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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10 |
Hello all...
What is the main difference between these two products in terms of what you can do with them?
I am a budding jazz/standards vocal artist and want to make my own recordings. I would like to be able to use my karaoke backings and also change the keys in some of them or alter the time. I also want to create my own arrangements.
Which product would be best for my needs?
Thanks!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,486
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Expert
Joined: Jan 2002
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Hi,
Welcome to the forum
For what you require on the audio side then RealBand is the program
jazzman
BIAB - RealBand - 2022
Windows 10 64
Zoo computer with 7i processor- SSD 1TB -2TB HDD
Roland keyboards
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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This link will help: http://www.pgmusic.com/bandbox.htmAll but the least expensive Band-in-a-Box package now include RealBand, and the difference is only $30.
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.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
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Expert
Joined: May 2007
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Depending on how much work you want to do, I would say BIAB is easier to get up and running. It essentially generates an accompaniment for you based on the chords, tempo, and style you choose. Some say it is complex. It does have a lot of features in from the years of growth but most are not needed to get very good sounding accompaniment. With the addition of RealTracks and RealDrums, the sound is awesome.
RealBand does most of the same but gives you more control over your tracks. If you're used to Sonar or something, RealBand should give you no problem. I'm still a BIAB user at gigs. I am playing around with RealBand and it is on my list to move my BIAB songs into RealBand once RealBand matures a little more and works out the kinks.
My advice would be purchase the BIAB package that includes RealBand and spend a little time with both. This forum has a lot of experienced people who can help with just about anything.
Rachael
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
...once RealBand matures a little more and works out the kinks.
You're overall answer is very good Rachael, but what kinks are you referring to? It's not perfect of course but basically I don't have any showstopping problem with Real Band.
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: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
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Expert
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If yours ain't broke, don't fix it. Those I can remember are:
- BSTSW drums don't generate properly. Measures are silent when changing from A/B part markers
- Some diminished chords with a pedal bass don't generate properly in the RealBass
- RealDrums and RealTracks often generate past ending.
...and a few more I can't remember right now
I'm sure some of these will be addressed in next update
R
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2009
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OP
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Thanks all! I guess BIAB with Real Band is what I'll get seeing is it's only $30. Can't wait to get started!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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To me Rachael, all those things are little nothings but that's just me. They are valid points. I've been a pro musician for 40 years and I look at these programs to give me some good raw material to work with not to complete the tune for me. Key phrase is raw material. RB is a midi/audio recording program with a ton of really neat features that you use to record and/or create with.
I take tracks from many different sources, prerecorded midi files, Biab generated tracks, my own playing and put them all together with lots of editing, cutting, pasting etc. And lots of experimenting. Having a Real Track generate a bar past the end of the tune is nothing to me, I can cut that out, do a quick fade where I chopped it faster than I can type this post. For me this kind of thing is standard procedure and I find it a lot of fun. It sounds like you're not using the program much because of these glitches. Work with it, it will do a lot for you. These things are certainly worth mentioning to the developers but I wouldn't let them stop me from using the program, they're easily worked around and there's nothing else that does what it does.
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: Dec 2005
Posts: 493
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2005
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Get both and play around with them and you'll soon find the strengths / weaknesses of each. They give me the best results when I use them both. I can't imagine doing what I do with only one of them.
Good luck.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3
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Newbie
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Hi All,
I'm new here, I bought BIAB & RB but has been only using RB to put up my new song with the style and the instruments available with it. So far, still trying out how to use the features to enhance the song.
After reading some of the posting in the forum, if i understand correctly, many of you using BIAB then import into RB. Is it true?
How does help to enhance the song arrangement or other aspect?
Need some advice as I am new to the such software, and has little knowledge about music, this is only my first piece of work.
Last edited by y2koutsider; 03/17/09 09:27 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
Expert
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Expert
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I think a lot of people import BIAB songs is because they were BIABers before RealBand came out. I have several hundred arrangements done in BIAB and if I need more control over them, they can easily be imported into RealBand.
BIAB will allow you to try a bunch of different things without too much effort. You can change styles, drums, etc and hear the result by just hitting play. For live performances, BIAB offers plenty of features such as the conductor that allow you to change things on the fly. RealBand is not for that. It takes your arrangement and 'sets it in stone'.
RealBand gives you much more control over how your arrangement sounds but involves more 'hands-on' from you. BIAB does most of that for you.
Hope this helps,
Rachael
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3
Newbie
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Newbie
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Hi Rachael,
thanks! it sure help, guess Maybe I'll restart and tried using BIAB with the song instead(Should I?), as I was having difficulty using RB ( I am unsure how to do it) with a few things.
