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Journeyman
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It seems to me that when you use a real track instrument to replace one of the biab tracks you loose any real control over the part. It also seems to me that if I use biab to create a track I and convert to midi I can change notes, velocity and other aspects of notes that I can't so with the real track. I happen to still be very happy with using external sound units that have excellent sound and messing with those tracks until I get what I want. It also seems that when I replace a biab style track with a reaI track that the style is always changed. The real track doesn't play the same as the style. I realize that many of you here are very excited with the real tracks and the direction that PG Music has gone with them and I have no problem with that, BUT does this mean we have seen the last of the development of new styles? It seemed that the improvements to 2009 and 2009.5 where all real track based.
I used to be really excited whenever a new soft synth came out until I began to realize that none of them ever seemed to sound as good the real out board units did. I wonder if any one else out there has some thoughts on this. Do you really like the soft synths and samplers or do you think they are things of the past to be replaced totally by the real tracks?
Dell 610 dual Monitor, win 7-10, Sonar Plat, ProTools 10 & 11, Reaper 4, BIAB/real Band 2022, Easy Drummer, Superior Drummer, Kontact Essentials, Personnel Orchestra, Korg Legacy Analog & Digital
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I would bet more styles will come as time goes on, but RTs are the focus now as they are so cutting edge. One can always make any style they want with the stylemaker. You are right notes can't be changed with Rts, but once you get the midi tracks down, they make really nice add on tracks the make the song sound very, well .... Real.
I am sure that development of both sides of the program will continue, and until also do not count out the styles you can get from Bob Nortons site, they are quite good.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2025, Realband, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 9 32c , Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app.
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Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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While I really like the Realtracks, I also agree with Earl. Midi has an awful lot to offer that RTs do not. As long as electronic instruments are around, I'd imagine that midi will be sitting in the passenger seat.
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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I have a feeling that that the RT has little to do with the style aside from the feel and tempo. You can put an Acoustic Swing Bass 110 in any style matching feel and tempo and you will hear the same phrases. I don't think the underlying Midi notes have anything to do with the RT phrase created. With Midi, many styles have quite different phrasing and it's easy to add or modify more. RTs are restricted to the phrases actually recorded.
I've heard some pretty good soft synths, especially in the Soundfont arena. But I don't think they compare to a halfway decent hard synth. Some of the demos I've heard with the more expensive softsynths such as Garritan are very impressive. Will these be replaced by RTs? I doubt it. At my gigs I use BIAB on my laptop connected to my keyboard for Midi sounds (Bass and guitar). The sounds are far superior to my softsynths. Also, much less load on the laptop.
One day, I hope to be completely weaned off needing my laptop at gigs. I'm currenly replacing Midi bass with RT Bass in my arrangements. With the exception of a few Midi notes inserted for Shots and Holds, it is moving along very well. Once completed, I'll Render the songs to MP3 and use my MP3 player. I'll probably still have the laptop in the car just in case.
R
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Quote:
I have a feeling that that the RT has little to do with the style aside from the feel and tempo.
You are correct, Rachael. Actually, the feel (swing vs straight) is already programmed into the RT, which is why they are listed as either swing or straight. It's pretty much tempo and the chord progression that determines what you get.
All that RealTracks Styles do is give you a "band" of instruments, so you don't have to do it individually. I did a posting awhile back that described the interaction between RealTracks and RealStyles. It's the 6th comment down.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 2x2TB, 1x4TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 2x1.5TB, 2x2TB, 1x4TB SATA BB2025/UMC404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/MixBus/Notion/Finale/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com
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Well, I'm just an amateur, but the Ketron SD2 is far superior to the soft synth's that I have. Of course, I can't make it sound like Mac does, but I'm very pleased with what even a dumb bozo like me can do with it. I was very excited about real tracks when I first got some. They have a nice sound, but I use the Ketron more than the real tracks now. I'm not saying that midi is better or worse than real tracks. These are all tools that we can all use as needed.
Stan
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Personally, I wouldn't be without the RTs and I am delighted that PG came up with a way for us to get Real musicians on our tracks
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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As someone who knows close to zero about midi and is happy about the expansion of RTs, I found Earl's comments very interesting and the ensuing exchange very informative.
