|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685
Expert
|
OP
Expert
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685 |
Has anyone changed to mac and is it any better than windows for audio , Biab etc.
i have bought a mini mac and thought is it worth the 199.00 to change over ?.
Looking for thoughts and advice from forum members who know both .
Also what is the best Daw software for the mac ?>
Last edited by beatmaster; 06/19/21 11:31 AM.
win 10 64 bit 16gb,i7 chip, ssd 500gb, m-audio air, ,Roland BK-7M, 1000,shure sm7b,sonar,acid,mixcraft, variety of plugins.Sample tank 3,Kontakt. TC Helicon Voicelive 3 2 . https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,454
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,454 |
I have a Mac, but I'm not the expert on it that I am with Windows. Mac in general gives fewer headaches with digital audio (drivers and all). Most Mac users I know have loaded Garageband, and the more serious ones like Logic. But I have friends using Pro Tools or Digital Performer, too. I'll bet if you posted this question in the BIAB for Mac Forum, you would get answers from more qualified users.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,142
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,142 |
But you won't get RealBand which i think is an essential partner program
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,454
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,454 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,292
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,292 |
But you won't get RealBand which i think is an essential partner program Bob, I'll agree that it is a partner but I do not think it is essential. One can go from BiaB directly to their DAW bypassing RealBand completely.
I think my wife has started to show the first signs of dementia.
She said she can't remember what she ever saw in me!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,970
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 15,970 |
Macs come with a decent DAW GarageBand. Its big brother the excellent Logic Pro X costs $199 for life including frequent upgrades and additions to the vast effects and sounds library.
I used PC’s from their inception and switched to a Mac in 2011. I’ve never looked back.
I’m clueless regarding RealBand’s benefits so can’t help much there.
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 875
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 875 |
Janice and Bud's comments mirror my experience.
Worked/played in the PC world for 3 decades.
Abandoned it 10 years ago save BIAB.
Abandoned BIAB windoze this year.
I Love LogicProX for a DAW. $200 is great value.
Logic not only provides a great piece of software but a large community of users that offer many forums/teaching videos etc. Many of these are free or extremely low cost. Very helpful getting started or learning tips and tricks.
I used RealBand for a year or two before Logic. It got the job done.
I prefer Logic
biab2025(Mac) Latest Build
Mac OS (Latest)
Apple Mac Mini M2 pro 32GB Ram
Logic Pro (latest or pretty close)
Heddon Super Spook XT (Mullet)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,971
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,971 |
Macs come with a decent DAW GarageBand. Its big brother the excellent Logic Pro X costs $199 for life including frequent upgrades and additions to the vast effects and sounds library.
I used PC’s from their inception and switched to a Mac in 2011. I’ve never looked back.
I’m clueless regarding RealBand’s benefits so can’t help much there.
Bud In other threads, we've been told by PG Music that, because of GarageBand, it was thought that there was no compelling business reason for porting RealBand to the Mac. Like Bud, I've never used it so have no idea how true that is. I've never felt the need, however. Also, like Bud, I've used PCs from inception in various work environments plus I've owned Macs since 1984. In 2010, I stopped using PCs altogether even though my day gig was a Windows house—my database ran much, much better on a Mac. I, too, never looked back and when I left the job, was told to keep that PC (no one wanted to pay the shipping) and I gave it away a couple months ago. The best DAW? It depends. I use Digital Performer, many of my collaborators use Logic so I know it well, lots of ProTools out there. Anything you do in GarageBand can be opened up in Logic. One thing common to all 4 apps is telephone support (Apple does not advertise this but it's true). Of the many collaborators I work with, cross-platform Mac & Win, the number of Audacity and Reaper users I deal with = 0. At a certain level, if you are under a deadline and you need to know something, you want the instant gratification of a knowledgeable person on the other end of the phone. Apple/PT/MOTU can log into your workstation and see what you're doing with permission. BTW, same is true with the MacOS for 3 years after release even if AppleCare has lapsed. Mojave is still under support through November 2021. Although I've made many support calls to Apple for OS issues, only one for help with an app and it was iMovie. The tech logged in and determined that a) I was doing everything right b) it really was working but c) because I was using a 2010 iMac, the task was going to take many hours to complete—but it would (AV rendering—yikes!). He was right and the task showed a small progress bar hours later and finished late the next day. I took the hint and bought my first iMac Pro a few months later so I could complete the same task in 20 minutes (my current iMP does it in 6).
