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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2 |
I am planning to buy BIAB 2018, which I have never used before. I am recently retired and am looking to significantly improve my guitar playing skills. I've played guitar most of my life. I also have been playing mandolin for about 10 years. Most of my playing is at home. However, I also play both mandolin and guitar in a contemporary worship band at church a couple of times a month. My goals include:
Improving my fretboard knowledge (I am also working through several music theory books right now)
Adding backing band accompaniment to my solo playing to add structure, improve timing / rhythm and add a fun factor to my playing
Significantly improve my jazz guitar skills, which are pretty basic
Improve my country jazz / swing skills by playing in a band context
Improve my blues / jazz / country soloing skills by playing in a band context.
Produce lead sheets (and sample music tracks) for use by our worship band.
I am planning to by either BIAB 2018 Pro or the MegPAK version. My question is: is the additional content included with BIAB 2018 MegPAK worth the additional $140 over the Pro version?
Any input you can provide will be appreciated!
Thanks!
TeleSeattle (yes, I do play a Telecaster, and a Stratocaster...)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,701
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Posts: 20,701 |
Welcome to the forums.
Thanks for explaining your goals so clearly.
This subject comes up regularly. The very short answer is to purchase the best package that you can afford, especially if you intend to take advantage of a wider genre of musical styles, as you have indicated.
The Pro Pack is really a very light version and I think you will find restrictions of available styles fairly quickly. In my view, the MegaPak is definitely the best starting point.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,155
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Also.... keep in mind that PG Music offer a 30-day, money-back guarantee.
A number of people of these forums have used this to start with the basic package and then, when they know the program a little better and understand what it can do, they ask for a refund towards a more comprehensive version of the software (within the 30-day time frame).
This is something that you should discuss with the sales staff before buying.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,130
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Posts: 2,130 |
Agree with the recommendation to by the best package you can afford. I upgraded from 2008 which was a total step change and then upgraded the package I'd bought because in using the program I found so many things to play around with and wanted the ultimate in flexibility. The more you have the greater the possibilities.
You do end up with things you'll never use - I'll never need a 9/8 celtic style - but you'll be surprised at what you do use.
And BIAB is a one time investment. Buy the full program with all the addons just once and annual updates are usually just $99 so once you've invested staying up to date is inexpensive.
Plus you get the best product support i've ever seen for a software package. PG staff are helpful and knowledgeable and the forums are great. THat's useful because the manuals are detailed but huge.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 223
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Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 223 |
I was in the same position as you. Go well past the Pro pack, you will not be satisfied with what is available there. The ultra pack is the minimum I would recommend plus add ons if affordable.
BIAB 2022 UltraPAK
Xtra packs 1,2,3,4,5,6,13
2019 and 2018 49pak
Asus Zen Book UX533F 1TB ssd
Windows10 pro, 16g i7 64bit
Allen and Heath Z10fx mixer
Alesis V25 controller
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 998
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 998 |
I would also check out the FAQ's at this link. http://www.pgmusic.com/salesfaq1.htmAlso keep in mind that if funds are a wee bit short or tight, PG Music will let you set up an interest free automatic payment plan to keep the initial outlay down.
BIAB2025
Windows 10 Pro
WA6NCB
No Longer on a Crappy Laptop!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,290
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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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,616
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Maybe not the answer you were looking for, but - Ditto!
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2 |
I will probably go ahead and get the UltraPak based on the recommendations of this thread.
And thank you to all of you that took the time to provide input. It's very much appreciated!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 117
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 117 |
Well, you really can't go wrong with the Ultra. You still won't have every style, but I believe they also give you a discount on the addon packs not included with the Ultra. I think there's an additional four more packs.
It's a little confusing. :-)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,768
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Well, you really can't go wrong with the Ultra. You still won't have every style, but I believe they also give you a discount on the addon packs not included with the Ultra. I think there's an additional four more packs. What you will get are almost all of the RealTracks (minus those in the additional 25-packs, 49-packs, etc that they offer each year, and others that were only available specific years). However, while the XTRA RealStyles are nice, they are just style files created based on existing RealTracks. If you new which RealTracks were in the styles (don't ask, because I'm happy for PGMusic to sell their products), then you can easily create your own. They took the hard work of figuring out which RealTracks played well together and bundled them in styles. But even without the additional XTRA RealStyles, in theory, you can do everything someone with them can do, because you'll have the underlying RealTracks anyway. That being said, I highly recommend the RealStyles, because it is clear PGMusic put a lot of work into figuring out the various combinations that work well together.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 2x2TB, 1x4TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 2x1.5TB, 2x2TB, 1x4TB SATA BB2025/UMC404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/MixBus/Notion/Finale/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,901
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I'm late to the discussion but do have some thoughts you might want to consider. First, consider purchasing the Groove 3 video series, +++ Band-in-a-Box Explained +++. Both the Windows and Mac video series are presently on sale for $23.33 US. I suggest purchasing and downloading the video series so you will always have it available for use as a quick reference. Each video is 3 to 7 minutes long and the complete series is less than 1 1/2 hour. It will answer MANY questions you never even thought to ask. Second, Band-in-a-Box for Windows user Joanne Cooper has a video series, +++ Creating Your First Song With Band-in-a-Box for Windows +++ that is very reasonably priced. She provides step-by-step instructions on how to create a song from start to finish. Many forum users have stated her video series gave them a starting workflow process to follow. I'm positive these two products are worthy investments that will save you much time and frustration. Get them now, watch them and get a jump start on your Band-in-a-Box experience.
Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1211) RB (Build 3) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173 |
Like many others I started with the Pro version but soon found I wanted more. I then looked at the bits I wanted and found it was more economical to go directly to the UltraPak (for my needs I can't justify the Audiophile). I also have most extra Paks. I find with the UltraPak I have that much stuff available I can spend hours, if not days going through styles mixing and matching RealTracks then I come up with something I wasn't expecting that inspires me to another song. Unlike some I do a lot of this just for my entertainment and I do find I publicly perform songs I always wanted to but did not have the band for.
My thoughts
Tony
Last edited by Teunis; 03/27/18 05:11 PM.
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home,
Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612
BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
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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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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 60 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until December 31, 2025. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49. Browse the full contents of each package and listen to demos here.
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
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