|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,145
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,145 |
Obviously there's a good reason - I just don't know it and I'm curious.
When I record vocals I choose mono as the balanced lead is a mono input. What criterion applies to RealTracks?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 647
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 647 |
It's probably instrument dependent. Is there a need to have a single guitar recorded in stereo? But perhaps vocals or ensembles.
BIAB for Windows Version 2019 (643)
Windows 10 (1909)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,444
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,444 |
Hi Bob, Here's my take on it... If two mics are used to record a single instrument, then the sound would need stereo playback to re-create the input from two mics since each mic will pick up up different sound characteristics. Instruments such as organ and electric/electronic pianos usually have stereo output. This better reproduces the spread of sound that is emitted from these instruments. For example, on a piano the bass notes are heard to the left of the pianist while the treble notes are heard to the right. If an instrument only uses a single mic for recording, then it is mono because there is only one signal. Even if this single input is recorded in stereo, it's not true stereo because both channels will be identical. Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,741
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,741 |
Most of the tracks that are stereo are from instruments that are in fact stereo.... I notice that the B3 organ, pianos and drums tend to be stereo. At least I think the drums are sometimes in stereo.
I don't recall seeing many stereo guitar tracks or sax tracks or bass tracks. It's possible to have stereo on guitar because sometimes the amp is a stereo amp with a stereo chorus or on an acoustic guitar where the body is miked and so is the fretboard.
It's really not something I think much about when I add RB tracks.
And yes, vocals should almost always be mono.
Most DAWs will let you convert stereo to mono.
When mixing, you should take the status of the track into account. It's stereo for a reason and usually that means it was intended to be placed in the center of the mix. You don't "have" to place it there but the stereo effect is maximized when it is placed center rather than panned off center. However, I have placed stereo tracks off center intentionally and usually have another track..... mono or stereo placed on the opposite side, the same amount, for sonic balance.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 05/07/18 03:29 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
I'm resurrecting this thread, but it comes closes to a question I'm wondering about. I'm finding there are quite a few acoustic guitar stereo RealTracks, and also working with some fiddle tracks - for example 1446, Gypsy Jazz Latin fiddle. I'm trying to understand more about what might have been recorded/captured there. If a guitar had two mics - on in front and one in back, doesn't seem you would want that "translated" to right-left. I would think it would be more a case of having two separate mono tracks that could be balanced and EQ'd independently. But I'm a bit out of my element, so just curious if there are any thoughts or experiences related to these type tracks. (It does make sense for keyboards to have a wider image - usually from low note to high note depending I think.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,491
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,491 |
.. If a guitar had two mics - on in front and one in back, doesn't seem you would want that "translated" to right-left. I would think it would be more a case of having two separate mono tracks that could be balanced and EQ'd independently. But I'm a bit out of my element, .. This is a good question in my opinion. If you could separate the left/right, pan as desired, EQ and apply FX as desired; YES, it would be better. But RTs are created for BiaB generation which does not yet allow these options (to my knowledge) so they have to make the best call on the best solution for most users. Using two of your BiaB tracks for a guitar, two more for drums, two more for keys .. you would start getting slim on tracks pretty quick. I do like your question, because I have a hard time explaining to others sometimes that, in some situations, it is better to split a stereo track to two MONO tracks once you get to the 'mix' stage. Much different/better control.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
This came up for me specifically in relation to a gypsy jazz arrangement, where there are two guitars and two violins - with fairly hard panning. The guitars are mono, so no big deal. But was trying to hear/understand if I'm losing something by panning the stereo violin tracks hard right or left. Multi-mic recording makes sense for capturing complex instruments like a violin. I did some googling about stereo recording methods, and this article covers some techniques. The one that makes the most sense for a violin seems to be the mid/side technique. I'm doing my final mixes and audio recording in my DAW, so don't need BiaB to handle the stereo-to-mono aspect. But it would be interesting to have some "recording notes" about particular acoustic RealTracks that might help in determining how to split/process the tracks to maximize the recording technique. https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/stereo-microphone-techniques/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,990
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,990 |
Bob, I think you've asked a really interesting question.
Sometimes it depends on the instrument, sometimes the recording engineer, sometimes the recording environment and it can also depend on requirements set by the client paying for the recording. Some examples are given below.
An acoustic guitar is sometimes recorded mono and sometimes stereo. If the musician is strumming and does not want much plectrum sound, a single microphone pointing toward the neck may work better. On the other hand if the musician alternates between strumming and finger picking two microphones may be set up with one pointing toward the neck and another toward the body to better pick up all the frequencies and hand sounds.
Most electric guitars have a mono output but Rickenbacker and some Gibson guitars have stereo outputs. Some musicians modify guitars from mono to stereo outputs. Stereo outputs can make recording easier and give more choices during the mix down.
