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DEL. your post is very interesting. an hp desktop huh ? if were me and it only had one internal c drive. i would look at its specs and see if you can add a couple of cheap ssd internal drives. that way you have all sorts of backup flexibility. what model is your HP ? is cpu i5 8400 or 9400 ? in RB what does action..audio performance report for no of traks ?
in addition ive been looking at usb audio mixers with lots of inputs funnily enough. what do you have ? my top contender so far seems to be the zed series as its 4x4 usb. and people say nice mic pre's. would appreciate your input.
best oldmuso ps sorry i assumed you were running a laptop from your previous posts.
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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HP Slim S01-pF1036 Desktop Computer, Intel i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Device name DESKTOP-Studio Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10400 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz Installed RAM 8.00 GB (7.84 GB usable) System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display
I don't have much info on this, I believe it has at least 1 internal slot free for adding another drive but I haven't popped the cover on it to look. The HP site has a broken link to the motherboard specs and I haven't found out anything else about it yet. It came with the internal 256GB SSD
Here is what it has for expansion slots: 2 M.2; 1 PCIe x16; 1 PCIe x1
I have a i5 laptop but don't use it for my DAW.
Last edited by Del; 05/29/21 04:26 PM.
Del
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RealBand
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I use a Behringer Xenyx 1204 mixer right now. I only record one track at a time but I think you could record two tracks simultaneously by panning one full right and the other track full left. Then separate the tracks in Realband. I've never tried it though since I don't need it.
The 1204USB mixer has 4 mic preamps on the first 4 channels. They call it 12 channels but to my mind it is 6 channels, 4 mic imputs and two stereo inputs. I tried a Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD but I didn't like it so I went back to my mixer instead.
It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
Del
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RealBand
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DEL. after this post my wife and i are retiring for the night. thanks for the info. my comments follow. 1. nice processor . rateing on cpubenchmark.net of over 12000. nice ! i normally like 10000 for audio daw work. so 12000 is good. what does RB say for action>>test audio performance ? no of traks ? you should get a LOT OF TRAKS. 2. difficult to find specs on the hp , but looks like you have the new slotted ssd tech internally. i "think" but not sure ; you might be able to add a second internal ssd. get a pc tech to check as this would be advantageous. ie win on one internal ssd. your songs on other internal ssd. so you can do cross back ups as well as also backing up to external high speed usb ssd drives and pen drives. also get tech to check if you can expand the memory to 16 gigabytes ddr4 ram. ram is cheap. 3. thanks for the usb mixer info.
best old muso. ps please could you add the fact your usb mixer works with pg products in the thread i started in realband forum "post your interfaces that work". other users might find it usefull. cheers.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 05/29/21 04:51 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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Estimated number of playback tracks is 167. Yes, I'll add my mixer to your 'post your interfaces that work'
It looks like I can add another SSD internally but will have to take it apart to make sure.
Del
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RealBand
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Del. thanks for adding your mixer. from what your saying am i correct ? your hp is new ?. just be aware that sometimes new pc's come with some "bloat". ie stuff youll never use. thus its a good idea to get a pc tech to get rid of stuff youll never use. for example some manufacturers include software "trials" .
i would also check into google and these forums .. "how to optimise a pc for a recording studio". most manufacturers of audio usb interfaces have support sections on this subject.
finally there might be an outside chance you might be able to add 2 more ssd's in that hp pc. but i just dont know as i cant get to the mainboard details. so have a tech check inside.
every happiness del. oldmuso ps your rb traks report is respectable.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 05/30/21 06:44 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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Yes, it is new. There wasn't too much bloatware and I uninstalled most of it. I'll do some more research on it. May have to splurge for another SSD internal hard drive.
Thank you for your advice!
Del
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RealBand
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DEL. fyi heres some very good links re optimising a pc for daw work. BUT if everything is fine i would tread carefully. one step at a time. latency mon mentioned in the first link is one to try possibly. if your not sure show a well qualified pc tech the links below, https://audient.com/tutorial/optimise-your-windows-pc-for-audio/https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/207355205-Optimising-your-PC-for-Audio-on-Windows-10https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=654005in addition del if you CAN put in a couple of ssd's inside the hp dont go for huge ones. maybe a couple of 256 or 512 giggers. remember heat can build up inside a pc. heres an idea also. i only use small ssd's. BUT what i do is once ive finished a major song project i free up space on the small internal pc ssd's (ready for the next song project) by offloading them to multiple external back up drives and fast pen drives. i'm nutty on back ups lol. another idea is to store also your critical songs on another machine as further back up. ALSO MAKE SURE YOU TEST YOUR BACK UPS OCCASIONALLY TO SEE THEY WORK. in summary each song folder that contains all biab and rb files (imcludeing saved *seq's) is backed up multiple times. ie anything related to the song. gonna take a break now. my wife just gave me a nice cup of tea. for more info on how to's with a pc. you tube has loads of info. hth and happy song creation. best oldmuso
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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Thank you very much for the links and for your pointers, I appreciate them! I have a pretty good back up routine that I follow to minimize any catastrophes, and get things back up and running. I'll check out the links you sent, many thanks!
Del
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RealBand
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I want to update this thread to explain what I've done to eliminate the issue I was having.
I wasn't able to add another internal SSD hard drive as the expansion slot was already in use so I purchased a SATA Seagate 2GB hard drive and mounted that in the PC. I installed all my BB and Realband programs on the internal SATA drive and run them from there. Now everything works fine with no issues on rendering files and I've eliminated some external clutter around my DAW.
Rendering times are now consistent and take around 10-15 seconds running the programs from the internal SATA drive.
Thanks to all of you who gave me some ideas to work through this!
Del
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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 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!
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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.
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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®!
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-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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- 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
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- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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- 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
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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.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
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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
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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 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
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