Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
#151143 02/20/12 06:25 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
G
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
G
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
Based on my own research & what I've read plus the positive comments from this forum... I've decided to purchase the Mega Pak 2012...I noticed it doesn't come with tutorials.. Why is that? Are we supposed to learn by trial & error or this forum?...can we purchase tutorials separately?..also, can anyone suggest a good simple interface...is there anything that is a "must have" that doesn't come with the Mega Pak? I'm using win 7x64 6mg mem & 1.5 t hard drive......not a lot of other mem eating apps on my pc....thanks very much


BAIB 2012
Studio One 2 Pro
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Rethink this. You don't get Real Tracks or Real Drums either. It's a MIDI only package.


John
ESI Gigaport HD+
Lenovo Turion II /4 Gig Ram/ Win7x64 be
15.6" Monitor
"The only Band is a Real Band"
www.wintertexaninfo.com/BANDS/JohnnyD.php
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
BTW where in NC are you?


John
ESI Gigaport HD+
Lenovo Turion II /4 Gig Ram/ Win7x64 be
15.6" Monitor
"The only Band is a Real Band"
www.wintertexaninfo.com/BANDS/JohnnyD.php
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,416
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,416
To actually answer your question (and welcome to the forums -- love your user name!), there are a great many online tutorials right here. And, the very basic functions really are easy -- it's literally:
  • Set up your MIDI -- the Help file should have that in great detail
  • Pick a musical style from the Style Picker (the button that says "Style" just below and to the left of the name of the song) -- if it says it has to rebuild, click Yes
  • Input chords (up to four in each bar) -- e.g., C, D7, Am, Bsus, whatever. If you want two chord changes in a half-bar, separate them with commas
  • Click "Play"
That really, really is all you need to do. And we promise, we answer questions here, and we don't bite. Much.

As to the other stuff... as silvertones says, getting RealDrums and RealTracks will give you a quantum leap in sound quality. And they work together seamlessly with MIDI. And your computer sounds plenty beefy enough. (I too have Win7/64 and 6 GB RAM -- what processor do you have?)

Interface: What precisely do you want to interface with, i.e., what are you using with BIAB -- a keyboard controller, a hardware synth...? Give us a little more info, if you could.

Last edited by filkertom; 02/20/12 07:11 AM.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
G
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
G
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
Thanks, glad you mentioned real drums & real tracks....I just want to play around & record guitar/voice with biab arrangement...not really intending to go public...I'm near raleigh....any other tips you can suggest will be appreciated...which interface do you suggest?


BAIB 2012
Studio One 2 Pro
filkertom #151148 02/20/12 08:02 AM
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
G
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
G
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
Thanks, my pc is equipped with AMD FX-6100 six-core processor [3.3GHz, 6MB L2/8MB L3 Cache]....I want a guitar/mic interface so i can record guitar & voice...sorry to sound so naive but I'm just getting into this recording stuff..was gonna go with pro tools then a friend mentioned biab and from what I've read I like it...my user name is the name of my 2 female boxers...again thanks for your input


BAIB 2012
Studio One 2 Pro
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,037
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,037
The MegaPAK certainly does come with some RealTracks and RealDrums.

It has a basic package with 160 RealTracks and sets 1 through 6 of RealDrums. See http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.packages.htm

This gives you to opportunity to experiment with RealTracks and RealDrums, so you can decide if you wish to purchase more. There are currently somewhere around 1,000 RealTracks and 29 sets of RealDrums.



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.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,416
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,416
Quote:

Thanks, my pc is equipped with AMD FX-6100 six-core processor [3.3GHz, 6MB L2/8MB L3 Cache]....I want a guitar/mic interface so i can record guitar & voice...sorry to sound so naive but I'm just getting into this recording stuff..was gonna go with pro tools then a friend mentioned biab and from what I've read I like it...my user name is the name of my 2 female boxers...again thanks for your input


Kewl, beefier than mine indeed. There are many possible interfaces out there -- the cheapest and easiest are from M-Audio, both the Fast Track (which hooks up to your computer through one of the USB ports) and Audio Buddy (which plugs in through the sound card). I have them both, and I actually use Audio Buddy more. (Any other suggestions on USB interfaces, crew?)

Pro Tools is What Everybody Uses (Except For All The People Who Use Other Stuff), y'know? You've already got BIAB and RealBand; for your purposes, that should honestly be enough.


Best,
Tom Smith
Win10/64 • i7-8700K • 24 GB RAM
BIAB 2025 • Reaper 7 • Izotope MPS
AKG C1000S • IK iRig I/O Pro
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Quote:

The MegaPAK certainly does come with some RealTracks and RealDrums.

It has a basic package with 160 RealTracks and sets 1 through 6 of RealDrums. See http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.packages.htm

This gives you to opportunity to experiment with RealTracks and RealDrums, so you can decide if you wish to purchase more. There are currently somewhere around 1,000 RealTracks and 29 sets of RealDrums.






