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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2
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Newbie
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2 |
There's also this comparison of DAWs that gives a reasonable general idea of differences between various options.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,094
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OP
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Joined: Jun 2012
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Welcome tk7x to the forum.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2
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Hey, VideoTrack, I've actually been around for a while, lurking. Haven't had anything worthwhile to post up until now.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2
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Newbie
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2 |
I haven't used RealBand so I can't compare, but as to Notation programs, I have used Encore for 23 years. I have also been a beta tester for them for the last decade. I love the user interface in Encore.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,568
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Posts: 27,568 |
I didn't know there was another Encore user here! I have used it since 1992 and was also a beta tester for a decade until the latest company reorganization, which shook my confidence in the company's future.
Encore is my second-favorite user interface to enter melodies (BIAB is my first choice) and my favorite to enter everything else needed for scores and lead sheets. I did parts for a full symphony orchestra last year using Encore.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 15
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 15 |
- Availability of VST's,
- Price,
- Value for money,
- Ease of Workflow,
- Capability, Features
Reaper. It works well not only with VSTs but with ancient DXIs like Coyote. Price and Value for money - uncomparable. Ease of Workflow - easy enough after you get used to it. Capability, Features - after latest MIDI additions it's just a pleasure to work with. Drop MIDI track from BIAB to Reaper is a breeze. But the most important for me is stability - couple of crashes for 2 years!  I don't think I'll be using RealBand. Slava
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,094
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OP
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,094 |
[quote=VideoTrack] ... But the most important for me is stability - couple of crashes for 2 years! I don't think I'll be using RealBand. Slava Hi Slava, thanks for your feedback. Remember though that no other DAW can do what RealBand can, and that is to generate tracks from PGM supplied song files. Real Band is a hybrid of BiaB and a DAW, so it offers some functionality that other DAW's cannot.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,606
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,606 |
I manage to crash one DAW about as often as another.
It may be because of my familiarity/unfamiliarity with one compared to another, but as VideoTrack mentioned; because RB allows the added BiaB generation features it is the one I spend more time with. That reason alone makes the effort worth it for me.
I can get any of them to do what I want with a little effort .. except generate tracks. Only RB does that.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109 |
There's also this comparison of DAWs that gives a reasonable general idea of differences between various options. it blows my mind that PGMusic products aren't even on this list! A while ago Peter Gannon posted a similar comparison of music making programs, but it was based on market share... on THAT list PGMusic was way high on the list... ahead of all be maybe 2 or 3 of the DAWs in this list. I guess some of us will have to join the site that hosts this list so we can add RealBand and list ITS strengths!
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 14
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 14 |
I use Logic Pro.. mostly because I have been using it for over 20 years, and am very comfortable with it.. Just made the move to Logic Pro X..
I think the Daw one uses is not that critical.. They all do the job, some are stronger in some areas than other. It really boils down to what your are comfortable with..
I took a free music course at Coursera.org (a great place).. These are online college courses, offered for free. The songwriting course by Pat Patterson is great.. He is a teacher at Berklee online, there the course cost about $1200.. At Coursera, there are a HUGE number of students (65,000 at one of Pats courses..) so of course you get now personal one on one (go to Berklee to do that) you are graded by your peers. If they didn't get the material right, they might give you an unjustified bad grade.. Nothing you can do about that, except learn from their mistake. There is not penalty for failing, quoting, etc.. You just walk away with some great knowledge.. Right now I am taking how to write 4 part harmony like Mozart.. quite intriguing.) I won't have to rely on BIAB excellent harmony feature..
We had to use Reaper in one course, and because I never used it before it was a PIA. It would have been better had I learnt Reaper before the course began..
I have thought about Nuendo, but the price puts me off.
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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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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
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Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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!
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