recommending it to anyone.
So thanks PG for a very pleasant journey and a great program.
Mike
Last edited by Mike Head; 10/14/18 06:56 AM.
BIAB2021 UltraPlus,AsusN55S1Tbssd, W10/64,Akai EIEpro Yamaha CVP405,SquireStrat, CoolsoftVMidSynth Novatation Impulse61 Ctr kbd, Cwalk blab Kontakt http://mikesmusic.byethost16.com/
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I know what you mean Mike,
I first used Band-in-a-Box back when floppy Disks were the thing and sound came from a Creative Labs SoundBlaster 16 sound card. Got tired of it.
Next time the program arrived on a cd rom. Still playing midi but Roland's Virtual Sound Canvas program gave the SoundBlaster Audigy card a run for the money. Got tired of it.
The last time the program came on a DVD. Still plays midi but through the Sonar TTS-1. But ... now there is also real audio created from RealDrums, RealTracks, UserTracks and loops. I've upgraded every year since.
Now is a magical time for audio production.
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HI ALL
...
The very name Band In A Box and the cartoon character musician logo reinforced this.
...
Mike
Yes, this has been the subject of much discussion over the years. Your comments would make a nice testimonial for PG Music. And thanks for all your contributions to the Forum, Mike.
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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Hey thanks.
For your replies guys .
Mat, PG are very welcome to use my comment should they so wish.
Just good to be in such good company .
Mike
BIAB2021 UltraPlus,AsusN55S1Tbssd, W10/64,Akai EIEpro Yamaha CVP405,SquireStrat, CoolsoftVMidSynth Novatation Impulse61 Ctr kbd, Cwalk blab Kontakt http://mikesmusic.byethost16.com/
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Yup, you get a lot of "eye rolling" and the occasional giggle when you mention that you use a product called "Band In A Box". That is until you actually play something for them that was created in BIAB.
I did a gig last summer that included an accomplished guitar player. He extolled the virtues of using a high-end keyboard to make the backing tracks for his "home studio" CDs.
I asked him to email me some of his best backing tracks, as MP3s. I chose one of his favorites, re-did it in BIAB, same key, same tempo, but added some RealDrums and RealTracks, then sent him back the new MP3. I doubt if it took a whole hour to complete.
I haven't a peep from him since!
Long live PGMusic.
LLOYD S
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Yep great software biab for anyone who doesn't have the money to afford studio time or session musicians, and that is most of us. Your comments on the name made me laugh though. I said to a luthier a few years ago "Have you ever used band in a box" and his reply was yep the kids use to use it. I think on reflection what he meant was something like this or something similar. Band in a box Maybe a better name might be, Session Musician pro, or something like that.
Last edited by musiclover; 10/14/18 09:59 AM.
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We have 22 songs licensed via Songtradr and several on their featured playlists. All songs were created by us (or via wonderful collaborators whom we met on the forum) using BiaB RT’s and RD’s. We’ve also been signed by Crucial Music as a result of a BiaB based song we submitted. Six years ago we never dreamed we would be able to produce music in many different genres. I mention this not in any braggadocio manner but only to illustrate that BiaB even allows rubes like us from out in the provinces to be players  There’s not much $ involved in these licenses but obviously the music placement folks don’t have any issues with BiaB’s quality. And folks that don’t get it or disparage BiaB can carry on w/o the benefit of having award winning musicians play on their projects!
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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Hi Mike ,Great to see your post that tells how good BIAB is.
Janice and Bud another great post by you guys and heres to much more success for you in the future.
I really cant thank Biab enough either ,it means I can produce a song (hopefully good) with great sounding tracks that people ask who did you get play Guitar? or Piano? or Drums?
The company are brilliant as well,always online,always encouraging and professional, the cost/payment structure is great and their seems to be a genuine interest in helping poeple make good songs
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I have to admit that I was one of the musicians who in the 90's where laughing about BiaB and couldn't see how the program could be of any use.
But when I rediscovered it about 5 months ago I was really surprised about how much better it is today. I'm very happy that I bought it and I can see a lot of possibilities in using it.
One wish for the future is that PGMusic will make many more "supermiditracks" because I like the combination of a real good session musician playing and me still being able to change the sound or the instrument. For modern day producers of music it is very important to be able to make a unique sound to the tracks they are producing. That (I believe) is the limitation of the the RealTracks.
Still a very happy customer!
Will
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Will,
As you investigate RealTracks, check out the ones marked "Direct Input" or "DI". For instance the surf RealTracks are "drenched" in reverb because that is part of the surf sound. However, the direct input variation of each, including the RealDrums, is effect free allowing you the opportunity to add effects as you desire.
I agree with your request though, I love midi SuperTracks. There is a request for more organ midi SuperTracks. Perhaps you can post a wishlist request for just more midi SuperTracks.
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We very much like the MSTs also. For guitar tracks the aforementioned DI option and a lot of regenerating/comping can add more uniqueness to your productions. Even w/o the DI regenerating multiple tracks and comping (sometimes down to the individual note level) can get you a track that much better supports your goals.
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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I and many of my friends ...thought it was just another collection of midi voices and some sort of player and editor for midi files.
The very name Band In A Box and the cartoon character musician logo reinforced this.
So for many years I ignored it while I was wooed with the likes of Cubase and Cakewalk and so on.
