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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I have the home studio st up with the whole works, Dual monitor dell system hooked to mboxpro. I'm lokking to set up portable system to play out with. Thinking of using laptop with BIAB setting ontop of my PSR 740 playing directly through a small portable PA. The question is, how much audio interface do I need. Do I even need a audio interface? I'm not using it to record but to play andI do want the best quality of sound possible for a reasonalble investment.
Dell 610 dual Monitor, win 7-10, Sonar Plat, ProTools 10 & 11, Reaper 4, BIAB/real Band 2022, Easy Drummer, Superior Drummer, Kontact Essentials, Personnel Orchestra, Korg Legacy Analog & Digital
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Do I even need a audio interface? I'm not using it to record but to play and I do want the best quality of sound possible for a reasonable investment. Earl, in some ways you've answered your own question. The audio interface on the laptop may not likely be that great, but some are OK. If you need volume for playing live gigs, then you'll need an external Amp. If you just need reasonable volume, then a pair of Active Monitors (powered speakers) might just do the trick. One suggestion would be to start with Active Monitors connected to the laptop, and add an improved audio interface if required.
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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Wow, PSR 740!!!! I used to have one of those about 20 years ago. After eight keyboards, I'm now playing the Tyros 5. Good for you, Earl!
I agree with VideoTrack. Invest in a decent audio interface. They've come way down in price over the past five years. What used to cost $1,500 can now be had for around $350. Make sure it is an ASIO type. I just bought the Steinberg UR44. It is VERY robust and always shows up in the device list where it's supposed to, which means its driver is very well written.
Last edited by Lee Batchelor; 07/07/16 03:26 AM.
Gear: Tyros 5, MOX8, SoundCraft EFX12 mixer, two Bose L1 Compacts, Yamaha HS-8 monitors, BIAB 2016 UltraPlusPAK, Cubase 8, Steinberg UR-44 interface.
"If everyone played a musical instrument, we wouldn't need police officers or armies." Lee B.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I guess I should have asked the question a different way. what does an Audion interface actually do? Does it actually improve the sound quality and if so how does it do this? In the old days we had sound cards. Is this basically the same? What is the real difference between a $ 50 interface and a $3000 interface?
Dell 610 dual Monitor, win 7-10, Sonar Plat, ProTools 10 & 11, Reaper 4, BIAB/real Band 2022, Easy Drummer, Superior Drummer, Kontact Essentials, Personnel Orchestra, Korg Legacy Analog & Digital
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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If you're playing gigs, you do NOT need an audio interface. The lappy sound card is often sufficient and sounds good enough if you're using wave files. Interfaces would work OK in the field, but won't give you any particular sound quality advantage. Reserve them to the studio for multitrack recording.
A good laptop with some sort of music software that lets you set up sets, and quickly pull up requested songs is all you need. Run the lappy direct to the PA and have fun.
Remember, on a gig, simple works best. The more complicated you make it the more likely you are to have problems.
Use WAVE files for the best quality.
Heck I would simply take the projects in BB and render them to a WAVE missing the parts you intend to play live. I hear some folks who do use BB live, and that's an option, but if you render the waves, that's one less program running to cause issues.
I have a buddy who does that sort of thing for a side job. Plays music on the weekends. He runs TWO identical laptops. Both are booted up and programs running. If one glitches out and crashes, he can switch to the backup in a few seconds and the show goes on.... while the other one gets rebooted. He uses MP3 files.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 07/07/16 05:05 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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The headphone out of modern laptop is more than good enough for live gigging. One thing though, running it while plugged in with an AC power cable will cause weird noises through your PA and that will be your first question here after the gig. You need to either use a two prong adapter to lift the ground or run it off the battery.
The second suggestion is to use a stereo break out adapter so you can run the bass and drums to one channel and the rest of the instruments to another channel. The overall mix will sound vastly different out on a gig than it does at home. One gig I did in a medium sized bar the bass was just booming and I could turn it down that way. It's the bass and drums that causes the most trouble so that was my solution to have separate control over them. That can change as the gig goes on too. Early there may be only a few people but later the place is packed and you need to turn the bass and drums back up. Yes you can control that live using Biab's mixer but that's tricky to do while you're playing. Then when you stop that song and move on to the next one the mix can be different. You'll soon realize that what you set up at home as far as balancing between the instrument tracks is pretty much useless on the gig because of different acoustics.
