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I'm thinking of upgrading from BIAB 2008 Ultra to BIAB 2017 UltraPlus on my Windows PC.
Unfortunately, my PC only has an internal 120GB SSD, and I only have 37GB of free space available.
I noticed that PG Music recommend having at least 200GB of free space before downloading and installing BIAB 2017 UltraPlus, so even if I was to uninstall BIAB 2008 Ultra beforehand, I'm still only going free up another 18GB, leaving around 55GB of free space available.
However, I do have an external HDD with approx. 1.2TB of free space, so I could download and install the software to that (or at least the Realtracks).
Could anyone tell me if they run BIAB from an external hard drive, and does it run well ?
I'm aware that the Audiophile version is actually supplied on a hard drive, so I'm hoping that the answer is going to be yes.
My PC's specs:
AMD FX (tm)-4100 Quad-Core Processor, 3.60 GHz.
8.00 GB installed RAM
Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit operating system, X64-based processor.
Last edited by Andyman; 03/12/17 03:37 PM.
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Andy, PG Music also sell the UltraPlusPak on a USB drive. I've had a few of these over the years. It performs fine. Many users on here run the program directly from such a drive. All you will need to do is to install BIAB on your computer with the minimum installation (around 20 megs if I recall correctly). This sets up Windows so that BIAB will run. The BIAB directory and all associated files will then reside on x:\bb where x: is the USB drive's letter assignment. While you can easily install BIAB and Realband directly to a USB drive, you could also get that drive from PG Music for a little extra. Something to watch out for, though, is that hardware deliveries seem to attract duties on arrival in the UK. I daresay someone from the UK can shed a some more light on this. All the best, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Thanks Noel. According to the packages screen, UltraPlusPAK for Windows is only offered as a D/L or on a HD, so I'll have to contact PG Music to see if they will supply it on a USB Flashdrive.
Unfortunately, I think that the import duties and shipping costs may make it disadvantageous (especially for a HD), but I will check it out.
I'm not actually short of storage space because I've got three external HD's, so obtaining it as a download would seem to be the most efficient option (timewise and cost).
If BIAB only takes up around 20MB on my internal drive, then I expect that I'll be fine installing the Realtracks and Realband on one of my external hard drives. I just wanted to know if anyone had encountered any problems running BIAB with Realtracks and Realband on an external HD.
Last edited by Andyman; 03/12/17 05:25 PM.
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NEW! Band-in-a-Box®... on a USB Flash Drive! "The flash drive option will not be offered if you have an UltraPlusPAK, EverythingPAK, or Audiophile Edition in your cart, since these ship on a portable hard drive." Have you price a 240gig SSD, you should be able to clone your system drive to it.
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Andy,
The hard drive you mention is a USB hard drive (that's what the symbol above the HD means). All you need to do with this drive is...
1. Connect it via USB.
2. Run the minimum install (as mentioned above).
3. Run the program from the PG Music USB drive.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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I suspected that it must have been an external HD that you were referring to, Noel.
I'm well aware that both drives connect to a PC's USB port, but PG Music refer to one as 'HD' and the other as 'USB' on their packages screen.
Hence the confusion when you said that you received UltraPlusPAK on a USB drive.
I've got an empty 2TB external drive which will be ideal for installing the Realtracks and Realband onto, so I'd much rather choose the download option to save the shipping and import duty costs. It will mean that I receive it a lot quicker and it will also eliminate the chance of the package going astray or being damaged in transit.
I just wanted to know if there were any known issues when running BIAB with Realtracks on an external HD, on a PC with similar specs as mine. (eg. caching, latency problems).
Thanks for the info though.
Last edited by Andyman; 03/13/17 06:52 AM.
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You should have no problem running BIAB and RealBand from that 2TB external hard drive, so using the downloads should be fine. Just make sure to install everything you need from those individual downloaded installers.
Just run the main installer and change the defaults to say that's where you are going to install BIAB/RealBand to. That way, the minimum stuff that needs to go on your C: drive (fonts, DX effects, etc) gets installed there; everything else can get installed to the external 2TB drive.
Just make sure that when you use BIAB, that drive always has the same drive letter (sometimes Windows will change it on you).
I have generally found (but it's not always consistent) that if I label the drive and then intentionally assign a drive letter (say X: or Y:), but somewhere away from the "next available drive letter", that it remembers that the next time you plug it in. For example, I've got an external USB drive that stores all my installation applications (along with all my authentication codes and whatnot) that I use to install all my apps (don't have to have a stack of CD's or DVD's or other folder locations) assigned to S:. My computer picks it up as drive S: everytime I connect it, regardless of which USB port I connect it to.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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A few random thoughts on drives, BIAB and speed:
RealTracks and DealDrums would be an ideal type of file to store on a SSD because the files are read, not written to. As I have the audiophile version, that is not practical for me to do yet; the SSD would have to be well over 1 TB.
I load my BIAB main program from an SSD, and it definitely improved the initial loading time and overall performance when I did this. I have a suspicion this will not be as much of an issue in the future.
The external hard drive supplied by PG Music for the audiophile version is USB3. I don't know what they use for the regular non-audiophile version. Is it USB2?
The speed of reading anything from an external drive, USB 3 or just 2, is considerably slower than the speeds obtainable from an ordinary internal hard drive. In other words, an internal hard drive might be faster than a USB SSD drive (I have one, but not for BIAB). In my case, I use an internal 10,000 rpm Western Digital Black Caviar drive for my RealTracks and RealDrums. The conventional hard drive speed is slower, at 7,200 rpm. Laptops may only run at 5,400 rpm (making the replacement of a laptop boot drive by an SSD a particularly nice speed improvement).
Having said all that, the performance of my laptop with the PG Music external drive, even with the audiophile version on it, runs just fine.
