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Hi guys... First thing is wow...I am so impressed by the quality of this forum...I feel like I have stumbled upon the music shangrila... I have been playing acoustic, mostly rhythm guitar off and on for 50 years...started when I was 10...mostly just play at home...but do perform once per year at a big family function... This last year I have been trying to step up my game...learn some new songs...learn to play some lead...etc... I have a fender acoustic electric guitar that I like to play most of the time...also have a new Epiphone Riveira P93 that I am not sure I like yet...hoping it will grow on me... So as an example i have been working on learning a new Blues song...BB King..The Thrill is gone...tough song to sing when you are trying to play at the same time...but...I seem to be making progress...i have the rhythm part down...and the timing for the vocals...you gotta jump in on the 2 or it just doesn't work  ...in time I will learn the lead...but that will take awhile... So anyway... I am thinking that I will buy Band in a box...use it to play a backing track while I play and sing...for now...with thrill is gone...maybe the backing track will just be bass...drums...and ???....later...when I learn to do the lead at an acceptable level of quality...I can have the backing track play everything except lead guitar...I will play the lead..and sing... My question is about the equipment I will need... Right now I have a pc laptop that I want to use...it is a HP Silver Fuson 15.6 touchscreen....intel i3...4gb system memory...16gb intel Optane memory...1TB hard drive...windows 10 home...WiFi...bluetooth...dvd writer... I am thinking I will load the Band in a box on this laptop...will it work??? And...I have a small portable PA system...it is a Pyle Karaoke PKRK10 system..400watt...Pro Audio PA System...it has a guitar jack input...a mic input...also has USB input...also has video/audio/aux inputs like you see on the back of tv's...it is not a high end system but it worked great last year when I used it the first time at the family reunion...plugged the guitar in...plugged a wireless headphone mic in...worked great... Will I need any other gear to make this all work? Will I be able to plug the computer into the PA system that I have now and get it to play a backing track from Band in a Box...and at the same time will I be able to plug my guitar and my wireless mic in as well.... or....do I need a diferent PA system? or...do I need some sort of gadget or gyzmo that goes between the computer and the PA? Help...I don't know what I don't know.. Luke
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Joined: Oct 2017
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 745 |
I have a gizmo between my pc and my pa system. Mine is a Presonus AudioBox that is no longer in production. They have others. Another popular brand is Focusrite and I am sure there are other manufacturers.
I plug the PA system into the Presonus then plug the Presonus into a USB port on my desktop. (No reason why it won't work on a laptop.) The PC sees the Presonus and I can then choose between onboard sound or the Presonus.
The sound is amazing.
Plus I can plug in a guitar or keyboard if I wish to do so. My unit has 2 jacks (XLR or 1/4 inch). Larger units are available.
...Deb
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Play some audio from your computer, a wav file or mp3 and see if that will pay through your PA. If that works, you should be able to get BiaB to play through your PA.
I use a USB to Audio interface, as my PA does not have a USB input. If the above doesn't work, and if you have a spare audio channel, a USB->Audio interface will work.
Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
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Joined: Nov 2018
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I render my BIAB files into a wav file and load them on my ipad. I Plug my ipad into the PA and then play them using Stage Traxx for live performances. Much more control then playing with BIAB in a live situation.
Last edited by Funtyme Fiddling; 02/08/19 10:38 AM.
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Luke,
"Will I be able to plug the computer into the PA system that I have now and get it to play a backing track from Band in a Box...and at the same time will I be able to plug my guitar and my wireless mic in as well...."
It should work without any other peripherals....Maybe just a cable to run from
Laptop 1/8" output to aux input. Pretty standard. Assuming that your amp can simultaneously accept "aux in" and Guitar / Mic inputs.
If not, cheap mixer will do the trick for practicing... or this:
I looked at your Karaoke machine... I believe it has a usb input for Flash drives.
(I am sure that whats it for) You can render WAV or MP3 backing track on BIAB write it to thumb and plug into your machine and it should accept it, to play along with that backing/minus with your guitar/mic.
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Something to keep in mind: Using a USB Audio interface is much more robust and reliable that the 3.5mm stereo plug into the laptop, which can suffer from static noise (dirty contacts), and also become dislodged.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Joined: Sep 2001
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guitar and mic into their normal inputs. then the headphone audio out of the laptop into the aux socket(s) if its red and white/black phono sockets you might need a mini stereo jack to phono lead (and maybe an extension mini jack socket to plug lead if the laptop will be close to you for operation and the pa a way away. all available cheap on ebay)
should work fine and for 'once a year' paying out for new gear is probably not worth it.
if the BIAB song you are using is all Realtracks then its all audio and you are set to go. if it's midi then the midi sounds you get from your laptop might be a bit naff - you'll need a good soft synth to get better sounds. BIAB comes with coyote wt which is ok. the coyote forte is better at $40 from PG MUusic and the Roland TTS1 is in my opinion even better and its free - see Peter Gannon's sticky 'no brainer' post on the BIAB forum. but you'll get away with coyote wt I imagine. listen and see what you think.
agree with videotrack usb is more robust but i've played live with the audio headphone output from a laptop and got perfect results.
wait till everyone's out and try it at home!