Thanks.
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It goes to show just how flexable BIAB and RB for that matter are. Both the midi and the RT, and Rd development are interesting, and useful. I use a combo of both, but currently far more midi with softsynths. I even find GM synths like TTS to sound great in a live situation, especially with background noise, and PA renderings. I hope to try a ketron someday soon, and see just how good it can sound.
I'm with FirstBassman on the subject, a good dialogue on this kind of subject is what makes this forum so helpful.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2025, Realband, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 9 32c , Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app.
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I agree with the Ketron remarks, it's a gem. Sometimes on tunes one realtrack dialed into the background does an illusion, making the whole thing sound better.
Over the years I've heard lots of groups with midi in the mix, even groups of 5 guys and an Atari they used are still going strong.
Those beer drinkers in the audience wouldn't know a cheesy midi sound from having a pro on stage running the same riff. At the end of they day some really old cheesy midi thing comes on the radio and my Mom is gushing over it.
Too many of use become far to critical of the real thing, and when you get to the gig the guy is trying to pick up the girl, and two guys are talking about pickups, and some women are discussing their husband, and even if you think 4 or 5 people are there to actually listen, they too start on about something.
The only way that changes is when they start booking you into bigger venues, and the techs mess with your gear, and they bring in ringers and arrangers and you lose control over the whole thing.
Usually the most important thing is how you fit into the equation. I get asked back a lot, just me, their piano, and a big briefcase of books. Read the mood and select the songs from there.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Earl, that was very well stated and you must have been reading my mind when you wrote it, as I also like midi over RTs. That’s not to say I’m against RT’s. I have used a few of them in the past and will probably use some in the future but I find midi much more useful for me. RT’s are a specially tool for me and not a bread-and-butter tool.
I use some old hardware synths and I have many soft-synths and one sampler, Kontakt. I like soft-synths/samplers as they can be a good emulation of the hardware synths at a fraction of the cost.
I’m also concerned about RT’s being the main thrust in PG Music’s development, but I see that as a very good business decision. They have developed a product that many people really while not taking anything away from us midi users. Selling RT’s could become the main thrust in PG Music. Take a tenor sax for example. Think about how many ways it can be played and how many tones it can produce. Now multiply those factors by the number of sample sets needed to cover all of the tempos. You would have many of tenor sax RT sets, each sold separately, to cover everything.
I would like more midi styles also. I have asked Santa for some of Note Norton’s styles. But I modify just about every style in Sonar so getting the perfect style isn’t necessary for me.
Thanx for starting this topic.
I got myself a seniors' GPS. Not only does it tell me how to get to my destination , it tells me why I wanted to go there.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Quote:
Those beer drinkers in the audience wouldn't know a cheesy midi sound from having a pro on stage running the same riff. At the end of they day some really old cheesy midi thing comes on the radio and my Mom is gushing over it.
I agree with this mostly. However, I have a few songs which start with a solo Walking Bass. Using Midi regardless of hard of soft synth just sounds cheesy. Can the audience tell? I have no idea but I sure can. Using RealBass though, I sometimes have to generate the track several times to get the bass line I like. After that, I Render it.
R
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Quote:
<...>BUT does this mean we have seen the last of the development of new styles? It seemed that the improvements to 2009 and 2009.5 where all real track based. <...>
Definitely not, you just need to go Norton Music for your MIDI tracks. I have been making styles for BiaB since 1992 and have sold them to musicians in over 100 countries on the planet. I have 18 all MIDI style disks and I'm hoping to release two more in January or February. You can buy them by the disk (for about $1 per style) or individually by the style. To audition low-rez mp3 files of most of my styles go to http://www.nortonmusic.com/styledemo.html
My styles were recommended in Electronics Musician Magazine, Keyboard Magazine, and other music and computer magazines. Many of my customers tell me they like my MIDI styles better than the ones that came with BiaB http://www.nortonmusic.com/raves.html
I will continue to produce highest quality MIDI styles for BiaB as long as enough people want to purchase them. I also carry styles made by Roy Hawkesford and Sherry Mayrent. If anyone else can make high quality MIDI styles for BiaB and wants me to sell them for you, contact me.