1. Changing style for certain instrument, tried many times in RB but maybe I miss out a few steps.
2. Everytime if I add in addition chords to the song by hitting the "Generate" or "+" it generates the song and change the instruments as well..
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2005
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If you are new to both programs, Biab is probably easier to use than Real Band. A Biab style controls what instruments are used so if you change styles and regenerate, you could hear all new instruments or maybe one or two depending on the style. In RB if you are using the first 8 tracks as Biab tracks, then it works the same way when you hit the generate button. BUT and this is where RB is so good, you can highlight a track outside of the first 8 like track 11 or 32 or whatever and select a style, then right click anywhere in the track and select either midi or a Real Track and then it will generate that one track only. The reason I like Real Band so much is I can either import a Biab song or create one from scratch using RB's chord grid (the same as Biab) and generate the song. That gives me a starting point. Then I start highlighting other tracks starting with 9 and generating new tracks using all different styles, some midi and some Real Tracks or drums. You have 40 additional tracks to play with. Just remember that by highlighting one track and using the right mouse click to select the instrument will generate that track only and leave the rest alone. Now you can have several different styles in the same song using both midi and RT's. That can be very cool.
Biab is easier to use because you put in the chords, select the style and that's it, done but with a lot fewer choices than Real Band.
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: Mar 2009
Posts: 3
Newbie
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Newbie
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Posts: 3 |
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the tips! I'll try that, use track 9 onwards! I hope it will solve my problem.
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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
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Another thanks for the tip here, Bob. THANKS!!
Cornet Curmudgeon
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3
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Newbie
Joined: Jan 2010
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Thanks for asking this, I am also new to BIAB and RB and from a newbie perspective is it VERY confusing, there seems to be a lot of overlap between the 2 products and the line is blurred where one product ends and the next begins, the recommended strategies for getting them to work together, which is better to use based on what you are trying to accomplish, etc. This topic alone that addresses the difference between the 2 products could be its own white paper which I wish PG would publish.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Realistically, I think we are all still working out our separate workflows, habits, discoveries etc. with them.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
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bking,
I used to assemble my arrangements in BIAB and then mix the final product in RB. I no longer do that. These days, I use BIAB to settle on the best style for a song because it's quick and easier to change styles and demo them (as some others above also do). I don't worry about trying to develop an arrangement in BIAB - I just go for the "overall". When I've settled on a style, I then load the BIAB file in RB and use the BIAB file as the foundation for an arrangement I develop in RB. RB is much more powerful in that it gives me greater control over tracks and sections of tracks.
As Mac has said, though, much of it has to do with what you get used to.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
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I use the software for hours every day, since my retirement. It's first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing at night. Perhaps I'm obsessed. I did just manage to clean the kitchen, run the dishwasher, and make the coffee, start the supper meat defrosting, and listen to the news though!
I suggest any new user go a 'hunting'. Find Band In a Box files using google.
I've gotten thousands of jazz classics, and use them all the time.
Another good source of starting material is to acquire a fake book and backing tracks from Notes Norton. I got the 60's Rock and Roll fakebook and have had lots of good times with that. He has the Mantooth series of jazz books, and those are a great start for someone wanting to do jazz.
I'll admit that I don't seem to need Realband for my purposes. My workflow is Band in a Box to Audacity. Audacity is free, and I'm used to it. I can sing my song, record the Band in a Box output and vocal into Audacity and trim the front and back, shine it up a bit, and save it as an mp3. That's it.....
Lots of people where will help you. New users should post their setup, ie computer, operating system, sound devices, and type of music, with an example song they want to work on and ask for some help. We all go our own way, but you'll get lots of 'advice' on how the song evolves. Do all the regular things, determine the number of repeats you want, add a solo, put in lyrics so you get the hang of that, and explore plug ins..(unless you have a 64 bit operating system and you might have to wait.).
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
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Quote:
bking,
I used to assemble my arrangements in BIAB and then mix the final product in RB. I no longer do that. These days, I use BIAB to settle on the best style for a song because it's quick and easier to change styles and demo them (as some others above also do). I don't worry about trying to develop an arrangement in BIAB - I just go for the "overall". When I've settled on a style, I then load the BIAB file in RB and use the BIAB file as the foundation for an arrangement I develop in RB. RB is much more powerful in that it gives me greater control over tracks and sections of tracks.
Regards,
Noel
Ditto this, - my current workflow also.  By the way, great thread folks.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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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 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!
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