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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Kicking a dead horse even further, if anyone is still interested in the changes to Geekbench, I located this statement from the developers of Geekbench.
There is no way to compare scores from Geekbench 5 to scores from Geekbench 4. Similarly, Geekbench 4 scores are not comparable with Geekbench 3 scores.
Each major version of Geekbench includes changes that make it more accurate and representative of real-world performance. Since Geekbench 5 measures things differently than Geekbench 4, even in workloads that both versions have, it is not possible to input scores from one version into a calculator and get the scores from another version.
I'm afraid that this does make it difficult to track the progression of your devices over many years, particularly those that you no longer have. However, Geekbench 4 will continue to be supported for the foreseeable future.
Above, I guessed that a rough Geekbench 5 score of 300 - 320 might be comparable to the score of 1500 in Geekbench 4. My guess is not supported by the explanation given by the company. We will have to wait until someone at PG Music renders an opinion.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2019
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Thanks.
I will add that in the "requirements" page of BIAB they speak nowhere about processor capacity. Something to implement in the future so that people know in advance if their computer can properly handle the ressource used by BIAB.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,855
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,855 |
I will add that in the "requirements" page of BIAB they speak nowhere about processor capacity Wait... it IS there, "Minimum 1.0 GHz processor (2GHz+ multicore recommended)" This is just a general recommendation, and we hardly ever encounter a computer that is not capable of running Band-in-a-Box. I have an older PC with a Intel Pentium T4300 processor - turns out this is actually right next to the one being discussed in this thread (AMD A8-6410) on the Geekbench 5 benchmark page:  I ran the test and got a single core score of 261 which matches that page, whereas your score is less than what would be expected. This PC seems pretty slow (sometimes opening Windows Explorer takes a few seconds for example), but I don't experience the problems that you are reporting in Band-in-a-Box. I loaded in the demo song for _ROKAMER.STY for example, which is 5 RealTracks, 32 bars x 3 @ 120BPM, and timed how long it took playback to start after hitting 'Generate and Play'. It look just under 10 seconds, and I can double-click to start playback immediately. If you aren't abandoning the PC yet, perhaps you could start a thread in the "Tech SOS" forum .. you might find other general suggestions to tweak your CPU.
Andrew
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 30
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2019
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Hi,
When I'm in the early stages of putting a song together, I use MIDI to determine the chord progression. When that's done, I then move to Realtracks and Realstyles for realism.
Noel DANG!!! I never considered this... I'm freaking stupid!!! Thanks for the idea!
Windows 10 64bit
BIAB 2019
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2018
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Apprentice
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Hi,
When I'm in the early stages of putting a song together, I use MIDI to determine the chord progression. When that's done, I then move to Realtracks and Realstyles for realism.
Noel DANG!!! I never considered this... I'm freaking stupid!!! Thanks for the idea! I wouldn't call this stupidity. Instead, I'd simply call it ignorance of something you just hadn't learned yet. Even the pro BiaB users are ignorant of things they haven't learned yet. 
Tom Levan (pronounced La-VAN)
BiaB 2024 Win UltraPAK Build 1109, Xtra Style PAKs 1-11, RB 2024, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Intel Q9650 3 GHz, 16 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD & 2 TB HDD, Tracktion 6 & 7 (freebies), Cakewalk, Audacity, MuseScore 2.1 & 3.4, Synthesizer V
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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That we are, and we manage to demonstrate that almost every day. 
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Agreed. I and others learn (or at the very least remember) something about the program every day.
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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That we are, and we manage to demonstrate that almost every day. Matt, That is so true. I no longer feel embarrassed if I get things wrong. I've learnt that there's always something new to learn and something new to fully understand just around the corner. That's what I love most about this program... there is SO much to play around with All the best, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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It bothers me when I get something wrong, for example when I say that I don't think BIAB can do something, but right away someone else knows how to do it. My memory has always been great but I'm nearly 70 so I'm not so sure anymore. I think I may have already forgotten more than most users know. This is all to say I continue to be completely amazed at the power and depth of this program. But I am more amazed at the quality and depth of those who give guidance on this forum.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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When I was using 2011 and an old XP computer exporting a realtrack so I could then import it into my DAW would take up to 10 mins. The perfect amount of time to go upstairs make a cuppa. It could be frustrating but, like others, I recall an older slower world - teaching typing skills with a MicroBee comp & DataCassette, running my 1st PC with 8meg of RAM (W95 - worked really well)and a hard drive that was less than a gig. Recording into Cakewalk with a PC that had 250meg of RAM - all of these things take time and time is relative I know. Your cheapest dig. watch could've done the computing on board for Apollo 11. Your phone - well, dick Tracy would be in heaven.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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My first scholarly publication was done on a Commodore 64. Whenever I printed out a draft, I would set the thing to print then walk to the post office to get my mail.
It was almost done when I returned.
...Deb
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I had a Commodore 64 as well funny little beast. My first digital studio was a copy of cakewalk on floppy disk that only did midi. I mixed tracks and then transfer them to an old Casio 4 track cassette tape machine. Talk about slow. So when I hear folks complain that the plugin takes 30 seconds to generate 80 bars of music and that is destroying their work flow I have to hang my head and laugh.
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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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 241
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 241 |
Hi all,
Long time no see! I just coudnt use BIAB because each thing would take 1mn or more to load. Was unusable.
So I waited a bit until I could buy a new computer and now I think I should be ok :
Geekbench 4 :
Single-Core Score : 5133
Multi-Core Score : 23690
Didnt run Geekbench 5. Is it necessary to do it ?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,650
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from a geeky nerd old rockin muso.lol.
NO !!
before attempting to use biab to see
if your current pc is up to it.
ALWAYS enter into google search the following.
model of your processor plus cpu benchmark.net
this gives your processor a rateing at the benchmark
site.
eg "amd 64 cpu benchmark.net"
now enter "i7 4770 cpu benchmark "
notice the rateing difference " !!
i personally recommend a min rateing of 5000.
the i7 4770 is 7000.
i use reaper and biab on a refurb laptop with i5
plus ssd in it. wowser fast.
if your looking for a new computer try a REFURB.
you save a ton of bucks. with a warranty of course.
so if your in the market , enter into google
"intel i5/i7 processor ssd 8 gigs ram REFURB".
should get something around a few hundred bucks.
RB reported my laptop could do 190 traks for example.
also with ssd your boots will be fast.
all the mac users say "oh man pc is slow man ".
thats not so. i boot in 3 secs.
because it was set up right by the refurb store for me.
also i demo biab on the refurb before i buy it.
WOWSER ROCK OUT !
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 241
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Apprentice
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Thanks for your reply. I had to buy a new pc and since I am in France (confined) I elected to buy a brand new one.
I typed what you said and here what I found :
Average CPU Mark rating
11514
I have a laptop with i7-9750h processor, SSD drive, and 16Gb of Ram. And Latencymon est green all the way so no DPC latency.
I think I should be ok. So FINALLY now I can use BIAB!
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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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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
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.
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!
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