I don't use RB at the moment but have been thinking about it. What is a good DAW that is inexpensive and works well with BIAB if RB has limitations? Just wondering:-)
Personus Studio One Prime. It's fully functional and free.
++ HERE ++ is a link that compares the features of the free Studio One Prime version with the two, paid upgrades.
The only thing that is modern is the new splash screen in BB, no more EGA graphics WOW ! the rest is still DOS, a mindset still there from the DOS Days at the Helm. Come on PG You are out of touch, hand it over to the young people from the new tech industry, LET GO ! bring the new blood in.
Solidrock, I understand your frustration. Your points are all completely valid. I honestly cannot imagine having to use RB as my DAW! Not saying that to be mean. I am just waaaay more demanding in the software I use and could never settle for all the warts RB has. Every time I try to use it I am reminded of this. Even little things like load times and smoothness (or lack thereof) in the controls. The clunky Windows 95 interface. And on and on.
But, I think what I have come to terms with is this...RealBand is not for me! Plain and simple. There are far better DAWs available for free and at very low cost. If it were not for the single feature of generating RealTracks bar-by-bar (which I have yet to completely figure out) I would not even install it on my system!
Band in a Box is where the magic is. Or, rather, the engine of BIAB is where the magic is. The BIAB interface has the same issues as the RB interface!
So I guess I'd advise you to maybe accept the limitations and develop work-arounds as many others have. Because, at the end of the day, the music I am able to make using RealTracks is nothing short of AMAZING!! And, after demoing the new RealTracks, I am just dying to send PG my upgrade money!! And the truth is, even if they never fix RB or the BIAB interface, as long as they are delivering such amazing stuff under the hood I will continue to upgrade!
And I will repeat my suggestion to PG you mentioned...
BIAB is GREAT! RB, well you know how I feel about that! But where your real magic lives is in your RealTracks and the engine that generates music along with your back-end process that turns top-notch studio playing into RealTracks.
If you were to create a VST/VSTi version of RealTracks with the same available library and the ability to generate bar-by-bar you have forever changed the music business and would guarantee your future success and place in the history of music innovation!
Your points are valid, and it was an oversight that we missed many of these RealBand suggestions in the wish list. I apologize.
On the bright side, we plan to rectify this by adding many of these things ASAP. We have a Band-in-a-Box and RealBand free patch coming this afternoon with the new and requested feature of Stereo Usertracks. And the RealBand patch has some of the wish list features/fixes added too. More to come in the next week.
Hi Peter, I am very happy with this release, but: we are asking since the introducing of the user tracks,almost 2 years ago, for working waltzes. Hope that bug will be patched too. greetings from the Netherlands Rob
I found a bug in producing waltzes! Here is a part of my correspondence with PG music:
Hello Rob,
Thank you for your message. We forwarded your issue and song to our development team and the identified it as a bug. They will need to look into this further and release a program patch update with a fix.
Thank you, Alyssa PG Music Inc. Important Reminder: Please include all previous correspondence when replying to this message On 27/03/2014 1:31 AM, Rob de Klerk wrote:
BIAB is GREAT! RB, well you know how I feel about that! But where your real magic lives is in your RealTracks and the engine that generates music along with your back-end process that turns top-notch studio playing into RealTracks.
See, for me, using this engine in the RB interface as opposed to the BB interface is much better. At least it acts close to the other DAWs. BB does not have enough control for me once I get into a song.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
BIAB is GREAT! RB, well you know how I feel about that! But where your real magic lives is in your RealTracks and the engine that generates music along with your back-end process that turns top-notch studio playing into RealTracks.
See, for me, using this engine in the RB interface as opposed to the BB interface is much better. At least it acts close to the other DAWs. BB does not have enough control for me once I get into a song.
Understood but imagine if every company that makes VSTis also tried to force their customers to use their own DAW! They would have far less sales than they do by focusing on what they do well...VSTi!
RealTracks and the engine would make a killer VSTi! And it would attract the interest of far more pros and young musicians in my opinion!
Peter, please, please, please give us something to automatically change midi control commands to external patches in an upgrade. I'm losing the plot trying to stamp on my Niva Multieffects pedal and/or my Voicelive 2 etc. I'd give up wave files and use BIAB live for that. I have no issues with it live (rock steady) since I upgraded my PC hardware. I can't see what my feet are doing, given my stomach and I can't stop playing to press the buttons with my hands - although I keep trying. Streetjelly already has me tying to talk, type, sing, play, jiggle to backing tracks.... but please not tap dancing.
Windows 10 Home 20H2 Build 19042.487 BIAB 2021 (Build 818) Intel(R) Core(TM), i3-4160, CPU @3.60 GHz RAM 16 GB, 64 Bit X64-based processor Zoom UAC-2 (USB 3 interface-built in midi) VoiceLive 3 Extreme, Sputnik Valve Condenser Mic
Peter, please, please, please give us something to automatically change midi control commands to external patches in an upgrade. I'm losing the plot trying to stamp on my Niva Multieffects pedal and/or my Voicelive 2 etc. I'd give up wave files and use BIAB live for that. I have no issues with it live (rock steady) since I upgraded my PC hardware. I can't see what my feet are doing, given my stomach and I can't stop playing to press the buttons with my hands - although I keep trying. Streetjelly already has me tying to talk, type, sing, play, jiggle to backing tracks.... but please not tap dancing.
lambada This would be a good post to put in the Biab Wishlist forum Trev
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.
