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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I pretty much agree with what you said above! And I too have learned that, if you are going to point out BIAB problems, even if they are glaringly obvious and should never have been released that way, you always have to preface your comments with an affirmation that you love the product! And I do love the product! It is nothing short of incredibly amazingly awesome! For me the most frustrating thing about BIAB (other than the aforementioned problems) is how mute the company is about acknowledging the major issues and assuring us they will indeed be fixed. I am not one of the old-timers around here who bought BIAB when it was 1-bit and made from rocks and sand, but I have been here long enough to see features introduced and then never fixed or finished. And when PG himself asserts that everything is fine and everyone including himself is happy with how it works that seems like a direct admission that not much more is forthcoming other than basic stuff like getting it to actually work at its most basic level. But, like you, I have gone through the 5 stages of BIAB grief (well, I'm still working on that last one!) And I will just use the 32-bit BIAB 2019 and have a blast with those new RealTracks. Maybe they will fix 64-bit and VST and maybe they won't but either way I'll have fun with the 32-bit and RealTracks! There, I'm almost through step #5!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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But, like you, I have gone through the 5 stages of BIAB grief (well, I'm still working on that last one!) And I will just use the 32-bit BIAB 2019 and have a blast with those new RealTracks. Maybe they will fix 64-bit and VST and maybe they won't but either way I'll have fun with the 32-bit and RealTracks! There, I'm almost through step #5! JJJ, you are well on your way to complete indoctrination. Just don't drink the cool-aid. 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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But, like you, I have gone through the 5 stages of BIAB grief (well, I'm still working on that last one!) And I will just use the 32-bit BIAB 2019 and have a blast with those new RealTracks. Maybe they will fix 64-bit and VST and maybe they won't but either way I'll have fun with the 32-bit and RealTracks! There, I'm almost through step #5! JJJ, you are well on your way to complete indoctrination. Just don't drink the cool-aid. Thanks Dan! But that kool-aid looks so refreshing...
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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This is a great thread! Good job Deacon. My "problem" or "endearing quirk" is when some here jump on me for making pretty much the same points you did and start calling me a fanboy, I'll jump back. They'll jump back and I'll jump some more until everybody is exhausted. They still think I'm a apologist fanboy. Fine, ok but like you I've pointed out and complained with the best of them over the years.
Wnen so many were pushing and pushing for 64 bit and a Biab VST I kept saying it's really not needed, accept it for what it is and I still believe that. What I never said but it's what I've thought all along is IF they ever did this it would be a total disaster because my "feeling" based on years of observation around here, is the company just doesn't have the staff who both understands the complexities of that and can implement it properly. And there's nothing wrong with that, what PG did and continues to do really well is creating and improving Biab in the first place. The VST is a whole new direction for them and it shows. I have full confidence they'll get it right but wow... I even mentioned Pro Tools several weeks ago and was told sure, no problem, it works with it just fine. Uhhhh, no.
Bob
Last edited by jazzmammal; 12/17/18 12:05 PM.
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Because of the end results BB RB is capable of with RT & RD I have stuck with it for the last 10 years, nagging and hassling PG to make how you get the end results easy. Just having the VST is a big advantage as this will bring in newer DAW only users that would not want to learn Biab, but even how the VST is now you can run it in a standalone mode and have a super simple version of Biab, though hopefully soon it will be fixed to run as a fully integrated VST/VSTi As I said before this is a Quantum Leap for PG and trying to get it all out there this year was a massive step, more beta time would of help but there was a deadline I suppose. Anyway they are working flat out to address all the issues and we will see the fixes soon. Well look at the bright side it gives you a bit of a change to all be beta testers for a while  The Mac user should be right when they get it as it's the Win user that have done the hard yards to find all the issues 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Like Bob I am not an apologist fanboy. There are many things about BiaB that I would like changed and have said so. But I will come to PGMusic's defense when I think it is necessary. Here are a couple of things that really bug me:
1- It should be an easy fix. The only people that know if it is an easy fix are the programmers. The rest of us are just speculating. This includes things like the 255 bar limit, adding time signatures other then 2,3, or 4/4, file names etc. My take on these, right or wrong, is that BiaB is an 8 bit program that has band aid after band aid to make it 16, 32 and now 64 bit.
2-PGMusic put out a VSTi before it was ready. One can not expect PGMusic or the beta testers to have every combination of CPU, video card & drivers, audio interface/sound card or drivers, RAM combinations etc. It apparently worked their and on the beta testers systems to release. It doesn't work on mine and many other's systems but we still have the old method of using BiaB.
