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nice idea but the memory needed to hold the realtracks would be extra - maybe the ssd you talk about. and so would a midi module and headphones/speakers etc. but maybe the idea of a BIAB/RB dedicated unit like a one game playstation might be an idea!
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RealBand
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The better wishlist request would be for PG Music to release Band-in-a-Box and RealBand editions compatible with the Debian (Linux) operating system.
The Raspberry PI 4 operating system is Debian which is one of many Linux operating systems. Debian is the seed, or base, distribution for multiple Linux distributions branches like Ubuntu, Knoppix, PureOS, SteamOS and Tails.
Debian is considered a stable, reliable and secure operating system. Each stable release is supported at no charge for a minimum of five years.
The issues are driver support for external hardware such as audio interfaces, surface controllers, midi controllers and USB microphones as well as operating system support for DX, VST, AU and AAX effects.
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RealBand
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I think a Raspberry Pi version would be awesome. Hardware-wise, the Pi 4 is probably powerful enough to run BIAB or RB - the CPU benchmarks roughly equal to an early Core 2 Duo (circa 2006), and you can get a Pi 4 with 8gb of ram (BIAB and RB use far less than 1gb on Windows and Mac, usually under 500mb of ram, so you could probably get away with a 2gb Pi), and since the Pi 4 has USB3 you could run the RT's from either an external or a 256gb Micro SD (although the USB3 speed on the Pi 4 is faster than the SD card interface). Pi 3 I don't think would be quite powerful enough, but maybe.
One issue that comes to mind would be in troubleshooting the Pi itself - we would need tech support people well versed in unix/linux to be able to do that, which with our current pool of tech support people that basically includes only me, having been a linux/mac/windows sysadmin in the past.
The main issue is computer/OS market share. I don't have up to date numbers, but to start:
In 2019, worldwide PC shipments surpassed 261 million units.
In 2019, Apple shipped an estimated 18.4 million Macs.
In the first year of sales (2019-2020), the Pi 4 sold 3 million boards.
Of the above statistics, the Pi 4 has slightly over 1% of the market share. I honestly doubt a Pi version would ever sell well enough to cover our development costs on porting from Windows/x86 to Linux/ARM - although now that MacOS runs on ARM that may very well help. I'm not a programmer though, so that last part is merely speculation, especially since BIAB for Mac runs on X86 or Rosetta only for now.
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RealBand
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It's sooo easy to post these great ideas when you're not a programmer... There are YouTube vids about trying to use Pi for music production. Zero support for all the third party stuff we need. Want to use an interface? Nope. Want to use VST's? Nope. Want to use a keyboard or guitar based midi controller or mics? Nope. Good luck getting Steinberg, IK Multimedia, Native Instruments, etc to create compatible software to run on that system.
Years ago our Access programmer told me our office had the 5th largest database in the country. His favorite joke was when people came to him with a request and said "All you gotta do is..." He would tell them, right it would take me two weeks to implement that so talk to the boss about it.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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RealBand
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It's sooo easy to post these great ideas when you're not a programmer... There are YouTube vids about trying to use Pi for music production. Zero support for all the third party stuff we need. Want to use an interface? Nope. Want to use VST's? Nope. Want to use a keyboard or guitar based midi controller or mics? Nope. Good luck getting Steinberg, IK Multimedia, Native Instruments, etc to create compatible software to run on that system.
Years ago our Access programmer told me our office had the 5th largest database in the country. His favorite joke was when people came to him with a request and said "All you gotta do is..." He would tell them, right it would take me two weeks to implement that so talk to the boss about it.
Bob At the very least, the Pi does support many audio interfaces, USB mics, and MIDI controllers. As long as the device is class compliant, it should work with ALSA or Jack or whatever the Pi uses. That's another important consideration I didn't think of initially though - the built-in audio output on the Pi is terrible (think 8-bit) as it uses a general purpose digital IO to approximate an analog output. HDMI is perfectly good sounding so for many people it would be OK, but for those with a computer monitor with no speakers it would be awful, so that'd raise the price as we'd theoretically have to include a higher quality audio device of some sort.
