In Audio Prefs, enable Input Monitoring. This lets you hear them. You can optionally choose to also record the IM signal (or record dry and FX later).
Then on the selected (armed) track right-click and select Port, scroll to bottom and select Input Monitoring as the Port. (this was from memory so some details/labels may be a little off) I can verify in a bit and add images.
Added images..
Last edited by rharv; 08/12/2011:53 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
What you are seeing here is exactly the type of reason I switched away from Real Band. I watched a few of the "how to record your band" videos on Reaper.fm and everything seemed so easy and trouble free. I installed the 60 days for free version of Reaper and never looked back.
of course that is only my experience, but the Reaper videos walk you through everything so easily.
Maybe there is similar stuff available for RealBand but I never found it.
Well I’m not experienced enough to make any judgments about the quality of any particular application.
All I can say is if I plug a guitar into Real Band, I should be able to: (a) hear myself playing, (b) hear real time affects, and (c) record the track. If I can’t be done then there’s some sort of a problem I would think.
Probably something I am doing wrong, but I have no idea what it is.
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core Processor. 3.79 GHZ; RAM = 32.00 GB; 64 Bit Operating System; Windows 10; Focusrite 8i18 External Card; Real Band; Band in a Box; Coyote Forte Wave Table; Oxygen 49 MIDI Controller
If it is an audio Interface and the sound is muddy you have something set wrong. In my top image I had the WAS driver selected (which I never use). The ASIO Focusrite drivers have worked flawlessly for tens of thousands of people including me. It is important to get them set up right, but once you do it should work as advertised. I know many of us have used this feature.
Is the Track you've selected to record on set to be an Audio track (track type). If it is a MIDI track you won't see the Input Monitor option shown in my second image.
Last edited by rharv; 08/13/2011:54 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
To answer your question, yes it is an audio track. It is just a guitar plugged straight into the Focusrite box. Just thought maybe I could record the guitar direct like that and take advantage of the built-in effects in real time (i.e. not applied after the take), but it is sounding like this is not possible.
The Box is Focusrite 18i8.
Thanks.
Michael
Last edited by goofeyfoot; 08/13/2012:04 PM.
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core Processor. 3.79 GHZ; RAM = 32.00 GB; 64 Bit Operating System; Windows 10; Focusrite 8i18 External Card; Real Band; Band in a Box; Coyote Forte Wave Table; Oxygen 49 MIDI Controller
It should definitely be possible, and listening to audio via the 18i8 ASIO should NOT be muddy unless something is set up wrong. Post screen shots please. May need to include how the Focusrite Mixer is set up too (separate app).
Also make sure the Focusrite settings match the bitrate you are using in RB. And you could also try enabling ASIO always on (image below).
Like I said, if you could post screen shots of the settings it would probably help a lot. Calling the Focusrite 18i8 'the Focusrite box' is ambiguous; try to be clear and concise so we can help better.
Last edited by rharv; 08/13/2012:22 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
You may need to check the inputs that your guitar is plugged into. Maybe you're not getting enough input signal. I believe you can also view the inputs in Realband and you can see if that is high enough.
personally - and i stress this is a personal opinion - i'd record without fx. i know some guitarists like to play to the fx - like delay but if you record with fx that's what you get and you are stuck with it. some of the guitar Real Tracks have a di version and you might like to experiment with the di track and amplitube to see what you can get from a simple straight input. you can vary the drive from slightly dirty to screaming lead. you can add delay and change the repeats and timing to suit the song. add chorus and play around with the settings. and its non destructive - tomorrow you can tweak it if you've had second thoughts.
in the dim and distant days when i used pro studios, the feeling was that a guitarist might like to record the drive/overdrive sound of a pedal or processor or rack to get 'their sound', but add time based fx on the desk.
it's purely a preference and i can see why you might want to hear overdrive when you play to play to the sustain you get but even then i'd find it easier to use a pedal like a tube screamer to set the drive and distortion i like (my favorite is an Ibanez Mostortion i bought years ago) as twiddling physical knobs to get the sound I want is easier than manipulating digital fx with a mouse.
I tended to record in Sonar and had it set to record flat (without effects) however it still had effects on it whilst playing I prefer to hear guitar that way. Only the recording did not have the effects. Similar can be done in Reaper by setting up the recording point on the way into the track (before effects) rather than out (after effects). That allowed me to add effects later including what Amp Sim I wanted. For example use TH3 on the way in then maybe Guitar Rig on the final product.
Understand however having effects turned on can increase latency so don’t have too much going on at the same time. I.E. don’t have a bunch of MIDI tracks going to synths and something like Ozone of the Master track (you’ll be waiting an age to hear your note)
I don’t know if setting up the record point can be done in RealBand (I don’t use it)
Edit: having another look, Cakewalk records flat even though I have effects on the track so nothing really requires setting.
Tony
Last edited by Teunis; 08/14/2001:09 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
Yes, you can Monitor (hear) the FX in real time, but record the track either with/without those FX. Been that way for many years, and very few complaints, so pretty sure it was some kind of config issue.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.