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Is that the "producers told me to dumb it down" patch?
Kenny Gorelick can really play, seriously. I suspect somebody told him not to, so he would be more popular. Yes he can. But he laughed all the way to the bank as George Benson and Liberace did, plus a few others I'm sure.
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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On my CD, the producer told me to include one 'pop' tune, and he had the guitarist and me play 'simpler' solos on that one song. Guess which song is the one most purchased and played?
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eddie1261
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Kenny Gorelick can really play, seriously. Yes he can. Find the track Bright Sky from his Jeff Lorber days and THAT is the Kenny G I wanted to see at The Front Row. I paid a scalper for 2nd row seats in the beautiful theater in the round with a stage that made a circle every 2 minutes. The Rippingtons opened. Russ Freeman TORE IT UP!! Jeff Kashiwa was playing sax for them, since Freeman can only play either guitar or sax for live shows, and totally showed Kenny G up. Then out came pretty boy. His first song was a kicker. Then he went all Celine Dion on us. I left during the 4th song. He had started repeating licks already, and he found a way to work his circular breathing into EVERY song. As I would say to Mariah Carey, "I am impressed that you can sing a whole piano. MUST you force feed it into EVERY song?" I mean, I'd get tired of Wagyu Beef if I had it every meal. Make it be special. He is the best technical player I ever saw, but he is also the whitest dude in America. Holding that soulful instrument in his hands and putting it into his mouth, and all that came out was flat, uninspired, white milk, white bread, vanilla ice cream music. Impressed by his skill, bored by his music. I paid $75 for that $30 ticket and I left during the 4th song. I am Slovenian! We as a people squeeze a nickel 'til the buffalo bleeds. And I left during the 4th song.
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Is that the "producers told me to dumb it down" patch?
Kenny Gorelick can really play, seriously. I suspect somebody told him not to, so he would be more popular. Kenny G is an accomplished sax player. His early days with Lorber prove that. He found a commercial niche that made him a ton of money. I can't find fault with that, I play commercial music for a living and don't make a ton of money  Early in my career someone told me this: You can play for yourself, you can play for other musicians, or you can play for the general public. If you are good enough you will get the audience you asked for.I've been playing popular music for the general public for most of my life, and have made a living doing music and nothing but music without having a wage-slave day job. If someone told me I could be dirty, rotten, stinking rich by playing technically competent but uninspiring 'easy listening' music, I'd do it. Unfortunately, I wasn't invited to that party Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
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Notes, I've been told that I sold out because I was playing in a wedding band. But as they were making $25-$50 a gig I was making in the hundreds, thus I just laughed all the way to the bank.
If you want to make money playing music you must play what the audience wants, i.e. know your audience. Period!
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Think about all the talented session musicians through the years that have made a living recording "elevator music".
While in the military I met a musician that participated in those types of recording sessions. He loved it as he saw it as "easy money" while maintaining proficency. He enjoyed working with his band mates and thought many of the arrangements were technically sophisticated.
It's more about attitude than anything else.
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Mario, I would play in a wedding band, but I wouldn't want to be the band leader. Tell me what to wear, when to show up, what to play, and I'll do my best. But I don't want to do the wedding business end. A bridezilla can be a huge problem.
Most of us have to "sell out" to make a living. Even Beethoven and Mozart catered to the tastes of their sponsors and the prevailing norms of the day, while pushing it only slightly to the future (and getting dissed for that).
I know a guy who went to one of the finest culinary institutes in the country. He's managing a pizza joint. It's making a lot more money than fine dining did. In this town, he could barely eke out a living creating 'art food'. The critics loved it, the customers wanted hamburgers.
I've been accused of selling out by people working 40 hours per week, so that they could play jazz in a club on Monday night. Meanwhile, I was making a living playing popular music and not working a day job. Tell me who is the bigger sell out? I guess that's a matter of opinion.
I've known a number of famous musicians who listen to jazz or classical when they aren't working.
Ian Gillian and Jon Lord of Deep Purple wrote a "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" and performed it with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. But "Smoke On The Water" sold zillions more copies.
There are the few who can play 'art music' and make a lot of money doing so. There are those who can play 'art music' and make a comfortable living. And there are those who can play 'art music' and need a 40 hour per week day job to support their habit.
Me? I'd rather play "Yakety Sax" for the zillionth time than have a day job.
I make a living doing music and nothing but music. Furthermore, I enjoy playing pop music as much as I liked playing 'art music' (jazz and classical) when I had those opportunities.
In our duo we play Rock n Roll, Disco, Big Band Swing, Jazz, Roots R&B, Blues, C&W, Mambo, Merengue, Samba, Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Beach Music, Motown, Classic Oldies, Doo Wòp, New Age, Smooth Jazz, Hip Hop, Broadway Music, and one Opera Song.
What we play depends on the audience we have on the gig. So my sax playing has to adapt to the songs I'm playing. I might be nasty and gritty on one song, and smooth and silky on another.
