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Hi guys,
I have made a concerted effort to explore the use of BIAB in the last few months . I listen to songs posted by Floyd Jane and I am amazed at what is possible.
I have found that for myself as a novice user, BIAB is very useful for generating a conceptual idea but difficult and time consuming to use.
I have neither the time or inclination to spend the next several years to become an expert on this software or any other software for that matter.
I also have spent a lot of time and money trying to learn to produce songs with my computer based home studio.
The results have been less than stellar.
I have no doubt I will get better at all this but I don't think any of this will replace working live in a studio.
I have also tried to use some musicians both paid and unpaid over the internet. That has been pretty uninspired. Too disconnected, to difficult to communicate ideas other than to score things out and say play this. There have been some very nice people to work with but... A total resistance to using video conferencing to communicate ideas. Pretty unprofessional in some cases even when paying the normal amounts of money a pro studio session musician would make.
I have never had any real issues getting what I wanted in a live studio. Very little of that ever made much money but that was my fault for not being able to produce commercially viable songs.
At the end of the day, in retirement, this was supposed to be a fun hobby. All this diving into the world of home recording was an attempt to reduce the cost of producing a song.
All this software is useful to generate ideas but to get what I want I will have to go back to a studio with real session players. That kind of sucks from a economic standpoint but it is what it is. Better to produce one good song a year than a thousand also ran.
As I am getting to old to enjoy my boat in the ocean any longer, I have been considering leaving Florida and moving back to LA or perhaps even Nashville where I have better access to pro musicians.
I hope this pandemic issue will be resolved soon so I can get out of lockup. As I get older time becomes a more pressing issue. I could have done without all this chaos in my old age...lol
I think BIAB is a great product with many uses for many people including me.
I just don't know how to use it or other software well enough to get the results I want. I am not sure I have the time left to learn even if I wanted too.
What has your experience been?
Cheers,
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Band in a Box is clever, very clever, but you need to make the effort to use it well. There is a manual but I feel from what you wrote that you would not feel like getting all the useful stuff that is in it. The manual is 400+ pages, but put the effort in and you will soon end up with music that you are more than happy with. I think some people think that Band in a Box is some sort of magic software where you press two buttons and out pops a hit song.You get out what you put in, simple as that. I am 65 and have pretty much found my way around the software, producing many songs that have a professional feel with a little extra tweaking in Logic. Stick with it, it really is worth the effort.
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Using BIAB (or in general any computer based music making tools) to make your music is not for everyone. Fact is you need to be part computer nerd and part musician. And yes, BIAB in particular takes a long time to master. What you are saying rings a note with me since I have to admit I am more computer nerd than musician. So this workflow works well for me. There is no one way to make music. If you have a workflow working live, which makes you happy, go for it.
BIAB – 2025, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud (Tip: No need to create a SC account to hear music - just hit ESC ).
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I like interacting with other people. That is one of the cool things about playing live with a band or in a studio. Exchanging musical ideas on the fly between the other musicians is huge fun.
You look over at the bass player and without saying anything he takes the music in another direction. You understand what he is saying on the bass, you smile and go with him. Cool stuff.
Things can also get out of hand sometimes....lol My lead guitar player use to blow through the changes and zoom off to some place only he understood...lol My job was to bring him back to earth...lol
We had great respect for one another and listened to each other intently. Eyes on who ever is in the lead at a given moment in the song.
For me, music is a team sport.
Cheers,
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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So I went over to the Music Forum and listened to your "first offering". It was a good first effort with BIAB. But truly a "first effort". You promised a second version?
Now I suspect you may not have given it enough time to get over some growing pains with the media. You say you are having trouble with the drums. If you stick around a bit longer you will discover that BIAB real drums are great for click and play, but if you need to hear something specific, you need to move over to a different tool. So deeper down the rabbit hole you have to go. Sorry, more cost and more time.
You sound a bit like my friend Lenny. Lenny was a guitarist with 40+ years of bar bands and recording studio. As he aged I introduced him to BIAB. He struggled with it for a while ( a couple years actually). Long enough to get down likely every song he had ever played and more. He was a bit like a fish out of water. But the fact was his bar band days - turned into a church band days, were long ever between age and health. So I think he did learn to appreciate what can be accomplished in a home recording studio with computer aided tools.
I suspect a lot of us here in the forum would have loved to have a more "live" experience with our music making, as you have. If that road is still open for you, and it makes you happy, go for it. But there comes a time when everyone at the local studio is way to young to be in the business and the music recorded there is way too weird to contribute to.
