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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48 |
.....please tell me the UI functionality improved since. A lot? I'm sorry but so far I am well disappointed in how unintuitive it is. Again: functionality, not look n feel (which is also ancient-looking, even for 2008, but I digress).....ie how the menus/buttons are arranged, how things are arranged within a window that pops up etc......clearly whoever designed this is more of a musician than a developer. Yikes. For example: - most buttons, including ones most people would rarely use, crammed to the right in the middle of the screen....um.....what? And do they really need a button to click to go to the PG site? - how to select/change the various voices (instruments)? I've changed every one at the top of the main window, but the (rhythm) instrument ie playing the chords remains the same when I retry. - how the flip to turn off the flipping solos? I tried one and now no matter what I try in the solo window, no dice. You'd think there'd be a simple (and more to the point, very conspicuous) check box to turn it on or off. And so on. I'm sure I can/will find at least some of this stuff out eventually, but again the point is it shouldn't be a serious hunt n peck; it should be obvious. So please......tell me these user-unfriendly things are WAY better in 2016. I've such high hopes for this, clearly it's a powerful tool.....but if I'm going to pull out my hair just trying to change even basic settings like this, it might not be worth the coin. My sanity is dicey enough as it is. 
Last edited by joe5; 08/11/16 02:00 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 697
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 697 |
Joe5 " it might not be worth the coin."
Well with an attitude like that. Save the coin.
Win 10, 64 bit, love my Lenovo T420, BIAB 2019 (613), RB 2019 (2)
Short term memory is getting shorter.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2001
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Joe:
"I understand the situation, I just fail to see the problem" <grin>.
Since PGMusic allows a 30 day money-back guarantee, I'd say buy it and try it.
If it doesn't suit your needs, you're not out any coin at all.
Good luck!
LLOYD S
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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On the other hand, with all your questions in this forum you already could have investigated that PGMusic offers an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee.
Take a 30 day vacation when you receive the package and never forget: The tools are for musicians. That is the realm where vocabulary and pracitces are derived from.
Both programs, Band-in-a-Box and RealBand, require you to follow a learning curve. Depending on your tolerance level as well as your present understood musician's knowledge it might be steep or shallow.
Last edited by GHinCH; 08/11/16 02:31 PM. Reason: Lloyd was a little faster posting...
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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The user interface has definitely improved since version 2008; there was a major revision to the main screen a few years ago. But can we say to you "a lot"? That's too subjective to answer. If you're looking for examples of things to find wrong, you will find them. If you approach it with a positive attitude, it should be different. You are correct, the program is written by a very capable musician, for which I am grateful.
I concur with the suggestion to try it, knowing you have the PG Music 30-day money back guarantee.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,790
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.....please tell me the UI functionality improved since. A lot? I'm sorry but so far I am well disappointed in how unintuitive it is. Again: functionality, not look n feel (which is also ancient-looking, even for 2008, but I digress).....ie how the menus/buttons are arranged, how things are arranged within a window that pops up etc......clearly whoever designed this is more of a musician than a developer. Yikes. For example: - most buttons, including ones most people would rarely use, crammed to the right in the middle of the screen....um.....what? And do they really need a button to click to go to the PG site? - how to select/change the various voices (instruments)? I've changed every one at the top of the main window, but the (rhythm) instrument ie playing the chords remains the same when I retry. - how the flip to turn off the flipping solos? I tried one and now no matter what I try in the solo window, no dice. You'd think there'd be a simple (and more to the point, very conspicuous) check box to turn it on or off. And so on. I'm sure I can/will find at least some of this stuff out eventually, but again the point is it shouldn't be a serious hunt n peck; it should be obvious. So please......tell me these user-unfriendly things are WAY better in 2016. I've such high hopes for this, clearly it's a powerful tool.....but if I'm going to pull out my hair just trying to change even basic settings like this, it might not be worth the coin. My sanity is dicey enough as it is. You may have noticed some of the long-time PG fans are prone to taking offense when someone calls their baby ugly! But here is the straight scoop...dunno about 2008 but I've been using the program since 2012 and it has been improved some since then. They removed lots of those buttons and streamlined the main GUI. It still has a ways to go to be a modern GUI and honestly some of the popup windows, dialogs and documentation are so complicated, dated and hard to figure out that I mostly give up and come here and ask these nice people when I am trying to figure out how to do something! There is a small but vocal sub-group here who loudly advocate for significant GUI redesign but honestly we have not received any indication that such efforts are underway. BUT, as a user now for over 4 years I will say that in spite of my grumbling about the GUI I love this software and more specifically, I LOVE these RealTracks! Again I dunno how far along they were in 2008 but in 2016 what you can do with RealTracks is astounding! Beyond compare! Just really mind-blowing! So I will agree with what others have said and suggest you give it a try! They usually have really great special pricing starting around December 1. Be sure and buy the package with the complete set of RealTracks. And feel free to join in with the please-fix-this-GUI sub-group! 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48
