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Band-in-a-Box Wishlist
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 17
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 17 |
This is my first post here, so please don't be harsh with me. I have not used Band in a Box in about ten years. I just purchased the 2013 Mac version. There are some things about it that I find disappointing. I know that I'm making some broad, sweeping comments that talk about things that would be very difficult to implement in BiaB. I am just making suggestions here. First, BiaB 2013 makes music that sounds a great deal better than the version I worked with ten years ago. RealTracks is a huge innovation. BiaB is an astonishingly good and rich and powerful product for what it does, and I am going to use it and get a lot out of it. However, BiaB 2013 has the same cluttered and awkward user interface that it had the last time I saw it ten years ago. It has the same ugly and incredibly dense and complicated button bar, and the same crowded dialog boxes that use lots of plain text in a mono-spaced font, displaying the contents of text files in a very awkward layout. But a larger problem is that BiaB does not conform to the conventions of the user interfaces that people expect in 2013. Visually and in the user interface it looks neither like a modern Mac OS X 10.8 program nor like a modern Windows 8 program, and doesn't behave like either. You may think this is only cosmetic, but for a new user coming to Band in a Box for the first time today, all this is a big turn-off. Although people who have been using BiaB for fifteen years don't notice anything amiss, beginners don't respond well to something that is so awkward in its presentation. Eventually you are going to want to make an iOS/ iPad version of BiaB, and when you do, I imagine that's when you'll get serious about streamlining and revamping the user interface, because you'll have to conform to Apple's iOS developer and useability guidelines, not to mention something that is operated by touch and not by a mouse. None of the developers I know are thrilled about everything you have to do to conform on that platform, but it's inevitable. Second, I'm not impressed with the notation view and features. It seems to me that you have not taken into account what the rest of the computer music software industry has been developing in recent years. Have you examined and used recent versions of Finale or Sibelius, the industry standards? I would like to suggest that BiaB's notation capabilities and the way it displays notation should incorporate some ideas gleaned from studying those programs. I think it's time that Band in a Box supports MusicXML, the open-standard cross-platform system for interchanging music notation files amongst different programs. Band in a Box should be able to import lead sheets and melodies that are created in Finale or Sibelius or similar programs, and then exported as MusicXML files. BiaB should be able to import a MusicXML file into a BiAB arrangement. It should also be able to output BiaB standard notation into MusicXML so that Band in a Box lead sheets and arrangements can be sent to Finale or Sibelius or one of several other professional programs for professional-quality editing and publishing. http://www.musicxml.com
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
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!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
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