Sorry, I am rambling now... Do what you think is best and have fun doing it.
BIAB – 2025, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud (Tip: No need to create a SC account to hear music - just hit ESC ).
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Using BIAB (or in general any computer based music making tools) to make your music is not for everyone. Fact is you need to be part computer nerd and part musician. And yes, BIAB in particular takes a long time to master. What you are saying rings a note with me since I have to admit I am more computer nerd than musician. So this workflow works well for me. There is no one way to make music. If you have a workflow working live, which makes you happy, go for it.
I have to agree 100%! BIAB is not easy to use and intuitive but because I love software as much or more than I love music I enjoy it! As for the studio and session musicians, I'm not one who plays well with others IRL so BIAB is a godsend. My advice to anyone trying to use it is get really familiar with the very basics of generating and exporting your instrument tracks from RealTracks and then do the rest of production in a quality DAW. But there again the DAW is another rabbit hole that requires an enjoyment or at least tolerance of complex software!
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Billy, I won't try to give you much advice because our background (except for a love of boats) is likely quite different. I was a pro player as a child and have always been a computer expert. Even so, in a studio I like to be one or the other, not both. I play most horns but BIAB gave me the rhythm section I cannot play. Someday in the nursing home, I will want a laptop, modem, headphones and BIAB. That will be fine.
The only thing that surprised me in your post was that people you would like to collaborate with are reluctant to conference with you on video! That really is a disappointment. I can't see any band going into a studio without working directly together in some way. Those musicians, if they want to adapt to the new normal, should add video skills to what they bring to the table.
Having said that, I rarely need to meet with the talent before I hit the studio. I was probably recommended by their producer or another artist who knows what I do, and the talent generally has no idea what a horn player might add. I prepare heavily, using BIAB to write and arrange parts on their song, and arrive in the studio ready to lay down tracks. Then I am usually requested to play other things they think of, but somehow what gets put on the CDD is only what I prearranged. This is ENTIRELY different from what you describe, where you get the energy and ideas from bandmates. I get that. So, encourage those players to learn to video conference with you. Maybe JamKazam, which has less latency than Zoom, would help. Otherwise, hire someone else.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Thanks Matt,
There are issues with "winging it" in a studio. One, it cost a lot of money and two the engineer is not real happy to set around and listen to you rehearse.
So I agree and generally do the same as you. I am prepared before I walk in the door. I like to do stuff in one take when possible. In the past when it cost two or three K per song time would get your attention real quick...lol
Sometime you get to the studio and someone comes up with a new idea. In that case sometimes it is possible to work it out on the spot. Most of the time you have to go away and come back later.
Frequently guitar music is not as structured as horn lines. We often do not play the exact same thing twice. Yes, signature licks sure but the rest no.
When I have worked with a real pro drummer like Greg Bissonette for example, often he played exactly the right thing the first time around. You don't have to tell guys like that what to do.
The creation process normally happens in stages. Someone comes up with a set of lyrics or a melody line or a harmonic structure. Then who ever came up with the idea call in who ever he needs next to exchange ideas with. The idea person, in our case plays guitar most of the time, and a piano player is a good combination to start. It never works exactly the same way every time.
With the pandemic and the fact that the band members don't all live in the same city or even the same country, video is the only thing that is logical. Of course latency is a issue but there are ways to get around it.
The aversion to video is likely related to being shy or not having the needed self confidence.
I have been away from music for a long while so everything is a bit new to me...even my own guitar.
Thanks for your input.
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Hey John,
I really get that many people just like BIAB. I also think there may be a good many people who prefer to work alone.
I own several DAWs. I find all of them less problematic to deal with than BIAB, with the exception of Pro Tools. Pro Tools is great for tracking live stuff. Not so good for creating new music...just my opinion.
I find many people who are infatuated with computers like being alone with their computers.
For me BIAB, DAWs, and other music software are just tools. I don't like or dislike them. Some are difficult to use and some not so difficult.
I never realized how much I miss working with other people until I started setting here working by my self.
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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eddie1261
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There are issues with "winging it" in a studio. One, it cost a lot of money and two the engineer is not real happy to set around and listen to you rehearse. Remember that while the clock is running and ticking away your dollars, he works for you and you own him. I hired Bissonnette to play drums once. Unfortunately I got PAUL Bissonnette, the hockey player. The whole session all he did was puck around! <rimshot>
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eddie1261
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Pro Tools is great for tracking live stuff. Not so good for creating new music...just my opinion.