Enthusiast
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OP
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You may have noticed some of the long-time PG fans are prone to taking offense when someone calls their baby ugly! It's OK, I'm (almost) used to hypersensitive hissy fits these days, it's all the rage after all. But OMG....you offered further criticism! Do you have a death wish?  Appreciate the info (and level-headed replies from those who were capable). And glad to join the "pls fix the UI" crowd. Re. the money back thing, for one I don't exactly have 24/7 to spend with this (yknow the job etc), so even 30 days, esp based on what I've seen, may not be sufficient to get a definitive feel for if it's worth it. Hard to say, given what I'm looking at is numerous versions behind. Further, I have to wonder if they offer that on a download-? Not that I would, but how do they know I wouldn't just keep it anyway? Who knows......I'll keep an eye out for the possible end of year buys, thx for the tip...if it's cheap enough, maybe I can just take the plunge and pray.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Just an opinion, but I wouldn't expect someone who knows BIAB 2008 to find it all that difficult to get a pretty good feel for 2016 quickly. Sure, you'll find lots of new features and especially tons of new RealTracks, but you should feel at home quickly. If you hit a few snags, just ask us.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Absolutely you should keep bringing this up! Good ideas sometimes need to be seen several times!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492
Expert
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... Further, I have to wonder if they offer that on a download-? Not that I would, but how do they know I wouldn't just keep it anyway? ... For some time now they have an activation procedure. Well you could maybe hack this but... The larger packages come on a USB hard drive, they're too large for a download. For the price you will have to decide your limit. I don't know about the discount for the first time purchase. (I wasn't interested the last couple of years.) It used to be attractive in 2009 when I bought it. But there have been some changes made... Depending on what you want to do with Band-in-a-Box it might be worth it. Practice with what you have, don't bother with what could be better, use what the program offers. It is a lot. If you can get some decent results with 2008, given that it is Midi only, then 2017 should be easy enough to use and time should be sufficient to evaluate the (new) possibilities within the thirty days money back guarantee period. Also, taken from the statements here on that forum, there probably will be no surprises regarding the compatibility of your work until then. What I would do, if I was in your position right now. (Back then there was an evaluation package available without the ability to save your work. What I wanted to keep I had to play through the stereo and record it. Nevertheless after I bought it I did have to enter the songs again.) I would prepare certain songs that I would like to do. I would not care about the current sound possibilities. I was a software tester for some time, not beta test -- the real thing, testing even before the coding started. I would prepare some scenarios that I would want to try. Not the very complicated stuff like a Zwiefacher, a South-German folk dance with time signature changes between a 2/4 and a 3/4 every measure, or the Unsquare Dance by Dave Brubeck. (BIAB can handle both, provided you're ready to devote the time.) I would choose songs that benefit from the main capabilities of BiaB to create different backing tracks very easy, for instance. Good luck with the decision process.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I think I started with 2008 or 2009 and yeah, there's been some updating since then.
I like what I saw on that video in Videotrack's post.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Latest BIAB version, latest build.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Yes, indeed. But: This defers from the original poster's question.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Yes, indeed. But: This defers from the original poster's question. Well I don't think it totally defers, as the O/P was commenting on the user interface, and wrote (in part): Again: functionality, not look n feel (which is also ancient-looking, even for 2008, but I digress).....ie how the menus/buttons are arranged,...clearly whoever designed this is more of a musician than a developer. Yikes.
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I think it helps the OP to know there are BIAB fans here who are actively promoting product improvements! And Videotrack's demo certainly shows some nice improvement opps!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
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- most buttons, including ones most people would rarely use, crammed to the right in the middle of the screen....um.....what? And do they really need a button to click to go to the PG site?
- how to select/change the various voices (instruments)? I've changed every one at the top of the main window, but the (rhythm) instrument ie playing the chords remains the same when I retry.
- how the flip to turn off the flipping solos? I tried one and now no matter what I try in the solo window, no dice. You'd think there'd be a simple (and more to the point, very conspicuous) check box to turn it on or off.
