Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
BIAB Family: Which DAW introduces the smallest amount of noise (signal to noise ratio)? I'm replacing my SD-80.


Having fun!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,165
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,165
Generally speaking, a DAW does not introduce noise.

Your interface does. So you may want to edit the question Johnny.

Signal to noise starts at the preamp. I'd consider getting a couple good preamps in whatever configuration you prefer.

For an interface many here use Focusrite (I have one, though I also have 3 Delta 1010s available and tend to beat on those more, but they are getting long in the tooth). Focusrite preamps are nice. 90db (member here) posted a nice deal in another tread.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Scarlet2i2SG2

Your old SD had a synth on it also, didn't it? Or am I confusing models. If it did, are you comfortable splitting up audio and MIDI, or do you still want it all in one?


I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
OK, rHarv! That helps a lot. Yes, my Edirol SD-80 is a hardware synth, and I don't mind mixing a hardware synth along with the RT's. And now that you mention it, my "noise" is probably coming from my powered speakers and is most likely NOT on my tracks. These "power supplies" for the compact speakers today are maybe NOT filtered as well as they should be. My noise evokes a low "B" musical note, a dead giveaway of an alternating current problem! Ya got me thinking . . . JZ


Having fun!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,343
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,343
Sonar X1e with a Focusrite Saffire interface on a custom built machine.

Love it.... very quiet.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add 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.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,324
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,324
Personally built machine (new with 4 meg RAM)
Sonar X3 Producer
Delta 44 for audio (it's an antique also but drivers work fine in Win7)
KRK Rockit 8's for monitors

Download any free trials that are available and see which interface seems more intuitive to you...then decide.

BIAB is a great program to keep one fired up.

Spend well....back to it.

Last edited by chulaivet1966; 05/26/17 04:41 PM.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,035
Veteran
Online Happy
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,035
Johnny, that B is likely your B, or concert A, yes? We should be able to solve that one with a discussion about power (and possibly RFI).

I had an Edirol SD-80. It is made by Roland and is a MIDI synth. It does not handle audio.

I thought the SD-80 was an excellent unit. It was the first unit I connected via digital (using SP/DIF). In testing I quickly decided the digital connection sounded 'cleaner' than the analog TRS cables.


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.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,216
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,216
Custom built computer
Sonar Platinum
Roland Octa-Capture
M-Audio SP-5B monitors

Love it - very quiet.


Whenever I get something stuck in the back of my throat, I dislodge it by drinking a beer.
It's called the Heineken Maneuver.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 14
B
Newbie
Offline
Newbie
B
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 14
i use flstudio

Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
R
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
R
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
As rharv pointed out, the DAW software is the least likely place in your entire signal chain to introduce noise.

Any of the major brands of audio interfaces have pretty decent input and output stages for audio.

I might venture off just slightly from rharv in that if you are purchasing a prosumer level of audio interface like the majority of us in this forum, buying an external preamp may not be advised because of the inherent chance for noise and impedance mismatching that can happen by putting an external preamp and cabling into the signal chain. Many folks on this forum used to have a mixer in between their sound sources and the input of their A/D on their sound card. Not sure how many people still run that kind of setup as often it introduces low level noise unnecessarily.

Very few microphones on the market at the prosumer level that can't get sufficient gain from the preamps built into the audio interface and instead require an external preamp. Same is true for line level devices.
Most noise free signal chain is almost always the least number of cables and other devices between your sources and the input stages of your audio interface.

Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
Neat! Those comments taught me. In further checking, I found the sound amplifier I WAS using was the culprit. In replacing that, all "noise" is gone. And being a "purist", I still want to sparingly use the SD-80. Anybody know where I can get a driver for that? I'm on Windows 10 Pro, 64 bit. None of the "available" ones on the internet work. But I did find one for my MAC PRO, but I need one for the PC so as to work "in tandem" with the audio. JZ


Having fun!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,035
Veteran
Online Happy
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,035
Johnny, are you sure about the driver? They released a driver for Windows 7 and updated it for 8.1, including in 64-bit, so the one for 8.1 should be loadable into Windows 10. Are you familiar with using the Compatibility Mode when installing?

https://www.roland.com/global/support/by_product/sd-80/updates_drivers/


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.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,324
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,324
Originally Posted By: johnnyzell
Anybody know where I can get a driver for that? I'm on Windows 10 Pro, 64 bit. None of the "available" ones on the internet work.


Out of curiosity I did some research.

Don't know what hoops you're willing to go through to get the SD-80 up and running but I stumbled on this YTube video by a privateer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2aSb4q2Kvw

Scroll about 1/2 way down the page to a post by The Random Concept.
This process worked for his SD-80.

There's also a "Method II"....3rd vid down on the right side.

Matt: I saw that Roland site also but figured he'd tried the Win 8 drivers but didn't work.
I wonder if 64 bit OS is more of an issue than the Win 10 OS itself.
That's just a guess.


Hope that helps....

Last edited by chulaivet1966; 05/30/17 08:31 AM.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
Thanks, Chulaivet1966 Great research! Stayed with my MAC. Works fine. JZ


Having fun!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 217
I couldn't figure out the "compat" mode, Matt. For some reason, no interface would come up. So I've gone back to my "trusty" MAC. Works fine there.

Thanks, JZ


Having fun!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 49
Enthusiast
Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 49
I have and use SONAR Plat, Reaper and Studio One ... at different times.

Work flows and features vary greatly between them and other DAW software. Your best bet is to demo all you're interested in to see which fits you best.


Win10Prox64/i7-6700@3.8G/32G / Studio One Pr 4.1.1
TASCAM US-16x08 / FaderPort / Fishman TriplePlay / Nektar LX61+
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,035
Veteran
Online Happy
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,035
Johnny, it's a right-click on the installer's filename when in Windows File Explorer. Select: Troubleshoot Compatibility.


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.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 325
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 325
ProTools running on an HP Z-book, JBL speakers and ROR mix monitors.


ProTools 12, Faderport 8, Melodyne, JBL monitors, Novation UltraNova, Yamaha MX49, Stratocaster, Telecaster, Rickenbacker 12, Ovation 12, Vox VT20X amp
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support

Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins

Join the conversation on our forum.

Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac Videos

With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.

From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.

Reference this forum post for One-Stop Shopping of our Band-in-a-Box® 2025 Mac Videos — we’ll be adding more videos as they’re released!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!

Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until July 31, 2025! Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.

If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us directly—we’re here to help!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 Italian Version is Here!

Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.

Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.

Band-in-a-Box 2025 - Italiano
RealBand 2025 - Italiano

Band-in-a-Box 2025 French Version is Here!

Bonjour à tous,

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music

Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:

BIAB 2025 - francisation
RealBand 2025 - francisation

Voilà, enjoy!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 German Version is Here!

Band-in-a-Box 2025 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!

Die deutsche Version Band-in-a-Box® 2025 für Windows ist ab sofort verfügbar!

Alle die bereits die englische Version von Band-in-a-Box und RealBand 2024 installiert haben, finden hier die Installationsdateien für das Sprachenupdate:

https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025.exe
https://nn.pgmusic.com/pgfiles/languagesupport/deutsch2025RB.exe

Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!

Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.

Stay up to date—get the latest update now!

Forum Statistics
Forums58
Topics84,308
Posts777,559
Members39,615
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
kottke, kaleu, Claudio Paolini, bjornen71, CATBELLOU
39,614 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 141
zedd 119
DC Ron 106
WaoBand 105
rsdean 91
nonchai 87
Today's Birthdays
Manos
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5