Someone recording an acoustic guitar in a dormitory likely will have one microphone set close to the guitar so the playing doesn't have to be too loud.
A horn player may have one microphone mounted straight to the instrument bell but a second microphone may be set up to record room ambiance.
Last, a client paying for a session to collect audio for use in creating loops may specify the audio must be delivered at 24 bit depth, 96kHz sample rate, lossless stereo audio files.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
Here's some insight into my recording process, which might give you an idea on why we choose RT's to be stereo or mono:
For me, everything starts with drums. My typical recording setup for a drum set is a mic on the kick drum, a mic on the snare, and a pair of stereo overheads. Depending on the band or genre I might add mics on individual drums or cymbals, but often they're not necessary. Overheads are panned so that the kick comes out dead centre, then I pan the snare mic so that it matches the placement of the snare in the overheads (which is typically centered with the way I set up overheads). If I have more mics than the main 4 then I'll do the same process of panning them as with the snare - the idea being to use the natural imaging of the overhead mics and use any spot mics to enhance the overheads.
But then again, a drum set is not one large instrument, it's a collection of smaller instruments put together, so if you use that logic then each individual instrument only needs one mic, with only a few exceptions. Trumpet, guitar, vocals, bass? One mic each.
More than one mic does not necessarily add to the sonic experience of that instrument - and often adds issues with things like phase, track count, EQ, and making an instrument "fit" in the context of a band mix. Typically, it's best to record most instruments in mono then pan them appropriately to give them space in the mix. Exceptions of course - if I have a horn section, that'll be panned in stereo, or if I'm recording rock guitars I'll typically double track them (record the performance twice, then pan one left and one right)
Larger instruments get special treatment, like a piano - it does add to the sonic experience to record the piano in stereo, as long as that piano is the focus of part of the music. Same with a Hammond organ - stereo mics on the Leslie tend to sound incredible, and are worth doing even if it's a background instrument. That said, if those instruments are not the lead instrument of the song, and there's a lot going on in the mix, then it's better to mix those instruments down to mono, otherwise they'll start stepping on the toes of other more important instruments.
Basically the bottom line is - if you're recording an instrument that needs to fill some space in the mix, record in stereo - although, if it's a single small instrument, you might not get much stereo out of it, in which case you'll have to create some stereo with an effect of some sort - reverb, chorus, etc...
Keep in mind when reading the above that I'm not the person who records, edits, or mixes our Realtracks (yet), I'm just going from my years of experience with recording in general. In RT's, generally drum sets, pianos, organs, and the like will always be stereo, and bass, fiddle, wind, and such instruments will be mono, but there are always exceptions.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954 |
...Most electric guitars have a mono output but Rickenbacker and some Gibson guitars have stereo outputs. Some musicians modify guitars from mono to stereo outputs. Stereo outputs can make recording easier and give more choices during the mix down.
.... I was going to say, but Jim said it, I did that years ago with a guitar and put a stereo jack in it to give both pickups in the recording, I didn't know they did that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,145
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,145 |
some of the Gibson ES models had 'stereo' output so the pickups - lead and rhythm - could be fed to different amps set to different tone and volume settings in the days before twin channel amps.
the Gibson lead or rhythm pick up selection with different volume and tone controls for each also make switching sounds a doddle - just flick a switch. not as easy to do on a fender strat where all pickups go through one volume control although the lead pickup bypasses the tone controls.
closest fender got to that is the two separate circuits on the jaguar and jazzmaster which is much more complicated than one toggle switch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 259 |
In both of these guitar pickup examples, it seems that if used for recording, you would want each output tracked to a separate mono track, versus stereo. I think my examples of acoustic guitars and violin/fiddle recordings match this scenario - with 2 or more mics placed for recording added tonality, rather than for creating a right/left image.