---
Like most of the professional musicians I know, I too prefer MIDI tracks to the real tracks - mostly because you can edit the MIDI tracks and get them to do things you cannot with the RTs.
All the reasons why I like MIDI better than RTs can be found here: http://www.nortonmusic.com/midi_vs_loops.html
Personally, I'll take a good MIDI sound module to RTs any day.
That is not to say PG didn't do a great job with RTs. What they did is fantastic, but I like to export to MIDI and then:
- change or extend the endings or paste an extended, fancy ending from one of my intro/ending disks
- ditto for introductions
- enter song specific "licks" that so many pop songs need for identification
- add kicks, pushes, holds, etc.
- change some of the drum instruments - for instance, put the cymbal on a cowbell for part of the song, I can do that with a simple drag and drop in mys sequencer
- change other instruments - perhaps that guitar part will sound better on a clav patch for a particular song
- add crescendo, diminuendo, accelerando, ritardando , and other expressive elements
- manipulate the rolls - get rid of some, change others, etc. using copy and paste in my sequencer
So no, it isn't the end of the road for MIDI styles, there is just a parallel road running alongside the PG highway.
So come on in, the MIDI is fine.
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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Quote:
<...>I agree with this mostly. However, I have a few songs which start with a solo Walking Bass. Using Midi regardless of hard of soft synth just sounds cheesy. <...>
You're using the wrong synth. One of my sound modules has a bass that sounds so good you can hear the wood vibrating.
Besides, the audience reacts more to expression than they do to tone, and you can manipulate the expressive devices after you export the BiaB file to MIDI and import into a sequencer.
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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Because I'm a performer...basically a singer of bistro-type songs, I've always relied on gigs to "lean on" dependable hardware...real synths like the Yamaha Motif ES-88, Triton, Karma, EPS+, Yamaha or Roland keboard synth/arrangers...even still depending on my ol' M1+ keyboard, with all the accompanying memory cards for whatever jazz or ethnic gig you may stumble upon!! Until Real Band, I never much got interested in all the composing or midi features of BIAB whether in the realm of Analog or midi output. My midi interest (except in Studio recordings, of course), was to "controller purposes" relating to the live background "action of hardware"--- sampled instruments, for the most part, on chips embeded within the musical hardware. Of course some of those "hardware workstation keyboard synths" are also very dependable, as well as adept at "outputting" their own great personally created/sampled sounds...! But, as I get more and more into the very real sound "replicated" in Real Band, of real good real musicians, I find the product much more attractive...damn attractive, these days. Let me swing ... not compose...EXCEPT if I'm taking a solo or extended motif (no pun intended). Give me a quiet gig where I can just do basically my "thing", which is the songs other people wrote...Like Sammy Kahn, Gershwin, et al. Because I'm rooted deeply in the esoceric world of jazz and what fabulous tunes and arrangement derived from their experiences and talented composing/orchestrations... I have always...since my Dixieland days...when most everything was based on improvisation-on-a-theme....been most happy either being in the middle of a group...or, better, off on a stage by myself...Interpreting and Coalescing with the "jazz vibe" of the moment....whether "real" or real, hardware or software-based, and now with software (MP3) generated REAL SOUNDING music backing that jells so well as a "Real Band" concept! http://www.thegigbaby.com 
Yamaha...Motif ES-8, Motif Rack, CS6X
Korg...Karma,Triton Classic, PA-80, M-1+
AkaiSampler-S5000, Roland.. X5080 Rack/G-1000 Arranger
Various Guitars/Basses Amps Pedals Rec.Equip.
Plus, BIAB 2015 and Sonar Platinum 2015 Upgrade from Cakewalk's Sonar X-3
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"Make new friends, but keep the old."
"One is silver and the other is gold..."
I noted that some people were declaring the demise of MIDI when RealTracks first came out.
Don't know why folks seem to jump to such conclusions, but they do.
I personally expect PGMusic to continue to release new MIDI based styles in the future.