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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UPDATE CORRECTION: The drive is a USB-2 not USB-3 drive, as originally posted. Matt, the regular version of BIAB also comes on a USB-2 drive; however, I don't know the specs of the internal drive itself in terms of rotation speed, which will affect the throughput you get. SSD drives will basically saturate a USB-3 interface; mechanical drives not so much. +++ Here's +++ an interesting write-up on the throughput you can expect from different configurations.
Last edited by jford; 03/14/17 07:13 AM.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Thanks John. At one recent point, the regular BIAB was shipped on a USB2 drive (I have a bunch). I think they then changed to USB3 only for audiophile. I'm glad all drives are now USB3. EDIT: this has been called into question. Does anyone know, was regular (not audiophile) BIAB 2017 shipped on a USB 2 or 3 drive?
Of course, it depends a lot where you plug them in, and with what else. The USB bus runs at the speed of the lowest speed device connected.
Last edited by Matt Finley; 03/14/17 07:00 AM.
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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Excellent info. Thank you John and Matt.
It's good news to hear that the program can run trouble free from a SSD USB3 drive.
I suppose that if I do encounter any problems running it from my 2TB external HD, I can always purchase an additional SSD external USB3 HD and copy everything across to that.
I wouldn't want to install everything on my internal SSD drive anyway, even if it did have plenty of spare capacity.
I like to keep it free from clutter, which is the main reason why I keep three external hard drives in reserve for particularly large library files that are not accessed that often.
Last edited by Andyman; 03/13/17 11:59 AM.
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FWIW I'm pretty sure the last drive I got was USB2, but that may have changed in 2017. I chose the thumbdrive option this year, since it was a new change, mine included the Bonus tracks, and with 20 gig free on it when it arrived, it'll probably get some use .. maybe as much as the HDD would.
I see 5 PGMusic HDDs from here in a neat little pile. That'll probably be enough for another couple years. <grin>
I keep my most updated, licensed and current copy on E: (one of my internal drives) so I have enough copies of BiaB/RB at any point in time. My E: drive is one of eight 500gig drives and is used only for BiaB/RB.
Plus I still received the download files in my account to fall back on.
Many of us don't realize we have a current copy backed up in 'My Account' on this site. Just log in, plug your license number in and you're good to go.
/I'm paranoid of data loss, so I also keep copies of my keys for the last few years in a text file that gets copied to multiple drives. Having your keys sure speeds things up when restoring software.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Unfortunately, my PC only has an internal 120GB SSD, and I only have 37GB of free space available...I suppose that if I do encounter any problems running it from my 2TB external HD, I can always purchase an additional SSD external USB3 HD and copy everything across to that.
If you have only a 120gig SSD, as mentioned before it would be a good idea to price a 240gig - 256 - 480 SSD to replace the main with a simple clone, unless you have the Audiophile that needs a 2T drive. You can put the old 120gig SSD in a USB 3 enclosure.
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Thanks for your helpful advice Pipeline.
In your opinion, am I likely to experience a significant advantage by installing the full BIAB 2017 UltraPlus package on a new internal 240Gig SSD rather than simply installing the main BIAB program on my existing 120Gig SSD and Realtracks/Realband on my empty 2T external HD ?
If the answer is yes, then I would consider installing a 240Gig SSD BEFORE I purchase and download the BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPAK.
Perhaps the best way forward would be to choose the latter option first, and if I experience any problems with performance, I could then install a 240Gig SSD and re-install the whole BIAB package to it.
Does that sound feasible to you ?
Last edited by Andyman; 03/13/17 03:32 PM.
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Right now the best way is download the PG Pak to an external drive, install it selecting C:\bb and X:\RealTracks X:\Drums then you are good to go, no import VAT.
Then at a later date if you find a good priced SSD grab it as they are getting cheaper all the time.
You can just clone the drive, swap it and copy the RealTracks & Drums folders to C:\bb\, then in Prefs set the RT & Drums to the bb folder.
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Thanks again. I will follow your advice.
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Andy, I realized a nice speed improvement by putting the program on an internal SSD, even while leaving the RealTracks and RealDrums on a regular hard drive.
One thing you were correct to be aware of is putting too much on a hard drive. The general rule is never let it have less than 15% free space, to avoid thrashing. A similar guideline applies to SSD drives, but for different reasons having to do with drive longevity, not loss of performance.
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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Yes Matt, I've already began de-cluttering my internal SSD in preparation for BIAB 2017 (well it's an
ideal time for a spring clean anyway).
There's a fair amount of stuff on it which can be transferred to one of my external hard drives.
I'm planning to go ahead with the install by the weekend. Looking forward to trying it out, and hopefully it will inspire me to create some good music.
Last edited by Andyman; 03/14/17 05:29 AM.
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Your comments remind me of one of my pet peeves, that many software vendors force their programs to be installed onto your boot drive. Sometimes you can relocate them, sometimes not if they rely on a Registry entry that cannot be modified.
Good luck.
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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UPDATE: Actually, now that I think about it, I may have misspoke. I believe the regular version BIAB (as RHARV indicated) is USB2. I was going from memory, and confused one of my USB3 drives with the USB2 from PGMusic.
That being said, it's pretty easy to clone from that USB2 to a USB3 drive. I have picked up several USB3 2GB drives from warehouse clubs for about $80 on sale.
For me it doesn't matter, because my 2011 vintage computers only have USB2 ports (however, the USB3 drives work just fine on them).
Whenever I upgrade my computers, then I'll get the bandwidth of USB3, as well as SATA3 (I have several SATA drives capable of 6Gbs; however, my computers only have SATA2 connections available, so I'm stuck at 3Gbs for now.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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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!
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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!
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There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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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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