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I'm looking to buy a new Windows laptop that will run BiaB. Any recommendations? I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to inquire on.
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My laptop is a pretty old Toshiba so I’ll let others recommend current ones. My only recommendation is, don’t skimp on the CPU.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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The only laptop I'll buy is a ThinkPad. They are almost bulletproof. I'm still using a 2002 model on stage.
I can't give you details, but I always go for the biggest HD and the most RAM they offer. These are the kinds of things you can't have too much of.
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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Since you're purchasing new and want one primarily to run Band-in-a-Box my suggestions are:
1) If you can choose between a desktop or a laptop, choose the desktop. You may be able to use your existing monitor, speakers or other accessories thus saving some upfront costs. Desktop parts are cheaper than their laptop counterparts and MUCH easier to swap if there is a need to in the future.
2) Buy a name brand you trust. Dell, Lenova, HP, Toshiba and Acer all have well designed and configured products. I prefer Dell just because I've used a lot of their stuff, the website product support is easy to navigate and is very comprehensive, the included hardware diagnostics are good and you can download user, parts and service manuals.
3) The two main cpu processor manufacturers are Intel and AMD. While both work well I prefer Intel because the Intel cpu support chips seem to perform better in audio tests than AMD. I would look for i3, i5 or i7 cpu chips. The higher the number, the more powerful the Intel cpu.
4) Buy as much ram as you can afford with 8 GB as a minimum and 16 GB or higher desirable.
5) Buy as large of a primary storage drive as you can afford.
6) If you must choose between cpu, amount of ram or storage drive size I'd want more ram first, upgraded cpu second and storage third.
6) Finally, The two main versions of Microsoft Windows are Home and Pro. Get Pro because Pro has more configuring options you may need later on since you're working with audio.
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If you're looking for a laptop, consider a USB to audio output device to drive external speakers, rather than the 3.5mm plug on the laptop. The USB connection will be much more reliable.
The speakers in laptops leave a lot to be desired, and you'll need an external sound system. (You may have this already.)
Definitely go for Intel chipset, and my recommendation is i5 as a minimum (i7 preferred)
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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Definitely agree with VideoTrack on the Intel chips and the i5 or i7 recommendations. Have helped several others set up DAW audio systems, those that went with i3's were sadly disappointed early on due to speed and processing capabilities.
Jeff
Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2026, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3
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And I agree with VideoTrack on the USB to audio interface.
The USB connection is more reliable and the bandwidth is probably wider (depending on the computer) so the fidelity would be better.
Choose the outboard amp and speakers well. There are a number of near field powered monitors that should do the job nicely. Of course the better they sound, the more they generally cost, but choose your point of diminishing returns.
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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Thanks for the tips!
I'm wondering if a gaming laptop would be the way to go, since it is more powerful.
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A gaming laptop will have better graphics, and possibly sound, and probably more RAM.
Definitely you want to be checking processor (i5 and preferably i7), RAM (8Gb and preferably more, like 12 or 16), and disk drive capacity (like 1Tb plus). Check screen size that it is large enough for your viewing purposes.
Other things to check are the number of USB ports (and that USB-3 is included).
Touch screen might be a nice-to-have.
Does it have Bluetooth, wireless etc? (nearly everything now does).
What operating system is included? Windows Home(basic) or Windows Professional(more features).
Whatever you get now needs to last for hopefully a long time, so don't marginalize your purchase. Newer software features will come along to use up at least some of your spare resources.
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'm wondering if a gaming laptop would be the way to go, since it is more powerful. No need to have powerful gaming PCs -> BiaB runs swiftly even on somewhat dated PCs. I have BiaB running smoothly here on an i5 8GB Surface Pro with an affordable 400GB SD card. It's a perfect combination. You may even put the tablet easily on some music stand.
Martin
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PG Music Staff
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Most laptops that are new out on the market that have these minimum requirements are going to be able to run Band-in-a-Box (keep in mind these are the bare minimums): https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.requirements.htmAs far as my own personal opinion goes, if you want a smoother performance, I'd personally recommend a minimum of 6-8GB of RAM, and I've had nothing but good experiences with an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. The latest i7 chips offer up to six cores and 12 threads, making them better suited for advanced multitasking.
Cheers,
Ember
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The only laptop I'll buy is a ThinkPad. They are almost bulletproof. I'm still using a 2002 model on stage.
I can't give you details, but I always go for the biggest HD and the most RAM they offer. These are the kinds of things you can't have too much of.
Insights and incites by Notes Lots of good tips here, but I'll add a +1 for Lenovo ThinkPads. I'm on my second one now (a P17) and love it. An additional point to consider. Expansion I/O ports. Get as many as you can afford. If possible, select a laptop like my P17 that offers an I/O expansion. Mine connects via Thunderbolt3 and includes USB, HDMI and other kinds of ports. In the music world, ports are gold. Audio interface. MIDI keyboard controller. External SSDs. MIDI foot controller (like the Behringer FCB1010). My specific suggestions: 1) the fastest CPU you can afford, 2) at least 16 GB for RAM and 3) an external SSD for BiaB and other instruments and samples. With an external SSD, you can get away with a 500 MB internal SSD. On my P17, I have a 1 TB internal drive and 3 external SSDs: one 2 TB Thunderbolt3 SSD for BiaB and other VSTi instruments and their samples, and two USB3.2 2 TB drives, one for work files and one for backups. A basic laptop with a 500 MB internal SSD and one 2 TB external USB 3.2 (make sure the laptop provides USB 3.2 support!) for BiaB would be a great place to start. Or finish. I use Samsung external SSDs. Check out the Samsung T7 USB 3.2 drives. They're about 9x faster than a high speed spinner. A 1 TB T7 is $120 and a 2 TB T7 is $220. Samsung T7 1 TB Samsung T7 2 TB
Last edited by TheMaartian; 03/21/22 10:32 PM.
ThinkPad i9 32GB RAM 7TB SSD; Win11 Pro; RME Fireface UCX II; BiaB 2026 Ultra
Studio Pro 8; Tonalic Studio 1; Reaper v7; Bitwig Studio 6; Melodyne Studio 5
Gig Performer 5; NI S61 MK3; Focal Shape 65; Beyerdynamic DT 880 & 770
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Perhaps something else to look into: an SSD hard drive. I installed BIAB on one and the difference is like night and day. Just my 2 cents worth.
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Perhaps something else to look into: an SSD hard drive. I installed BIAB on one and the difference is like night and day. Just my 2 cents worth. +1 I think many laptops now come with SSDs by default.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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Could not agree more about the SSD. They can even make slow computers fast again.
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'm all in on m2 ssd's both internal and external. love em' on my new mini pc. its like a speed demon running biab/rb/reaper music software. heres a very interesting site with a long list of laptops (and mini pc's) and their tested dpc latencies/reviews. the lower the dpc obviously the better for music production imho. https://www.notebookcheck.net/DPC-Latency-Ranking-Which-laptops-and-Windows-tablets-offer-the-lowest-latency.504376.0.htmlimho anyone anticipating buying a new lappie should assess the chosen lappies dpc. hn year to all. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 01/11/23 01:58 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
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Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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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.
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- 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
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- 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
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Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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