I am trying to understand what is meant by "utility tracks" and I suspect that already answers my question but I still wanted to ask it.
Can the new editable utility tracks handle RealTracks or are they only for audio and MIDI?
I read somewhere that you could move audio from a RealTrack to one of these tracks. How does that work?
Can I generate and then copy certain bars from a RealTrack to a utility track? If yes, will it automatically place it in the right position of the song or do I have to figure out where to move it to?
Once I have done this if I then regenerate what happens to the editable utility tracks? Does anything on there regenerate or are they always just static containers for audio and MIDI?
<< I read somewhere that you could move audio from a RealTrack to one of these tracks. How does that work? >> The Copy/Move command has been enhanced to handle audio as well as MIDI. Edit\Copy Special\Copy/Move Tracks...
Further.. with the new Utility tracks you simply highlight a section you like in the Audio Edit of the selected RealTrack/Drum/Midi and paste it in a Utility track, just have Snap checked !
These are just extra audio/midi tracks that are selected in the Audio Edit and Piano Roll. You will be able to generate directly in the Utility track in a future release, this will be audio or midi.
I am trying to understand what is meant by "utility tracks" and I suspect that already answers my question but I still wanted to ask it.
Can the new editable utility tracks handle RealTracks or are they only for audio and MIDI?
My understanding is that yes, but by a process of copying all or part of a generated RealTrack from an existing RealTrack track. But not natively, meaning you cannot select a RealTrack to be placed directly onto a Utility Track and then generate it.
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Thanks everyone! In answer to my question about putting RealTracks on new Editable Utility Tracks I got two qualified "yes" answers. Based on what I am learning I think the more accurate answer is "no", you cannot put RealTracks on these new tracks. They are for audio and MIDI only and will not regenerate anything when you regen nor can you assign a RealTrack to them. After you have generated a RealTrack you can copy/paste that generated audio but that is actually no longer a RealTrack.
I am not sure what you mean by that last sentence, "but it is no longer a RealTrack". As I said, you can copy a RealTrack to a Utility Track, you can edit it there, and it is not regenerated. So is that, or is that not, still a RealTrack? If you know what you can do, what is the purpose of trying to puzzle over the definition?
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.
When you copy a RealTrack to the Audio track it takes it out of RAM and is now a wav file Utility #1.wav Utility #2.wav or whatever name you name the track My Life #4.wav But if you only want your tracks saved inside the SGU as data and have no audio files attached to the song.SGU then it won't.
This way it will all be instant and play direct from the source files, and all the track information is saved as data with a small file size like an SGU.
I am not sure what you mean by that last sentence, "but it is no longer a RealTrack". As I said, you can copy a RealTrack to a Utility Track, you can edit it there, and it is not regenerated. So is that, or is that not, still a RealTrack? If you know what you can do, what is the purpose of trying to puzzle over the definition?
Because it is a misrepresentation to call it a RealTrack once it has been generated as audio and moved to a utility track. It will no longer regenerate like a RealTrack. And, I am guessing, it would not change key or tempo or song length or anything else I can do with a RealTrack. Am I wrong about this? (I hope so!)
One of the amazing benefits of RealTracks is I can always come in and change major parameters and still get a new audio track generated. If these new tracks worked with RealTracks that would be a lot better in my opinion. Because they do not does not mean they are not useful but what they contain is audio or MIDI and not RealTracks.
and .. if you have a RT that is not Direct Input but the playing is frozen as it is what you want but you want to add another guitar FX to it, you can change it to Direct Input and do that. This is done by changing folders though it should be something Biab could do by changing the source path of the RT itself.
Because it is a misrepresentation to call it a RealTrack once it has been generated as audio and moved to a utility track. It will no longer regenerate like a RealTrack. And, I am guessing, it would not change key or tempo or song length or anything else I can do with a RealTrack. Am I wrong about this? (I hope so!)
