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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Quote:
I hear you, but not totally true Bob, I don't think you can say "A typical DAW cannot do any of those things" most DAWs have notation windows, piano rolls that use cut and paste, and many have drum sequencers like Session drummer etc, and midi pattern sequencers, with drop and drag samplers that allow you to build tracks from patterns, and loops. Sonar has built in features that do this and other things like V-vocal that allows you to build internally harmony tracks and such.
Piano rolls, cut and paste, notation etc are all editing functions, I said that. As for pattern sequencers and loops, how do you change the key sig or add chords with those? Have you tried creating a 5 chord song with loops and then deciding the key of G is too high for the vocalist so you want it in Eb? Good luck with that. It's a semantic thing I know, but to me at least putting a beat track together is not creating a song. The V-Vocal still needs a track to work with, it won't create one from nothing. To me you can't compare a DAW with Biab. Two entirely different things.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,926 |
Quote:
The 2009 HDD upgrade didn't come with a printed manual at all
I talked with someone a few days ago at PG Music who says that a printed manual is in process and will be announced on the site when available. No date, though.
R.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,829
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,829 |
I never said you could compare them. All I was getting at is that DAW software is very deep and complicated, and does a lot of things BiaB will not do in the creation of a musical project. Same can be said of BiaB, it does stuff no DAW can do, they are truly Apples and Oranges. Creating a midi based song in a DAW is not less a creation than typing in the chords in BiaB and selecting a style. I would venture it is far more complicated. You are creating from scratch, BiaB does the bulk of the work for you. You said A DAW can't do ANY of the things BiaB can do, that is simply not true, it can't do some of the things, but BiaB can't do some of the things aDAW can do.
Piano rolls are far more than editing tools, you can create a mnidi track from zip with them, people do it all the time.
Also Loops are sometimes midi, not just audio, there are tons of midi loops available, and on those you can change the key sig if you want.
The vast majority of songs are created today in a DAW, not in BiaB. So creating a Beat track is still creating, and a far cry harder to do than type the chords in and hit generate.
Bob, I think we are saying the same thing, just differently. I feel strongly that dismissing the DAW process as not being a true creation is just not correct. BiaB just makes it easier for those who do not play all the instruments, and want to creat stuff personally, and quickly. I am not knocking Biab, heck I am a user, but i also use several DAW programs, and have made many songs in them from the start. let me tell you it was far harder to do, BiaB takes the fight out. Thanks for listening, Rob
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17 |
The thing that amazes me is that no one has done a "Band in the Box Power" book or the like. That's the first thing I looked for when I bought the program. Seems there is an opportunity for someone out there.
To me that's the fundamental problem - the manual and written documentation is not up to the high standards of the functionality of the program.
Sure, its easy to enter the chords and go for a backing track but the rest is not overly intuitive. Sonar is much easier to go deep with - plus the documentation (Cakewalk and third party) is more abundant.
Anyway, somebody should write a book, because let's face it, if Peter and Co wanted to do it they would have already.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 707
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 707 |
Fine have a "power" book, but I can't believe that anybody could come from cold to Sonar and master it by reading, for example, Scott Garrigus's book on the subject. It is a really good book, and I got a lot from it, but any book can only take you so far. I got a book on Sonar 2 at the same time as I bought the programme. It might as well have been double dutch for all the sense it made. It has taken me about 6 years of experience to (mostly) understand Sonar. The Sonar 7 book I bought got me from, say, 60% to 70% understanding. I doubt it would have got me from 0% to anywhere far ...
My view, for what it's worth, is that the BAIB manual is as good as any other manual, and a lot better than some. It starts from a low base - its main trouble is that it looks like it was produced on an Atari in 1990 something!
My 2p
Brian
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 479
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 479 |
A few thoughts.
A It's a lot harder to learn anything from a manual than sitting down with someone who understands.
B It's a music program.
If you are clue free about music you'll have a tough time doing anything.
MS Word would be impossible if you couldn't read and write.
C it IS easy to learn, just hard to perfect.
You can learn to play golf in five minutes, but you'll suck at it for a long time.
WSS
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 217
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 217 |
I found the basics easy to learn. I found some simple things like tags and such difficult and I can read music.
I found the videos very helpful. They can be the BIAB for dummies.
However, with NO musical knowledge it would be very hard to learn.
I had to start thinking like a jazz musician (instead of a rock and roller) to really do some things correctly.
And we all know how jazz musicians think.....
I find the cool thing about PG music products is they can be as simple or deep as you want them. Like many that have posted, I have used BIAB for years and still consider myself a beginner and scratching the surface of what this thing can do.
Everyone here is willing to help on even the simplest of questions.
Be blessed
Bob
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,259 |
Quote:
A few thoughts.
A It's a lot harder to learn anything from a manual than sitting down with someone who understands.
B It's a music program.
If you are clue free about music you'll have a tough time doing anything.
MS Word would be impossible if you couldn't read and write.
C it IS easy to learn, just hard to perfect.
You can learn to play golf in five minutes, but you'll suck at it for a long time.
WSS
This says it all.
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 707
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 707 |
With regard to point C, approximately 40 years and counting ...
Brian
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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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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Holiday Weekend Hours
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Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
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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!
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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.
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- 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)
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- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
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