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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 123
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 123 |
Hi There my beloved Advisers, Thanks for all the awesome advice and help y’all give us on here. I need some tech advice/ recommendations (you name it). I am essentially a gigging Keyboard player with the intention of setting up a mini home studio set up to do some good demos, sequencing and ultimately to do some good work. The clients have been calling me lately asking me to do some production and so, if I have a home set up, I can work from home smoothly and do my thing. So anyways, first of all my gear is as follows: • Software: Band in a box Mega pak 2008, power tracks pro audio 12, Sonar 4, Cubase Sx3, Sound Forge 7.0, Finale 2007. I am getting Ableton Live 8 soon to help with playing “live” in the worship band at my church. Obviously, I will need a good enough Laptop for this and a midi set up hooked up a Roland Clavinova that I play at my church. • Hardware: Yamaha Motif ES-7, a LEXICON OMEGA interface, a Korg D888 HARD disk recorder/ Mixer. I am also looking into purchasing one of those M-AUDIO fast Track Pro interfaces just in case. Always good to have more than 1 interface, at least one in the box waiting. Now here is what I need, folks. I need a good enough Laptop to integrate with my above gear. My budget is gonna be approximately maybe about close to $700.00. I have 2 end of October gigs ($285.00 + $375.00 and Maybe I can chip in a $100.00. A Customer Manager Friend of Mine who works at Wal-Mart here in Columbus, Georgia informed me of some good Laptop Sale deals coming up for the Thanksgiving holiday……….I mean like in a few weeks time. I need some advice and or recommendations here. I know that purchasing a laptop for music is a highly subjective matter but however, based on my gear above, and what I want to do, take a look at these super Laptop deals that Walmart will have for Thanksgiving sale and tell me which one I can be recommended or suggested to purchase. There is the Compaq Pressario Laptop for $298, pretty good specs and there’s also the $548 Acer 8-hour battery laptop among others. Any ideas on the specs of these in terms of Music production for a home studio situation? Which one do y’all think can be best for me at this point in time? Take a look at this link below. I do await your feedback and or comments. Thanks soo much, y’all. I know that a Mac is usually the better bet for music production but I am looking at the prices of these Walmart windows Laptops and I am like whoaaa !! Check the link below: http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=6181
Jacobins
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
HP published specs for the model are here: Bargain Basement Wally World HP Laptop Specs Might be a good deal for you, but you must do your homework, search the web to see if any Omega users have reported problems with this laptop or not. Each brand and model laptop you discover on sale is a repeat of the above for you right now. Only YOU can evaluate this situation, really, for even if someone else has the same exact brand and model of laptop and sound device, their report of "good and working well" or "bad and does not work" is also dependant upon many more things, such as the setup, OS settings, etc. and also the user and what they do. But you can and should look for TRENDS in these reports and then govern your decision accordingly. --Mac
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926 |
Micro Center has many full-size laptops on sale right now from $299 and up. I personally recommend this Toshiba Satellite L505-S5997 - Midnight Breeze on sale for $599 (after $50 mail-in rebate). Intel 2.2 GHz dual processor, Win 7 64-bit, 4 Gb RAM, 320 Gb 5400 RPM HD, etc., etc., etc. Memory is expandable to 8 Gb, which it can take advantage of because of the 64-bit OS. Only downside, which shouldn't bother you, is that you can't run the Virtual Sound Canvas that comes with BIAB. I have an L305-series similarly equipped but maxed at 4 Gb of RAM. It is the stoutest machine I have ever owned, with great support from both Toshiba and Microsoft. Absent any specific contraindications regarding Toshiba, I don't think you could do much better. Micro Center often has refurbs available at significantly reduced prices*, but you have to pick them up in person. They WILL NOT sell a refurbished laptop without seeing you and your money/credit card. There are two stores in the Atlanta area. You can check availability by store online. HTH R. *I paid less than $450 for my refurbished L305-S5937 when it was selling new for almost $900.
Last edited by Ryszard; 10/23/09 07:44 AM.
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
If I was in the market right now, I'd carefully weigh the price differential of the older machines that run Vista as the distributors attempt to empty their warehouses over machines that come with Win7 on them.
Not that a Vista machine would be a kill, mind you, for if you can get a Win7 upgrade for a good price, it still could represent a saving to go that route instead.
--Mac
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,061
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,061 |
Any one know if Win 7 can have another OS like xp so you could slpit the hd and install xp 32 which would run every thing today til win 7 gets it right??
Wyndham
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,900 |
I would go for HP every time. My Mother must be one of the unluckiest laptop users I have ever known and she has had several Acers and Toshibas, all of which had to be returned to the shop almost immediately but she has never had any problems eith HP and I have 4 of them. I wouldn't touch anything else
I would also stay with XP, at least for now
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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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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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!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
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