And so on.
---------
))) tell me these user-unfriendly things are WAY better in 2016. I've such high hopes for this, clearly it's a powerful tool.....
Yes, every one of those items that you mentioned have been much improved since 2008.
Specifically...
-completely new toolbar, organized into functional groups, buttons are no longer "crammed to the right"
- main menu reorganized, into functional groups
- on screen mixer allowing control of voice selection and mix.
- chordsheet window redone, lots of new features
But the obvious difference between 2008 and 2016 is RealTracks, which were only in early days in 2008. Have a listen to the songs in the User Showcase forum, from BiaB you will mainly hear RealTracks.
Regarding "turning off the flipping solos", just don't choose styles that have soloists in the first place. Or you have chosen such a style, click on the track with the soloist and disable that track from the on-screen mixer.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,693
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Joe5 my take on this is sure I can pick the program apart with the best of them on all the UI things. Totally agree with the complaints. But...
Biab is completely unique, nothing else does what Biab can do.
What it actually DOES is the reason I jumped in 10-12 years ago which means at the time I used 2008 extensively. Yes, I saw immediately the look was archaic, the menus were a mess, the Help files need help, getting around the deeper/hidden parts of the program was a pain and some still are but they're making progress.
If you're asking are all those things now fixed the answer basically is no. There have been incremental improvements but long story short the program really needs a complete rewrite to bring it up to the present including making it 64 bit. But in the end, it's what it actually does right now that matters to me not all that other stuff which means I'm not bailing on the program until it's all cleaned up. I'm a smart guy, I managed to figure all that stuff out with some help from my friends here. You can too, just focus on the job at hand not the limitations of the tool because there is no other tool available that does what Biab does.
Biab is a very deep program. It's much, much more capable than what it looks like from the chord grid. Power users can do amazing things with it.
My suggestion to you is use the program for what it can do for you immediately and you can still discuss how these various things can be improved. However there's nothing new you can say about that that PG isn't very well aware of. There are huge threads on this forum where certain people just have a great old time tearing the program completely apart, ripping it to shreds, Biab looks like the biggest pos in the history of programming, if it's not 64 bit RIGHT NOW they're complete idiots etc, etc.
If you get off doing that, have fun but I don't have time for it, I just open Biab and start making some music with it.
As for how it works and sounds now Biab is all over YouTube and there's a ton of vids right here too. Check them out, decide what interests you. Like the rest of us you'll probably decide the full UltraPak is the best deal because you get all the Real Tracks. You may look at some RT categories and think you'll never use those but trust me, that can surprise you. That's what the new Xtra Styles are all about, they spent hundreds of hours putting different RT's together from these different sets and came up with some amazing stuff.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 48 |
Thanks Bob. I don't disagree it has a lot of capability, and as with you, that's clearly made it worth putting up with the frustration of poor design. And based on what I have seen of the new one, it does seem improved in some ways. I wish there was some kind of trial or limited version of 2016 I could give a look. I think the biggest problem is that, near as I can tell, they don't really have any competition, so they can frankly afford to be complacent/apathetic about improving things that never should have made it to production in the first place (what I call the "Microsoft Syndrome"). I can tell you that in many corporations building apps, such things would never fly and whoever was in charge of design would be probably seeking employment elsewhere. Just an opinion, but I wouldn't expect someone who knows BIAB 2008 to find it all that difficult to get a pretty good feel for 2016 quickly. Sure, you'll find lots of new features and especially tons of new RealTracks, but you should feel at home quickly. If you hit a few snags, just ask us. Thanks! I will definitely keep that mind if I take the plunge.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,831 |
))) I wish there was some kind of trial or limited version of 2016 I could give a look.
There is a 30 day money back guarantee. We've offered that same guarantee for 28 years.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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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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Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
Join the conversation on our forum.
Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.
Reference this forum post for One-Stop Shopping of our Band-in-a-Box® 2025 Mac Videos — we’ll be adding more videos as they’re released!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until July 31, 2025! Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.
If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us directly—we’re here to help!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 Italian Version is Here!
Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.
Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.
Band-in-a-Box 2025 - Italiano
RealBand 2025 - Italiano
Band-in-a-Box 2025 French Version is Here!
Bonjour à tous,
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music
Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:
BIAB 2025 - francisation
RealBand 2025 - francisation
Voilà, enjoy!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 German Version is Here!
Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!
Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.
Stay up to date—get the latest update now!
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