Last edited by Bob Calver; 02/15/19 11:46 PM.
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Hi there, FIRST POST: I'm a brand new aspiring musician, too!
I'm a retired Navy Chief Electronics Technician, but have long wanted to get the several albums' worth of music out of my head and into reality. I have the time to do it now... but at 56, I'm just not sure if I have enough time LEFT!
So I have purchased the top versions of several key pieces of software, including BIAB for Windows 64-bit... as well as some really good hardware. My home office/studio is finished, and I'm ready to learn.
I just don't know where to start. BIAB looks amazing... but I'm going to need, like many others in this forum, step by step instructions of "here's what this is, this is what that does, and you do it all in THIS order."
So I'm grateful for the forum, and the folks in it. Let's help each other master our software and get the most out of it.
It's great to be here!
Accept No Imitations!
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Welcome aboard. My home office/studio is finished, and I'm ready to learn. Maybe you should explain what all is in this new studio so we can help explain what you have, or what you are missing.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Welcome aboard. My home office/studio is finished, and I'm ready to learn. Maybe you should explain what all is in this new studio so we can help explain what you have, or what you are missing. Well... I have a Dell Optiplex PC with Core i7, 24 GB RAM, a 1 TB SSD for programs and a 2 TB SSD for files, a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 5 Rx audio card connected to a very low latency 5.1 speaker system with optical cable. I also have Audio-Technica ATH-M50 monitor headphones. On the software side, the 2019 BIAB Win64 I mentioned, along with Mixcraft 8 for mixing, and the 64-bit Melodyne 4 Studio. Hardware-wise, I have an old Yamaha DGX-230 Portable Grand for "practice" and learning; above it on the stand is my baby - my Yamaha PSR-S975 arranger/workstation. I have acoustic panels on the walls around my microphone. It's a heck of an office/studio. Is all this overkill? Maybe... but I want to make sure I have the tools I need to go from concept to completed mp3 (except for maybe a pro studio for vocals and final mastering). You asked!
Accept No Imitations!
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I have acoustic panels on the walls around my microphone. What kind of mic? If you got a nice mic preamp and an LDC mic you could do the vocals at home too, at less cost than going to the studio. For a preamp, you can still find VTB-1's out there with a little effort. A nice preamp makes any mic better. Especially LDC's Or replace the Creative device with a Focusrite, which comes with decent preamps. Not as nice as the VTB-1 IMO but certainly serviceable. FWIW a VTB-1 and a B-1 mic would run about $250 .. and get you close to studio vocal sound.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Weird, it said I posted but I don't see it ..
Edit: now it appeared .. that was weird, my above post took a while to show up.
Last edited by rharv; 02/16/19 04:51 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Newbie
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Actually, my microphone is this one:
amazon.com/gp/product/B07B47YNJ6
It's a pretty heavy mic, good quality, on a flexible stand with a pop filter. I'm pretty happy with it.
Back to Band In A Box: I've looked online and it's almost like every tutorial video out there assumes some level of knowledge about the program, and I have yet to find anything really helpful for someone entirely unfamiliar with it...
Accept No Imitations!
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Actually, my microphone is this one:
amazon.com/gp/product/B07B47YNJ6
It's a pretty heavy mic, good quality, on a flexible stand with a pop filter. I'm pretty happy with it.
Back to Band In A Box: I've looked online and it's almost like every tutorial video out there assumes some level of knowledge about the program, and I have yet to find anything really helpful for someone entirely unfamiliar with it... The tutorials have recently been updated but if you don't find what you need, just ask. You will never be flamed for asking. We've all been there and everyone has hung their egos at the door.
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Back to the OP, Lukewwx. If all you really need is a backing track for Thrill Is Gone, there are a ton of them on Youtube. Not trying to dissuade you from buying Biab, it's an amazing program. If it's something you really want to get into in the future go for it but still, here's one example of a decent backing track of that tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-15DaGJ4EYOne thing newbies ask about all the time is why can't Biab give them real backing tracks of classic songs. It's because of copyright. Songs have certain specific licks in them that can't be legally duplicated. Biab can give you really great backing rhythm tracks that sound great but it's not going to give you that famous guitar part from Satisfaction for example. Stuff like that you have to either play yourself of find it somewhere and paste it in to your track. Bob
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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To play live I use either tracks I have made in RB or BiaB. Recently I also started using an IPad app called Jamzone it work very well.
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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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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Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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.
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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!
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