About to buy laptop with some horsepower i7-7700HQ, 16G RAM, Nivida 1070 however the Boot SDD is a 256G SSD HDD.
I see that BIAB Everything PAK which is what I have bought requrires 110G to install on your system. That leaves 130G ish left on the boot drive assuming that all the BIAB needs to be installed on the boot drive which is going to be a struggle with everything else that needs to be installed.
The laptop will also have a 1TB HDD SATA 7200rpm data drive. So the question is does the all of The Everything PAK need to be installed on the one drive?
Would be nice to install what needs to be installed on the solid state drive and the rest on the SATA if that was possible?
The audio files for Realtracks and Realdrums are what take up most of the room. It is possible to run these from an external, USB drive. BIAB only needs to be pointed to the correct folders for the files.
If you bought the EverythingPak on a USB drive, there are a couple of install options that will work for you.
1. To install just what Windows needs to run the entire program from the USB drive. This requires around 20 MB of disk space.
2. To install all of BIAB on the hard drive but leave the Realtracks and Realdrums on the USB drive. This will take around 20 GB.
The above options are offered when you run Setup.EXE on the root directory of the USB drive that the EverythingPak comes on.
I would not install BIAB to your SSD boot drive; however, if you can spare the space, the next best performance would be the 7200RPM physical drive. However, the EverythingPAK comes on a USB3 external drive, so as long as your new laptop has USB3 ports, you would get pretty decent performance running it from external USB as well.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
I originally was advised by PG Music to install the program, Realtracks and Realdrums on the pc system for performance. It was for that reason I was looking to accomodate all on my pc.
Seems this is not the case in the real world based on what you guys are saying. There was no mention from PG Music tech support about the Everything PAK being supplied and installed on a USB 3.0 external drive.
Is there the option to actually install everything on the pc from setup with the Everything PAK?
Be interested in find out what your preferred installation of BIAB on your systems.
... and have a look at the EverythingPak, the symbols for USB hard drive and/or download indicate that it is available as one or the other or both (see image below). The hard drive usually costs a little more but is worth it in my opinion. If you decide to go with the USB hard drive version, it will be delivered very quickly. (Here in Australia, I usually get it from Canada in less that 1 week.)
Also, if you decide to purchase the USB hard driver version, you'll be given the option to download it free of charge as well. (This is at least how I understand it from what people have said on the forums. To get the full information, send an email to sales@pgmusic.com and ask.)
Lastly, if you get the USB drive version, you may be up for import duty/taxes depending on which country you live in. You should check this out so that you are not suprised.
Also, if you decide to purchase the USB hard driver version, you'll be given the option to download it free of charge as well. (This is at least how I understand it from what people have said on the forums. To get the full information, send an email to sales@pgmusic.com and ask.)
...........
Yes, you can download it when you purchase the hard drive version. I will order the hard drive version then download the main BiaB program but not the Realtracks or Realdrums. They take a long time to download and the hard drive generally arrives in a few days after I order. I get the main BiaB program so I can become familiar with it prior to the hard drive arrival. YMMV
The bumper sticker said "I'm a veterinarian, therefore I can drive like an animal". Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
FYI I have already purchased the Everything PAK, bought it in USA and hand carried it back. Just trying to make sense of what installation will offer the best performance?
Install the minimum install so that everything runs from the USB drive. Give it a tryout and see what you think. If it doesn't do the job your require, then re-install and move to the next level of install that requires about 20 GB on the hard drive, etc.
My experience is that running from the USB drive is fine. Many people on these forums use that approach.
It's just a recommendation because mainly, it takes up a lot of space. If you're okay with that, fine, but the 7200RPM hard drive will do just fine for BIAB.
Or install BIAB, but leave the RT's/RD's on another drive (either the physical 7200RPM or run from the external USB).
However, if you install everything, the entire install is going to take up half of that 256GB SSD, which along with the O/S, isn't going to leave a lot of room for other programs.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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 new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean