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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2 |
Using the desktop app, you are able to type in notes and hearing the changes realtime.
I was thrilled to know that I could use BIAB inside my DAW, but, please correct me if I am wrong, If I start a new song using the VSTI and start making changes to either notes, measures or timing, in order to see those changes, I have to generate, even the small change.
What is the difference between the desktop and the vsti? . Why does the desktop app uses MEMORY and the VSTI needs to generate and write to disk ?
Please tell me that there are future plans to make the VSTI behave more like the Desktop app.
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
The vst uses a silent version of Biab in the background BBW4. This generates the tracks and saves them as wav's to the SavedTracks folder. Play from RAM has been suggested and could be implemented in a future version. This is a very simple solution here A VST to send Tempo/Play/Stop/Loop/Continue to main Biab app from DAW
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
The Band-in-a-Box VST is meant to be an add-on to Band-in-a-Box, not a replacement. We are keeping features to a minimum on it intentionally, so that it doesn't become a system hog.
I work here
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 550
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 550 |
The Band-in-a-Box VST is meant to be an add-on to Band-in-a-Box, not a replacement. We are keeping features to a minimum on it intentionally, so that it doesn't become a system hog. Well imo thats the wrong way to be looking at BIAB plugin. Its the future and offers by far the most wide ranging and productive music composition workflow opportunities of all the technologies PG has developed in the past. BIAB started as a wonderful MIDI practice aid arguably primarily for jazzers and students of improvisation. Since Realtracks - this has broadened out into being a songwriting and inspirational song starter tool. But in order to really maximise on this its just an obvious given fact that most decent songs started in BIAB using realtracks will end up in a DAW. Now given that the whole point of BIAB and the chord sheet arranger mode of working is to be able to try out different options - basically style and chord progression - the speed with which one can try out ideas and chop and change depends on how fast regeneration occurs. and more and more BIAB users who try the plugin are going to want to maximise the time they spend in the plugin instead of BIAB standalone. I also disagree about the "resource-hog" issue. that background BB4 plugin could generate to RAM - JUST LIKE BIAB standalone does 0- and then the result could be streamed via interprocess audio-piping in exactly the way other dual-app combinations work. For examples we have ReWire, IAA on iOS and Vienna Ensemble Pro. This would avoid the need to have the BIAB plugin take up lots of ram and do the generating itself - and instead keep everything inside that BB4 DAEMON. A lot simpler because as I understand things BB4 is a modified and optimised version of the BIAB standalone app engine. In addition to streaming generated audio from RAM in the BIAB daemon to the client plugin ( instead of just reading from file - as the current plugin does ) it really is high time that the client plugin supports multichannel audio and not just stereo. Clearly having instruments ( real track or midi ) on separate tracks in one's DAW is the way 99 % of users work - and not having to constantly drag regenerated files from disk into separate tracks in the DAW HAS to be a better, more workflow enhancing and time saving method. than the current scheme. I really hope PG are working hard on this for version 3.0 of the plugin .
MacOS Sequoia, M4 Pro Mac Mini , 64GB RAM 512GB SSD ,
BIAB, Cubase, Ableton, Logic Pro, SCALER 3, GigLad, AnyTune, Synthesizer V Pro,Vienna Ensemble Pro, Audiofuse, Fractal FM3, KOMPLETE 15, StreamDeck, iReal Pro
White beard, beer belly, bald patch
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,693
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,693 |
To answer the OP No it will never be like the program, whats the purpose for that? it was never intended to br BiaB. Just a Plugin to give BiaB generation capability to a DAW program.
John times 3 is very right about one thing, the plugin will bring many new users in and therefore more revenue. There are far more DAW users than BiaB users and the plugin could be very interesting to them. For It to get a DAW user to pop for BiaB and therefore the Plugin as part of the package will require it to have a smooth workflow, and stable solid manners.
On the subject to generating to Ram I'm not sure how that helps, but if it does great. If I understand BiaB when you hit generate it starts the process and before it is done it begins to play, and continues to generate in the background. I'm not sure how that works in a DAW. When you generate you can't drag it into the DAW until it finishes generating.
So John, are you suggesting that it generate to Ram so you can play the tracks faster in the plugin before dragging, and not drag until your done with the creation process, and are happy with the tracks? I can see some benefit to that, especially when it comes to bar to bar generation. Even if it can't start to play before generation is done, maybe Generation can be enhanced even more to once again shorten the duration.
Interesting conversation here. I can't wait to see what is implemented.
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 VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
The trouble with keeping using BBW4 is it's 1990's limitations: https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=622208#Post622208having just the basic generate code directly in the Plugin code would allow the Plugin to develop at lightning speed, along with RAM play option.
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
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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 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
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Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
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Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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