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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 120
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 120 |
Hi All!
I've been with BIAB for quite a while now (since about 1998), and have been totally impressed by the progress PG Music has made with this program.
I'm a home studio producer/engineer and use BIAB in a lot of my projects in a number of genres.
I have to say that the one important aspect of composing for me is laying down the "right" drum track.
BIAB has a pretty good selection of drum tracks but what I think would send this program off the charts is a much more diverse and extensive selection of Real Drums!!
This program seems to be focused more on Jazz (first and foremost), Country, and Rock, for the most part which is very cool in my world (I love the "Smooth Jazz" real tracks), but I think that PG Music should put more of an emphasis on Real Drums that focus on the more contemporary styles of Hip Hop, Pop, and R&B that are so prominent today!!
So maybe in 2015 or as an add-on, we could have the opportunity to really bring BIAB into the current world of what's "dope, fresh and off the chain" in todays rhythmic culture.
I'm just saying
Harpo
It's not what you're "Playing", It's what you're "Saying"!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,840
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,840 |
I agree RDs need some more love, but there is a recipe out there for making your own and that might help a bit. I also wish they would tackle the VSTi timing lock issue so we can fully use programs like jamstix. If you have ever really dug into that program it is very complex, but make some great drum tracks.
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: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
You will get more attention on the Wishlist for something like this, Harpo, but you are going to have to be more specific than, "dope, fresh and off the chain" as to what you would like to see implemented.
Helps to point to youtubes or other urls with actual examples, too.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,976
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,976 |
>>> I have to say that the one important aspect of composing for me is laying down the "right" drum track.
BIAB has a pretty good selection of drum tracks but what I think would send this program off the charts is a much more diverse and extensive selection of Real Drums!!
Hi Harpo,
One thing that version 2014 has is instant preview. While that doesn't give you more RealDrums, it does make finding the right style a lot faster, and more fun.
In the past (pre 2014), if you saw a style, and there were 6 variations of it, it would be very time consuming to hear what they sounded like (to find out if "ride, loud snare" was better than "hihats, dbl snare" . Anyway, now there are instant previews for all RealDrums styles, you just dbl click on the stylename and you hear it.
This helps you pick the best style that we DO have, of course it doesn't halp if at the end of all that we still don't have the style you need. But at least you'll find a closer match even in that case.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
I find the new Instant Preview for RealDrums to be quite effective.
For one thing, I've been pouring through my old songfiles and finding much better sounding or different drums for many of them because of this feature.
Just changing the Drums in old songfiles breathes new life into them and can make them a bit more fun to play along with.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,250
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,250 |
BIAB has a pretty good selection of drum tracks but what I think would send this program off the charts is a much more diverse and extensive selection of Real Drums!!
This program seems to be focused more on Jazz (first and foremost), Country, and Rock, for the most part which is very cool in my world (I love the "Smooth Jazz" real tracks), but I think that PG Music should put more of an emphasis on Real Drums that focus on the more contemporary styles of Hip Hop, Pop, and R&B that are so prominent today!!
Amen to that! ENOUGH Bossa already!! Not so sure about HipHop either but more modern Pop, Rock and R&B RDs would be good. Example - Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits. Enough RTs of "Dire" styles to make a good BT but no RD that suits. SO - I had to go BUY it from http://realdrumsforbiab.com/. It fitted right in. Come on guys - get those sticks working. Maybe issue some modern drum RDs as a To Buy pack? Just my two pennyworth Ian
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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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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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
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!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
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.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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