I also expect to see more *combination* MIDI with RealTracks styles to come around, too. To date, we've mostly seen the use of older PGMusic MIDI styles being combined with RealTracks to create a "new" style, but I think that is because PGMusic already has so many MIDI only styles (My current Stylepicker shows the count is up to 1,753, which includes some that I've created or found, but the majority of those are PGMusic MIDI styles...).
MIDI is often misunderstood.
This is partially due to the proliferation of cheap GM MIDI synth solutions, designed for home computer usage and the like, price driven by market.
It is also due to musicians who come to the world of MIDI with expectations of Instant Gratification and when such does not appear to be the case, they prefer complaints to good old fashioned practice, study, equipment upgrades and elbow grease (hard work).
It is interesting to note that we never see someone who just bought their first guitar voicing a complaint that the thing doesn't sound like their favorite artist. In the case of every other musical instrument, it is understood that mastery takes time, discipline, learning, a teacher (for those we *really* want to decrease the time curve anyway) and so many other aspects.
But for MIDI, the expectation is not the same at all.
The same people that knock MIDI as being cheezy sounding likely don't realize how many places they hear MIDI music every day. Movies. Television. Commercials. Jingles. Popular Songs.
I've worked with some consummate MIDI pros in studios, people who show up with rack upon rack of MIDI based synths, keyboard controllers, guitar controllers, EVI and EWI controllers, custom sample banks, you name it.
Experts in their craft, knowledgeable in several differing fields, able to layer patches in ways that sometimes defy conventional wisdom in order to come up with a sound that is much more than its composite parts would seem to indicate, the person who is first call MIDIOT is almost always a very qualified musician on an acoustic instrument or two, with background in a wide variety of performance genre, keen ears, ability to sight read notes that look like a fly crapped on the ledger lines, and do it without an instrument present, no less.
Then there are the true synthesists, who hire out to do the next-to-impossible on a daily basis. These folks are often called upon to literally create a sound for the composer/arranger with nothing more to go on than a few notes on the staff along with a written description of what that composer/arranger thinks that the sound should "sound like". They literally *sculpt* the sound in realtime during the play-throughs, responding to verbal descriptions from bandleaders that defy belief. "That's too cold, Mike!" (Um, should I turn the thermostat up?) or, "Not 'alien' enough!" (Close Encounter of the 10th Kind, maybe?) -- and usually manage to make him or her smile before the take.
I was recently on a Jingle date where the request was for me to come up with a Piano patch that "sounds like a Rhodes Grand Piano". Whatever That might be. Problem was solved in the third or fourth attempt by layering the Yamaha W5 tiney Rhodes sound with the Ketron SD4's mellow Stereo Grand Piano sound, but combining the audio output of the two through two separate MoogerFooger filters adjusted such that the attack of the Rhodes synth's ADSR was slow and the sustain of the Grand Piano synth's ADSR was long. Weird, "paddy" kind of sound that wouldn't work on fast passages. Also fed the stereo result from that through a Leslie simulator set to a slower-than-chorale speed, for spaciality. i doubt if the sound obtained was exactly what the director had in mind originally, but in the end it worked.
Sometimes the job is to be more of a mediator than a musician.
Envoice sent.
--Mac
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Let me add this to Mac's excellent post. I think MIDI gets a bad reputation from amateur musicians for 3 reasons:
- MIDI has the ability to recreate the nuances of a live performance using the continuous controllers, but most beginners do not know about the cc's nor do they know how to use them.
- Cheezy MIDI synths on computer sound cards. Computer manufacturing is a cutthroat business. The major manufacturers go with very small profit margins per unit sold. So they save wherever they can. Since pro musicians are a very small group of computer users, one way to save a buck is to put a cheap MIDI synth on the computer's sound card. They will let the WAV sounds come in with good fidelity, because that is what most people use, but the MIDI sounds are a place to save a few bucks. And a few bucks times a few hundred thousand computers adds up.
- Quantization and/or step-entering. Too many amateurs step enter or quantize the music into a MIDI sequencer because they are not experienced enough to be able to play the music into the sequencer in real time. The result is something robotic with no life in it.
