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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 194
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 194 |
Hi,
I'm a new forum member, but I've been using Band In A Box (on and off) since the very beginning.
The version I'm using at the moment is the 2008 version.
I am a songwriter,composer and musician (ie. a one man band). I have a home studio which includes a 16-track digital recorder, an 8-track digital recorder, various pianos,synths,guitars,mics and amplifiers.
I'm a professional independent artist who releases my original material on my own record label (CD's and downloads).
I mainly use Band In A Box to test out my compositions using the various styles that are available.
I find it useful to type in the chords to my songs and then sing or play along to the synthesised instruments as the arrangement is played back to me.
It works well as a starting point in developing ideas which I often use when I'm putting together the final track and recording myself playing all of the various instruments.
As I do not play drums (and don't have room for a drum kit in my studio anyway), I tend to build the drum tracks myself using various synths and a sequencer, but I sometimes use a RealDrum track from Band In A Box 2008 if it is suitable, but I've never felt the urge to use any of the Realtracks in my songs as they don't sound natural enough or good enough to me.
I recently saw the PG Music advertisement on Facebook for the 2017 version of Band In A Box, and I'm quite impressed with the quality of the Realtracks and RealDrums which are recordings of real musicians, and I'm thinking that I could even use some of them on my own recordings (especially instruments that I do not play, or play well).
The question is, which specific version best suits my needs ?
Initially I was under the impression that I probably only need the Pro version because it appears to use recordings of the same musicians playing the same instruments as the mega version does.
I'm also not really that interested in most of the other features of the software, which led me to believe that the Pro version is sufficient for my needs.
However, am I correct in thinking that the Mega version has better sounding Realtracks, or does it have a better choice of instruments that I can use in my songs, or is it mainly just more styles that you're paying for ?
I don't really need many styles or extra style packs as my genre is fairly limited to pop/rock ballads. I just need a way to produce my own good quality backing tracks.
I must admit that I'm a little confused.
I've also noticed that the 2017 pro version is available for download on eBay UK for around £75 and the 2017 Mega version for around £150 by a reputable seller with excellent feedback. This appears to be significantly cheaper than downloading it from the PG Music website.
Does anyone know of any serious disadvantages in buying it from a reputable eBay seller ?
Last edited by Andyman; 03/09/17 12:23 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2012
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Welcome to the Forums Andyman. The quality doesn't change with the different paks (except for the audiophile version). The difference is the amount of material that is delivered with each pak. The Pro Pak has 200+ Real Tracks The MegaPak has 460+ Real Tracks Check the differences between packages here I cannot comment on other vendors besides PG Music. Others in your neighbourhood might be able to give a better idea.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 170
DonCarlos
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DonCarlos
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 170 |
Hi Andyman, Megapak is definitely a good choice due to the additional equipment features among themselves RealTracks. If you need RealTraks for a certain style of music, then you better buy the necessary set or RealPAK. All about RealTracks or never use and only those of the files take up disk space. It is certainly appropriate to buy BIAB version 2017 and, if possible, from the official dealer from a list PG Music so you should be sure that the license key will register on the site PG Music for direct download of all the packages and patches. UK: http://www.pgmusic.com/distributors.htm#greatbritain"Musical Progressions" This company, which sells on Ebay UK, I not found between the official distributors.
Karel Jacko alias Don Carlos - Czech Republic Dealer PG Music, Inc - +420 604 111 102, +420 602 561 567 mobil - Band Leader Groups Jazz za Bukem and Hot Jazz Sutrs; - BIAB 2020 Win10; BIAB 2019 MAC; - Roland GK-3 Divided Pickup (Guitar and Bass); Roland GR-20 Guitar Synth; - MOTU UltraLite mk3 (Firewire); Fishman Tripleplay - MacBookPro 13 with touchbar 2018, Wiki BIAB czech support page wiki.zabukem.eu
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2009
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Excellent questions.
Welcome Andyman.
As an artist who releases your own material.... I would suggest highly that you consider the Everything Pack.... I always tell people to buy as high up the food chain as they can afford.
If you are using this to arrange and compose your music, it's just a small step further to have Band in a Box and Real Band (BB & RB) take it to a full audio real track for a very professional and polished sound.
If you listen to the music on my music site and the music of some others here, you will not hear anything that even remotely sounds like a midi synth trying to sound like a guitar or a piano or anything else. I've had professional musicians who play fiddle ask me who was playing the fiddle on a given song because they knew I didn't play it and in the words of one studio owner who commented that he could "hear the rosin on the bow and the strings".
