CAN ANYONE BEAT RHARVS NEW PC CONFIG ? pg long time user rharv blew me away this week with his new pc ryzen 5 config. 1900 trak approx capability real band action>> test audio performance reports. WOW ! previous best was a pg user reporting acer predator 250 trak count if i remember. my current i5 ssd pc 190 traks. then i looked up cpubenchmark.net that reports the ryzen 5 with a great 14000 performance figure. darn impressive. (the intel popular i5 8400 is less at 11000 approx. )
but NOW rharvs RB stats of 1400, have made me do a major rethink regarding hp z refurb. kudos to rharv. of course , as anyone knows, multiple instances of high cpu demanding plug ins need more and more pc resources. even more so with many instances of such. eg guitar amp emulation plug ins. which i would like to explore more, but i'm a realist as to resource useage. so far ive been useing tricks plus my own gtr amps , plus the guitar amp emulations built into reaper which dont demand loads of cpu in executing dsp code. you just cant keep on bunging loads of dsp plug ins onto a pc with a low end cpu.
in conclusion, CAN ANYONE BEAT RHARVS RB TRAK COUNT ? (without spending a small fortune of course. processor cost per unit under 400 buks.) also, perhaps, if you could also post the following stats, would help in my upgrade decision. 1. win boot time from totally cold to win desktop. (me currently 9 secs to beat.) 2. daw icon to daw trak display, with a decent sized project say 30 traks.(me currently 3 to 4 secs in reaps.)
many thanks, and happy new year to all. i'm in an upgrade mood. muso.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 01/09/2103:36 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
Nice Eddie! Noticing Jeff has a faster processor (4.3 vs 3.4) and twice the RAM. Wonder if it's because the Ryzen is a 6 core 12 thread processor, maybe that affects the math in this test somehow. FWIW my count seems a little higher today yet, if we're comparing swords here .. but Eddie leads so far.
Last edited by rharv; 01/09/2106:41 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
The only thing I'm interested in is regenerating realtracks faster.
How long does it take now? Cutting into your exercise time?
I don't get this obsession with speed in computers. I heard all the stuff about bootup times, program loading times... unless it takes hours... often from people who still don't understand that programs run in RAM and not from the hard drive.
I don't remember who it was but about 2 years ago, some unnamed user here, taking the advice of someone who knows buzzwords but not computers, defragged his solid state drive. And with as many write cycles as that defrag used up, that drive was dead in about 10 days after that. Defragging does nothing at all to make your computer "run" faster. It allows for programs to "load" faster, but you ae talking milliseconds. So whoever that was, I hope they learned a lesson. Defragging NEVER had any value. Between that and blaming every computer malady on "drivers need to be updated"... oy.
I remember back when somebody bragged to me how he stuffed 64GB of RAM into his XP computer. I didn't have the heart, or the patience, to explain that XP 32 bit could not access more than 3.25GB, and he wasted all that money he could have spent on beer.
So how about some data? How long does it take to regenerate a track right now, including the save of the undo data? I never bothered to look because if it bugs me that much I will just open something else to amuse myself while it works. Like I keep a backgammon game open in another tab at all times. Like right now, for example.
But that's just me. If some function takes 2 minutes to complete, so be it. I have nowhere to go and nothing to do, so take 3 if you like, function!! I'll go make 7 or 8 more moves!
all. well cpubenchmark.net is an important source for accurate processor benchmarking. (i'll use cbn for short.) basically the higher the figure the better. mountainside, look up on cbn high end processors. but the prices will astound you like a mortgage lol.>> https://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html
rharvs and mountainsides, and my figures made sense with cbn lets tabulate. (cbn/rb.)
thus , up to this point all correlates with cbn, about expected.
BUT THEN. eddie i5 5200/2222 traks. ive never seen that high a rateing of 2,222 traks. as cbn rates the i5 at 5200. anyone got any ideas why ? best. muso.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
No clue. I checked it a few more times and it bounces between 2222 and 2150. That is with no data loaded. I will look at the figure with data loaded, and varying sizes of song file.
Okay. I loaded 5 different song files, with varying numbers of tracks used. It's bouncing between 2150 and 2222, even though it clears the current song when it runs the test.
Maybe someone at PG can offer some input in what this actually all means. Since it is number of audio tracks in this metric, it may also have to do with the interface, like an onboard (Realtek) vs external (I have a Focusrite 2i4). Perhaps different interfaces have different limitations and capabilities.