Virtually all of my songs start on BiaB and I am very grateful for that software. I wouldn't be playing and having so much fun learning new genres if it wasn't for BiaB.
Just my two cents. YMMV
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Some time back for a number of years I was employed by an ISP (Australia’s biggest at the time). We supplied services to businesses and to other ISPs. The number of times I’d get calls say “your system is broken” I cannot count. The number of times I would say you are one of only a few with the particular issue you have, so logic would tell me the issue is elsewhere not in my system. Something might not work for a small percentage does that mean the product is broken. I recall one chap very heated who said our product stinks, it worked fine until he changed his systems and now out product is broken and we need to fix it. I had the guy repeat what he said about 5 times he finally screamed at me. When I got him to say it slowly, he saw, he had made changes not the supplier. This sort of stuff we saw daily.
That is not to say there are no issues with PG products, clearly there are, but in the past few weeks I almost find the Forums depressing. The number of times we see people having issues that few others have or others have addressed and still going on about the issue being a bug is unreal.
At what point does a “work around” become a workflow or workflow naturally include a number of “work arounds”.
I agree with the need for a bug reporting Forum, but, will it just become a complaints area or an area to vent frustration. I also had a frustrating issue that got under my skin. Then along came Noel with the correct method for what I was doing and all was sorted. I had in fact broken BB worse by implement my solution before getting the answer to the correct way.
We each of us have a PC or Mac configured our way. There are many configurations therefore “bugs” can occur, but, are they bugs in the PG products or our systems. We have different ways of working and using the products therefore we may see different issues but is the issue the way we do things.
Sorry I feel this way but I think there has been a fair bit of unfair beat ups in the past few weeks. Let’s work together to fix or address issues. Looking for cause and effects fixes issues. Looking for blame only puts up shutters.
My vented views
Tony.
Last edited by Teunis; 12/17/18 02:09 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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I think as the years have rolled by I have spent a lot of time in this forum, as well as the old cakewalk forum. I have seen a lot of people unhappy due to what they deemed “broken software” and many times it was pilot or system error. I am not suggesting that all the complaints are also pilot error, but it is far more likely to be a system error than a program error. Still we know some of this is legitimate program issues. I hope they solve most of the VSTi issue here soon. But even if it is patched properly it will still be a problem for some. I am aware that my pc is not perfect and that some issues are mine. I think that most bugs will be worked out, some will linger and system oddities will persist. No software is perfect.
I just know for a fact this stuff is fun, let’s all remember that this is why we buy it to be entertained and creative. I hope all of you (all Y’all) here in the south have a ball creating cool stuff with this software and look forward to as many bugs getting exterminated as possible.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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I agree with a lot in Deacon's post (including his love of Steely Dan). I've always wondered why PG Music releases the software with the bugs still in it. Maybe they can't test for them before the new release goes to users.
That said, it doesn't seem to matter much to the community because they keep buying the new releases as soon as they are available. And in spite of the problems, there seems to be a lot to like about the new version. I will be waiting a while though, even if I do have to pay full price.
Have fun, y'all.
2b
i5-3210 laptop. Win 10 Home. 2.5ghz, 64 bit. 6gb RAM. Focusrite Scarlet 2i2.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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For those people here suggesting that most of the complains are due to user error, have you checked this, this this, this, this, this this, this this, or this reports (just to name a few) in your systems? Would you say that all of them are are "pilot error" or rather legitimate issues that need to be fixed? Blaming the users for reporting obvious software bugs / issues / limitations / oddities / farts / whatever you want to call them without even bothering to check these reports is a long tradition here. I've seen this attitude many, many times, is still here, and, in my opinion, is part of the problem, becauses it transmits the idea that wrong is right, right is wrong, and that everybody here is happy with that. What we need instead is honesty, constructive criticism, more people reporting issues and PG Music fixing them!
Latest BIAB version, latest build.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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For those people here suggesting that most of the complains are due to user error, have you checked this, this this, this, this, this this, this this, or this reports (just to name a few) in your systems? Would you say that all of them are are "pilot error" or rather legitimate issues that need to be fixed? Blaming the users for reporting obvious software bugs / issues / limitations / oddities / farts / whatever you want to call them without even bothering to check these reports is a long tradition here. I've seen this attitude many, many times, is still here, and, in my opinion, is part of the problem, becauses it transmits the idea that wrong is right and that everybody here is happy with that. What we need instead is honesty, constructive criticism, more people reporting issues and PG Music fixing them! Well said!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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 PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
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 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available 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 Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
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.
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 as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
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!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. 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 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
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