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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143 |
I am using BiaB for many years. I use it at home. I am not a professional musician. I play piano and use mp3 files generated by BiaB on my desktop PC. I like to use a laptop with BiaB installed to use just the basic features: typing the chords, using realtracks and realdrums, playing thru my audio active monitors via mixer.
The laptop will not be used for other things than BiaB. I like to know what the requirements are to use BiaB for above mentioned tasks.
Thanks,
Jan R.
piano: Hammond Skx Pro
guitar: Ibanez LGB30
guitar amp: Boss Katana 50 MKII
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,363
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Jan, since BIAB 2015, the program has three activations each year. This allows you to install it on both your desktop and your laptop.
There is no ‘basic’ version of the program. The program is the same; the differences in packages is the number of RealTracks and styles you get.
Most laptops have a smaller hard drive but if you bought BIAB on a USB drive you can just move that between computers.
When connecting a laptop to monitors, I recommend a USB sound module instead of plugging into the headphone jack.
If I misunderstood your question and this isn’t the info you needed, write back. For example, are you looking for the minimum requirements for a laptop to be able to run BIAB?
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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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143 |
Thanks Matt,
Yes, if you can give me an idea of the minimum requirements? Because I will not use the laptop for normal PC activities I don't like to spend to much money.
Last edited by J R; 03/11/19 02:59 AM.
Thanks,
Jan R.
piano: Hammond Skx Pro
guitar: Ibanez LGB30
guitar amp: Boss Katana 50 MKII
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,363
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OK. I think the best way to put it is that BIAB requires more computer power than most programs. I would not skimp on the laptop if it were for BIAB and you want a satisfactory experience. To my knowledge, the most important factor in regenerating RealTracks is the CPU. After that, a fast hard drive to load them. Finally, you should consider having more than the minimum memory. The display is the one thing that doesn't matter. A good way to measure a computer's fitness for BIAB is the free utility, Geekbench 4. Report the single-core speed. I realize that the minimum specs given by PG Music are far lower than what I'm describing. Here is what it says: https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.requirements.htmOne more thing: if all you want to do is play back MP3 files you make on your desktop and copy to the laptop, then any laptop will do. Playing back audio files is almost no load on a computer at all. I use a little SONY recorder that takes MP3 and WAV files and plug that into a PA. For that matter, playing back frozen BIAB songs also requires less computer power, because they are already converted to audio. It's just (re)generating the songs that takes the power.
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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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143 |
I copy MP3 files to a usb stick. But the reason I want to use BiaB on a laptop is that I can easy change instruments or styles and that I can follow the chords.
I will look for a laptop with adequate specs.
Thanks for helping.
Thanks,
Jan R.
piano: Hammond Skx Pro
guitar: Ibanez LGB30
guitar amp: Boss Katana 50 MKII
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,363
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,363 |
That makes sense. Changing instruments for melody or soloist tracks doesn't matter, but changing styles means regenerating the song and my comments above apply.
Good luck!
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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Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 6,989
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Joined: Mar 2018
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Jan R,
If you do not want to spend a lot of money, my suggestion, get a pre-owned Lenovo Thinkpad i7 quad core with 8-16GB of RAM and at least 256 GB (preferably SSD drive) ThinkPad T430 might be a good option. They are build like tanks (military specs, not your average electronic shop laptop) and are very easy to maintain (upgrade ram or hard drive). You can get them for $200-$300 used. Parts are cheap if something breaks. Should run BIAB well and should last for years.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143 |
Thanks for the information. I like to go for new. I will look for the two laptops you suggested.
I found a HP laptop:
screen: (1920 x 1080)
Processor: Intel Core i5-8250U
memory: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD
Video: Intel UHD Graphics 620
I think the extra 1 TB hardrive is a nice option. I can store all the Realtrack en Realdrum files on.
Thanks,
Jan R.
piano: Hammond Skx Pro
guitar: Ibanez LGB30
guitar amp: Boss Katana 50 MKII
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,363
Veteran
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Jan, that’s almost exactly what I have as a laptop. It will be fine!
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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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143 |
Matt, using ssd 256 GB for the program + hdd 1 TB for realtracks and realdrums, is that combination slower than all the data stored on 1 ssd of 512 GB?
Thanks,
Jan R.
piano: Hammond Skx Pro
guitar: Ibanez LGB30
guitar amp: Boss Katana 50 MKII
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,382 |
Hi Jan,
I'd say having everything on the SSD would be faster. The difference will be even bigger if the 1 TB HD is an external USB drive, since USB is so much slower than the SATA connection used by internal drives.
Thanks
Kent
PG Music
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 5,275
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Packing everything on some SSD sure would be faster. Yet for all practical purposes stuffing RealTracks onto some HDD would be quite ok. I even have a complete BiaB UltraPak installation running smoothly from a 400GB *SDcard* with an i5 tablet PC here.
Martin
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,363
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,363 |
Jan, your question has already been answered well. You would be fine with BIAB on a standard hard drive. A SSD is much faster than a hard drive, which in turn is faster than a drive running under USB.
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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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 143 |
Yes, thank you all for your respons and advice. I will go shopping for a suitable laptop.
Thanks,
Jan R.
piano: Hammond Skx Pro
guitar: Ibanez LGB30
guitar amp: Boss Katana 50 MKII
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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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.
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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®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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)
- 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®!
Video: New User Interface (GUI)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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