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Songwriting
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Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 2
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 2 |
Hi,
I play a few different instruments and I'd like to make backing tracks for live use. Drums, bass and guiar might be enough for me. Genres -Irish/folk/rock/whatever my own stuff falls under.
Having thought I'd got everything I need/want, I'm thinking BIAB is a necessity.
So hopefully you can tell me which version would suit me and I'm hoping the cheapest one will suffice. The quality is important to me though.
Thanks in advance. K
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Songwriting
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,726
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,726 |
There is no difference in quality from the less expensive to the most expensive version. The basic program is identical throughout. The difference is in how many styles, Realtracks and Realdrums you will get. The more money you spend the more of them you will get. I would suggest you buy the largest package you can afford. You will get more bang for your buck this way. Note that it is less expensive to buy the most up front than it is to buy the additional styles, Realtracks and Realdrum packages that come with the more expensive packages. Check here for the different packages: Windows: http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.packages.htmMac: http://www.pgmusic.com/bbmac.packages.htmAlso don't worry. You have 30 days to decide if like BiaB or not because of PGMusic's 30 day money back guaranty. After using BiaB I doubt that you will return it. Plus this is the most friendly and helpful site on the web. You will never get a Read The Freaking Manual here. There are many pros here that will help you, even if you think it is a stupid question. The only stupid question is one that is not asked. Good luck
I arrived early to a restaurant.
The manager asks, "do you mind waiting a bit?"
I said no.
"Good", he said. "Take these drinks to table 3"
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Songwriting
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Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 2
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 2 |
Thanks Mario. I've improved at RTFM but still spend hours traipsing around forums for answers. It'll be a bonus to know where to start a search. Read somewhere that it gets irritating trying to open something that's not on the full version.
Something to speed up the process will be great and I'm looking forward to messing with RB, so...............I'm sold! Then no more!!
Thanks again.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,870
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,870 |
Yep.... quality is the same from top to bottom except that the audiophile version uses uncompressed waves.
However, I do suggest that you buy as close to the top as you can afford since you said quality is important.
Buying close to the top gets you the most real tracks and real tracks are what you want to use. It's all I ever use.
Listen to the stuff I'm doing (link below) and some of the others in the songs user showcase. You're essentially limited only by your skills and imagination.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,919
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,919 |
Unless you intend to focus mainly on MIDI you're gonna want the UltraPAK as it has all of the RealTracks. The Pro (misnamed IMO) only includes an eighth of the available RealTracks. If you can wait until around Dec. 1 they typically offer a nice discount.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,492
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,492 |
The audiophile version which is mind boggling and the cheapest recording studio you will ever buy is less than the cost of one trip to a decent studio to do one decent 8 track demo.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,987
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,987 |
Kir, Something needs to be said about the fabulous RealTracks (RTs) that are included in all versions. You will have all of these Nashville session musicians under your baton; An unbelievable value: http://www.pgmusic.com/realtracks.artists.phpWelcome to the most friendly music site on the planet. You have people here who know a huge amount of musical knowledge who are willing, eager, to toss out a lifeline. Soon you will be sharing with others.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,870
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,870 |
The audiophile version which is mind boggling and the cheapest recording studio you will ever buy is less than the cost of one trip to a decent studio to do one decent 8 track demo. Good point. And that's exactly how I looked at my purchase decision. Less than some of the studios I paid for in the past to demo 2 or 3 songs and walk out with a cassette for all the money I spent. You can produce studio quality, actually broadcast quality music once you get a handle on this thing.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,334
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,334 |
Unless you intend to focus mainly on MIDI you're gonna want the UltraPAK as it has all of the RealTracks. The Pro (misnamed IMO) only includes an eighth of the available RealTracks. If you can wait until around Dec. 1 they typically offer a nice discount. OP....see above, which is what I would recommend AND what I did back in 2013. Carry on....
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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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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
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Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac 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 100 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!
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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 Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
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