We are a bit weary of posts that are overly didactic and filled with imperative sentences.
You're not alone...
No, you are not alone.
So agreed.
I am hoping my comments yesterday did not cross those lines. I've seen so much of it I felt I should say something. That could be taken as me doing the same. Let me straight out say, if my opinion is different than anyone else's I do not think I'm superior. We are all human. I don't understand how some people come to the conclusions they do. No amount of "facts" they present will entirely do that. That means things like this bring out the best and worst of us. I try to focus on the person. I very much believe we are all equals. Although we have strengths and weakness unique to us; I believe we are meant to fill in the gaps for each other.
I've said my peace. Now I'm grabbing popcorn and sitting back. Stay safe all!
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
Noel-my children had to start online schooling last Tuesday. There were a few small hiccups in adjusting, but overall it has gone very well. My kids enjoy it; but do miss their friends.
In full disclosure, my children are MUCH better students than I was. They feel like they have slept in when they start their school (self paced) at 9:30am. Most days they are done around lunch, aside from waiting back for answers/feedback on what they have done.
The teachers are to be truly commended for their efforts. I can't even begin to imagine the adjustments on their side. You are one the people I would believe would adapt very well. The other side of the equation would be the willingness of the students. Of course, many will do fine. But there are the less motivated, or some that have issues at home that would make it difficult. School will be taught; with lessons coming from it far beyond the required lessons.
I truly wish you the best of luck!
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
Just informed - my doctor has discontinued routine monthly lab tests to minimize my exposure to virii. Phlebotomists are the ideal host/carrier as they make their rounds from the hospital to nursing homes.
You might ask your doctor if he/she will postpone routine labs.
We appreciate your calm, studied data-based approach. We are a bit weary of posts that are overly didactic and filled with imperative sentences.
Thank you,
J&B
Good morning, J&B.
After reading the above this morning, I went and had another look at those picture of your property that you sent a while back. Wow! I cannot imagine a better setting to self-isolate. Your wild azaleas must be coming into bloom around now.
Sitting here at my computer, when I look out the window, I can see my back fence about 15 yards away and two side fences. It looks like these are destined to be my new best friends for the immediate future
COVID-19 is worrisome. The good thing, though, is that there is a huge amount of knowledge and experience in the world that is now accessible to all of us via the internet and global media. This makes things a whole heap less frightening.
Australians experienced the value of having ready access to information in our recent bushfires. The fires were the worst that we'd ever seen but the loss of life was the kept well below what had become the norm for such events. People even survived in their homes with fires raging all around them because they had a plan that was based on expertise. Here is one brave young woman who captured some of her journey through the fire on video.
This was pretty amazing to me because I'd never heard of this kind of bravery happening before to such an extent as we saw in these fires. It made me realise that what might seem "impossible" today truly can become "I'm possible" tomorrow.
I cannot imagine what the Spanish Flu epidemic back in the early 1900s must have been like when all anyone could see and know about was their own back yard.
It greatly reassures me that when I want to find out the latest way to deal with COVID-19, all I need do is consult Google and read what experts around the world are saying. Their strategies increase my chances of getting through today. Then, when the worst passes, I'll worry about what comes next.
I hope that all is well for you both and that you stay safe.
Noel-my children had to start online schooling last Tuesday. There were a few small hiccups in adjusting, but overall it has gone very well. My kids enjoy it; but do miss their friends.
I truly wish you the best of luck!
Thanks, Caaron.
Face-to-face contact is definitely important for emotional growth. Some subjects thrive on discussion and the bouncing around of ideas from student to student. While this is possible online, it's a little harder to manage.
I teach years 11 and 12 and, because of this, I have it a bit easier than many teachers. So far, it's been an adventure for my classes and me and everyone has approached online lessons with good, positive frames of mind.
It will be interesting to see where we go with this as the future unfolds.
I wish you and your family the very best in these times of uncertainty.
Just informed - my doctor has discontinued routine monthly lab tests to minimize my exposure to virii. Phlebotomists are the ideal host/carrier as they make their rounds from the hospital to nursing homes.
You might ask your doctor if he/she will postpone routine labs.
Hi Don,
That's a really good thought about postponing regular testing. I haven't read that before. Thanks for passing it on.
My next door neighbour is in her mid-90s and lives by herself in her own home. I'll pass this thought on to her.
I hope that things are going well for you and that you and your family are travelling through this in the best way possible.
Australia's unemployment is at record levels because of corona virus. Centrelink is the government agency that handles all those who are unemployed. The queues at these agencies are enormous.
This morning I read a really heart-warming story in the paper and I thought I would share it. Sometimes it seems like there are just not enough good news stories at the moment. I hope this article inspires. As I read it, I tried to imagine how the people at the receiving end of this good deed must have felt.
Originally Posted By: The Age
In these bleak times, it's nice to be reminded of just how extraordinary people can be.
Take lawyer and businessman John* (who did not want to use his real name), who rolled up to the Box Hill Centrelink this week and started handing out $100 notes, or as he calls them, "lettuce leaves".
"I came here as a six-year-old from a village in Greece and this country has been good to me," he said.
"I was watching the queues at Centrelink – all those people lining up just so they could buy food for their families – and it made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't take it anymore."
John went to his bank and withdrew the maximum amount of $10,000.