If I get some free time and enough curiosity I might play with the stereo fiddle track a bit more with this in mind, and split it to two mono tracks in Cakewalk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,741
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,741 |
Two things and two responses If a guitar had two mics - on in front and one in back,
I've stereo mic'd a few acoustics and I never thought of putting a mic behind the guitar. All you're going to get back there is the low end and boominess and that's what generally gets EQ'd out. The mic positions are generally going to be on the front and those positions are many. Body sound hole, and neck being the most common stereo placement. a drum set is not one large instrument, it's a collection of smaller instruments put together, so if you use that logic then each individual instrument only needs one mic.........Keep in mind when reading the above that I'm not the person who records, edits, or mixes our Realtracks (yet), I'm just going from my years of experience with recording in general. Simon, I'm glad you recognize that... Now..... I, and many others here would love to see PG take the same view and give us the ability to have individual drum tracks so the drums can be fine tuned a bit. Maybe push that idea in some of the staff meetings as a new feature for future drums.... heck, you don't have to go back and redo everything.... just start offering say.... a couple dozen "expanded drum tracks" in the 2022 version.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
a drum set is not one large instrument, it's a collection of smaller instruments put together, so if you use that logic then each individual instrument only needs one mic.........Keep in mind when reading the above that I'm not the person who records, edits, or mixes our Realtracks (yet), I'm just going from my years of experience with recording in general. Simon, I'm glad you recognize that... Now..... I, and many others here would love to see PG take the same view and give us the ability to have individual drum tracks so the drums can be fine tuned a bit. Maybe push that idea in some of the staff meetings as a new feature for future drums.... heck, you don't have to go back and redo everything.... just start offering say.... a couple dozen "expanded drum tracks" in the 2022 version. I agree, I'd love to see individual stems for drums in a future version of BB. The issue is in storage and track count - with the Audiophile edition, we're already at 74gb of drums for BB. Assuming a minimum of 4 mics for drums (kick/snare/overheads) we would double that to ~150gb - that's doable. The kind of people who would want to tweak drum mixes might want a mic on every single piece of the kit, so then we're talking a minimum of 8 mics for a 5-piece drum kit with 2 cymbals and hi-hats, and 296gb of space - add in stereo overheads and stereo room mics and we're at a dozen mics and 444gb of space. Add in top and bottom mics for toms and snare, in and out mics for kick, and we're at 17 mics now, which would be 629gb of drums alone, and we haven't even expanded past the typical 5-piece rock drum kit into the prog-rock Neil Peart/Mike Portnoy/Bobby Jarzombek kind of world - now we're talking a couple terabytes of drums (which would be awesome, but still). And we're still not even jumping into higher bit depth or sample rate, which is another feature request I often see whenever anyone brings up separate drum stems. I understand most of those particular configurations would be going maybe a little "beyond" what most would want, but it's worth considering. How many mics would you want on an "expanded drum track"? I'd personally be cool with the 12-track setup I mentioned above, as that's my usual go-to when I need more than the Glyn Johns setup. Track count would need to increase too - we already have the utility tracks, so that probably wouldn't be much of an issue to add more, but still - we have a total of 24 tracks with all the original BB tracks and the 16 utility tracks. Perhaps our brilliant programmers could add a submixer on the drums channel, hard to say though. Regardless, I'm personally 110% for the idea, it just will require a solid implementation.
Last edited by Simon - PG Music; 02/16/21 12:19 PM.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 106
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 106 |
Perhaps a midi implementation?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
Perhaps a midi implementation? It's already possible to export a MIDI transcript of a Realdrums track, and in BB 2021 we added in transcripts of all the Realdrum tracks. Basically, if you export a MIDI file from BB you should get a MIDI version of the drums, as long as your MIDI File options are set to the defaults. With Realtracks (non-drum) there is often a MIDI transcript, but not for every Realtrack - probably around 85% of them give or take, if I'm looking at things correctly.
Last edited by Simon - PG Music; 02/17/21 11:40 AM.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,491
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,491 |
Let alone many users envision this as an audio utopia, where EQing the ride has no effect on the Tom, or EQing the snare or bass drum has no effect on the other .. thenthrow in hihat <grin> If you don't think a typical hihat mic affects the snare and vice versa, well .. they normally sit pretty close together and would be really hard to isolate. To get exclusive drum control you would need to use MIDI .. cause when you record drums, bleed happens. You are going to hear the snare and BD on every mic .. it just happens. So you EQ the snare, and now the snare that is coming through the crash mic has changed .. and then if you you throw some reverb/gate onto them, things can compound and get all haywire real fast  Suddenly the hihat is louder only while the snare gate is open .. Drums ain't easy, and PGMusic does a pretty dang good job on them for the purpose right now. To answer Simon's question up a few posts How many mics would you want on an "expanded drum track"? The above shows why that is really a case by case scenario .. but if I had to pick a number I'd say 8 (just from experience) snare hihat BD snap BD boom overhead for cymbals/toms (panned) overhead2 for cymbals/toms (panned) ride bell center that would be my preference on a basic kit
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 253
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 253 |