BIAB 2025 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 21
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 21 |
Mac is somewhat better when it comes to real-time audio. Less problems with drivers + drivers are multi-client (many apps can use your audio interface), you can use aggregate devices, built-in IAC port, etc.
The only current threat I see are problems with Apple Silicon (the new M1 chip) as there are apps not compiled natively for it (yet).
Member of Gig Performer team
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
This is a great thread. My only issue is that I prefer Real Band, and in fact have never even booted BIAB. And while I could generate on a PC and move the file to the Mac, that's a lot of money invested to buy the Mac and Logic, when I have Real Band and Pro Tools on my PC. That said, the underlying idea of that move is to leave Micro$oft and their intrusive business model behind. I despise their
"Take It Or Leave It - Flaws and All! Because we CAN!"
attitude. That's been my issue with them for years, but I have to say that along a long IT career path, Windows held up well. The Office Suite was the tool of choice everywhere I went except one that was Wordperfect. They changed over and had Microsoft trainers come in to teach the deeper and often ignored nuances of Word, like how to create styles, mailing list integration and such. The funny (funny in a sad way) thing there was that this was a law firm, about a half dozen of the legal secretaries were so angry about changing what they already knew (an attitude I see here WAY too often) that they actually quit their job than learn Word. One of them was telling me she was going to quit and I asked her if she had another job lined up. She said no. I then asked if she thought that she was actually going to find another law firm so behind the times that they still used Wordperfect, and did she somehow not notice that everything that was emailed in to us had to be converted because all the other firms used Word. Eventually she stayed because of that, and a few months into using Word told me "I have to admit, this is much better."
Just because it works doesn't mean there isn't better. "Better" works too once you get familiar with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685 |
Thanks for all the advice , I do have access to a copy of pro tools first ,through hardware I just bought.
Eddie are you saying you use bIAB to generate your tracks etc , then over to a Mac for final mixing ,recording as biab for Mac will now set me back 199 to cross over !!
Also the mini Mac I have recently got is a 2011 one , would that be a problem ?, willing to upgrade it in the future if it works out better for me .
Mini Mac has an i5 . 16 ram !
win 10 64 bit 16gb,i7 chip, ssd 500gb, m-audio air, ,Roland BK-7M, 1000,shure sm7b,sonar,acid,mixcraft, variety of plugins.Sample tank 3,Kontakt. TC Helicon Voicelive 3 2 . https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
I'd ring Simon up on this question. I don't know Mac at all. I do know that I'd probably enjoy having a Mac for everything BUT music since Real Band isn't available for Mac. Again, I have never used, or even booted, BIAB.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,027
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,027 |
There are two schools of thought and often very protective defenses for each O/S platform.
