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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 362
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 362 |
I'm still pretty new to BIAB, started using this year in August with the 2019 Windows version. With that said, however, I've been able to get a pretty decent setup by mining the forums here for tips. As others are hinting at there is no one-stop or one-size-fits-all solution for getting good MIDI sounds working in BIAB. I'll share the highlights of what I have found to be useful so far: Cakewalk TTS-1 64 bit VSTi Plugin (free as of 8/2019) Link to one forum posting: https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=5116166&#Post511616It's got a lot great sounds including a lot of controls, and I use it quite a bit for electric guitar, electric piano, and some of the more tricky instruments like Harmonicas and some of the wind instruments. DSK Instruments https://www.dskmusic.com/A very unusual and quite expansive collection of VSTi plugins. Some of the sounds are quite good, and you can get many of them for free, but donations are welcome. The only downside that I have seen is that some of them are 32 bit so require the J-Bridge plugin to work on BIAB 64 bit, and I have had a couple crashes when loading them. You have to give them a few seconds to load before you start clicking around. This is another excellent thread: https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=541333#Post541333This one references two other components which I have used among others, and which I have had great experience with. *Coolsoft SoundFont Player (already mentioned in post above this) *Timbres of Heaven soundfonts from Don Allen You can also find some of the patch maps that come with BIAB for Roland, and access them by using the option "Select Higher Bank Patch (from .pat file)" when selecting a Midi instrument, and then pointing to some of the PAT files included with BIAB. I believe there are others which are available and posted in this forum, with instructions on how to download them. There are some very cool sounds in these sets. Overall I tend to use the Plogue Sforzando VST plugin for a lot of songs and just hashing out new song ideas, especially the pianos. You can download the latest Aria Engine and also the some additional free sounds such as some Light instruments from Garritan at the Plogue site. I'm still at the very beginning stages of finding my way with BIAB and MIDI and figuring out what things I need from BIAB that will work for my goals, so I strongly recommend that you invest some time in really diving into the forums to see what topics are helpful for you. I had to make a conscious choice to limit what I was going to take on with BIAB because it is just so packed with features. When you start tacking on VSTi's and plugins and RealBand, and other products that can interface with it, you can feel like your pursuing a new career in music technology instead of creating and performing music. Speaking to others who may be getting started, I can now say, with the help of the folks on this forum, the PG Music Staff, the massive library of tutorial videos from PG Music on YouTube and other sources, I've reached a point where I have some pretty decent sounds and I know which sources I want for most of the instruments and I'm able to get some of my ideas put into some decent sounding songs. I just tell myself that they will get better and more sophisticated as I slowly build up my skills and knowledge of the product and the technology. I think it's very easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of features in the product and it's power, and I think it's an amazing value for what it does, but I've found that you can do some pretty amazing things with just a few of the features and a few decent instruments. It only gets better from there.
Last edited by EdZ314; 12/02/19 07:29 AM. Reason: Typo
Ed Z Soundcloud profile https://soundcloud.com/user-415064494BIAB user since 2019 iPad Mini, Garageband for iOS, BIAB for Windows 2020 UltraPAK, Xtra Styles packs 6-9, Windows 10 Lenovo PC, Kontakt Player, SpitFire LABS, SampleTank 4 CS, some Soundfonts
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 362
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 362 |
** Resolved - not infected - see below**
@Doctormidi, @Brille, others
I noticed there was a posting in this same topic about the WinLive Synth driver getting picked up as some sort of malware and that it was a false alarm. That may very well be the case but I downloaded it and tried to run it but it was blocked by Kaspersky Anti-Virus and when I uploaded the file to VirusTotal.com it reported that it was being detected by Trapmine as *possible* malware, so I'm going to upload a copy to my AV vendor and see if they can confirm or clear it. I've already contacted the vendor, Promusic Software to report my results and I'll report back on what I hear from both or either.
**Update 12/2/19**
Changed sentence about Trapmine above. Trapmine is an Artificial Intelligence tool that VirusTotal uses to detect as-yet-unknown malware, so it could certainly be a false positive. It simply indicated that it sees something that was not typical, and no specific signs of malware. I'll see what Kaspersky comes back with - I opened a support ticket and uploaded the file for analysis
**Update 12/3/19**
The false positive alert from the antivirus is resolved. The antivirus vendor has cleared it and it is no longer blocked. I've got it installed now and it works like a champ. I also contacted the vendor and they responded very quickly, so good stuff all around.
Last edited by EdZ314; 12/03/19 06:12 PM.
Ed Z Soundcloud profile https://soundcloud.com/user-415064494BIAB user since 2019 iPad Mini, Garageband for iOS, BIAB for Windows 2020 UltraPAK, Xtra Styles packs 6-9, Windows 10 Lenovo PC, Kontakt Player, SpitFire LABS, SampleTank 4 CS, some Soundfonts
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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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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.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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 PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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