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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2 |
Hi,
I currently have BIAB 2008 Windows, am looking at upgrading to 2011, because of the "real" bands. I play jazz piano, and want to create bass and drum backing tracks, for a jazz trio sound. I really won't be using the non-jazz styles at all.
Question: To get a workable selection of jazz "real" band options, what do I need?
- Is the basic Pro version adequate?
- Do I need the MegaPak? Seems like with the MegaPak I'm paying for a lot of styles I don't want/need.
- Pro version plus some particular jazz style sets or RealPaks?
OR, with RealPaks or sets, do I even need to upgrade to 2011?
Thanks for any thoughts.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,163
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,163 |
If you want the best sounding instruments, you will need the Real Tracks. My advice is to buy as much of a Biab package as you can. I upgraded to the Ultra HD pack and it comes with ALL of the Real Tracks, including Smooth Jazz. Check out my demo song I made yesterday. It is one style with 5 Real Tracks, SmJzPop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POyWq8ih95cTrax
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 300
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 300 |
Sounds awesome, could you share the procedure you used, like maybe a mini tutorial 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,163
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,163 |
Layout your song structure/chord sequence in Biab. Selected the SmJzPop style. Generated the tracks and saved. Opened in Realband, selected bars for Sax solo and generated, then same for the Guitar.
I selected about 4 bars of the guitar part and used the audio harmony in Realband to generate a 1 up harmony.
In Realband, I set the "default track category" (they are DX Plug In effects) for each instrument and adjusted to taste via the mixer. I added the Tremelo Plug In to the E Piano and Rhythm Guitar as well. Then I added a PG Reverb in the Aux 1 slot. That gives all of the instruments the same Reverb setting. Adjust knob 1 on each track for amount to be applied to each track.
It took me about 40 minutes to have a WMA file of the song and 3 hours to make the video, lol.
Trax
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2 |
Quote:
If you want the best sounding instruments, you will need the Real Tracks. My advice is to buy as much of a Biab package as you can.
Thanks. Nice track.
But ... as mentioned above, I have a particular objective in mind, and my question is what I need for that specific purpose. Buying everything isn't really what I'm looking for.
I'm interested in: bass . . . drums . . . jazz
Thoughts?
Thanks.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
It's cheaper to get more in the end.
I've found that often starting with a style that is not real tracks and adding and trying out different things is the best in the end. That said there are some styles that cross over, and many realtracks that cross over. In a lot of the styles when you choose jazz it suggests a certain country or rock style. With a pencil and paper you make note of the tracks that might be good, say a guitar. You keep your jazz style and do a sort of fusion with the suggested guitar track and often the result is great.
I play piano. I like a certain jazz style a lot, it has electric guitar (jazz) plus bass and drums. I find myself filling in the melody on keys, then improvising over it for the 2nd verse, and back to the melody. When I was playing in homes for older (or people like me who've aged early), I found you had to play the actual melody and if you spent too much time away from it they didn't like it. So take "White Cliffs of Dover" though not a very vintage Jazz tune, a good one, and they like the tune and croon away, same verse 3 times. It's cute until Wanda hit me because I didn't play Fur Elise 3 times, and man that cane hurt.
I hear what you are saying. I'd also talk to the sales department at PG music, and specify what you want, and see what they say. I'm sure they will be of great assistance. BTW, I think Monday is a holiday even out west, we call it Family Day.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,994
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,994 |
Simply do the math. Even if all you need is the Jazz RT's - if you get the striped down Pro versions and then buy your RTs individually the price for the 5 sets of Jazz tracks is $420 alone. So getting the more inclusive packages is more cost effective.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,633
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,633 |
These guys speak from experience, many of us have been down that road...
If you truly only want swing jazz (or whatever) you can look at what come in each pack and decide, but most of us ended up hearing something someone else did, and realized we would have liked to have that option.. the larger packs are the better deal as opposed to eventually buying a bunch of realtracks.
The megapak does seem to include a number of additional jazz styles and realtracks compared to pro.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 23
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 23 |
Like you I'm a jazz-only guy. I tried first upgrading to BiaB 2011 and buying a couple of add-on jazz RealTrack packs, but I found that left some useful styles incomplete (the vibes comping, for instance, had no bassist). I could have overcome the problem by loading a different bassist manually, but I figured it wasn't worth the hassle. So I upgraded again to the UltraPlusPak. I reckon it's worth it.
The RealTracks are a vast improvement on the old midi tracks. I was getting depressed about my little GBD trio going down the tubes and not being able to find pro-level players to jam with, especially on my own compositions and arrangements. Now I've been able to create good backings for them, which inspire me to work on them again. I'm particularly pleasantly surprised at how well the vibes comping works on some modern compositions of mine (unusual progressions with slash chords). The B3 comping is great fun too.
Keith Freeman
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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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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
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!
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