Can somebody explain me WHY exactly is a great, desirable feature to have?
Pretty please?
Do we "need" to have Band-in-a-Box? Is there a "need" to have RealTracks? Is there a "need" to have a tv? Is there a "need" to have ____________ (fill in the blank with whatever you like/want that someone else might not like/want!) It ain't about "need"!
When I am president of the BIAB VSTi fan club, long-time BIAB users who love the interface and functionality will be able to keep it! But for others who want to use the latest, greatest software, GUI, 64-bit, DAW of choice, etc. the new VSTi version will be great for them! (I just realized I may have doomed my idea with that association in this forum!!!)
There is an enormous market for virtual instruments to add in to my DAW and help me create amazing music. I own lots of these libraries such as Kontakt and others. But in most cases the instrument samples are note by note and while that provides great flexibility and control, I also have to play everything on a MIDI controller to get them into my DAW. Some of them include patterns that get close to what RealTracks offers and I like those a lot.
For me, and I suspect lots of others, I have zero interest in many of the things BIAB does. I will never ever use it live and will not even use it to produce complete backing tracks. Mainly that is because I have a DAW that I much prefer to use (and there are LOTS of people out there who have a preferred DAW and will not be changing that!) I am not going to use the built-in metronome or any of the other gadgets.
But those RealTracks! Oh My God...those RealTracks! A pirate's dream. A king's ransom. A maiden's knight in shining armor. Well, the RealTracks are nothing short of amazing! And they blow everything else in the virtual instrument arena out of the water! Hands down. End of story. Slam the door. It it fits it ships!
Having the ability to drop the RealTracks engine into my DAW would be the best thing since sliced bread! And this would indeed be a Killer Product! Can you imagine the excitement among the millions of music producers who could now add RealTracks to their productions directly in their DAW of choice
The only downside is a whole lot of people could start producing music that is as cool as what we BIAB users are producing! Wait...I have changed my mind! Let's cancel the whole VSTi idea before I lose my edge!
ReWire VST works as a standard VST instruments and can load all versions of Reason (32-bit and 64-bit) on PC and Mac OS X. Want to use Reason inside energyXT, MPC, Maschine or any other VST DAW/sequencer, then ReWire VST is for you.
The vst can work in a similar way - just needs to use the c:\realband\data\bbw2.exe like real band does to bring the tracks into the daw instead.
C'mon, let's be pragmatic. There's always room for improvement, but I don't think a single file date of July 24 1991 means the entire system was last written/developed/improved in the 1990's.
Maybe it means that it's fantastic in it's backwards compatibility (!)
It goes without saying that your intentions are all good, no doubt. All things need constant attention & upgrading. But sorry; that's just not a realistic example. I too want to see continual improvement. But let's start with where we are now, not where we were then, yes?
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.
sorry "files" in the bb root going all the way back to 07/24/1991 5:47PM "8.3" "1995,1996,1997,1998,1999 - - - where we are now is still using 8.3 - I remember be limited to working in 8.3 file names back in the dos days trying to squeeze all the different company names and areas into 8 characters I think it would be a good thing not a bad thing it might be just that old notion fear of change
Sometimes I look at this thread and think is this really the biab windows forum, the subject would seem more at home on a computer programming forum. Of course your view may differ.
I think there has been a vast improvement in the biab GUI over the past few years, it has come along in leaps and bounds, and now is a lot easier to use.
Just look at the 2013 GUI and does anyone want to go back to this?
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
a long time back somewhere in the forums here I remember watching a video someone made of a whole new band in a box with a totally quantum leap interface that was totally user ajustable - I think that combined with new 64 bit programming would be fantastic. It's just good to see new ideas and new ways of doing things being suggested - sure most would just rather just sit back and not get involved or come up with any new ways and just hope for some good things at the end of another year.
It's always new ideas that we first imagine that bring about change - let's face it that guy that first imagined that the world was round would have coped a pretty hard time - I think some were even scorned, jailed or executed.
I might be just 5-10 years too soon - I could always come back in 5 n try again when there is a collective shift in consciousness.
Hope this helps.
** again I did suggest to keep the old 32 bit delphi for those long term users from back in 07/24/1991 5:47PM
a long time back somewhere in the forums here I remember watching a video someone made of a whole new band in a box with a totally quantum leap interface that was totally user ajustable
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.
Sometimes I look at this thread and think is this really the biab windows forum, the subject would seem more at home on a computer programming forum. Of course your view may differ.
I think there has been a vast improvement in the biab GUI over the past few years, it has come along in leaps and bounds, and now is a lot easier to use.
Just look at the 2013 GUI and does anyone want to go back to this?
Who cares what programming language is used.