Rharv. you said "if you need over a hundred tracks you're probably doing it wrong". YEP ! agreed. its just some guitar plug ins/other alternatives i might be interested in the future probably will use higher cpu. so its nice to have reserves. i dont want to upgrade for awhile.
i'm very efficient at trak useage, and remind myself constantly that big songs were once done on 3 trak machines long before big studios went wild with big trak counts. believe it, i am the hardest on myself regarding keeping trak counts within bounds etc. also i dont miss the costs of 2 inch tape.lol. best. muso.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 01/09/2102:31 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
I have two ASIO drivers on my machine. One from MOTU with my 828MK3 interface and a second directly from Steinberg on my Yamaha Montage 7. Shutting the system down completely between ASIO driver runs and looking at the results over 10 runs of the RB "Test Audio Performance", the Steinberg driver runs between 1350 and 1450. The MOTU ASIO drivers runs between 1500 and 1550. It appears that the type of ASIO driver makes a difference.
Here's what makes an even bigger difference...sample rate. Using just the MOTU ASIO driver at 24 bit / 44.1, I get the numbers above. But, if I switch to 16 bit / 44.1, potential tracks shoot much higher, running between 2325 and 2430.
Switching over to the Steinberg ASIO driver, at 16 bit, gives a narrower range, from 2000 to 2020 but still higher than the 24 bit range.
So from what I'm seeing how the driver is written, how its integrates with your interface and sampling rate seem to make a difference.
Nice observation Mountainside. Testing on a level playing field always helps.
I was at 16/44 already so no gain for me there. I am consistently around 2000 (1980 - 2040 range). So you and Eddie both got me beat.
Also wondering about the drivers. I *think* Eddie also has a MOTU, which would be interesting to note, since your MOTU seems to have outperformed the Steinberg.
That said, the motherboard, processor, RAM and fresh OS for this thing was around $550. I already had the hard drives, PS and case from the previous build, so it was an economical upgrade for me. Wondering just how much of a difference SSD would make now. All four of my HDDs are not SSD.
Last edited by rharv; 01/10/2106:47 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Good point Rharv.. I'm on 4 HD's too, but like you only the C drive with my programs are on the SSD...actually an NVME SSD drive. The HD's are 7200 rpm mechanicals. I put the RT's and Temp files on different drives per you suggestions years ago. I do think it makes a difference.
I guess I'm so so on SSD's. Does the system start faster....for sure! Do programs load faster...for sure! Everything starts faster! Does anything run faster....not so sure.
More than anything, I think actual running of programs, regenerations etc is more a reflection of processor speed, cores and RAM. But our friend Matt would know for sure!
jeff. nice research. v good points. imho/ymmv ssd's all the way for me. i use the old rotating hard drives in a caddy connected over usb to do backups only. just google "rotating hard drive vs ssd". lots of tech info. eg https://www.crucial.com/articles/about-ssd/ssd-vs-hdd
for me now, as ssd's are so cheap i'll use them for everything. some people say they have had the odd failure. i never have had one problem. my next system will have one ssd for win, and one ssd for recording duties.
rharv. i urge you to just run a test with ssd. useing ssd my win 10 boots from cold 9 secs. reaper from cold 3 secs with loaded traks. and these arent nvme or m.2 ssd's. i love ssd's. with that nice ryzen of yours rharv , it would be interesting to see if that rb test changes. i dunno. i certainly noticed a diff when i went to ssd's with apps and win.
best. ssd's rule muso.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 01/10/2108:28 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
.. but like you only the C drive with my programs are on the SSD.
I don't have any SSDs Like I said, now wondering how much difference it would make. I have SSDs at work, so I get how much faster stuff loads, just wondering in relationship to the recording side
Last edited by rharv; 01/10/2108:42 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
all. well cpubenchmark.net is an important source for accurate processor benchmarking. (i'll use cbn for short.)
rharv ryz 5 14000/1900 traks. mountainside i7 9000/1550 traks. moi i5 5200/190 traks. eddie i5 5200/2222 traks.
Muso, I looked mine up and it looks to be 19,092. I have 2 of them in my machine so I'm not sure how much higher that would drive the score. So with the two of them I have 32 cores and 64 threads as opposed to the one that the screenshot shows.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 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 Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 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 21 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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 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 Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 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 21 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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows 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 60 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 Windows and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until December 31, 2025. 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 Windows packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49. Browse the full contents of each package and listen to demos here.
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-9 includes 900 styles!
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!
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.