Peter, please, please, please give us something to automatically change midi control commands to external patches in an upgrade. I'm losing the plot trying to stamp on my Niva Multieffects pedal and/or my Voicelive 2 etc. I'd give up wave files and use BIAB live for that. I have no issues with it live (rock steady) since I upgraded my PC hardware. I can't see what my feet are doing, given my stomach and I can't stop playing to press the buttons with my hands - although I keep trying. Streetjelly already has me tying to talk, type, sing, play, jiggle to backing tracks.... but please not tap dancing.
This is already possible in both BIAB and RealBand by using the Piano Roll. You can use it to send pretty much ANY kind of MIDI control to external devices... patch changes, volume changes, etc, whatever MIDI control your device allows.
Here's a Very quick overview... if you have more questions, PM me.
1) Piano roll has an upper and lower pane. The upper pane is usually used for MIDI notes while the lower pane is used for assigning values (like volume, velocity, etc) that define the MIDI note... but it can also be used to assign value to Continuous Controllers and patch change commands.
2) in the same way that a note gets played wherever it appears on the piano roll timeline, a continuous controller or patch change command gets executed at the point on the time line where its value is assigned.
3) you can send different data to different MIDI channels. In the graphic, note that there is a place at the top of piano roll to pick which channel to send to. This must match the channel to which your device is set to receive.
4) Once you pick the MIDI channel, then you pick what kind of command to send: a CONTROL (continuous controller), PROGRAM (patch change) etc
5) if you pick CONTROL, another list box will appear so you can pick WHICH CC to send
6) once you've picked the CC, you must assign it a value. Do that by clicking in the lower pane (which is incremented from 0-127) at the location on the time line where you want the event to execute. Then when the song gets to that point, it will send the data you defined to the MIDI channel you defined
example: Lets say you want to send a value of 64 to CC#7 on Midi channel 7
see graphic to locate where MIDI channel, CC and CC number are selected. The value goes in the lower pane. Since the pane is incremented from 0-127 (bottom being 0 and top being 127) a value of 64 would be in the middle.
You don't have to guess at it... when you hover the mouse cursor over the line you made when clicking in the lower pane, it should show the value.
here's an example of a patch change: we're changing the device that's receiving on channel 4 to patch #35. The display shows the name of the GM patch, but your device will change to whatever you have on patch 35.
Note: if your device has more than one bank of 128 patches, it's a little more complicated. But for most gear that has one bank of 128 patches, that's all there is to it!
and the good news is, once you take the time to get your song files set up this way, you can change all sorts of stuff in real time, and it always works the same way!
Your vocal harmonies can be turned on and off with precision timing, guitar effects that are MIDI controllable can seamlessly turn up volume or gain for your solo, then back again automatically, leaving you free to concentrate on playing rather than stepping on pedals!
This is very interesting Pat. I have a question, in your example you placed the change at 1:02 by moving the insert point. My question is, can you somehow, dictate exactly where the insertion point is, such as 1:02:312, or can you only do this by physically moving the line? Hope that makes sense...just don't want to slide it but rather tell the program exactly where I want it.
Please repost your short tutorial in the Tips and Tricks section of the forum. It will be seen by more people and much easier to find in the future. This is too good to be lost.
This is very interesting Pat. I have a question, in your example you placed the change at 1:02 by moving the insert point. My question is, can you somehow, dictate exactly where the insertion point is, such as 1:02:312, or can you only do this by physically moving the line? Hope that makes sense...just don't want to slide it but rather tell the program exactly where I want it.
Jeff
That's where the EVENT LIST comes in handy! The EVENT LIST takes all of your projects activity and puts it in a grid where it can be edited. It is especially useful for fine-tuning times (as opposed to visually dragging lines around.
In fact, you can bypass the piano roll and do all the same stuff directly in the event list!
In RealBand the EVENT LIST is on the tool bar (Top right corner) and also available from the Dropdown menu : WINDOW > EVENT LIST
In BIAB I don't think it's on the tool bar, but you can get there a bunch of different ways via the menu. (see bottom of graphic for menu path)
remember I said you can send different data to different channels? In Realband, whichever track you have selected when you open the EVENT LIST, ONLY THE DATA FOR THAT CHANNEL will appear in the event list!
This makes it very easy to keep from changing the wrong stuff.... but it can be confusing at first if you go back to change something and you can't find your data. When that happens, you are probably looking at the events for a different track.
RealBand's event list has a drop-down list box that lets you select the track you want to view in event list.
The main takeaway here is to make sure you are editing/viewing the correct tracks events. Its easy to get mixed up if you are clicking on a lot of different tracks.
Thanks Pat for the great tutorial Yes, please move it to the tips and tricks section. Valuable information for sure.
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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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!
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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!
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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 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®.
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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!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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Streetjelly already has me tying to talk, type, sing, play, jiggle to backing tracks.... but please not tap dancing. 
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