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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
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C:\bb\BBPlugin\Files\Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin Standalone.exe
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
Ah - didn't know that was there. So did they just put a VST Host wrapper code around the VST instance? I don't see a mixer - is there one?
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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
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No but hopefully there should be one there soon and maybe plugins so it will load the same plugins as well as any Utility tracks saved in the main Biab app.
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
As it is now seems like the main use is for developer regression testing outside of a specific VST host. Is there some other advantage, versus putting it in a DAW? Among other things, I don't see a way to generate output audio/MIDI files.
I was thinking earlier today it would be nice to have one really good/complete UI and app, and that focusing on VST might be the way to go for the future. Then it could be hosted in some standalone VST host if all the functionality were in place. There are so many nooks and crannies of functionality in the main BiaB app - keyboards, guitar displays, improved AudioEdit window, style editing - it didn't really seem practical to get totally away from the standalone app. But perhaps a more streamlined version for 95% of users - one that would be more accessible. I have a couple of musician friends I've tried to turn on to BiaB in the last few months, but they've given up after a short time.
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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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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
I have a couple of musician friends I've tried to turn on to BiaB in the last few months, but they've given up after a short time. Yes I had the same experience. This is Biab Lite. It's not overwhelming like the Biab main app. You just drag to render, stereo mix, separate tracks or all tracks.
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
I took the latest plugin (3.3.5) for a quick spin this morning, and still ran into some things that are showstoppers for me. Here some observations:
1. I started with a song that I had put together in the app, all RealTracks. It took the app 7 seconds to generate. The plugin took 40 seconds - regardless of whether using standalone plugin or inside Cakewalk. I'm guessing the VST is single threaded, whereas I think multithreading has been implemented in the app. (I'm running with an 8 core processor.)
2. I often change time signatures in a song, so in this one I made the last 8 bars 3/4 (from 4/4). I also slowed tempo down by 20%. When I played the song from the plugin (not Synced with DAW), playback just stopped at the third 3/4 measure. When I turned on sync and let the DAW provide the clock, it played through the end, but was noticeably different from the version in the app in that the real drums kept going in 4/4. Also I think there will always be an issue with syncing time and tempo, since I don't think there's a two-way sync capability (VST-to-DAW) for those kinds of things. So I didn't expect the tempo to slow down, and it didn't :-) (It did slow down when I played the same song via the Standalong Plugin, but still stopped after the second 3/4 measure.)
3. The + and - buttons for resizing the chord chart in the plugin don't work very well. I couldn't get the chords showing as large as I wanted them, and it seemed to stop resizing after a few hits.
Last edited by cwiggins999; 01/05/21 06:36 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,950
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OP
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Posts: 12,950 |
I took the latest plugin (3.3.5) for a quick spin this morning, and still ran into some things that are showstoppers for me. Here some observations:
1. I started with a song that I had put together in the app, all RealTracks. It took the app 7 seconds to generate. The plugin took 40 seconds - regardless of whether using standalone plugin or inside Cakewalk. I'm guessing the VST is single threaded, whereas I think multithreading has been implemented in the app. (I'm running with an 8 core processor.)
Have to agree with much of what you have said. I can only add based on working with the VST for over two years that the BIAB-VST can indeed be stubborn and demanding regarding workflow. Whereas BIAB is known for having multiple ways to do the same thing, the BIAB-VST can only do things its way. So you have to adjust your workflow or be willing to jump back and forth between the standalone and VST. However, your item 1 does not sound like a correct assumption. I am seeing much quick regens in the VST then you report. I get times which are comparable to the Standalone , especially with V3 which is now much quicker than V2. I imagine it is dependent on the number of RTs and number of bars. I generally will only have a handful for short sections. In addition, the standalong has historically had a unique algorithm where it will start playing a tune prior to completion of the generation. In RB and now the VST the generation has to be fully completed before it will play. Otherwise, the VST just another tool to use. DAn
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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 Plugin is still in development but is getting there. There is a suggestion here I was trying to get them to implement A VST to send Tempo/Play/Stop/Loop/Continue to main Biab app from DAW it should be relatively easy to do. What you can do with the BBPlugin is have another instance of the Plugin start sync at any bar by clicking the little arrow under Sync. This way you can have another style or time signature and start sync at the bar where there is a time signature change, you can copy chords from one instance to the other. You just uncheck the lead-in and ending if the song section does not need it. The only issue is with the current version it's cutting the last bar off too soon so you don't get a seamless play, BUT hopefully that should be fixed soon. This also allows you to regenerate sections, this is quicker than generating the whole song. With generate time in the Plugin compared to Biab, Biab will chose the sections of RT from the source files, generate into RAM then start playing, BUT the Plugin will do that, wait for it to finish generating the whole track, then render to wav. Here's is a better way that would be quicker than Biab: Instant Generate & Play of RealTracks/Drums in BiabVST
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Band-in-a-Box VST and Pro Tools/AAX DAW Plugin (Windows)
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Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
However, your item 1 does not sound like a correct assumption. I am seeing much quick regens in the VST then you report. I get times which are comparable to the Standalone , especially with V3 which is now much quicker than V2. I imagine it is dependent on the number of RTs and number of bars. I generally will only have a handful for short sections. In addition, the standalong has historically had a unique algorithm where it will start playing a tune prior to completion of the generation. In RB and now the VST the generation has to be fully completed before it will play.
I do see some references to parallel processing (SIMD) of rendered tracks in the enhancements list for 2021. This is a common technique for multithreaded audio and graphic rendering. I could easily see why this might not be enabled in a VST since most DAWs are managing threads and cores. But just speculating. My songs are almost exclusively RealTrack based. “4X's faster audio DSP processing (using SIMD), allowing smoother playback & faster rendering for a larger number of tracks.”
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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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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
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.
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Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
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!
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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.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
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