I used to build my drum tracks in the manner you described. All of that tedious work ended with the Real Drums in BB/RB.
Now days, I write my songs and get the details... structure, key, tempo, style, in BB. Once that's accomplished and I'm satisfied with the song, I save and close it in BB. I then open that same project in RB and let it populate the tracks with the real tracks (RT's) I select one of the RT's and highlight it. I then highlight the empty tracks below the default tracks and use those to generate new and different RT's. Normally, I write country but tend to use hard dock styles. So the default tracks are guitars, bass, drums, maybe a B3. I use the Generate Tracks function to get fiddle, steel, dobro, etc into the project.
Once that is done and I have between 8 to 12 tracks, I will export them to a DAW like Sonar for mixing and for adding my live guitar parts and vocals. Not all of the BB/RB tracks make it to the final version in Sonar. Guitars especially get deleted in favor of my live tracked guitars.
Have a listen to the songs on my music site to hear the result of this process.
Buying for E-Bay vs PG.... With PG you know you are getting the most recent version and, as a customer, you have them to call on for support. PG is also very good at getting you replacements and upgrades if you need them, as a registered customer. However, that decision is up to you. In addition, PG offers a 30 day MBG with no questions asked.
But I do stand by my advice to buy as far up the food chain as you can. The further up you go, the more real tracks and styles you get and in my humble opinion, the RT's are where the magic really happens with BB/RB.
You will be totally jawdropping amazed at how far they have come since 2008. Trust me on that.
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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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 194
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 194 |
Thanks for your helpful and informative reply, Guitarhacker. It would definitely be a huge plus for me to have Real Band and add my own instrumentation to the Realtrack instruments imported from my saved BIAB projects, in the way that you do. Like I said, I was immediately impressed with the quality of the Realtracks in BIAB 2017 compared to the midi synth type sounds in BIAB 2008, and I feel that I could certainly use some of them in my future song projects. From the late 1980's, I began creating my own music using Steinberg's Pro 24 sequencer which ran on an Atari ST micro computer. By connecting it to a series of multi-timbral synths, it was possible to build quite good quality audio backing tracks which could then be recorded onto two tracks of an 8 track hi-speed cassette machine (ie.Portastudio). This would leave me with 6 tracks remaining for vocals, guitars and bass to be added. Of course, when the first PC's became available, software sequencers improved dramatically and eventually it became possible to record vocal and guitar tracks to them, which made the Portastudio redundant. Steinberg's Cubase was the successor to the Pro 24 sequencer, and it also included many more features to help musicians tweak and edit their projects. However, I must admit that I never really got to grips with it. I didn't have the time to go through the learning curve as I was too pre-occupied with performing in various rock bands and a semi-pro duo at the time. Even when I purchased a digital 16-track recorder which included Cubase LE6, I couldn't be bothered learning how to use it, and I actually prefer to use Audacity, the free open source digital audio editor and recording computer software application for Windows. As I no longer perform live (except occasionally as a solo artist), and I've recently retired from my day job, I now have the time to record and release my own music which is exactly what I have been doing since 2012. Thanks for the link to your music, I've had a listen and your sound is very professional and impressive. I will obviously have to consider my purchase more carefully before deciding which version best suits my needs and budget. If it's just BIAB and RealBand that I'll mainly be using, maybe I could save money by purchasing a slightly earlier version and importing the styles and saved files from my existing version into a more recent version, and using Realtracks to play them ? As regards the purchase, wouldn't I be entitled to exactly the same help and back up whether I purchased it new from PG Music, Amazon, Thomann or eBay ? http://andyshearer.bandcamp.com/
Last edited by Andyman; 03/09/17 07:00 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 470
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 470 |
Hi Andyman,
I got the everything pak and I highly reccomend it.Im going to upgrade to Audiophile version because Im getting a new computer and want to make the very best sound I can .The difference in the two versions is explained by a post by Matt Finley somewhere on the forum very clearly.Also their is a great pay monthly option and I didnt have that horrible feeling in my pocket!
Thanks Guitarhacker great imformative post as usual.
I love PG music for making the impossible possible,the staff and forum contributers are so helpful and the cost for what your getting is well priced no matter what product you decide to get,
Check out the monthly payment option,
Yours Hugh
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,624
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My post on this, such as it is, appears in the Tips and Tricks Forum.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Andy, To clarify... are you looking at the Windows or Mac version? If you want Realband, that is only available with the Windows version. Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2017
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Apprentice
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Thanks Hugh and Matt for pointing me to the article which explains the difference between the Audiofile and ordinary version of BIAB.
It's beginning to become clearer to me now.
For it to be worthwhile in using the Realtracks in my music, they would have to be of a comparable sound quality to the recordings of the real instrument recordings that I export to Audacity from my 16-track digital recording machine (ie. 16 bit Wav files of 44.1 Hz),therefore I would only really be interested in purchasing the Audiophile version.
I still do not quite fully understand the relationship between styles and Realtracks in each version, but as there appears to be only one Audiophile version (ie. the most expensive version), I guess that question is academic unless I decide to go ahead with the purchase.
As it currently stands, I think that I'll just continue using BIAB 2008 to help me compose and arrange my songs, and then play and record the parts myself on real instruments, except for the Realdrums which I'll continue to use in some of my more simpler and straightforward songs.
Whilst it still does appeal to me to add some extra instrumentation to my songs from BIAB, it's clearly going be considerably more costly than I first thought it might, and it seems that I would be paying for an awful lot of features that I'm never going to use.
Hopefully, PG Music will release a more affordable slimmed down package in future which caters more for my specific needs, but I do agree that the various versions of BIAB are no doubt worth every penny to those who utilise it's many excellent features.
Last edited by Andyman; 03/09/17 10:26 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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It's the Windows version that I was looking at, Noel.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2011
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Hello Andyman and welcome to the forum.
Your questions indicate you are considering multiple upgrade paths but are unclear about the possible ramifications. Hopefully my response will help clarify your intentions.
Unlike the Band-in-a-Box program you've used for so many years, current editions (2014 and later) require a serial number. If you purchase hard product (CD, DVD, USB memory stick or hard drive) the serial number is provided on a sticker. If you use the file download option the serial number is provided by email. The serial number is requested during first run or every time the program is opened up to 30 days. After 30 days the program stops working. RealBand also requires a serial number. An unauthorized retailer may not be able to provide you with program serial numbers.
Band-in-a-Box is available for use on Mac (Apple) or PC (Windows) operating systems. RealBand is included at no additional cost with PC and is not available for use with Mac.
All packages include the same Band-in-a-Box and, when available, RealBand programs. While the programs don't change each package offers different content. Content includes styles, midi super tracks, loops, video tutorials and RealTracks. The ProPak offers the least content, Mega offers a little more, PlusPak is whatever content is new for this year, UltraPlus Pak includes all available audio content in lossy (compressed) audio files, Everything Pak includes all available audio and video content and the Audiophile Pak includes the same content as the Everything Pak plus all the audio is duplicated in 16 bit / 44Khz lossless (uncompressed) pcm files.
New versions of the Band-in-a-Box and RealBand programs are released once a year. Fixes and updates can be downloaded for free between version releases.
Key points are: the programs change once a year, the same programs are delivered in all packages and the reason each package has a different price is each package includes different content.
PG Music has sale prices for the packages when new program versions are released. You may want to consider getting the ProPak now and using it's limited content while learning how to use 2017 Band-in-a-Box and RealBand. Then, if it turns out you like the content better than you think upgrade to a higher content package during the new version sale. You can also purchase just the content sets you desire.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 194
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Thank you for your help and advice, Jim.
From reading Matt's Tips and Tricks article on the difference in sound quality between the Audiophile pack and the other packs, it has helped to clarify that it's the Audiophile version that would best suit my needs.
As I'm already familiar with BIAB 2008 and have used it regularly over the years, I wouldn't foresee many problems in adapting to using any of the later versions.
My typical usage of BIAB, is to type in the chords of one of my songs, and experiment with the many different styles, tempos, and key signatures.
Then if I find a style that I'm happy with that includes RealDrums, I export the Realdrums audio track to my 16-track digital recorder and proceed to record myself playing all of the other instrumental tracks (including vocals) on the other available channels.
I then import each track as a 16-bit, 44.1 Kz, to Audacity for individual sound processing and editing.
Finally, the song is mixed down to two channels and saved as a 16-bit WAV file.
In short, all I would really require from a more recent version of BIAB, is to use some of the other instruments (in addition to Drums)in my songs, and the higher the sound quality, the better.
Therefore it's the Audiophile version that appears to be the best version in order to deliver that requirement.
I'm quite happy with the number and variety of styles that I can choose from in BIAB 2008, so I'm pretty sure that I would be equally happy with what is included in more recent versions.
Unfortunately, I've decided that the benefits of using the Audiophile PAK to obtain what would be quite a limited amount of content for use in my projects, is not worth the cost of purchasing it in my particular case, despite the excellence of that content, but I can see how useful the package is to the many happy users on this forum who utilise it's many features.
