Bluesky,
I'd like to take the time to address, or at least question, another aspect of your purchase, which is Band In A Box. I'm not questioning the *purchase*, I'm sure you'll love it, but I am questioning exactly how you are going to use it.

What I want to know is if you plan on using just the Real Tracks that come with it, or if you plan on using the MIDI output of it, as well. If you are planning on using the MIDI output, do you know what synth you will be using? Will it be a hardware synth, or will it be a software synth? PCs with Windows come with a software synthesizer built in, but honestly, it isn't that great. The Roland VSC software synth which comes with BIAB is a step up, but not a very big one. You can also purchase the Coyote Forte software synth, from PG Music, but, again, in my opinion, it falls far behind most of the hardware synths.

The synth, by the way, is what actually creates the sound. Band in A Box, other than the Real Tracks, does not have any sounds of its own, it simply sends commands to a synth which then creates them. The quality of the sounds in the synth will determine how good the output is. Take five different computers, playing the exact same song, one using the MS Software synth included in WIndows, another using the Coyote Forte, and then one using a entry level Yamaha or Casio keyboard, another one using the Ketron SD2 sound module and another one using a 'pro workstation' and you'll hear the same song five different ways, or at least with five different levels of sound quality.

If you plan on using the MIDI portion of BIAB, which most people do, even with Real Tracks, then budgeting for high quality sounds is important.

I mentioned the Ketron SD2, and for the price, if you have nothing else, it seems to be one of the best values on the market as far as sound quality is concerned. Some of the tracks I've heard with it I have difficulty distinguishing from 'live.' It's that good.

By the way, welcome to the world of digital music.

Gary

I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!