Well, that's an apples to garden hoes comparison anyway, as Pro Tools doesn't "create" anything. If the players are ready to create, Pro Tools is the fo'shizzle. If the players have no idea what they are doing, you aren't ready to be in the studio yet and unless you have Warren Buffet kind of money to waste to get together and just play whatever, don't book the time. If you DO have Warren Buffet kind of money, waste it on me instead of studio time! PM me for my address!! And I WILL take a check!! On topic, BIAB is extremely difficult for a newb. Those overblown claims that you don't have to know anything about music to just sit down and write songs are extreme over-hype. Imagine this conversation. "You just have to enter your chords in." "What's a chord?" It's the notes in the scale of the key you are playing in." "Notes? Scales? Key? Huh?" "You know. A chord. Like a major is 1-3-5." "!, 3 and 5 of what?" "The steps in the scale." "What's a scale?" Then try to explain time signatures. "4/4? For for what?" You see the ridiculousness in that but it makes a point. You can't describe red as "the color of an apple" to a blind person who has never seen an apple. This software is very hard to just sit down with and use it.
Last edited by eddie1261; 09/12/20 10:06 AM.
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FWIW, I had to spend MUCH more time learning Izotope's fx suite, Waves' products and my DAW than I did on BiaB over the last seven years. I came into the home digital thing from from ground zero after years of playing in acoustic bands and knocking around with analogue recording since the 60's. When we decided years after leaving our band to explore some new genres I jumped headfirst into BiaB and Logic Pro. The power and versatility of BiaB is stunning indeed. There are major components of the software that I simply don't have the technical music background to properly explore (but certainly appreciate what folks do with it); hence, I've attempted to become as knowledgeable as possible regarding RealTracks, RealDrums and MidiSuperTracks. Those are my session guys and gals. Sometimes a regen or two gives me what I want. Other times multiple regens of a RT (comped up to a single track in the DAW) are necessary but I always get what I need for the tune. Janice and I find it very cool watching music concerts/documentaries and saying, "Look it’s John Jarvis -- the guy who plays on our songs!"  All meaning that after I came to focus on RT/RD's the learning was fun and easy. Obviously YMMV depending on the goals. Bud PS My comments are predicated upon the notion that a beginner is a, well, beginner to BiaB and not to creating music, i.e., they know a few chords
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos are here on our website.
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The fitness trainer asked me, "What kind of a squat are you accustomed to doing?" I said, "Diddly."
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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I came into BIAB with a pretty good understanding of music theory.
Scales, intervals, chords, chord building, modes, arpeggios, diatonic progressions, circle of fifths, Nashville Number System, etc. I'd studied bunches of Mel Bay books, dozens of Homespun courses on different instruments but mainly guitar, learned to read music in standard notation, learned to play enough piano so I could help my son with his piano lessons, graduated from the school of hard knocks by playing with people who were better than me so I had to "step up" my skills and develop my ear and improvisational ability. I'd been writing songs for almost 20 years. I'd also built my own computers for a couple of years before before I first got BIAB.
What I didn't come into BIAB with was a lot of spare time. I had an 8 or 9 year old son that I was definitely wasn't going to sacrifice time with to mess with BIAB, a wife that rightly expected a lot of time and a very demanding job that required a lot more than 40 hours a week. Last of all, I wanted to play my guitar in whatever time I could squeeze out from all of my other duties.
Jumping forward, (I'm rambling), I gave up on BIAB in 2013 after repeated attempts to get them to fix the incorrect notation of bluegrass and acoustic styles as 16th notes instead of 8th notes.
Peter Gannon promised to address it in the next update a couple of months ago. I hope he's able to do so and then I'll upgrade now that I have some free time to mess with it.