RealBand supports native chord input and generation of MIDI and RealTracks (without reliance on separate software, plugins etc), so it appears to have its advantages in some areas.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,454
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,454 |
Reviewing the thread, I see we haven’t mentioned that you can run a Windows emulator like Parallels on a Mac and use the Windows programs you like. Peter Gannon has said he develops the Windows version of BIAB on his Mac. So if RealBand is important to you, you can still use it.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,589
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,589 |
beatmaster. heres my objective comments bout mac and pc ; haveing worked in tech. a BIT OF A DIFFERENT ANGLE lol. 1. from your sig youve made a not insignificant investment in your current win rig. thus my question is WHAT ASPECTS of your current rig are you unhappy with ? btw i dont see your processor listed in your sig. what is it ? also whats your latency figure currently ?. also in realband action>>test audio performance what does rb report for number of traks ? 2. both platforms have their plusses and minuses imho. to quote monty python lol "its all very silly" . if you want to get a objective analysis of both platforms cos i dont have the time to type all the various pros/cons of each platform ; i would suggest you head to www.gearspace.com (formerly gearslutz) where zillions of recording studios from very large to small hang out and read tons of threads in the computer music section. (enter in search mac versus pc). the mac/pc topic has been debated at length on gearslutz. which leads me to what i'm considering next... my strategy. 3. up till this point ive always used refurb pc's. they have come through for me time and again. no crashes and no problems. one of the reasons imho that people have probs with pc's imho is often they choose any old generic pc config. then they go on the net .... frankly THHERE IS A THIRD OPTION i'm considering. >>> custom pc built by a company that specialises in building pc's for recording studios. why am i considering this ? a. i can get the expandeabilty i want. lots of internal ssd's // external/internal ports. b. very low latency figures. c. a system highly optimised "turnkey" for recording studios. d. very high dsp processing power. for plug ns/processing. d. very high trak and plug in counts. e. good 2 year warranties for example. f. some people on gearspace mention they did session after session useing such custom systems for 10 years. so beatmaster check out such sites as adkproaudio, silent pc, purrfect audio, scan.co.uk where there are various interesting configs/articles relateing to recording studio computers. also on gearspace are lots of threads bout companies that make custom recording computers as well as huge threads on building ones own, ------------------------------------------------------------------- beatmaster ; if you dig deep on gearspace and other recording forums on the net youll find some interesting facts emerge. particularly that a lot of savvy studios after trying both major platforms have turned to a custom computer solution; because i believe due to all the factors above i listed. (a through f). particularly a lot of high end studios need loads of dsp power and high trak/plug in counts that only a custom build gives them. yes its more expensive ; but the reason i'm looking closely at this custom solution is i get exactly what I WANT. rather than a generic computer solution decided by other people. they start around 1300 bukkies. best to you. oldmuso
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/21/21 02:15 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
Has anyone changed to mac and is it any better than windows for audio , Biab etc.
i have bought a mini mac and thought is it worth the 199.00 to change over ?.
Looking for thoughts and advice from forum members who know both .
Also what is the best Daw software for the mac ?> I switched to Mac full time around 2007 when I was given a broken G5 iMac (power supply failure, but I was able to fix that). At the time I was sick of Windows XP and Vista and wanted a change. Never looked back! I've since had a number of other Macs - Mac Minis, MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac Pros, and currently own a heavily upgraded 2009 Mac Pro tower (8-core 2.93ghz with 48gb ram, 512gb SSD, 2tb HDD, Geforce GTX 960, and USB3 card), a 2012 15" Macbook Pro Retina, and a 2009 iMac 24" (I think 2.8ghz dual core with 6gb ram and a 250gb SSD). I also have a Windows desktop (mostly for gaming as it's connected to my TV) which has a 6-core i7 and 16gb ram with a Geforce GTX 1060 6gb, 512gb SSD, and 2x1tb HDD's in a RAID-0 - and while this is newer and faster than my Mac Pro (on paper at least), the Mac is able to get more done. The audio system on a Mac is far superior to Windows, in that things typically "just work" as they advertise - I know, there definitely can be problems, but I personally experience far fewer problems in my day-to-day work with macOS than with Windows. There is no such thing as a "best" DAW, only what works best for you. I personally use Logic Pro X for my songwriting, and I use Pro Tools for recording full bands, editing, and sound design for video. It's not that one is better than the other for each function, it's just that I'm used to each specific workflow in each program. Its big brother the excellent Logic Pro X costs $199 for life including frequent upgrades and additions to the vast effects and sounds library. Logic Pro X is $199 for life - that is, until they come out with Logic Pro XI. If I remember correctly, there was no upgrade price discount when they moved from Logic Pro 9 to Logic Pro X - but regardless, $199 is an absolute steal. Thanks for all the advice , I do have access to a copy of pro tools first ,through hardware I just bought.
Eddie are you saying you use bIAB to generate your tracks etc , then over to a Mac for final mixing ,recording as biab for Mac will now set me back 199 to cross over !!