My sentiments exactly! Thanks for that post!
Cheers, Mike
My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
just trying out RapidComposer http://www.musicdevelopments.com/rapidcomposer.html it is a standalone and a vsti - the vst RapidComposer_x64.dll (400k) is just used to connect the daw to the RapidComposer_x64.exe (9meg) that starts up when the vst is loaded. BBW.exe is only 8meg so a vst version would be a must to lay tracks down straight in your daw.. though the syncing problem would have to be fixed, like that rewire vst didn't work http://www.energy-xt.com/index.php?id=0115
1 would we have to load a biab vst for every track?
2 And if so load and edit each instance of the vst (realtracks etc) separately for each track?
If so seems a rather long winded and way about way of doing things, might just be a lot handier just to do everything in biab or rb, and then render to .WAV and import into the DAW.
What I am saying though it might be a nice feature to have could be more trouble than its worth.
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
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.
Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
rather than saying no that's way too hard it'll never happen - get your thinking caps on and come up with some ideas how it can be done - if Peter came on here asking you for ideas on how to do it you would be straight in there - we would not say oh no Peter forget it that's way too hard Doc. The original post was about programming language but you guys said that would never happen as it's way too hard to do, don't rock the boat. Why not make a list of what is possible and what is not and pin it to the top of the forum, that way anyone coming here with "crazy ideas" will be cut off quick smart and sent on their merry way never to return again - how dare they ! Men on the moon, off to the insane asylum for you mister !.
Come on you Guys, I know you have it in you, I'm sure each one can come come up with an idea, don't be embarrassed it won't sound silly, come on do it for ol' pipeline
just trying out RapidComposer http://www.musicdevelopments.com/rapidcomposer.html it is a standalone and a vsti - the vst RapidComposer_x64.dll (400k) is just used to connect the daw to the RapidComposer_x64.exe (9meg) that starts up when the vst is loaded. BBW.exe is only 8meg so a vst version would be a must to lay tracks down straight in your daw.. though the syncing problem would have to be fixed, like that rewire vst didn't work http://www.energy-xt.com/index.php?id=0115
I have owned RapidComposer for over a year and it is a very impressive tool! In a lot of ways it does what BIAB does but strictly with MIDI and VSTis. And in some ways it does a lot more! PG would do well to study some of the features RC provides and bring those into BIAB. Things like huge libraries of riffs...automatic suggestions for chords that might typically follow the last one...huge library of chord progressions as well as a chord progression generator...stand-alone and VST versions...32-bit and 64-bit...and so on! The RC interface seems a bit quirky to me but is still a much more modern one.
Of course, nothing compares to the end result I can get quickly with RealTracks! So I see these two tools, BIAB and RC, as two important tools in my songwriting toolbox! I would now never be without either one!
1 would we have to load a biab vst for every track?
2 And if so load and edit each instance of the vst (realtracks etc) separately for each track?
If so seems a rather long winded and way about way of doing things, might just be a lot handier just to do everything in biab or rb, and then render to .WAV and import into the DAW.
What I am saying though it might be a nice feature to have could be more trouble than its worth.
Musiclover
It may be that some of us think of BIAB rather one-dimensionally. If you think of it as a performance tool, a chord detector, a training aid and all of the other myriad of features new and old that occupy (litter?) the complex menu and toolbar, then I'd have to agree with you that this should never be converted to a VSTi!
BUT, if you view BIAB, as I do, as simply a shell I have to struggle with to get to those SWEET RealTracks, then having a RealTracks VSTi would be a godsend! I would venture to guess the vast majority of modern music producers work inside their DAW and prefer NOT to have to leave it to use external software on their tracks! Imagine what a pain it would be if your favorite VSTs/VSTis required you to output your tracks, process them inside their own proprietary software, then export and bring them back into your DAW!! There is a very BIG reason for the whole plugin concept...we want to work in a unified environment to the greatest degree possible!
So, imagine a new product from PG called RealTracks VSTi where you mainly get two things...a huge RealTracks library and an engine to manage them (select, stretch, tempo adjust, etc.)! This new product would leave out maybe 75% of the BIAB "features" like a metronome or jukebox and leave out most/all of the MIDI-specific features!
My feeling is such a product would be a killer, best-of-NAMM type deal! Every music producer and every wannabe music producer would be the target market for such a product! I am even a little nervous that PG might actually do this some day and let the rest of the music world know what a great thing we have here!
And before anyone says "just use RealBand" I won't bother to list the reasons why I will not do that but let me just state the very simplest one...what if every plug-in you use, every compressor, every EQ, every reverb required you to use a DAW designed for that plug? That would get old pretty quick, right?
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!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
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.
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®!
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.
-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
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)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
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!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
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