"I started at the back of the line so I didn't miss anyone," he said. "I still had money left over so I went in the building and made sure everyone inside got some too.
"That day they just needed instant relief. These are just innocent people who, through no fault of their own, can't put food on the table.
"There is a lot of wealth in this country and we can ship some of that off so people can get back on their feet, that's all there is to it.
"If everyone who is a little better off can take out what they can and hand out some lettuce leaves, do you know how much better we will be?"
Just as well, I'm not keen on sitting around in waiting rooms trying to stay 6 feet away, nor do I feel comfortable going to a place where sick people need to go.
I have a routine teeth cleaning appointment at my dentist - cancelled
Same for the waiting room and sitting in a chair with my mouth open while someone who may have touched a COVID person without knowing it hovering over me.
We're learning how to disinfect things with dilute Clorox so we can grocery shop safely.
Since all our gigs until October have been cancelled, we are in economic isolation.
Fortunately 24/7/365 is not enough time for Leilani and me to spent together. It's actually fun to be together all day and night with no other commitments. We're working on style and fake "disks" for Band-in-a-Box.
It's warm out mid 80s in the day and upper 60s at night, the windows are open, the sea breeze is drifting through, the birds chirp all day long, and life is pretty good this way.
It's like we are musicians on a 7 month break.
But we do miss gigging. It's a very fun thing for us to do.
This too will eventually pass.
Stay healthy every one.
Notes
PS, if I crossed over the line airing my frustration, please accept my humble apologies. March is supposed to be our big money month and April tied with February in second place.
Our doctor visits have been cancelled. Our vet and dog grooming appointments have been cancelled. Our routine dentist appointments have been cancelled. My dental implant appointment has been cancelled. So here I sit with a gab in my teeth, a very noticeable gab as it is in the front. Think Alfred E. Newman with the gab in a lower tooth.
But things could be a lot worse.
I hope everyone on these forums are safe and healthy.
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
I totally understand economics is not well understood among a group of musicians. Notes made a point that he doesn't care if hedge fund managers go broke. Ok, what would make them go broke? What is their money based on?
The stock market. What is the stock market based on? All the companies we all know and some love. Apple, GM, IBM, Chevron, Airlines, Tech, Healthcare and on and on. If the wealthy people who own tons of stock go broke it's because the market crashed. Why would the market crash? Because all these companies crashed. What makes them crash? Nobody is buying what they're selling. What do these companies do? They hire people to work for them, millions and millions of people who are then out of work.
So no, you do not want all the hedge fund managers and everybody else in the market to go broke. Very, very bad for all of us.
Here's the breakdown of the top 10% wage earners by income in 2018:
Top 0.1% of Earners $2,757,000 5.2% Top 1% of Earners $718,766 13.4% Top 5% of Earners $299,810 28.0% Top 10% of Earners $118,400 39.1%
Look at the Top 10% number. Is 118K some greedy filthy rich person who rapes and pillages the "little people"? I have a client who's a deputy sheriff, he makes 75K and his wife is a nurse who makes the same. 150K household income. Where is their retirement money? In the stock market along with millions of others in mostly 401K plans. It crashes, the hedge fund managers go broke what happens to their 401K retirement?
I'm only giving this very basic lesson in economics here because it is the main point I made earlier that we WILL be going back to work relatively soon regardless of what the virus does because we have no choice. Government emergency financial bail outs do work but they're only a temporary bridge to help us get through the emergency then everything gets back to normal. All that is what the government is there for, it's why we "mostly, haha" agree to pay taxes. They take our tax money and then pay it back out for our general welfare. All good and normal in a free society.
But, with no tax money coming in how long can a government keep giving it back to us? If you want to use the Great Depression scenario, they can do it for 10 years but that would mean the majority of the population is barely living at a minimal subsistence level.
That's why we're all back to work sooner rather than later. Could be next month, maybe 3 months, I can't predict that. But stretch it to a year? Dunno, but I doubt it. At some point we will accept the stats and just deal with it.
What would you call it then with some of the comments here?
"I Don't care how long it takes, I don't want to die" seems to be a fairly common sentiment. Remember I'm also in the high risk group and I don't want to die either but that doesn't matter to my point.
Anybody who can't understand the reasons why people need to be getting back to work sooner rather than later doesn't understand economics.
Good news is it's looking like this could be moot anyway. Even though the numbers in the hardest hit areas are still going up, the rate of growth is beginning to look linear rather than exponential. Even when someone says that's only due to everybody being home and not working still misses a very big point. When we all get back to work, it will not be like before this virus hit. There will be very strong sanitary measures being taken so no, I don't see the virus starting to rage through the population again.
The other thing I believe is that now that everybody is totally shocked into being so clean and sanitary the rates of infection from all the other things we are at risk from like flu, colds, bacterial and all that will be down a lot. That should offset some of the COVID 19 numbers.
And, these two comments doesn't take into account new therapies being worked on right now that can handle this thing. I'm getting fairly optimistic about this.
I'd be interested in seeing those reports that show the spread is now linear. Looking at today's CDC data I am not seeing that.
As for "new therapies being worked on right now" this is something to hope for but nothing exists yet. The malaria drug "solution" has already killed healthy people.
We def need to remain hopeful but the problem with unwarranted optimism is that it encourages unsafe behavior that makes the problem worse.
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.
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)
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!
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.
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.
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