One of the amazing benefits of RealTracks is I can always come in and change major parameters and still get a new audio track generated. If these new tracks worked with RealTracks that would be a lot better in my opinion. Because they do not does not mean they are not useful but what they contain is audio or MIDI and not RealTracks.
My experimentation showed that the tempo of the audio on the Utility Track can be changed but the key cannot without regenerating and copying the track to the Utility Track again. This was the workflow I used:
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
Purse out, I was looking forward to 2021 but this isnt what I personally wanted. Whats the point of it for User Mrs Average?To me its another Videos thing - they were pointless too. I would have loved an extra (just a) few more RT tracks in the BB mixer that responded to changes,not this. Another triumph for the Techies? If you want to mess with an RT do it your beloved RB! Money kept in purse - for now. Wendy
BiaB2022PLUS,927. every extras pack I can find ;-),Sonar7XL,Win 10
One thing I've been doing is regenerating until I get a RealTrack I like, then moving that to a Utility Track. Then I replace the original RealTrack with another instrument.
In this way, suppose I want a jazz group with piano AND vibes AND guitar all comping. Bass also of course. I still want the string track for strings, and I've already used the melody and soloist tracks. Now I can have that added comping track easily in one song without leaving BIAB. And I can still regenerate any of the other tracks or continue to refine the melody or harmony.
The only condition I've found is that the song form, tempo and key must be finalized first, because the Utility Track will not regenerate or respond to adding or deleting measures etc.
Perhaps in the future they will expand these to function fully like RealTracks. It's still a great feature, much requested.
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.
Currently Band-in-a-Box will run on just about anything - pretty sure it'll run on a potato. If we program BB to render everything in realtime, then our users who are still running some very old computers will need a faster CPU, more Ram, faster hard drive, etc.
I think that is the mindset of PG, it's like sacrificing development for modern hardware users because of older hardware users ?? If you can have 2 instances of Biab running at the same time there's 14 RealTracks running in RAM.
To try it I opened 2 instances of Biab with 5 tracks each, 120bpm, 192 bars, using 480meg RAM each and 7% CPU each, with i52320 @ 3.0GHz 16GB RAM. So I don't know, whats the solution ? Biab and Biab Deluxe ???? Look Ma More RealTracks.
One thing I've been doing is regenerating until I get a RealTrack I like, then moving that to a Utility Track. Then I replace the original RealTrack with another instrument.
In this way, suppose I want a jazz group with piano AND vibes AND guitar all comping. Bass also of course. I still want the string track for strings, and I've already used the melody and soloist tracks. Now I can have that added comping track easily in one song without leaving BIAB. And I can still regenerate any of the other tracks or continue to refine the melody or harmony.
The only condition I've found is that the song form, tempo and key must be finalized first, because the Utility Track will not regenerate or respond to adding or deleting measures etc.
Perhaps in the future they will expand these to function fully like RealTracks. It's still a great feature, much requested.
Now THIS I like! I get it now. It'll train me into making sure I've finished fiddling about with the arrangement before I move anyyhing into Utility. Wendy
BiaB2022PLUS,927. every extras pack I can find ;-),Sonar7XL,Win 10
<< I think that is the mindset of PG, it's like sacrificing development for modern hardware users because of older hardware users ?? >>
And also the mindset of most hardware stand alone multi track digital recorder manufacturers. It seems to be the popular price configuration for both hardware and stable software. The most popular models settle on 8 inputs to create extremely stable units. 8 also seems to be the standard on audio interfaces for physical pre-amps. Tracks have never been the issue even back to analog 4 track recorders.
To try it I opened 2 instances of Biab with 5 tracks each, 120bpm, 192 bars, using 480meg RAM each and 7% CPU each, with i52320 @ 3.0GHz 16GB RAM. So I don't know, whats the solution ? Biab and Biab Deluxe ???? Look Ma More RealTracks.
I don't believe that inadequate resources is any reason not to have these features, because you can do most of that (more RealTracks etc) in RealBand now.
BIAB & RB2025 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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!
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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!
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!
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 Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac 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!
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.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until July 31, 2025! Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.
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