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With the variety of options of affordable home recording software available, I am interested in getting your thoughts about the software you use. What are the features you like most/least about the product?
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Realband
Works a treat with my multitrack sound cards, works well with multiple soundcards and allows me to get a LOT of tracks and effects running at once
I like the way the inserts for the tracks and outputs work in the mixer, and the number of available AUX slots is also very nice.
I have Sonar, and a couple others, but really enjoy Realband
It is intuitive (for me).
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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I agree with rharv. I have Sonar Home Studio, Realband, Powertracks, Audacity and tend to use Realband more than any of the others. I must admit, though, that I like the way that I can vertically expand tracks in Sonar as this allows for more minute control with volume envelopes.
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2024
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I use SONAR, which I learned years before Real Band. I edit audio files in Adobe Audition.
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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I find this type of discussion kind of useless here at a site meant to promote recording software. I am not picking on you, as it is a very good and valid question, but one better served at a neutral site.
Here you are going to get users of PG music stuff. And a few like Matt who use both. I like something Mac said a while back, on another site. There is no swiss army knife program, each has it's value, and most will do a darned good job. After all a swiss army knife does everything but very little extremely well. Any good tradesman has a full array of tools at his disposal.
With Recording software, I feel it boils down to need and budget. Powertracks here is a darned nice program for the money, it is feature rich. Certainly not up to Sonar Producer in features, but still solid and capable. Realband is Powertracks on steriods. Take PT and mix in a nice dose of Band in a Box
For me it depends on the process. I use Realband and Band in a Box for from scratch creations, as a well Real band for live work. For polishing a tune and fine detail work, i use a program called Multitrackstudio. I feel it is one of the best and most stable, not to mention easiest to use and setup. But there are things that I like RealBand better for. So i keep a tool box full of tools.
Grab one and learn it, that is the way to get things done. Don't do what i did in the beginning try four or five and never settle into a process. When i finally did that it all came together.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2025, Realband, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 9 32c , Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app.
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I'm from the MultiTrackStudio camp as well. It's by far the easiest to use, and never a hickup. The new touchscreen features in version 6 and the multichannel inputs are neat. I must agree with robh though, get into one and stick with it because even the most simple programs can get fantastic results nowadays. The early Beatles stuff etc was done on four track. Not being a computer expert stability is the keyword for me, and as far as I can tell the PGmusic stuff is also very stable. I haven't tried Realband for doing any recording as such, I guess it's what you're used to. Realband and BIAB however do seem to have what is probably the closest thing to a "talent" function 
Chris
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Power Tracks has been my primary daw right from the time it first had the ability to record. I keep trying out other programs and find that they offer no real advantages to me, though I do have an older version of Audition I run occasionally.
the Insolent LadEnough small empty boxes thrown into a big empty box fill it full. ~Carl Sandburg
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I use sonar 6 as I had got used to it before real band. However, I also use sound forge 5 for mixing and adobe audition for the final sound tweaks.
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I use Vegas, not for the features so much (although their particular flavor of non-linear recording is simple and beautiful) but because I get the cleanest, clearest signal with the most headroom using it. Go fig.
Best, Tom SmithWin10/64 • i7-8700K • 24 GB RAM BIAB 2025 • Reaper 7 • Izotope MPS AKG C1000S • IK iRig I/O Pro
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I think we all use or have tried the software mentioned above. If you don't mind, I'd like to also introduce the idea that all the features that the different software have, doesn't help more than what's in your head.
I've been listening to some of the different songs lately and realizing that the accompanying music in many of the professional produced tracks is rather mediocre. So where is the advantage in having all the equipment, and talent and only producing an average backing for a vocal.
I' m not putting down the technology we have at hand but sometimes I get caught up in the technology instead of creating music. I then have to remind myself that if I will stop and let my right brain into the mix, I might make better music.
It might be interesting to make a backing track for any popular song with the simplest software and the more limited synths, add a quality vocal and ask 100 people what they thought of the cover version. I have a feeling that few would notice the difference in the cover backing as compared to the orginal song. Most will coment on the vocal not the backing.
BTW, I think BIAB,RB,RT's could produce something 95% or better as compared to most backing music for a lot of songs.
Just a thought
Wyndham
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Pro Tools 8.0.1 with MBox. Way more capability than I understand or need, but once up and running it is really sexy software.
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 Very astute post...in many ways... (I told you I loved you, ....NOW GET OUT!!) Ooops, just listening to that rendition of that great scat tune on the fab Anita O'Day/Jack Sheldon-arranged CD...'RULES OF THE ROAD"! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to your comment: Glad you dig..or..mentioned... the vocalist, up front ...and that happens in clubs when there's also a competent band singer!! No matter how punked-out (out of step) the backing band may be...the chick or male voice may just pull the whole package together as a groovy listenable experience. As far as "competing software"... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I must say I attained good results completing six albums with minimal effort,in my home studio..... using Sony's "Sound Forge" software, for it's many tweaking possibilies as well as nifty batch uploading... I've also used Sonar, Acid, etc., for years. If I had the money, which i DON'T, darn it, I'd jump on the upgrade price for SoundForge 10+. If I did have the bread, I guarantee that It'll chase my "weary-blues away"....!! (Shake it, baby....Shake those blues away. And,....Anita...do another chorus of "I TOLD YOU I LOVED YOU......NOW, GET OUT!!) As another song goes, in tribute to "PG Music's Real Attack Software": "NOBODY DOES IT BETTER!! :
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Lenovo YOGA 900 Window s 10 Home 64bit 16GB RAM\2018 13” MacBook Air casio wk7500 presonus audiobox i2 usb interface
casio wk-7500
biab & realband 2023 everything pk both with Current builds
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I guess I'm a slow learner, because once I start to get the hang of a program, I HATE to change. Over the years I've dabbled with Cakewalk, Sonar, then Jammer and some daw from voyetra, then I found power tracks, then realband.
