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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Wondering if my Intel i3 9100 is good enough for BIAB 2023 UltraPAK?
I want to upgrade from my 2022 MegaPAK version, which works fine on the i3 9100.
Would this be a go or no-go for the 2023 UltraPAK?
Also, would the UltraPAK external HD work with USB 2.0?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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In my opinion the answer is that you will be fine. I have not noticed any new features that would stress a system in 2023 more than in 2022.
An i3 of your 2018 vintage should be well more than enough to run BIAB just fine. 4 cores, decent sized cache, decent frequency. It's better than what I have on my backup system.
I also believe the supplied USB drive will work OK with USB 2 since USB is backward compatible, but of course you know it's designed for USB 3. In other words, it will work; it just won't work as fast to generate RealTracks.
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; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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The Intel i3 9100 should be fine for the 2023 UltraPAK. The same Band-in-a-Box and RealBand programs are provided in all packages, ProPAK, MegaPAK, UltraPAK and Audiophile. The amount of content each package contains is different.
The 2023 UltraPAK hard drive works fine on a USB 2.0 port.
However I would go into the computer power management or device settings and make sure "sleep" setting is disabled, or turned-off, for all USB ports. Sleep is a power saving timer setting that turns off usb port power when the port is not accessed for some time. You want an external hard drive to always have power.
Jim Fogle - 2025 BiaB (Build 1128) RB (Build 5) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Leo. anytime you need info on a processor just enter in google.. 'cpubenchmark.net and the model of the processor' eg in your case cpubenchmark.net i3 9100. and you will see the processors performance stats. SO in your case …. https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3-9100+%40+3.60GHz&id=3479 notice particularly the 'math scores' downpage as music production software // dsp uses math. huge amounts of it. so comparing math scores using cpu benchmark can be rather useful imho. let me say tons of songs have been done with less than a 9100.BUT there is one 'wrinkle' and a 'depends'. eg if you anticipate using huge trak counts outside biab and also very importantly plug ins that hog cpu processing cycles. in summary the 9100 might choke on huge track and large numbers of plug ins needing lots of 'cpu grunt'. so in this respect without getting further details from you tis difficult to say..eg do you anticipate a change whereby you use new cpu hogging plug ins ?? having said the above if your current biab version works i see no reason why 2023 wont. further if your longer term needs are to run huge track counts in a daw with gobs of cpu plug ins that demand lots of cpu grunt…you might consider one of the upper end processors in the following list depending on trak n' plug in count needs….. https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.htmlbut of course the processor costs get very high rather like joining an elite golf club…lol. in my case i just got a new pc...a ryzen mini pc running biab/rb/reaper which cost peanuts.. and am a happy little lad. but ymmv i dont run loads of cpu hogging plug ins etc etc. my typical song maxes out at 40 traks and a smattering of low cpu useage plug ins. have a great year om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 01/07/23 08:13 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.)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Appreciate all the replies!
No, I don't use a whole lot of tracks, and I have just a modest amount of plug-ins, which in any case I don't think I would ever use in BIAB. So I should be fine.
Last edited by Leovigild; 01/09/23 09:27 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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However I would go into the computer power management or device settings and make sure "sleep" setting is disabled, or turned-off, for all USB ports. Sleep is a power saving timer setting that turns off usb port power when the port is not accessed for some time. You want an external hard drive to always have power. Why would I need the UltraPAK HD to always have power? I had intended to just unplug it from the USB port when I was done with a session. And of course just plug it back in for the next session. Why is this wrong?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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However I would go into the computer power management or device settings and make sure "sleep" setting is disabled, or turned-off, for all USB ports. Sleep is a power saving timer setting that turns off usb port power when the port is not accessed for some time. You want an external hard drive to always have power. Why would I need the UltraPAK HD to always have power? I had intended to just unplug it from the USB port when I was done with a session. And of course just plug it back in for the next session. Why is this wrong? Nothing wrong the way you are using the HD. If you keep the HD plugged in and are a heavy user, that's a different story.
Last edited by MikeK; 01/09/23 10:35 AM.
Cheers, Mike My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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Why would I need the UltraPAK HD to always have power? I had intended to just unplug it from the USB port when I was done with a session.
And of course just plug it back in for the next session. Why is this wrong? Presumably you dismount the device from the Operating System first before unplugging it?
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Why would I need the UltraPAK HD to always have power? I had intended to just unplug it from the USB port when I was done with a session.
And of course just plug it back in for the next session. Why is this wrong? Presumably you dismount the device from the Operating System first before unplugging it? Thanks for that tip, but I never used an external HD before. What is "dismount the device?" And is that a PITA process?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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PG Music Staff
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Thanks for that tip, but I never used an external HD before. What is "dismount the device?" And is that a PITA process? On Windows, usually on the right-hand side of the task bar, there is a "safely remove hardware" icon. You should use this before unplugging the HD. In my experience, occasionally you need to click on it twice to eject, but it is not in general a PITA process. Here is a handy tip. Right-click 'This PC' --> Manage --> Disk Management. Find the UltraPAK HD, right-click and 'change drive letter'. Set it to a letter like "U" (doesn't matter, as long as it's later in the alphabet). The reason for this is the drive letter used for the UltraPAK can change if you are disconnecting / reconnecting it, if you also have some other USB devices, and this can sometimes cause some hiccups (for example BIAB might look for a recently loaded file at G:\bb\songs, when your drive is in fact now H:\bb\songs.
Andrew
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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That’s a great tip by Andrew. All my USB external drives have drive letters from L through T for that reason: the drive letters remain constant. This dates back to the very early days of personal computers when your floppy disk was drive A, and they made the boot drive C because someone just might have another device using B!
The reason you must always eject a drive properly is that there may be data in the buffer not yet written to the drive, so a file can become corrupted. This is not as likely with BIAB because you are mostly reading files, not writing them, if you only use the drive for RealTracks and RealDrums. But don’t take the risk; eject the drive properly before unplugging it.
I use a handy utility for this called USB Safely Remove. It can deal with the case Andrew mentioned where a drive doesn’t want to let go.
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; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Aha! "safely remove hardware" is all what "dismount the device" meant. Do some computers (Macs, presumably) use "dismount the device?" So that's all it is, I was afraid there was a 13-step cable-pulling, 63-click process involved lol
Thanks for that tip about renaming the HD!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Different terms for eject and dismount; same thing.
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; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Another reason to eject / safely remove the drive is to avoid a head-crash, where the drive head remains somewhere over the disk surface when power was removed, rather than correctly parking it in its home position.
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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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!
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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!
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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.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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