Also the mini Mac I have recently got is a 2011 one , would that be a problem ?, willing to upgrade it in the future if it works out better for me .
Mini Mac has an i5 . 16 ram ! So you're aware, Pro Tools First does not support 3rd party plugins at all, meaning the BIAB plugin will not work in it. You'd need to purchase the full version of Pro Tools for that. This is also true of some other DAWs - Studio One Prime for example. The free GarageBand and Reaper (trial) programs do not have this limitation. Shouldn't be an issue using a Mac Mini i5 with 16gb of ram. I'd ring Simon up on this question. I don't know Mac at all. I do know that I'd probably enjoy having a Mac for everything BUT music since Real Band isn't available for Mac. Again, I have never used, or even booted, BIAB. Thanks for the endorsement Eddie! There are two schools of thought and often very protective defenses for each O/S platform. Yep. Many people who have never used a Mac will happily deride it for whatever reason they can find (price, "inability" to play games, etc), while many Mac users who haven't used Windows at all since XP will tear apart anything they don't understand in Windows 10. I personally use both Windows and Mac in my day-to-day work here at PGM, and while I still personally prefer Mac I'm not generally unhappy with Windows 10. Reviewing the thread, I see we haven’t mentioned that you can run a Windows emulator like Parallels on a Mac and use the Windows programs you like. Peter Gannon has said he develops the Windows version of BIAB on his Mac. So if RealBand is important to you, you can still use it. Parallels tends to work quite well for most apps. I personally use VirtualBox on my Macs, although I don't use BIAB on that so I can't comment much on how well it may or may not work.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,975
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,975 |
One item not mentioned in this thread is the Band-in-a-Box plugin. The plugin is available on both the Windows and Mac platforms.
A major RealBand feature, Multi-riffs, is available in both Band-in-a-Box and the plugin thus reducing the need to use RealBand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,589
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,589 |
All. Re: REALBAND. WHOA !...lol. much as my love affair with reaper continues like lots of pg and other users around the world. i feel compelled to comment on RB. it is a truly great daw , getting better with every new release; abosolutely loaded to the gills with a humungous feature set. and deserving of serious user consideration if a user has never tried it imho. and with its own UNIQUE advantages and huge feature set. i'll let the very knowledgeable joanne cooper (a pg user that has used pg products longer than i ) make the eloquent case for RB. https://joannecooper.co.za/blogs/latest-news/posts/eight-reasons-why-i-as-a-band-in-a-box-user-use-realband-as-my-daw-of-choicei highly respect joannes deep knowledge of pg products includeing realband. let me also say why i feel some people might not "get" realband. its one of those music software products that rewards you the more one is willing to delve into all its deep numerous features. imho if a user doesnt delve into it, they are doing themselves a disservice. (as an aside let me also say for the user not needing auto accompaniement, powertraks has got to be one of the best deals in pro audio. cos it too is jam packed with features for 50 bukkies. price of a meal out for 2 lol. ive known over the years studio people spend a small fortune for daw software that could have saved a load of money by buying powertraks that i started on. and with those saveings bought a better signal chain !) i guess what i'm saying is realband deserves to be mentioned much more. RB ROCKS ! POWERTRAKS ROCKS ! and kudos to the coders for such. i'm sure RB guru Rharv can add even more reasons to use RB that ive forgotten. best oldmuso. ps to pg. in realband stylepicker please add (like bb) ... "play with my song chords".
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/21/21 10:04 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685 |
Well thanks oldmuso food for thought , can anyone point me in the right direction for the Mac forum
win 10 64 bit 16gb,i7 chip, ssd 500gb, m-audio air, ,Roland BK-7M, 1000,shure sm7b,sonar,acid,mixcraft, variety of plugins.Sample tank 3,Kontakt. TC Helicon Voicelive 3 2 . https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,975
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,975 |
... can anyone point me in the right direction for the Mac forum
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
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.
Team PG
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®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,762
Posts795,927
Members39,953
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean