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madoues Offline OP
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Hi,

I am sure this question has been asked before, but I couldn't find it in the search function.

I want to install my Audiophile 2018 version on a computer that has 2016 on it. If I install without removing the old version, will this installation remove all the files in C:bb\ that will now be in subfolders in the 2018 version?

Or should I uninstall 2016 first so the C:\bb folder doesn't end up being a mess of unused files?

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Dan,

Standard practice is to install the new version directly over the older version. I've been doing this ever since I first started using the program in 2006.

This way, bonus packages and any files that have accumluated in the older version are kept. Newer program files are simply overwritten.

The \bb folder will automatically be tidied up by the 2018 installation.

Regards,
Noel


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Was your 2016 version also an audiophile version? If not, be aware that you will end up with a bunch of WMA files from the 2016 version in addition to the WAV files from the 2018 version in your Realtracks/RealDrums folders.


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John,

I should have checked this.

I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the it was the compressed file version that was being installed since the Audiophile edition allows for this option. (I have the Ultrapk equivalent installed on my hard drive, which is what I use most of the time, and I connect the USB drive to access to the wav files for Realtracks/Realdrums when I'm putting a song together for uploading.)

Noel


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John and Noel, I could be wrong but I don't see a problem here.

In the audiophile version you always get all the .WMA files as well as all the .WAV files. I haven't known PG Music to delete a RealTrack, audiophile or no, so I assume all the files from 2016 are also still in 2018. Whatever is new will overwrite, but at this point 'most' RealTracks will not be changed.

Since BIAB uses .WAV files if they are present, it really doesn't matter what was in the 2016 version.


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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Cool, Matt. I didn't realize that the Audiophile came with both (I thought it was just the WAV) and didn't want to set up a situation where there was a confusing mix and match (depending upon previously obtained content) of RealTracks/RealDrums.


John

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Yes, I have two installations. One uses the WAV files from the Audiophile USB drive. The other is installed on a different desktop without the Audiophile drive, and without WAV file availability, instead uses the WMA files that have been copied as part of the installation.


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madoues Offline OP
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Well I went went and installed over the old version.

Bottom line, the installation did not clean after itself.

My computer has a 128GB SSD drive for OS and it had 22GB of space left(yes a bigger drive is coming). I ran out of space during install, so I moved the "Songs And Lessons" folder to another drive. That freed up over 10GB all by itself. Then went back to the error window saying my drive was full and clicked retry. Sure enough, installation continued and completed itself. Now my c:\bb takes up 35GB of space not counting the 10GB I moved to another drive.

I guess the next move is to remove everything and start over hoping it works!!!

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Quote:
I guess the next move is to remove everything and start over hoping it works!!!


No, there's no reason you would need to do that.
To clean up the bb folder, you can go to Help | Utilities | Run Cleanup routine.

Also, make sure to select your custom RealTracks folder in the RealTracks Preferences dialog (and same with Drums).


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I just checked my audiophile installation. The BIAB files without the RealTracks and RealDrums takes up 33 GB. That includes quite a few files I happen to store there, like songs from fakebooks, that are not part of the default installation, but those files are pretty small.

On any hard drive, you need to try to keep 15% of the drive free to avoid thrashing. However, on an SSD, I believe the percentage can be much lower but I don't have a rule of thumb to cite.


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Originally Posted By: jford
Cool, Matt. I didn't realize that the Audiophile came with both (I thought it was just the WAV) and didn't want to set up a situation where there was a confusing mix and match (depending upon previously obtained content) of RealTracks/RealDrums.

The good news is that this can't happen. BIAB checks for .WAV files, and if it find them, loads them. If not, it checks for .WMA files, loads and uncompresses them, and uses that. In this way, you can have a combination of .WMA files and .WAV files, and it doesn't matter; it will work.


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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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madoues Offline OP
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I already started from scratch; seems to work so far.
It should be OK if the old 2016 installation isn't needed for the upgrade activation to 2018; I don't think it is needed, but will see.
Just sent for my activation code.

BTW,
Songs and Lessons take up 10.5GB and Soloists take up 13.5GB.
The rest is only 4GB of the 28GB install.
That is without Real Tracks and Drums, obviously.

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Quote:
The good news is that this can't happen. BIAB checks for .WAV files, and if it find them, loads them. If not, it checks for .WMA files, loads and uncompresses them, and uses that. In this way, you can have a combination of .WMA files and .WAV files, and it doesn't matter; it will work.


Right; I guess what I was getting at was to a discerning ear, certain RealTracks that may have been obtained previously (special paks) as WMA's but not on the current AudioPhile disk might sound different against the new WAV RTs. Probably not a big issue, but just to be aware.


John

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This is true. I do have a few add-on paks that are not audiophile.


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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Hey Guys

Sorry to bust into an old dead post like this but my question is right in line with this but I have a slightly different issue.

I started with BiaB 2018 Pro with RB. I then upgraded to 2019 MegaPak with RB and then to 2020 UltraPak with RB. I have now upgraded to 2022 UltraPak+ with RB.

Now for the problem. After I installed 2020 I was left with start menu items for both 2018 & 2020 (32 & 64 bit versions).
My BiaB folders total 248gb of space being taken up by the programs.

I have not installed 2022 yet mainly because I don't have the room if 2022 becomes my 3rd version available (in both 32 & 64 bit) and it ends up taking up another 40+gb of space (the download is 140gb and I only have ~40gb or free space). I would actually like to just wipe the whole thing and start from a clean install of 64 bit only.

Can the upgrade can go on without the old version being installed first.

Any reason that I can't or shouldn't do that?

Thanks
David


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If you install over the older version, many (even most) of the files will be the same. For those files that are updated, the file sizes should be about the same. Plus, any songs, user styles, and bonus Paks you have will remain. This is the normal way to upgrade. It takes incrementally more space each year but not double, for example.

My next point is uncertain but I believe to do a fresh install, you couldinstall your first purchase and then you only need to do the last upgrade. Ex. 2018 then 2022. If you saved any bonus pak installers, run them before 2022. If you buy from PG Music, you have an online account (not the forum) where all your purchases are available to download.

Of course make a backup of your own song files and user styles first if you decide to start fresh.



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; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Quote:
Now for the problem. After I installed 2020 I was left with start menu items for both 2018 & 2020 (32 & 64 bit versions).


Band-in-a-Box includes both 64bit and 32bit .exe files, and there are different shortcuts to open these, however they use the same content. In your bb folder, there are files bbw.exe (the 32bit one) and bbw64.exe (the 64bit version), but only one RealTracks folder for example.

Quote:
My BiaB folders total 248gb of space being taken up by the programs.


I would expect your bb folder to be about 130 GB... so you have some extra files in there, or do you have more than one Band-in-a-Box folder? If you have more than one bb folder, I would merge them into one folder. You don't need to have multiple folders. If you only have one bb folder, you might have accumulated some wave files from songs you've generated and saved in your bb folder.

Quote:
I have not installed 2022 yet mainly because I don't have the room if 2022 becomes my 3rd version available (in both 32 & 64 bit) and it ends up taking up another 40+gb of space (the download is 140gb and I only have ~40gb or free space). I would actually like to just wipe the whole thing and start from a clean install of 64 bit only.


To answer the question, yes you COULD wipe the whole thing and download your entire 2022 UltraPAK fresh. That would work, however it is usually a better idea to install to your existing bb folder. 40GB of free space will be tight... Do you have an external hard drive you could back up (copy) your existing bb folder to if you will be starting fresh?


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Thanks for the replies.
I did the wipe and fresh install and everything is working swimingly.
David


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