To get back to an interface, there was a former user here named Silvertones who had an elaborate live setup using an 8 channel expensive interface that could breakout each instrument to it's own track. That gave him full control of the entire mix because he also had an 8 channel PA. He used Real Band rather than Biab for this because of more available tracks.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Even though the sound quality may not be drastically different, there are other reasons to consider using an audio interface. I experienced repeated frustration when using the laptop headphone output earlier this year that was solved by changing from the headphone output to a USB audio interface. You can read all about it in this PG Music forum thread: A Mystery - Can You Solve It? In my opinion, the sound quality actually did improve as well. I'll never go back to using a headphone output. It doesn't have to be an expensive one. I am using a Roland/Edirol unit that was about $100 (I don't know if it is still available).
Jim
Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
BIAB 2018 build 519; Dell Inspiron N4110, Windows 10 64 bit, Intel Core i3-2350m running at 2.29 GHz, Memory: 6 GB DDR3, SDRAM 1MHz
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The headphone out of modern laptop is more than good enough for live gigging. One thing though, running it while plugged in with an AC power cable will cause weird noises through your PA and that will be your first question here after the gig. You need to either use a two prong adapter to lift the ground or run it off the battery. That depends on your power supply adaptor. There are some that need a galvanic isolation, others don't because of their internal workings. If you get "weird noises" when your laptop is plugged in, get one of the rather cheap adaptors from somebody like Radio Shack or your preferred dealer of electronic equipment. They know this effect and the means to solve it. If you've never heard about it look for galvanic isolation on Wikipedia and continue from there.
Desktop; i7-2600k, 8 GB mem., Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Laptop: i5-2410M, 4 GB mem, Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
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A couple of points. First sound quality. Unless you're using a multi thousand dollar PA system, you're not going to hear any difference. I point this out all the time when the subject of sound quality comes up. What are you listening through? Cheapo computer speakers? A few hundred dollar home theater system bought at Walmart? What? Good sound requires good money.
I can't speak for the OP but most on this forum are using Fender passports or other small all in one systems like Yamaha, Samson etc that sell for $500 or so. Those are strictly mediocre, hardly audiophile quality. I just did a gig at the Catalina Yacht Club using the new Bose F1 system with the subs. That system only costs five grand not including a good mixer. Sounded absolutely awesome. Maybe with a system like that an interface would make a difference.
But, consider this. On the breaks we simply plugged in an Android phone for break music. Sounded just fine and I doubt the mini jack out of a phone is any better quality that the headphone outs from a laptop, in fact I suspect the laptop is much better because now everybody is using their laptop's, Surface Pro's and other tablets for music, movies and gaming. This is why the internal DAC's have been greatly improved over the last several years.
As to the mini jack, yes they are weak but if you're smart you work that out by using gaffers tape or whatever to secure it so it doesn't move. And in that other thread, the main issue I saw is he didn't know how to clean up his laptop for live music.
I've said it so many times I should tattoo it on my head, "You have to be a computer nerd to work with digital audio". This forum tends to be 'ahem' an older crowd and some (certainly not all) older folks really don't understand this stuff too well so we try to be helpful and walk them through it.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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For $30, this is worth a shot, and pretty small. I have a Behringer interface a little higher up on the food chain (UMC204HD U-Phoria) that offers low latency and XLR ins, but I use a Wx-7 and some .VST instruments where that's necessary - the low latency . https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA202-Audio-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI
Last edited by PhillyJazz; 07/07/16 09:33 AM.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
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I agree with Bob that if you are using a typical, small sound system, you probably won't hear much (if any) difference). I am also using a Bose system - the original L1 Classic PAS with one subwoofer. After using the headphone output of my laptop for several years, I do hear some difference in sound quality. Not huge, but noticeable.
The frustration I began to experience in 2015 was that when I booted everything up, I suddenly had no output from the laptop until I disconnected the cable from the headphone output jack and then plugged it right back in. Not a huge deal once I figured it out, but annoying just the same. This did not happen until after an update in early 2015 of either Windows 7 or BIAB. I used the same computer and sound system for years and never had to do this unplugging and replugging but once the problem began, I had to do it every time. A minor irritation, for sure, but I was able to eliminate it completely by using the audio interface, and the small improvement in sound was a surprise bonus.
Jim
Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
BIAB 2018 build 519; Dell Inspiron N4110, Windows 10 64 bit, Intel Core i3-2350m running at 2.29 GHz, Memory: 6 GB DDR3, SDRAM 1MHz
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Hi Jazzmammal "The second suggestion is to use a stereo break out adapter so you can run the bass and drums to one channel and the rest of the instruments to another channel. The overall mix will sound vastly different out on a gig than it does at home. One gig I did in a medium sized bar the bass was just booming and I could turn it down that way. It's the bass and drums that causes the most trouble so that was my solution to have separate control over them. That can change as the gig goes on too. Early there may be only a few people but later the place is packed and you need to turn the bass and drums back up. Yes you can control that live using Biab's mixer but that's tricky to do while you're playing. Then when you stop that song and move on to the next one the mix can be different. You'll soon realize that what you set up at home as far as balancing between the instrument tracks is pretty much useless on the gig because of different acoustics." Can you explain this a little bit more for me. I'm not following it.  If I'm using BIAB on my tablet and outputting to two channels on the PA, do I just pan bass and drums left and the rest right in BIAB? If I'm using eg bluetooth to an Aux in on a PA (sometimes I just use wave files live from a phone or tablet), what do I do? Presumably I record them panned left and right. It sounds like a great idea as I find this a problem with backing tracks, but I don't get how to do it. Thanks. 
Last edited by lambada; 07/07/16 05:45 PM.
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
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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T hanks to all for some really good info. I think
I may volunteer free performnce at a couple of nursing homes or senior centers to check out how this all works in real time.
Dell 610 dual Monitor, win 7-10, Sonar Plat, ProTools 10 & 11, Reaper 4, BIAB/real Band 2022, Easy Drummer, Superior Drummer, Kontact Essentials, Personnel Orchestra, Korg Legacy Analog & Digital
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If I'm using BIAB on my tablet and outputting to two channels on the PA, do I just pan bass and drums left and the rest right in BIAB? If I'm using eg bluetooth to an Aux in on a PA (sometimes I just use wave files live from a phone or tablet), what do I do? Presumably I record them panned left and right. It sounds like a great idea as I find this a problem with backing tracks, but I don't get how to do it. Thanks. Yes, pan Biab so the Bass and Drum parts are L and everything else is R. A stereo breakout cable is plugged into the headphones out mini jack so you have two cables to run to your PA. You need your PA to have individual volume and tone controls for the two channels. If the bass is too loud but the drums are ok just trimming the low freq control is enough, or if they're both simply too loud or too soft you adjust the volume. I'm sure you know how to run your PA. When you said sometimes you use bluetooth to go into your AUX that could work but most AUX inputs I've seen don't break out into separate channels. It may be a stereo AUX input but that channel only has one set of controls which won't help. Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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"pan Biab so the Bass and Drum parts are L and everything else is R."
Just to clarify; your L/R channels are essentially summed to mono at the mixer output to your speakers because each mixer channels' "Pan" (or balance) knob is centered. I don't think anyone is recommending your left speaker be bass and drums and your right speaker be all else. That would probably not be the sound effect you want to achieve.
The panning recommended is the actual BIAB tracks left and right adjustment. Example; pan your mono bass and mono drum track to the left so it only comes out the left output of your sound card or interface. This allows quick low frequency volume adjustments at the PA/mixer in a live and often solo performance.
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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Thanks Jazzmammal and Tobias, I'll have a play around with it. I'm mainly using bluetooth to control the mixer etc from my phone. I'll probably stick to cables for BIAB.
Interestingly, I just got hold of a little dongle that adds Bluetooth connectivity to audio gear eg an older PA which will be great for when people want to sing karaoke songs as they can comfortably hold a tablet to read the words and not worry about a cable connecting it for the backing track (minus 1 etc). I'm finding I have to dip into Karaoke and DJing from time to time. Both new skills and harder than people realise - especially DJ'ing (sigh).
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
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I have the home studio st up with the whole works, Dual monitor dell system hooked to mboxpro. I'm lokking to set up portable system to play out with. Thinking of using laptop with BIAB setting ontop of my PSR 740 playing directly through a small portable PA. The question is, how much audio interface do I need. Do I even need a audio interface? I'm not using it to record but to play andI do want the best quality of sound possible for a reasonalble investment. 52 bucks. Free shipping. Balanced outputs. Stereo/Mono switch. Bulletproof. Much better sound quality than any laptop 1/8" output. Regards, Bob
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Yes, that 'B' word is very important if it's going to be used outside of the studio.
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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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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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®!
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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