A very valid point Mike, and as Matt has mentioned, the product name has very often been the subject of discussion. There is a very interesting discussion about the name in this thread. The author has made a number of extremely valid and very positive points and speaks with some authority on the subject matter. It is detailed but definitely worth reviewing. There are other valuable discussions before and after this thread, also worth reviewing. It is my personal belief that they product could be more widely recognized in the industry if it were given a more positive and suitable product title. It does have a 'computer game' sound about it. That name might have worked reasonably well 20 years ago, but doesn't offer appeal to the tech-savvy musicians of today. However, the developers haven't identified with this and I personally feel this has impacted on their market saturation.
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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I like the name and the cartoon characters make it even more fun. Wouldn't be the same without them.
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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Hi all
Well what a response great to read all your thoughts .
What’s in a name if the product is good ?
Well I don’t think it done FL Studio any harm to come from just Fruity loops!
Mike
BIAB2021 UltraPlus,AsusN55S1Tbssd, W10/64,Akai EIEpro Yamaha CVP405,SquireStrat, CoolsoftVMidSynth Novatation Impulse61 Ctr kbd, Cwalk blab Kontakt http://mikesmusic.byethost16.com/
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It is my personal belief that the product could be more widely recognized in the industry if it were given a more positive and suitable product title. It does have a 'computer game' sound about it. That name might have worked reasonably well 20 years ago, but doesn't offer appeal to the tech-savvy musicians of today.
However, the developers haven't identified with this and I personally feel this has impacted on their market saturation.
Several years ago Dr. Gannon posted a link to an article that showed the market share of many well known computer music software companies. At the time, many in the forum were surprised to see that PGMusic's numbers were much better than they expected. The product has become more powerful since then. Even then it was ahead of some very well known competitors. Cakewalk is one I recall. For years products like Cubase and Cakewalk were packaged with hardware in order to get market penetration. To my knowledge, BIAB has never taken that route. The people who buy it are usually people who heard about it through an enthusiastic friend who owns it. (That's how I was introduced to BIAB) In spite of the differences in marketing strategy, BIAB has done better than you might think. I'd like to see an updated version of that article.
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Very reasonable feedback and discussion Pat. Thanks.
I guess the issue is that regardless of sales counts, friend's recommendations and more, how do we quantify if more sales or less sales could be attributed to the product title?
It's a bit like conducting a survey that asks a target audience "would you be more or less inclined to purchase an XYZ product if it was called 'Such and Such' or 'So and So' ? ". How would we ever know if market potential was being lost without the results of such a survey.
Frankly, it doesn't matter to me, I've already got the product. My only (unproven) concern is that PGM might be missing out on sales. I care about the company and the product and it deserves the best it can achieve.
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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Hey Pat, if you can find that link again I would like to read it - must have missed that one.
Mike, Fruity Loops is a terrific example. I didn't even consider looking at it until they changed the name. I give them credit for branching out into serious territory.
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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Well I don’t think it done FL Studio any harm to come from just Fruity loops! Mike, my point exactly! Completely separate from the music industry I've been exposed to other products that I just didn't seriously consider because of their quirky product names.
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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I started using BiaB when it was available for Atari, Mac OS6, and pre-Windows DOS. I had an Atari/St at the time.
Although I play 7 instruments, my primary instrument is saxophone. I bought BiaB when it was limited to 4 instruments with no endings, shots or holds.
I used BiaB to practice improvisation on the sax. Trying ideas out in the privacy of my own home instead of in front of critical ears, or getting the band together to play a song while I tried out different things.
The thing about improv is that it works best by creating and then releasing tensions with the rest of the band. That's hard to do without the band, but easy with BiaB.
I thought Band-in-a-Box sounded a little corny, but then Cakewalk and Mark Of The Unicorn don't sound that great either. I bought BiaB to practice with, not to impress others with the name of the app I'm using.
When user styles were introduced I made some for myself. Since I play multiple instruments and studied music theory and arranging I wanted to play with the StyleMaker and see what turned out. I made a collection of styles and gave them to my friends. My friends said they liked them better than the built-in BiaB styles (aren't friends wonderful) so I took out a classified ad in Electronics Musician Magazine advertising my styles for Atari computers.
One day I came home to find Peter Gannon's voice on my answering machine asking me to call him. I didn't know if he was going to ask me to stop or anything else so nervously I called.
Peter Gannon was warm and friendly, he put me at ease right away, and told me if I sent him my Atari disks, he would make sure they worked with the IBM-DOS (PC) computers so I could sell to his biggest market.
Peter has been nice and helpful to me from then until the present day. As a matter of fact, so has everyone else in PG Music.
I've written hundreds of styles since then, put them up for sale, and the nice folks at PG even send people my way if I have something that PG doesn't have. (And I never-ever try to duplicate PG Music styles - I'm a different musician with different ideas.)
I've also been solicited to do "for hire" work writing styles for other auto-accompaniment apps. I can't disclose the names as part of the deal, but I can say of the hardware/software and software apps that I've written styles for, BiaB has by far the most interesting and the most musical output. I think that's why it's a success and that's why we are all here.
Don't judge an app by the name, only by its performance.
IMHO BiaB is the very best auto-accompaniment product available, and the nice folks at PG Music keep finding ways to make it better.
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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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 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!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 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!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
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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)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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 PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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