But there combos? Not sure what that's about.Can you still use individual RTs?


John
ESI Gigaport HD+
Lenovo Turion II /4 Gig Ram/ Win7x64 be
15.6" Monitor
"The only Band is a Real Band"
www.wintertexaninfo.com/BANDS/JohnnyD.php
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
G
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
G
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
Yes Matt, it does say it comes with 1-6 drum sets but there is no demo for set 1.....does anyone know what set 1 is?...I play mostly classic rock & blues would be nice to know what set 1 is before purchasing...I called PG and they just said set 1 was a combo. thanks


BAIB 2012
Studio One 2 Pro
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,037
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,037
Hi John. Not sure what you mean by 'combos'. RealStyles? Or if you mean 'RealCombos', this FAQ will help: http://www.pgmusic.com/salesfaq1.htm#45

We have always been able to select individual RealTracks for any instrument. I still do it that way, rather than looking for any assistance from groupings.


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.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,037
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,037
gypsyrosegracie, this page shows what is in each RealDrum set. http://www.pgmusic.com/realdrums.php?os=win

Sets 1 through 6 (see the bottom of the page) already come with the MegaPAK.


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.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
G
Enthusiast
OP Offline
Enthusiast
G
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 28
Matt, yes the link you posted shows realdrum sets except for Set #1...all pg was able to tell me is set #1 is a combo set...I play mostly classic rock & blues set 2-6 doesn't list either...how do we know what is in set 1?...looks like I need set 21...or maybe im confused...thanks


BAIB 2012
Studio One 2 Pro
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,037
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,037
Oh, I see what you mean now; the specifics are not listed for that one.

I think perhaps they mean that Set 1 is a collection of various styles; that's what they meant by combo, as opposed to emphasizing one or two styles of music as the later sets do. If I recall correctly, and it's been many years, that first set of RealDrums had a little of everything; sort of like a sampler.


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.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Quote:

Oh, I see what you mean now; the specifics are not listed for that one.

I think perhaps they mean that Set 1 is a collection of various styles; that's what they meant by combo, as opposed to emphasizing one or two styles of music as the later sets do. If I recall correctly, and it's been many years, that first set of RealDrums had a little of everything; sort of like a sampler.




Right. I'm just not sure if those RT Combos are somehow locked as Combos only or if you can use the individual RTs that make up the Combos. Just want the OP to get what's best.


John
ESI Gigaport HD+
Lenovo Turion II /4 Gig Ram/ Win7x64 be
15.6" Monitor
"The only Band is a Real Band"
www.wintertexaninfo.com/BANDS/JohnnyD.php
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,415
PG Music Staff
Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,415
Hello,

RealDrums Set 1 includes:
BossaBrushes
JazzBrushes
RockEven8
RockEven16

You can see a list of the other RealDrums here:
http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.packages.ultra.htm#rdlist

Quote:

..I'm just not sure if those RT Combos are somehow locked as Combos only or if you can use the individual RTs that make up the Combos. Just want the OP to get what's best.




You can use each of the individual RealTracks, just as you are used to. Rather than including a random assortment of RealTracks with the Pro and MegaPAK versions, we combine a few RealTracks together to make a band, and make an .STY, and that's a RealCombo that we include. So while you only have a fraction of the total # RealTracks available, you still have the instruments needed to form complete bands in various genres.


Andrew
PG Music Inc.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 581
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 581
If you can possibly swing an extra $200 go for the UltraPlusPak on the external USB hard drive. If not, get started and upgrade later. But at some point you WILL want those extra real tracks.

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
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

Join the conversation on our forum.

Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac Videos

With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.

From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.

Reference this forum post for One-Stop Shopping of our Band-in-a-Box® 2025 Mac Videos — we’ll be adding more videos as they’re released!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!

Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until July 31, 2025! Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.

If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us directly—we’re here to help!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 Italian Version is Here!

Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.

Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.

Band-in-a-Box 2025 - Italiano
RealBand 2025 - Italiano

Band-in-a-Box 2025 French Version is Here!

Bonjour à tous,

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music

Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:

BIAB 2025 - francisation
RealBand 2025 - francisation

Voilà, enjoy!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 German Version is Here!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!

Die deutsche Version Band-in-a-Box® 2025 für Windows ist ab sofort verfügbar!

Alle die bereits die englische Version von Band-in-a-Box und RealBand 2024 installiert haben, finden hier die Installationsdateien für das Sprachenupdate:

https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025.exe
https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025RB.exe

Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!

Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.

Stay up to date—get the latest update now!

Forum Statistics
Forums58
Topics84,314
Posts777,643
Members39,617
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
Floyd17230, JerryL, kottke, kaleu, Claudio Paolini
39,616 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 149
zedd 107
DC Ron 103
rsdean 94
WaoBand 90
nonchai 85
Today's Birthdays
oublaj
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5