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Jazzmammal.
maybe i'm wrong but i understood many audio interfaces
now work with linux, as simon mentioned.
in addition there are now versions of reaper (experimental)
and traction waveform daw for the little PI.
why would they do that ? maybe planting seeds seeing a future market perhaps ?
JM. call me a "romantic" lol. (my wife says i am) , but i just love the idea of an upstart like the cheap PI storming the daw market. also, another reason being, people around
the world that have very limited funds , but high levels of creativity.
i reckon things will get very interesting in the next PI
version if it ever gets a 3 or 4 ghz processor.
JM. i guarantee if , in the 60's, george martin and the beatles only had 16 traks on a PI ,and no plug ins, they would still produce hits. cos they were brilliant doing that.
now i'm looking forward to my steak and kidney pie for lunch. lol.
best
oldromanticmuso.
ps simon if you surf the net , i understand there is a way to bypass that audio problem.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 03/20/21 04:54 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.)
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RealBand
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Justanoldmuso,
I'm convinced you could strand George Martin, Geoff Emrick and the four Beatles on a deserted island filled only with conch shells, non perishable food, cigarettes and beer and they would still find a way to create a hit record!
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RealBand
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ps simon if you surf the net , i understand there is a way to bypass that audio problem. The ways around the audio issues on the Pi are either: 1: use HDMI (only works if your monitor has speakers built in, and supports audio over HDMI - not all do). 2: Use a USB sound card or audio interface (costs money). 3: Use a DAC that plugs onto the Pi's GPIO header (costs money). I'm not certain of the state of DAC's on the Pi these days, since a number of them were discontinued. Most I know of are inexpensive and good, but don't have any audio input, only output. That said, with some work happening on a Windows/x86 emulator on the Pi, it may someday be able to run Realband on it, though likely quite slowly or with issues.
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Simon.
yep "but" an inexpensive 2x2 behringer usb recording interface is 60 buks.
my prediction is , (and i'm quite ready to get egg on my face), that if the little pi ever gets a 3 to 4 ghz processor and still costs under 70 buks, things could get very interesting.
my read of the pi foundation is these are very clever people.
with a beastly pi processor upgrade , say in the next release, a concomitant big rise in users could occur .
we will see.
i guess one problem, on reflection, of offering rb on the pi , is that there are lots of win specific command structures in the rb codebase and api's etc ?.
which makes me ask the question how the hey did reaper and traction waveform programmers do a pi daw multitrack software so swiftly.
i dont know bout traction , but i always understood there was a very small team of coders on reaps.
just a few people.
frankly i wouldnt be in favor of an emulation mode.
best
oldmuso.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 03/23/21 01:02 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.)
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RealBand
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Joined: May 2020
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Simon.
yep "but" an inexpensive 2x2 behringer usb recording interface is 60 buks.
my prediction is , (and i'm quite ready to get egg on my face), that if the little pi ever gets a 3 to 4 ghz processor and still costs under 70 buks, things could get very interesting.
my read of the pi foundation is these are very clever people.
with a beastly pi processor upgrade , say in the next release, a concomitant big rise in users could occur .
we will see.
i guess one problem, on reflection, of offering rb on the pi , is that there are lots of win specific command structures in the rb codebase and api's etc ?.
which makes me ask the question how the hey did reaper and traction waveform programmers do a pi daw multitrack software so swiftly.
i dont know bout traction , but i always understood there was a very small team of coders on reaps.
just a few people.
frankly i wouldnt be in favor of an emulation mode.
best
oldmuso.
It all comes down to how easily they can provide a faster Pi while keeping the price down. AFAIK they want to keep the $35 USD price point for the base version, so it'd be down to cost of parts and engineering (and heat management, might have to add a heatsink to keep in the 3ghz range). And you're right, there are a lot of Windows specific API's used in RealBand. I'm also not in favour of running RB in an emulator on a Pi, but that's likely as close as we'll get.
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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 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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 PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
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Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available 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 Mac or for Windows.
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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.
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 as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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