But a good musician welcomes MIDI because he/she knows the extraordinary capabilities that are possible with that system. Just about every synthesizer made since the DX7 days uses MIDI, either internally between the keys and the sound module or externally. You hear MIDI instrument (yes, even MIDI drums) every day on CD's, TV shows, Radio ads, and just about every medium where modern music is created. I've watched movies and in the extras the composer explained how the entire movie soundtrack was made with synthesizers (any pro can see he meant MIDI as he demonstrated the technique). Much of the music made with MIDI would be impossible to recreate with traditional acoustic or acoustic-electric instruments. I'm not saying that MIDI is superior to acoustic and acoustic-electric instruments, but it definitely is not inferior either. They each have their strong and weak points. Once again, I am not dissing PG Music and the RT's. I think PG has done a fantastic job with them and there is nothing wrong with anyone who prefers RTs. But for me, I like the flexibility of being able to transform a very good BiaB song into something much better, and I can only do that with MIDI. Music is not only about tone, although tone is important. But good tone is subjective and personal. Take saxophone tone (it's my first instrument). Is good sax tone Stan Getz? John Coltrane? Stanley Turrentine? Clarence Clemmons? Dexter Gordon? Junior Walker? Joe Henderson? King Curtis? There is quite a difference. Play Getz and Coltrane to an uneducated ear and they probably wouldn't think those two people are even playing the same instrument. And your audience consists of uneducated ears. On the other hand, the audience does understand expression, song specific licks, crescendos, diminuendos, accelerandos, ritardandos, holds, shots, kicks, and so many of the things that one cannot do with RTs (yet). IMHO the audience is better served by compromising tone a bit to the musician (since each audience member probably has a different opinion as to what is great tone) and using the expressive devices available by exporting the file to MIDI and "doctoring" it up. My backing tracks have been featured on MTV, CBS, ABC, NBC, commercial CDs, advertisements, on cruise ships, in 5 star hotels, and have helped Leilani and I to work steadily for the past 14 years at rates higher than most if not all of the other duos in the area. If you are interested in reading how I create and use my backing tracks, go to: http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.htmlSo it always irks me when I hear people dis MIDI files or MIDI sounds, because they have either a lame MIDI sound card synth or don't know how to fully use the expressive capabilities of MIDI. There is more than one "right way" to make music, and MIDI is definitely one of the right ways to do it. So for all the people who prefer MIDI styles, I will continue to make them as long as you care to continue purchasing them. I won't abandon you unless you all abandon me. For those who prefer RT's, enjoy the great job PG has done with them. 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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Quote:
Quote:
<...>I agree with this mostly. However, I have a few songs which start with a solo Walking Bass. Using Midi regardless of hard of soft synth just sounds cheesy. <...>
You're using the wrong synth. One of my sound modules has a bass that sounds so good you can hear the wood vibrating
The sound is subjective. You have no idea what synth I'm using when you make that statement. The problem I have with Midi is that it sounds too perfect, too mechanical. I have no inclination to take a Midi bass line and spend forever trying to make it sound human. By the way, one can also hear the wood vibrating using RTs.
And yes, I've listened to the demos on your website.
Rachael
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Journeyman
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I agree with the Earl, the OP. Realtracks are too much of a problem for me. They just take up
too much drive space, and way too much time loading. I bought the special USB hard drive, and its been less than underwhelming. It stopped working. I spent "a lot" of time on it, over an hour. That's a lot of time. Did not try working with pgmusic tech support, and yeah, maybe they'd have a solution. But it would definitely take more time.
pgmusic is clearly not the only software on my PC. I'm not going to dedicate a PC to a program (though I did have a hard drive dedicated).
Sometimes less is more. The most valuable feature for any program is to run at any time without problems. Once MIDI is set up BIAB has worked fine for me. Can't say the same about Realtracks.
To me, it seems that Realtracks is aiming to "solve" a totally different need, with very different trade offs. If I'm looking for hi fidelity, I use Sonar - or one could use pg's Protracks. If I want "intelligent" transposition, practise, etc. etc. I use BIAB. But I'm not likely to pay more money for another bundle which includes realtracks. Got to really target my music expenditures.
Of course, Realtracks are apparrantly great for some people - to each their own.
Finally, I have found a cool signature with sufficiently dry humor.
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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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Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 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 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 9 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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 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 and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 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.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 9 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.
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