After watching the BIAB 2017 demo ad on Facebook, I was so impressed with the sound that I was quite interested in buying the product, but after looking into it in more detail, it's about four times more expensive than I would be willing to pay.
I've not used RealBand as it's not included with BIAB 2008, but from looking at several video demonstrations on YouTube etc, I can see that it is obviously a very useful piece of software used in conjunction with BIAB and I'm sure that I would probably want to try it out if I bought BIAB 2017, but I would still then want to export each individual track to Audacity for further processing and editing,so it's not exactly an essential requirement for me.
It's great to see how PG Music has improved these products over the last few years, and it's a pity that I cannot simply buy an affordable upgrade to my existing 2008 version so that I can benefit from the excellent music quality and musicianship that is available in the later versions. That's what I was hoping I could do when I watched the demo, but I realise that a lot of work has gone into improving BIAB and buying the latest edition is money well spent for those who can afford it.
Last edited by Andyman; 03/09/17 12:37 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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You might include a call to Sales to describe your needs and see if they have any suggestions.
If you upgrade the basic program to version 2017, you will still be able to use all your existing MIDI styles and whatever RealTracks you have from that first year of them, plus any that might be supplied with the basic program now. Then you can buy individual RealTracks to taste (although I think the audiophile version is all or nothing). The reverse is not true; the newer RealTracks would not work in the earlier version 2008.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I understand cost is a consideration. That is one reason I suggested ordering the least expensive package now. Did you know PG Music will divide the purchase cost into four payments spaced over four months at no additional cost? PG Music has a thirty day money back satisfaction guarantee.
Something else to also consider. Technology inside the programs has advanced and is a big reason why the 2017 demos sound so awesome. For example both Band-in-a-Box and RealBand use the latest version of élastique Pro as their native time stretching and pitch transposition engine.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Having version 2008 entitles you to upgrade to the 2017 Pro Pak for $79. That will include Realband.
If you are happy with the quality and sound of 2008 Real Drums - I'm positive you will be more than adequately satisfied with any standard compressed version of BIAB within your budget. Don't be misguided thinking there is a huge difference between the sound quality of audiophile and standard packages. You'll likely not be able to hear any difference.
When you render and export your BIAB tracks to Audacity, you can render files at 16-bit, 44.1 Kz and they will sound as good as the wav files from your 16 or 8 track sent to Audacity.
Charlie
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 03/09/17 08:45 PM.
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Don't be misguided thinking there is a huge difference between the sound quality of audiophile and standard packages. You'll likely not be able to hear any difference. Andyman mentioned: "I am a songwriter,composer and musician...
I'm a professional independent artist who releases my original material on my own record label (CD's and downloads). "Perhaps for a person in his position, the Audiophile version might be a worthwhile consideration.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Perhaps. We don't know much about his equipment but what he's listed indicates what he has is similar to what most of us amateurs have plus the fact that he's only recording at 16 bit/44.1k and no mention of any higher rates. The BIAB rendered compressed tracks will provide him the exact same quality as he is recording.
Plus, he indicates he uses BIAB as a writing scratch pad rather than to provide studio grade, commercial release ready audio tracks. He does not need audiophile for that. He is simply delaying creative opportunities by vacillating over various BIAB packages.
Besides, if he purchases a standard package and finds BIAB to not be as limited with useful content for his projects as he presently believes the audiophile version to be, he only has to make a single phone call to upgrade.
Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Yes, agreed.
With the information so far provided, I'm sure Andy will be able to make the decision based on his needs.
I also only mentioned Audiophile, because he himself has indicated an interest in it, not once, but several times.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I see a lot of 'me' in Andy. I'm the world's worst thinking that better equipment, expensive gear is the only thing between me and producing pro studio quality songs from my kitchen table. Just thought I'd share some of my personal experience with Andy to save him some time, money and frustration.
Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Don't be misguided thinking there is a huge difference between the sound quality of audiophile and standard packages. You'll likely not be able to hear any difference. Andyman mentioned: "I am a songwriter,composer and musician...
I'm a professional independent artist who releases my original material on my own record label (CD's and downloads). "Perhaps for a person in his position, the Audiophile version might be a worthwhile consideration. I'm guessing that price is important if he's asking about the various (lower cost) versions and from reading posts in this thread it seems that might be a factor. Audiophile is the most expensive version. I would never tell anyone who wants audiophile not to buy it. Get what you want and need. I don't really hear much of a difference in the songs from those who have vs those who don't have, the audiophile vs the normal everything version. You can produce professional quality sounding work with either.
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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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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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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.
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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