While I must admit I am always tempted to try new stuff, for example I love the look and the praise I'm hearing for MultitrackStudio. Seems to be really a cool system, but then it kinda limits me working with realtracks. Mostly what I do is build backing tracks and the occasional writers demo. BIAB and RB have been a godsend for those activities, and the time saved by popping in a realtrack solo, verses trying to come close to playing something as good, is worth more than I can explain.
We musos........tend to listen differently than the average humanoid. We listen "for" certain things, most people listen "To" the basic mix and arrangement. Most could tell you if its a good midi fiddle or a real fiddle or a realtrack. Most of us can, although, I'm not sure it really matters as long as it sounds good and does what we want.
For now I'm sticking with RB and PT and BIAB, and maybe a little Jammer, cuz, well, they do what I need, at a very affordable price, and I'm kinda getting used to them. On top of that, the customer support is the best I've ever seen.
Yamaha, Roland, and many others, might as well not have any support. But I can't wait to get my $$$$$$$$$ together for the new S910 yamaha keyboard, which is strange since I'm not really a keyboard player.
PG meets my needs, even if it doesn't quite meet all my wants, but they do keep working on it, and they keep it affordable.
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i was referring, though i should said So, to the idea of composing with a touch screen which most of us probably won't have anytine soon i especially appreciated the keyboard and string instrument demo
Lenovo YOGA 900 Window s 10 Home 64bit 16GB RAM\2018 13” MacBook Air casio wk7500 presonus audiobox i2 usb interface
casio wk-7500
biab & realband 2023 everything pk both with Current builds
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Myself, I use Home Studio and was interested in how BIAB's product compares in terms of its comfort for folks having come from another product.
As for why I posed the question on this discussion board? When I look at the screen shots of this product, though it looks very exciting what BIAB can do, I admit getting overwhelmed to where I back away again. How my brain ingests data like this is to find comparisons to what else is out there to determine conclusions on how long will it take a person like myself to begin to use BIAB with the degree of proficiency as I have grown to using the other types of home recording products available. Having you all share your experiences with other products and now with BIAB has been very helpful to me. I thank everyone who has shared!
RickeG
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Quote:
Myself, I use Home Studio and was interested in how BIAB's product compares in terms of its comfort for folks having come from another product.
Band in a Box?
I thought this was a comparison of sequencing softwares. I think so did everybody else.
Band in a Box is an autoaccompaniment software that can provide a pro level backup band to your tracks. All you have to do is enter the chords and pick a style.
PowerTracks Pro Audio is a static sequencing software made by PGMusic and it is this that should be compared with other static sequencers such as everything mentioned here so far.
RealBand combines the autoaccompaniment ability of Band in a Box with the multitrack sequencing of PowerTracks.
--Mac
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I bought Sonar 4 Studio edition back in 2004 and I have it installed on my Dell Latitude 610 laptop. One thing I was trying to do is edit an audio track and I'm like how do I do this. With Cubase, I just highlight and edit but when I highlight the track in SONAR 4...a piece of the track moves and the rest stays.....I am like what in the world is this? I guess, I haven't really dug in with reading the manual....................but ???????????????. Maybe I need to get deeper into the manual and HELPS section.
--------------------
Jacobins
Jacobins
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Quote:
Maybe I need to get deeper into the manual and HELPS section.
--------------------
Jacobins
A very good thing to start doing.
This is a highly technical situation and there are many different softwares that can do this job. Each one may or may not do something in the same way as the other one does. We must use that manual quite a lot when changing to a new software, we must also recognize that there may be a longer learning curve when moving from one software to another, too.
This is analagous, in my opinion, to those who think that they can figure out how to run the 24 channel mixer board by just jumping in and twisting knobs and moving faders until they "hit" on proper settings. Ain't gonna happen. I've heard and seen people who should know better doing things like using the Mic Trim control as a Volume Control, trying to run the Gain Staging bass ackwards, trying to run a hot live sound reinforcement system totally flat including monitors, all sorts of things that could have rather easily been avoided had they first sat down and studied and understood the manuals that come with the things.
If you find a term that you don't understand, underline it or otherwise make a note of it, then FIND OUT about that term. Use the Internet, search for terms, there are plenty of glossaries, dictionaries and tutorials to be found these days for just about any subject. And then there are forums like this one, too.
KNOW, don't guess.
--Mac
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This discussion is helpful, but somewhat overwhelming with the many software products out there. I've got a basic version of Cubase, but have not used it. The reason----I don't have an interface as yet and don't know which would be the best investment. I'd like to record guitars and electric keyboard with Realband. I suppose any USB or firewire unit would work? I'd hate to buy something and then find out it won't work, is too limited in options, or some other problem. The cost is not a factor. I'd buy anything that's easy to use and will do the job effectively.
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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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Holiday Weekend Hours
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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!
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PowerTracks Pro Audio 2025 is here! This new version introduces many features, including VST3 support, the ability to load or import a .FLAC file, a reset option for track height in the Tracks window, a taller Timeline on the Notation window toolbar, new freeze buttons in the Tracks window, three toolbar modes (two rows, single row, and none), the improved Select Patch dialog with text-based search and numeric patch display, a new button in the DirectX/VST window to copy an effects group, and more!
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Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new Band-in-a-Box® app for iOS®! Designed for musicians, singer-songwriters, and educators, this powerful tool lets you create, play, and transfer songs effortlessly on your iPhone® or iPad®—anytime, anywhere.
Band-in-a-Box® for iOS® :Summary video.
Check out the forum post for more information.
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