And I enjoy the variety, trying my best to make each style authentic.
Long ago I found out that if you are a musical chameleon, you have better chances of finding work. And the things I learn in one style of music can teach me about other styles I play. It also helps me write various aftermarket styles for Band-in-a-Box. If I've played that type of music, I have an understanding on what each instrument should be playing. And since I play sax, flute, wind synth, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard synth and voice, I have experience doing those jobs.
All of this doesn't seem like work to me. It's just what I do, and when my brain is in the music world, the time passes without me noticing it, and I'm in my bliss. I don't call that selling out, I call it making a living doing what I would do for free.
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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Did the O/P's question get a little 'off topic'? Just asking
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Did the O/P's question get a little 'off topic'? Just asking No, that never happens here. I think we did answer the original question, though.
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Mario, I would play in a wedding band, but I wouldn't want to be the band leader. Tell me what to wear, when to show up, what to play, and I'll do my best. But I don't want to do the wedding business end. A bridezilla can be a huge problem.
...............................
Insights and incites by Notes
I was the band leader for many years. All five of us voted on what to wear but not what to play, We let each musician play what they wanted as long as it fit the song. We never had a problem. Four of the five were together for years but we went through many bass players! If we ran into a bridezilla, and we did run into a few, we just didn't take the gig. The lost didn't matter as we had more gigs then we really wanted.
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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I work weddings for my church. I have pretty good luck with brides.
We did have a groom that was a piece of work though. I understand they were separated 2 months after the wedding.
...Deb
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We did one wedding for a bridezilla who was a catering manager at a Holiday Inn.
The wedding reception was held at a waterfront restaurant. When she arrived there she started yelling at the help "Those flowers were supposed to be over there", and other trivial things like that.
The mood of the crowd fizzled out and never recovered.
------
On the other side of the coin we did a wedding for a couple, and the father of the bride who hosted the event put "overtime until we drop" on the contract.
The cake didn't arrive, no problem, so they went out and bought a sheet cake from a close-by grocery store.
The father of the bride danced with every girl from the youngest tot to the oldest grannie.
We went 6 hours, everybody had a great time.
It's all about attitude and these folks had the right attitude.
------
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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We went 6 hours, everybody had a great time.
It's all about attitude and these folks had the right attitude. And you would have also put in 150%, because it was so worth it.
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eddie1261
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I don't ever want to be the business contact again.
I booked a wedding in 1991. It was a $3000 date. We took a $1500 deposit to hold the date open. I called her twice in the interim to get the requests for first dance and all that. I called her 2 weeks before just to check in and reassure her we would be there.
Thursday night before the wedding, the guys went out for the bachelor night. They hit a tree driving home. The Best man died and the groom was in critical condition. Friday, the day before the event, she called me and asked for her deposit back. I explained, as gently as I could, that the deposit was not refundable, that we held that date open for her based n that deposit, that it was already Friday and there was less than a 1% chance that I could get another job the next day, that we had in fact turned down a weekend engagement because we were booked for her wedding the next day, and that 5 people pay bills and feed kids based on that income, that we were not at fault for their decision, and that the deposit was also eternal, meaning that when they got a new date (implying, but not saying, "IF he lives") we'd still play the date for just the balance. She launched into a tirade about how heartless I was and everything you can imagine. I said I would make phone calls and try to get a job for the next night and if she chose to not keep us on contract for when/if the wedding happened I would refund to her the difference of her deposit and what that last minute date paid. I think I did everything I could to accommodate her. Of course I felt bad for her circumstance, but I didn't do it! Business is business and sentiment is sentiment. Sentiment is not acceptable currency when the electric bill is due. The music community here was split half and half on how they viewed me after that story made the rounds. I was either a good businessman or a [*****].
I would make the exact same decision today. A contract is a contract, and hire a bus rather than drink and drive.
He DID live, they DID marry, and we DID play their wedding. And she apologized for the way she yelled at me, that she understood the business aspect now, etc. And I hugged her and said she owed me no explanation, and handed her a card we all signed with a $100 wedding gift in it. They came out to see us play about once a month after that. I teased her the first time they came out saying "Shouldn't you be home making babies???" And she said "Hey, we came out to see you often before the wedding or we wouldn't have known you to ask you to play it!"
That veered into a wedding story, so I guess to tie it back to topic, I will add "I play sax"....
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We once booked a wedding ceremony and reception at a elegant countryside venue with a lodge, acres of grass and trees and a guest house. The guest house was “operation central” where the band met with the bride and her mother to go through the afternoon’s final details. It was also the backdrop to the ceremony.
The meeting soon turned into a shouting match with the bride yelling that if we played the mother’s song we would be fired and the mother yelling the that if we played the bride’s song we would be fired!
I think we played a medley.
Their relationship must have been truly challenging because the bride had a cake for her friends and the mother a cake for her’s.
