i'll start. i buy computer music uk mag once a year it comes with a huge number of synth and fx plug ins. (no silly hardware etc dongles either !!) best deal going imho. http://www.musicradar.com/computermusic/ about 20 buks in north america. ive had lots of fun for 20 buks a year. imho tween the plug ins in this mag and the biab/rb ones its all one needs. NOW POST YOUR BEST GEAR DEALS. hopefully it will help new users to bisab/rb/pt lots. have a great year !!
retd puter engr. daft songs at www.motagator.net/bmanning (songs no 9 n higher use new biab2011.) what is the black art of audio engineering ?. all puters get obsolete in the end..lol.
My choice is the guitar tuner pickup: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/peterson-suction-cup-tuner-pickup?source=3WWRWXMP&kwid=bingproductads-plaid^26563560068-sku^210050000000000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^3336427321
I use it to record my acoustic instruments. It was the best $14 USD investment that I ever made.
Last edited by MarioD; 08/09/1401:41 PM.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I think these clip-on SNARK TUNERS are a great value...
in addition to costing less than the average guitar tuner (which only recognizes the notes EBGDAE) this tuner recognizes all notes, which makes it useful with other instruments that aren't tuned like a guitar.
Or, if you want to tune your guitar down a half step to Eb Bb Gb Db Ab Eb, this tuner can do it, whereas a conventional tuner would choke.
And the fact that you don't have to plug unto it makes it perfect for acoustic instruments
this isn't less than $200, but I think the ROLAND GR-55 costs FAR less than the sum of its features:
1) it includes all the great Roland synth sounds
2) It has all the COSM stuff... that's the equivalent of bringing all the classic guitar, bass, amp and speaker combinations ever made along on your gigs or recording sessions
3) It includes the equivalent of EVERY BOSS effects pedal, (except in this environment they're all MIDI controllable!)
4) It contains a looper
5)It provides a way to play backing tracks from a USB drive without lugging a PC around
6) it has a tuner built in
7) it has a whammy pedal/expression pedal/MIDI expression pedal/Volume pedal (totally programmable)
all this and more for less than the price of just one of the guitars it models.
And of course, the synth patches put the sound of just about every instrument in your power. That's a huge bang for the buck... and all of those features are Roland pro quality
i'll start. i buy computer music uk mag once a year it comes with a huge number of synth and fx plug ins. (no silly hardware etc dongles either !!) best deal going imho. http://www.musicradar.com/computermusic/ about 20 buks in north america. ive had lots of fun for 20 buks a year. imho tween the plug ins in this mag and the biab/rb ones its all one needs. NOW POST YOUR BEST GEAR DEALS. hopefully it will help new users to bisab/rb/pt lots. have a great year !!
manning - it warms my heart to see you write this. Back in perhaps 2003/4 time frame, I posted nearly the same thing about Computer Music magazine and the great plugins and fun that I was having with VST/VSTi using the DAW that was included in the cover CD at the time, CMuzys, and not too much later, Tracktion - particularly having fun with the freeware emulations of old-school synths and electromechanical keyboards. Do you recall your replies to those posts?
I just got a great deal on a DVD set including every issue of flatpicking magazine ever published - including all related mp3's and pdf - for $125 sale (normally costs 250). If you have never read this mag - check it out - great articles and transcriptions with analysis. Here's the deal:
"During the month of August we are offering all of our archive discs on sale for 50% off the regular price. This means that you can own every issue of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, up to Volume 17, Number 6, for less than $0.70 per issue! To receive your 50% discount, use coupon code ARCHIVE when you check out. Click here to find out more:"
Dear scott. Let me respond and defend my position. We are talking ELEVEN YEARS AGO. at that time as I stated at that time; I felt the computer hardware/architecture itself wasn’t up to performing running oodles of plug ins. Even today lots of folks cant afford the lates mac pro’s Or super power latest gen pc’s. The prob is lotsa folks are buying cheapo pc’s, Then expecting them to run a zillion traks and tasks. And plug ins ; thus they become disappointed and get probs etc. . Now 11 yrs later software programming has progressed , And more cpu efficient plug ins are available plus at the higher end pc’s have become more powerfull. However even today if one isn’t prudent in ones plug in use and/or the plug ins folks are using are cpu hogs probs still arise. Thus today even youll see message boards complaining .. “why cant I run 75 reverbs on my cheap laptop” etc etc. lol. All the best.
retd puter engr. daft songs at www.motagator.net/bmanning (songs no 9 n higher use new biab2011.) what is the black art of audio engineering ?. all puters get obsolete in the end..lol.
I'm just glad you are enjoying plugins. For me, 11 years ago, it was like the first time I touched a minimoog or Wurly when I had them responding to my midi controller in real-time.
My perennial freebie favorites (Some I've been using these past 11 years).
Effects: Frohmage Bionic Delay Ariesverb (though the alpha or beta version - the free version - sometimes will put a huge noise spike at the beginning of the rendered audio - not a great endorsement, but it's such a rich reverb) The Kjærhus stuff - available on the acoustica.com website
Instruments: minimogue va arppe 2600 The series of nagware from Genuine Soundware Inc. - used to be soundfonts.it The Elektrostudio pack
Just about any of the under $200 guitars at www.rondomusic.net are great value. There are hundreds of models. I have a bass guitar and a classical guitar that shipped to my house each for well under $200. On the bass, the fretwork and electronics shielding were much better than on my MIM Strat. On the classical, the pickup system that came installed retailed for more than I paid for the guitar, when the system was commercially available (Shadow P7 system).
I was in a Detroit area video and sound post-production facility - one of the nicest ones in the whole city, and there were guitars in each studio that were from Rondo and they do use them to record and let the local talent bang on them when they are in the studio.
Grabbed one of these, still waiting for the 96GB chip I ordered for it. With 128 gig of storage it should be good for a lot of things. W8.1 OS, not much RAM, but SSD drive and SDxC expansion.
When I get around to putting BB/RB on it I'll update. Likely use external for RT /*grin*/ I'm actually hoping to get Visual Studio on it too. I think I have a better chance of installing BB on it than VS (which is a MS product on a W8.1 system)
It seems pretty snappy so far, but drive space is limited with the W8.1 requirements, especially after adding Office 2013 Professional to it. I still need to remove the crapware, but I don't expect a significant gain from that as far as drive space.
I think it's pretty cool anyway. Basically a Win8 Tablet with the keyboard option. One caveat is the USB3 port is on the keyboard, so you can't use USB3 when using as a tablet. Have to have the keyboard attached. The mini USB connection on the tablet is USB2 (I think). Also, it does support Chromecast and (mini) HDMI.
//disclaimer: don't buy it on my suggestion, this thread was about $200 deals and *I* think I got one. Includes rebate. Stock Office install may be 'iffy' YMMV
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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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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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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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!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
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.
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.
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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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
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
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)
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