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Hi guys,
I just received the hard drive with the 2017 upgrade to my 2016 Audiophile version. Thank you. I'm very happy with it :-)
However, as I live in Europe, I had to pay 75 euros (almost 90 dollars) in customs fees and duties. That's a lot of money (for me at least). Especially because I'm paying for something I don't really need (the physical hard drive).
So, I was wondering ...
I understand that for 1st time Audiophile buyers it is necessary to receive the hard drive - the download would be too large.
But for Audiophile upgraders (those who already have a previous version of the Audiophile hard drive), why not allow a download only option?
The only thing that we would have to donwload would be the program folder and the new real tracks, NOT all the real tracks.
I know that the Everything pack, for example, has a download only option. My guess is that downloading the whole Everything pack with ALL the (compressed) tracks would be much larger that downloading just the new, uncompressed tracks for Audiophile users.
So, why not?
We would have several benefits:
- no delays in shipments
- no risk of receiving damaged hard drives
- faster (immediate) delivery
- no costum duties
Honestly, I would be happy to even pay a little more for a download option, as I would save money anyway because of the duties.
So ... why not?
Thank you for your attention.
And thank you for this great product and company.
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In past years, I manually added the new RealTracks I wanted by copying from the new drive to my computer. It wasn't so large that a download would not work. This year, though, they re-recorded (remastered) some of the older tracks so the download would have been larger.
Still, your idea sounds reasonable to me.
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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Thank you Matt. I think it's reasonable too, but of course maybe we're missing something that the PG folks know and we don't. There would be several advantages, and it would make it more desirable to buy the product for overseas customers. A win-win. And, quite honestly, saving 90 dollars or so per year ... multiplied by several years of "faithful" upgrades ... in the end, it becomes quite a significant saving! ... enough money for a new guitar, for example  (but don't tell my wife though ..)
Last edited by Jon Thomas; 01/11/17 04:04 AM.
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I have a big pile of pg audiophile hard drives I don't know what to do with, one would be enough to just update with downloads each year.
The new Realtrack/Drums downloads for 2017 in wma were about 6.5gig, the wav files are are just over 10 x the size, so over 70gig download I would say.
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Yes, and the Everything pack total download I think is quite larger than 70 gig (very rough estimate, but it seems to be that way). So ... I don't know, it seems to me that if the download option is ok for the Everything pack, it should also be feasible for Audiophile upgrades. As I said, there may be reasons why this is not possible, I don't know. We'll see next year I guess. I'm sure PG folks are reading this. I'll remind them after the summer
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Jon, what would the customs impact be on a flash drive?
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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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I think it's a percentage of the value of the item, declared by the seller. I don't think it has to do with the weight or size of the item. So, I paid 75 euros for a value declared of about 260 dollars (I think, I dont have the receipt in front of me, but I think it's about right, as my purchase also included the xtra style pack). Actually, I think there was also a 10 euro administrative fee or something like that as well. So i guess in my case (Italy) the percentage is about 25% or so of the value, plus other fees, but I'm sure it varies with the country of destination. As I said, not a very pleasant thing Just one more thing. Pipeline's estimate about the size of the new uncompressed real tracks is correct, however they could be downloaded in a zipped format, and that would certainly reduce the size of the download in half or even more. So, if I'm not wrong, the download for the Everything pack, as it is now, is probably double in size or so of what it would be the download size for the Audiophile upgrade.
Last edited by Jon Thomas; 01/12/17 08:20 AM.
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Unfortunately, Zip isn't going to get you 50% compression on audio files. There are some options in Zip, but whoever receives the file must have a version of WinZip/7Zip/etc capable of decoding those options. And Zip is really designed for general purpose, not audio-specific.
You would have to use a lossless CODEC instead - maybe FLAC or APE (Monkey's Audio), which are optimized for audio. But then, of course you would need the drive space to download the files, and then take the time and additional drive space to decompress them.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 8TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 11TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting and construction)
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John you're right about ZIP. But with FLAC you can get almost 50% of compression (lossless of course). Then you need to uncompress it, yes. I'd rather do that than spending 90 dollars every year
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Rar will compress wav files down a lot more that zip and rar is supposed to be lossless from what I have read.
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From the sites I took a look at (where folks have posted results), for the most part standard Zip might give you about 10-15% compression at most (although Zipx format could give you 30-ish%; RAR is up around 30-35%, but FLAC (which is optimized for compressing audio specifically) will generally give you 40-50% compression on WAV files. Your results, of course, will vary depending upon the size of the files and he content of the files.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 8TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 11TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting and construction)
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There's also http://www.wavpack.com/ I think moving to a lossless audio compression would be a good thing, the internals of the program would need to be change to work with the lossless formats, most of them will do multichannel so you could have your 5-10 or more Drum channels within the file, moving realdrums from stereo to multichannel. WavPack is a completely open audio compression format providing lossless, high-quality lossy, and a unique hybrid compression mode. For version 5.0.0, several new file formats and lossless DSD audio compression were added, making WavPack a universal audio archiving solution. In the default lossless mode WavPack acts just like a WinZip compressor for audio files. However, unlike MP3 or WMA encoding which can affect the sound quality, not a single bit of the original information is lost, so there's no chance of degradation. This makes lossless mode ideal for archiving audio material or any other situation where quality is paramount. The compression ratio depends on the source material, but generally is between 30% and 70%. The hybrid mode provides all the advantages of lossless compression with an additional bonus. Instead of creating a single file, this mode creates both a relatively small, high-quality lossy file that can be used all by itself, and a "correction" file that (when combined with the lossy file) provides full lossless restoration. For some users this means never having to choose between lossless and lossy compression! WavPack employs only well known, public domain techniques (i.e., linear prediction with LMS adaptation, Elias and Golomb codes) in its implementation. Methods and algorithms that have ever been patented (e.g., arithmetic coding, LZW compression) are specifically avoided. This ensures that WavPack encoders and decoders will remain open and royalty-free.
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That's very interesting info. I had not heard of them.
Monkey's Audio was the most lossless compression for audio that I've seen, and it is 50% at best. If this can go higher, especially with no license costs, that's extraordinary.
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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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+1
While it doesn't personally affect me I think the suggestion is well thought out and would directly benefit both PG Music and its international customer base. Definately worthy of consideration by PG Music's marketing and Sales teams.
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I'm on the same boat as the OP, overseas and massive VAT are a big deterrents with any online purchases (which I guess in the case of my country at least is somewhat the whole point), so this is an easy +1 And like Pipeline, I've lost track of the number of external drives from PG I've been sent over the years and have no idea what to do with 
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BBox 2022 Audiophile, Mac Pro Intel, OSX 10.6.8, 800x600 (TV VGA)
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+1 for me being I from Italy!
I muri sono creature... scontrose
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Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
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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.
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You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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 PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Video: New User Interface (GUI)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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