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I either start with BiaB and let it guide me, or try to find something in BiaB that works. Starting out with BiaB means I don't struggle to make things match, because I'm starting with a style where the tracks are working well together. Adding BiaB tracks later to an existing backing can be more iffy. I'll typically generating a bunch .wav files to load into my DAW. When a style works, I can usually create something from the best takes. When it doesn't... well, there are other tools other than BiaB. But for a "live" sound (lead guitar, brass, strummed acoustic) it's often the best first choice. That said, if you're willing to pack up and move to Nashville or LA, it doesn't sound like a "hobby" to me. It sounds like you're still in the "pro" game. I'm nowhere near "pro", but that never stopped me from offering advice that's worth less than what you paid for.  Nothing's going to replace what you get from a bunch of pros together is a studio. You've been there and done that, and know what you're missing by not going that route. But as you mentioned, what you heard from people like floyd jane impressed you enough to purchase BiaB. So in theory, you can get much of the way there with the tools you've got. A while back, I was hired to "produce" a number of songs for someone. He'd send me the BiaB tracks and his vocals, and I'd do all the important but tedious stuff in the DAW to make them better: work on the vocals, generate harmonies, replace instruments, add instrument, and adjust the mix. I'd send the results to him, and I'd get an email with describing what he liked, and where I missed the mark. Lather, rinse and repeat. Not the best way to collaborate, and some tracks required a lot of iterations before I got to where he was happy. Part of my job (I thought) was to provide new ideas. For example, I thought one song would work better at a easy tempo, so I slowed down the vocal and completely changed the backing. (BiaB is a great tool for that). He didn't consider it an improvement, but said he'd let his daughter decide. We ended up going with the slower tempo and feel. Since I'm telling the story, of course the example I picked was where he agreed with me. That wasn't always the case, and because it was his song, and he was paying for it, he always had the final say.  Perhaps you can figure out how to offload some of the parts of music creation that don't inspire you, and figure out how to focus on the bits you enjoy - while still getting the "pro" results you heard from others... without moving to Nashville or LA.
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He did have 7 goals and 15 assists in his entire career! I wonder why he is not in the hall of fame  Or was that the hall of shame 
The fitness trainer asked me, "What kind of a squat are you accustomed to doing?" I said, "Diddly."
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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He did have 7 goals and 15 assists in his entire career! I wonder why he is not in the hall of fame Or was that the hall of shame How many penalty minutes?
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Hey Billy,
Looking at your original post of this thread, I feel I'm kinda the opposite of you. I grew up to my teen years in the 1980s and became a complete computer geek. Sure I liked doodling with instruments but never became proficient at a one. Keys are what I've played most over the years. I took a couple of years of music theory at the local community college in the '90s and that really helped my black/white-ones/zeros mindset.
So over the past 10-20 years I've really enjoyed my tools like BIAB and Pro Tools. They do everything I want easily. The difficulty for me is musical talent (creativeness). Once I get some musical ideas, I can go to town on that with no issues at all technically.
Overall, I'm on the far other side of the fence, all technical minded and not enough creative minded. It seems in my experiences that folks are one or the other. I've very rarely encountered someone who is lucky enough to be both.
Good conversations on this thread.
 Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
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Jeezes...I took a nap and you guys typed a lot of stuff.
David...Moving is not just about music...lol
Every year about this time I start thinking about moving some where much cooler with no hurricanes. So moving to back to LA or Nashville is on my mind every year. At the moment the brown LA smog has turned into red disaster. Glad I am here at the moment.
Then I look around at all the "stuff" I have collected up and all the work to load it up and unload it on the other end...by that time it is November and the weather is really super. What we live in south Florida for. Put it off till next year...lol
It looks like there are as many reasons for using BIAB as there are people on this site.
If I never turn it on again, this is still the best forum there is on the internet. That is true because of the people who are here all the time....great group of folks.
This has been a really good thread because I feel like I know a lot more about the people here.
I think my issue is the process. I have an idea, come up with a basic chord progression on guitar or piano, write some lyrics, then go to BIAB and try to make all that fit together. I assume that is not that easy to do for anyone.
Like Bud said, I find it fun to see people who I know of like Brent Mason on TV and know I have access to him on my computer. I don't know what Brent gets for studio time in Nashville but I am sure it is not cheep.
There are two things that have always been problematic for me, drums and vocals. If you like to create music in several styles, you need more than one vocalist. We always joked about the drummer issue in the band. If we ever found one we liked, one of us would need to marry him or her on the spot...lol
As I get older my ability to play guitar gets less and less so I become dependent on others to play what I dream up. I have been very lucky to have super good musicians to play with all my life.
Music has always taken a back seat to other business ventures which gave me the where with all to afford to go mess around in a studio.
All my life it has been four things. Flying airplanes, running boats, making music, working a hundred hours a week to afford all that. At least I have a wonderful wife who puts up with all that.
Cheers,
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.
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.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 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 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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