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The worst wedding we played was for a couple where the mother of the bride did not approve. The bride's parents didn't show up and the site of the room where the rest of the bride's family sat were rude. They just sat there, mostly with arms crossed all night. I felt sorry for the new couple. I've played a lot of good weddings too, but we tend to remember the bad ones because they are the unusual ones. Before playing the reception on one particular wedding, I played "A Time For Us" on my alto in a big church with lots of reverberation. That was worth the extra money, and if it wasn't my business, I would have done that for free just to hear the reverb. Playing the alto sax brings this back 'on topic' 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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Another wedding story...
The bride chose her recorded selections for the wedding.
Grandmother would not have it. She wanted her 12 year old grandson to play piano. No one stood up to grandmother.
The poor kid was terrified of all those folks watching him. He was intimidated by the grand piano we had available. He would only play his keyboard. He must have had the minimal of lessons and only played chords.
Grandmother was happy. The bride was angry.
...Deb
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I've worked with a few sax, clarinet & trumpet players over the years and I can't recall ever seeing them changing the reed/mouthpiece to attain a variance of tone. And I've never seen them bring more that one instrument to a gig, except if they play both tenor & alto saxes.
That reminds me of the funniest (to me) trumpet story I ever read, and it was told here by our own Mac. It's a long time ago and I hope I do it justice: Mac plays trumpet and was first chair in an all-state orchestra. The part called for a C trumpet but he only had his Bb (that's not difficult for us if you know how to transpose). He played a solo. The conductor said, wouldn't that sound better on a C trumpet? So Mac took out his mouthpiece, passed the trumpet under his chair, put the mouthpiece back in, and played it again on the same horn. The conductor said, "Ah, much better".
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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eddie1261
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Matt, please tell me that conductor is now out of the music business...
I was once sitting at home on a Saturday, doing not much of anything. At 4pm my phone ringie dingied. It was a guy I had known for several years bu7t never worked with, and in fact he was the leader of a rival band in the day. He said "East (Eastside) I am in a bad jam. My keyboard player just had his appendix out and I have a wedding tonight. Can you come and fake your way through charts to play the dinner set and then we get to the stuff you know." I said "Sure." So I quickly shower, dress and go. I got there and set up like 10 minutes before we were supposed to start. The dinner stuff was easy for a keyboard player, as the sax carried most of the leads. Green Dolphin Street, Satin Doll, etc... The dedication song was "Endless Love", which I had heard several million times on the radio but never played. He said "It'll be fine. It's charted out and I know you read." So I spread the thing out on the top keyboard, loaded a beautiful Rhodes sound on the Mirage, and off we went. Following along the Bb chart, singing in my head "Love... there's only you in my life...." as he went through the schtick "And the father of the bride, Fritz Sheckleman" or whoever they were. Then we got to the bridge. I followed along to the page marked bridge and it was NOWHERE near what I was supposed to be playing. As I started to panic, faking my way through by ear and familiarity with the song, I started looking at pages, and page 3 and 5 were out of order. So they were laid out 1-2-5-4-3, and to not take my hands off the keys, I played through a 15 minute rendition of that song as everybody came through the line to be introduced following it along out of order. We had a pretty good laugh about that.
So move forward 20 years. That guy was then doing a solo act with just him and his geetar. I had a friend visiting from out of state who grew up here and wanted to see him because of the nostalgia. We went into the place he was playing, out on a big patio. (His band had a local hit called Funky Poodle which he wrote, so I have always called him Poodle, short for "The funkiest poodle of them all".) We walked in just as he ended a song and he looked over and said into the mic "And the Eastside is now represented." as I pointed at him and just said "Hey Poodle". 10 minutes later I sent a note up with a waitress that said "Can you play Sittin' On Bay Dock The Of?" And he laughed. When he came to say high on his break he said "And I know EXACTLY what that meant!" Funny moment with a really nice guy.
Topic relevance: He DOESN'T play sax!
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Much of what has been said about Sax, Trumpet and other horns is also true for guitars.
As a general statement, hand my guitar to Jimmy Hendrix and it will sound like Jimmy Hendrix. The signature sound you would expect from a certain artist is mostly about the artist and not the instrument.
Obviously, the final sound from an electric guitar is a function of many parts in the electronic system signal flow through from the interaction of the magnetic field produced by the pickups and surrounding metal to the final speaker in the system. Having said that, pretty much what ever the set up anyone would recognize BB Kings vibrato.
Volumes have been written about microphone selection and placement for recording both electric and acoustic guitars. The more money you have the more mics you are likely to have for better or worse. Millions have been spent on room acoustics.
Bottom line, good horn players can produce whatever sound is possible. String players can do the same.
Nine nine percent perspiration one percent inspiration. Playing a musical instrument well is simple, all it takes is studying and playing around seven hours a day seven days a week for seven years. If you are a fast learner you can cut that seventeen thousand hours down to around seven thousand hours. Work will make you great, talent will make you exceptional.
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version 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.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
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
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