a drum set is not one large instrument, it's a collection of smaller instruments put together, so if you use that logic then each individual instrument only needs one mic.........Keep in mind when reading the above that I'm not the person who records, edits, or mixes our Realtracks (yet), I'm just going from my years of experience with recording in general. Simon, I'm glad you recognize that... Now..... I, and many others here would love to see PG take the same view and give us the ability to have individual drum tracks so the drums can be fine tuned a bit. Maybe push that idea in some of the staff meetings as a new feature for future drums.... heck, you don't have to go back and redo everything.... just start offering say.... a couple dozen "expanded drum tracks" in the 2022 version. I agree, I'd love to see individual stems for drums in a future version of BB. The issue is in storage and track count - with the Audiophile edition, we're already at 74gb of drums for BB. Assuming a minimum of 4 mics for drums (kick/snare/overheads) we would double that to ~150gb - that's doable. The kind of people who would want to tweak drum mixes might want a mic on every single piece of the kit, so then we're talking a minimum of 8 mics for a 5-piece drum kit with 2 cymbals and hi-hats, and 296gb of space - add in stereo overheads and stereo room mics and we're at a dozen mics and 444gb of space. Add in top and bottom mics for toms and snare, in and out mics for kick, and we're at 17 mics now, which would be 629gb of drums alone, and we haven't even expanded past the typical 5-piece rock drum kit into the prog-rock Neil Peart/Mike Portnoy/Bobby Jarzombek kind of world - now we're talking a couple terabytes of drums (which would be awesome, but still). And we're still not even jumping into higher bit depth or sample rate, which is another feature request I often see whenever anyone brings up separate drum stems. I understand most of those particular configurations would be going maybe a little "beyond" what most would want, but it's worth considering. How many mics would you want on an "expanded drum track"? I'd personally be cool with the 12-track setup I mentioned above, as that's my usual go-to when I need more than the Glyn Johns setup. Track count would need to increase too - we already have the utility tracks, so that probably wouldn't be much of an issue to add more, but still - we have a total of 24 tracks with all the original BB tracks and the 16 utility tracks. Perhaps our brilliant programmers could add a submixer on the drums channel, hard to say though. Regardless, I'm personally 110% for the idea, it just will require a solid implementation. This is JMO, but I'd be thrilled if we could just get stems on the kick and snare. Those are the two things I'd really love to have more control over in mixing. I recognize this isn't optimal for those who would like to really fine tune the drums, but for the most party (again IMO) the drums sounds pretty solid in BIAB, and just having those two would be a big improvement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
Let alone many users envision this as an audio utopia, where EQing the ride has no effect on the Tom, or EQing the snare or bass drum has no effect on the other .. thenthrow in hihat <grin> If you don't think a typical hihat mic affects the snare and vice versa, well .. they normally sit pretty close together and would be really hard to isolate. To get exclusive drum control you would need to use MIDI .. cause when you record drums, bleed happens. You are going to hear the snare and BD on every mic .. it just happens. So you EQ the snare, and now the snare that is coming through the crash mic has changed .. and then if you you throw some reverb/gate onto them, things can compound and get all haywire real fast Suddenly the hihat is louder only while the snare gate is open .. Drums ain't easy, and PGMusic does a pretty dang good job on them for the purpose right now. To answer Simon's question up a few posts How many mics would you want on an "expanded drum track"? The above shows why that is really a case by case scenario .. but if I had to pick a number I'd say 8 (just from experience) snare hihat BD snap BD boom overhead for cymbals/toms (panned) overhead2 for cymbals/toms (panned) ride bell center that would be my preference on a basic kit Especially since a typical hi-hat mic is a condenser which will pick up TONS of bleed. My personal favourite mic for hi-hat is my Sennheiser ME64, which is a short shotgun mic. Or an SM57 of course - heck, I'll use 57's on literally everything if I have enough. I tend to prefer my dynamic mics over condenser half the time anyway, and not just on drums. This is JMO, but I'd be thrilled if we could just get stems on the kick and snare. Those are the two things I'd really love to have more control over in mixing.
I recognize this isn't optimal for those who would like to really fine tune the drums, but for the most party (again IMO) the drums sounds pretty solid in BIAB, and just having those two would be a big improvement. Yeah, that would probably be enough for most people who want to tweak.
I work here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,491
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,491 |
Our drum recording setup for mics includes as many SM-57s as practical as well. 1 on snare (close) 1 on HH (close) 1 by the kick pedal (to get the Snap) A couple 58s as overheads .. and my special $38 dollar Audio-Technica I picked up in a pinch one night when we were short a live vocal mic 20 years ago, and discovered the thing was not that grwat for vocals, but was a nice Ride cymbal mic .. and man is it great at that; grabs every nuance and clear as can be The final trick we use is to place a reverse wired subwoofer in front of the hole in the bass drum, about 14-16" away .. it picks up the 'boom' quite nicely, and a decent preamp gives it enough oomph We wired the two wires connected to the speaker cone directly to the (now) output wire via XLR cable. Works a treat We have to scoot the BD track a few ticks toward the beginning of the song after recording (or it seems to lag just a touch) but the end result is pretty cool. We could probably compensate for some of the lag by moving it closer, but we want to let the waveform develop before it gets to the mic/speaker. If you are still reading, you are truly a recording geek
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
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
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
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
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 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 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,846
Posts796,906
Members39,971
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean