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I'm not sure if I know what I'm talking about here but does anyone have any comments as to whether it would be better to choose ForteDXi by Coyote Electronics or Roland TTS-1 synth in Music Creator 5?
ForteDXi = $40
Music Creator 5 = $39
I'm assuming that these both contain soft-synths? Is this right?
Thank you in advance.
Ike
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If you contact Coyote (aka Norm) he might have something as a heads up.
All I'm sayin...
John Conley
Musica est vita
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I have them both and I like the sounds of Music Creator better.
Dell Studio 16 Laptop i7 with 256 gig SSD
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Roland SD-50
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Quote:
I have them both and I like the sounds of Music Creator better.
Please don't phrase it like that, it just adds to the confusion about why Biab "sounds" bad sometimes. Music Creator is a sequencer and has no sounds of it's own. It will use whatever sound source you have just like Biab will. Like Biab with the VSC, it ships with a basic synth called the Roland TTS-1 just to get you started. You can use a whole mega thousand dollar rack of hardware synths with it if you wanted to and that's what it would sound like or spend another grand or so for software samplers like Sampletank or Halion and it would sound like those. It's just another sequencer.
You like the sound of the TTS-1 better. For me I like the Forte better, so there... 
The TTS-1 is a bit more electronic sounding and can work well with some things while the Forte is more acoustic sounding, better for jazz. Neither of them can touch a good modern hardware synth module like the Ketron SD2 or my Sonic Cell though.
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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Actually, I was happy with VSC but when I bought a new desktop with vista 64 I didn't know that vsc wouldn't work with it. If I could have bought TTS-1 separately I would have. My apologies if I'm confusing anyone. I know Music Creator is a sequencer and apparently Russell does too, that's why I didn't mention it. Sound is a very subjective thing. What sounds good to you may not sound good to me. I'm a sax player so no matter what horn sample or product you use, I'm not going to be satisfied with the sound. I play dinner music in restaurants and bars for a living. A mixture for real tracks and midi does a great job for that situation. I also play standard midi files for my pop music. For live performance, I can't find a better product than VSC. That's why I still use xp on my laptop for gigs. I mentioned this in other forums but get more compliments from other musicians about the sound of BIAB than I do from customers. Those compliments go back 10 years, way before real drums, real tracks, etc.. If I'm going to record, I want the best sounds that I can afford. When playing live, if you have a singer or horn player in front of those backing tracks people are concentrating on the live aspect of the performance. Lets face it, if were a hot 21 year old chick, wearing a mini skirt, singing Rubber Duckie through my Gameboy, I'd sound great as far as all the guys in the bar are concerned. Thanks for the banter! lol
Jacob
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TTS also has a lot of adjustability. You can tweak the heck out of the sounds. Plus with MC5 you get sound center as well, and that adds a few cool sounds.
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Quote:
I'm a sax player so no matter what horn sample or product you use, I'm not going to be satisfied with the sound.
Jacob,
I couldn't agree more. I don't know how other horn players here at the BiaB forum feel, but IMHO the MIDI horns are nothing more than something to give you a 'sampling' of what it MIGHT sound like if it were played by a real horn. It's a 'filler' sound. I'm not convinced (from the posts I've read here and elsewhere), that trying the hit/miss method of buying and installing different software drivers is EVER going to feed my need for good sounding horn solos and brass sections. To me, they're always too much of this, or too little of that and I simply don't see how you can tweak MIDI into sounding just the same as my real horn. That's why I enjoy the RealTrack product I guess. I'm almost certain that the electronic syth / piano players will completely disagree with me here and that's okay.
I would especially not consider using a MIDI sound for recording purposes however. As a trumpet player myself, I've mentioned here that the MIDI I've heard so far hasn't sounded any different than a car horn. And yes, thanks to all here, I now have an understanding of the mechanics of MIDI and where the sound or tone is actually produced from (I understand analog / acoustic / digital concepts). But, I've listened even to high-end electric pianos in the music stores and I guess I'll always say that my horn sounds better than the 'mock' version. I can do things that the electronics simply cannot reproduce as effectively as I can with the real thing -- Yes, I'm prejudice about that and yes, I believe that my ears ARE that discriminating.
So far, the ONLY thing I've heard that might satisfy my ears are either composing with all RealTracks (no MIDI at all and playing your own track), or perhaps something like the Garritan Jazz & Big Band product I'm looking at. Garritan seems to be my winner so far since one, it's only $200 bucks. Two, it's got tons of real horns. And finally, the demos on their site sound fantastic -- as close to any sax or trumpet I've ever heard.
Also, I think it was Mac who suggested I look into this MIDI sound processor (a hardware device). Can't recall the name just now. I did check this out thoroughly and there seems to be high praise for it, but when I reviewed the horn sounds, I wasn't happy with what I heard. Some were almost adequate. The piano, bass and guitar were very good. However, the price was way off the mark as compared to the Garritan product (IMHO).
For me, I want to be able to use BiaB for backing performances and backing recording. Thus far, I wouldn't do either with the sound's I've heard thus far (except for RealTracks and maybe the Garritan).
These are just my opinions (or misunderstandings from a novice, whatever the case may be), and I don't mean to step on some very experienced toes here (especially given the high degree of musical talent here at this forum).
But I agree with you Jacob -- it's a subjective thing and we're all going to squirm once in a while at some of the sounds that our PC's are making -- they're still electronic, trying to simulate the real world and I can see that some of these electronic simulations will be the perfect fit for some musicians. Not for me though. So far -- my finished-product will contain RealTracks or real instruments, but not MIDI.
Jacob, we've probably opened up a HUGE can of worms here! That's okay, I'm bound to learn what's wrong with my newbie theories somehow!
Ike
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The real test is to take the 'instrument' you don't like because you play it, and let 20 people who don't play it listen to it with a solo and ask them how you did.
I bet none of them tell you it sounds crappy.
The most of us have thought that the judicious use of one or two Real instruments enhances the file.
I've heard all midi backing tracks with the worst sounds ever on the 'seniors' radio station with a local gal playing the organ, and my Mom thinks it's the cat's meow. Wow. And I was going cheese cheese..very bad...and she said that's a nice trumpet..Wow.
Point is, you bend stuff or pFzzz it or whatever and it's not your sound. The more you dwell on it, the less you like anything.
Just move on, unless you want to invest in better gear. My wife cannot play the flute as well as the Ketron SD2 and that made her mad.
On the other hand, the guitar realtracks have string scratches and all, how realistic is that? Maybe they should put burps and sniffs into the soprano sax realtracks, or a far....never mind.
As a horn player, I've found you put some in as harmony (on my Ketron), make a horn intro, and then stick it in the end. Works ok, it's not the horn section from any good big band but again, what are you trying to do? If the people you let listen like it, you need to ignore your bias, and let the software work for you. Lots of the Midi bass can sound better on my Ketron than the realtracks.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Quote:
... I bet none of them tell you it sounds crappy ... you bend stuff or pFzzz it or whatever and it's not your sound. The more you dwell on it, the less you like anything ...
Just move on ... guitar realtracks have string scratches and all, how realistic ... Maybe they should put burps and sniffs into the soprano sax realtracks, or a far....never mind ... Works ok, it's not the horn section from any good big band but again, what are you trying to do? If the people you let listen like it, you need to ignore your bias ... Lots of the Midi bass can sound better on my Ketron than the realtracks.
Hello John! Thank you for your posts. I've asked lots of questions in this forum and I've gotten lots of answers from you haven't I? I can see your point of view and no doubt, many will agree with you. I can respect your views on MIDI sounds as others do. However (maybe mistakenly -- I'm not sure), I perhaps detect a sense of intolerance over my opinion(s) in your post.
I think I'll reiterate what I said about the MIDI sounds that I (as being new to MIDI and BiaB) have heard. You'll note that I started off by stating that I understood that this is subjective (and I even ended my post saying the same). To be sure, the very person whose post I was replying to agrees. It seemed to me that Jacob and me were agreeing on a point -- that almost anything to do with respect to one's perception of sound / music / hearing, is ultimately going to be subjective. And I simply stated why I agreed with him and explained why. Obviously, we can't tell each other that we're wrong -- you hear what you hear and I hear what I hear -- that's all there is. Neither of us is wrong, is he? Or am I wrong?
John, when I continually state in my posts that, "In My Humble Opinion (IMHO) ...", rest assured, I say it with sincere respect to those of you who have used the software (and the forum) and these other products many years longer than myself -- You guys are the pros (the gurus). I think that I even mention repeatedly in my posts here that I am a newbie (with Biab) and I am grateful to you and people here for helping me in times when I need it (which tends to be quite often as you well know).
I am not in the least however, new to computing and/or the use of forums. It has always been my understanding that the use of forums is for an open, free and lively exchange of ideas which entitles all to an opinion. And so, the very fact that we agree to use a forum like this to share experience with one another does suggest that our electronic 'conversation' is bound to be a subjective one. So, I'll view both Jacob and your posts as subjective ones. Yes, mine is a biased one, and while I might verbalize it from time to time, I certainly won't force it upon anyone; Biased yes, but not without merit I think.
I have only had the software for a month. I have read the book cover to cover (some places twice or more), and there's lots for me to learn. I still ask lots of questions don't I? I sometimes receive lots of opinions too, but I know that's what they are -- just subjective opinion. I too have also poured lots of time into BiaB and RealBand (not as much as you, obviously). Rest assured, we certainly must agree though that the cost of our love for music can't be measured in terms of the dollars and cents we spend, right? So, be aware that over the next weeks, months and maybe even years, I'm likely to give a 'subjective' opinion or two from time to time. I won't be wrong. It'll just be my opinion, right? You can rest assured I'll not suggest to a single one of you here that you're not entitled to post your own -- I'll likely even agree once in awhile.
John, I do not have a recording studio or lots of equipment for that matter. However, I have made a living in the computer industry for better than 35 years and I've been a horn player for even longer. And all along, I've been thinking that some might like to hear from me. While it may be small potatoes to some, I did mange to tour and teach theory with the U.S. Army Band for several years (yes, a great many years ago). I may be much older and not playing as much as the rest of you here, but I still have ears and they still work pretty well -- well enough that I was evidently good enough to be paid to use them -- in fact, I suggest that students actually depended upon them. So, I was merely telling Jacob there, that in my opinion (using my ears and I trust mine as much as anyone's), that as of this moment in time (perhaps until the technology get's better), that I prefer what I hear with RealTracks and the like. Did I trash the idea of MIDI? No, I don't think so ... it has it's place. When I told Jacob about the MIDI sounds I'd just sampled, I think I also mentioned that, "Some were almost adequate. The piano, bass and guitar were very good." But yes, I will ALWAYS be partial to the real thing. MIDI is not my enemy John, but I definately am better than MIDI and so are my students -- Geez, I guess in a sense, MIDI is my student too! Heck, I'll go out on a limb here and say that I'll bet that you're playing is even better than MIDI too my friend! Hooray for the real thing! Hooray for us humans!
Okay friends, you have your 'RealPaks' and you have 'RealTracks' and you have 'RealBand', you have 'Real' this and that -- the common thread here is 'real'. Now I'd venture to say that lots of others hear how much nicer 'Real' it is on the ears. PG must think so too because I continually read advertising to me saying, "... and more Real ... to come!" And I'd argue that this feature of the BiaB product has obviously translated to more dollars and cents too.
You and I have no doubt listened to some of the very same artists and music for all of our lives, and we're obviously going to have our opinions about it (what we've listened to up until this point in each of our lives). So, as I stated in my post, "So far, the ONLY thing I've heard that might satisfy my ears are ... RealTracks" Performed by 'real' instruments, by 'real' people. I'm just saying that I'm not at a point where I would never change my mind about MIDI, but I haven't yet lost my hearing either. As for me, I'll load up BiaB on the "real" stuff every time and I'll be inclined to purchase every "real" product that PG sells, both now and well into the foreseeable future -- although there are some awfully pretty sounding products out there now.
By the way (and this is subjective), if one takes the time to listen to the Garritan Jazz & Big Band demos, you might hear details that you might not have heard before. John, you're a horn player ... You know that breath that you take in just before you're ready to play that next section? Did you know that your audience can even hear that breath of yours? Well, that did impress me. Not that this alone would make up my mind about MIDI or anything else mind you, but it did impress me nonetheless (that this technology could pay so close attention to details like this). So okay, I'm new to MIDI, and they'll likely be a lot more I'll listen to and decide what's good, bad or otherwise. But, attention to that detail is something that discriminating, music-loving people hear -- and they're impressed with technology that can emulate these.
Now as for your, "... guitar scratches ...", well yes, those are exactly realistic as any guitar player will tell you (or even a guitar listener). I also play this instrument. Now as for the, "... burps and sniffs into the soprano sax realtracks." Well, correct me if I'm wrong John, but I believe that you'd have to post this in the forum wishlist. Would you like to post or shall I?
"So for right now ..., my only audience is (and the only one I care about frankly), my church, my wife, kids and grandkids -- Oh, and a few 'ole farts like me who love me enough to come out to play for fun. I bought BiaB for fun. It is completely new and foreign to me, but fun nonetheless. And so, the vote is in! From the wife, family and musician friends, they've voted for RealTracks John! Remember, it's just another opinion though. Ignore my bias? Nope!
By the way John I performed London a couple of times in my youth and lived in Port Huron, Michigan most of my life. My grandfather was a radio host at one of the two local radio stations and he too said he performed in London (a classically-trained pianist playing jazz blues and dixie -- go figure). Anyhow, nice chat'n at ya' neighbor! It's a small world my friend!
Your friend,
burps and sniffs and whatever
Ike
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Russell you were right about the can of worms. You were in the army band field? I did 20 years in army bands and have been retired for 10 years. I think we are all agreeing with each other but coming from different perspectives. I love real tracks, I'm using them more and more. But because of the tempo restraints and styles, the aren't going to fit every situation. You what would be a cool thing for pgmusic to do is studio musician record with midi instruments. You would get that real player vibe, but you could manipulate the tracks to any tempo. I know that's not a popular suggestion but I love to see just a sample of that idea. I order a i7 Dell with a 256 SSD drive. It should be here next week. I'm looking forward to loading that baby up. I'll post my results when I get everything up and running. I'm loving all the comments, keep em coming!
Jacob
Dell Studio 16 Laptop i7 with 256 gig SSD
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Quote:
a cool thing for pgmusic to do is studio musician record with midi instruments. You would get that real player vibe, but you could manipulate the tracks to any tempo.
Hi Jacob,
They've been doing the MIDI-based styles like that for years.
--Mac
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Brother Jakob,
It's been so nice having the Internet for keeping touch with old Army bud's. I did some of my stint at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (101st) and then had the pleasure of spending some time at the training center at Norfolk, VA (I was going to leave after my first but they gave me more money, another stripe and asked me where I'd like to be stationed, so naturally I chose Norfolk). I had a close friend who wound up playing for the Washington DC group -- that would have been my ultimate -- I loved listening to their Jazz recruiting band so much (those guys were just so good as you probably can attest).
It's so nice to hear stories from others who have played in the services. I wish we had a forum just for these people -- there's so much to tell and be learned by these folks.
Thanks for the post brother!
Ike
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Like Mac said, PG has been using live musicians on midi instruments for years but the problem is it's midi and dependant on whatever synth you have for the sounds. It doesn't matter if you use David Sanborn on a midi wind controller playing killer lines, if you play that back through the Roland VSC it still sounds like a kazoo. Even if you have a thousand dollar synth, the sax patch will sound nothing like Sanborn playing his horn live because midi won't allow for all the lipping, tonguing and whatever else a real sax player does to alter his sound. Same with guitar and all the other instruments. That's the reality of midi.
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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Quote:
It doesn't matter if you use David Sanborn on a midi wind controller playing killer lines, if you play that back through the Roland VSC it still sounds like a kazoo. Even if you have a thousand dollar synth, the sax patch will sound nothing like Sanborn playing his horn live because midi won't allow for all the lipping, tonguing and whatever else a real sax player does to alter his sound.
*Some* synths do much better than others handling the CC messages from a wind controller.
I wouldn't agree with your statement wholeheartedly. I've heard some pretty amazing things come out of a wind controller.
I will admit, it takes a lot of talent from someone experienced in the instrument/synth. However, there are people on this very forum who could use a wind controller with a 'Michael Brecker' patch and sound pretty 'real'. Enough so that I would prefer it over many 'live' musicians. Probably over Realtracks in most instances. I don't discount MIDI so quickly.
Russell, some of the most incredible jazz I've ever heard came from various military bands. I went to a lot of jazz concerts in the 70's-80's and they almost always left me in awe. One Air Force band actually made me consider enlisting!
(just to see if I qualified to carry their horns)
Last edited by rharv; 04/01/10 03:09 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Bob,
I really enjoy 'The Airmen of Note.' Great jazz band. The Falconaires are awesome, too.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Quote:
*Some* synths do much better than others handling the CC messages from a wind controller.
I wouldn't agree with your statement wholeheartedly. I've heard some pretty amazing things come out of a wind controller.
This is not the point I was making Rharv. You're talking about a performer playing a controller live using a proper synth set up to handle all those CC's. Under those conditions Garritan will sound wonderful. I'm talking about recording that performance as midi, making a midi track out of it then playing it back as part of a style in Biab or just playing it as a midi file. All those cool CC's are going to get ignored because Biab uses the GM standard for those while Garritan has all their own proprietary midi implementation that as you said, takes a real pro to master in order to make it sound real. Then, there's the other point I was making that if you take that midi file created by a pro on that wind controller and play it back in your sequencer using another synth, it won't sound anything like the live performance.
There's that poster who created some scripts for Garritan and Biab that does apparently help out with that but I've not actually heard the result.
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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Hey Russell, I did my last two years in the army at Ft. Campbell. You should get on Face Book there's an Army Band page and an Assn. of Retired Military Bandsmen page. I found a lot people there. Did you know John Pastin or Frank Mullen? John Pastin teaches in a university up the road from. I found Frank Mullen on Face book because he wrote a song years ago I wanted his permission to perform it.
Jacob
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Quote:
Russell, some of the most incredible jazz I've ever heard came from various military bands. I went to a lot of jazz concerts in the 70's-80's and they almost always left me in awe. One Air Force band actually made me consider enlisting!
(just to see if I qualified to carry their horns)
THAT my friend is exactly what happened! I'd heard three military bands play in Michigan in the 70's (as a high-school-er).
I was one of the few kids at my school who seemingly (by 11th or 12 grade) hadn't committed to anything (I had good grades but I couldn't get Mom and Dad to see past the scholarship monies for General Motors Design Institute over in Flint). I'd had engineering and architectural drafting coursework up the ying-yang by the time I'd graduated high school and living in a automotive-industry state ... Well, to them it just seemed like an obvious fit for me.
It didn't help that I couldn't get past the fact that all my friends seemed to be name-dropping this university, that academy, etc. from the time they were juniors in high school. There were so many scholarships being thrown out to classmates that it was to me, a terribly unnerving and depressing time. My true love was music but it was especially hard to get the parents to see that there was lots more to it than the garage-band I'd been been playing in (and I couldn't blame them -- we sounded pretty bad). I played piano, guitar and trumpet but I guess it didn't leave high enough marks on them to see me doing this for a living.
By the time I'd seen the Air-Force Band at McMorran Place in Port Huron, I'd almost made up my mind until one evening a band director suggested that me and a music-bud go backstage after the concert. Boy, was that a thrill!
Well, long-story-short ... Air-Force jazz-band concert on Friday night, dinner with three brass & percussionist that same evening at the Fog-cutter Restaurant (their dime), by noon Saturday I'd already taken the ASFAB at my recruiter's office (strangely enough, also in the same building as the restaurant), a long Monday drive to a base in Indiana somewhere for my audition and then not too many days later, an airplane to Fort Knox, KY for BT.
Most people did question my sanity over my choice to enter the Army as I did have relation in the service during Vietnam (of which some died and those that came back were not the same people who left us). And if any of you were teenagers during the late 60's / 70's you can attest that our country was still seething over it. Well it turned out that I did well on the ASFAB testing, the Army offered an extra stripe and better pay right off the bat and choice of duty station to boot! Not to mention that this would finally give me something to tell my friends and family about -- about where my life was heading. Trust me ... It was a great pick-me-up for someone who didn't have a clue where life was taking him. I needed something good to happen for me and it happened. I am so thankful for that experience and it worked well for me for a time. For some musicians, it did not! You enlist, soldier-train, music-train, compete and if you get a permanent gig (hopefully at your selected duty-station), you play. Otherwise, you soldier-train, music-train, compete (and lose) and soldier the rest of your gig!
Well, life has never been the same since -- it's always been about the music! If I were a young person today and hadn't committed to a school or degree program somewhere, there would be no doubt about my choice -- even a second time, were it possible! I live in upstate Michigan and there isn't much in the way of the arts up here -- I love to share my experiences with them every chance they ask me. They're always very polite and attentive and especially curious about how music and the military fit together -- that's a popular subject.
Ultimately though, one day I had a fall that ended in a bad injury and this accelerated a physical problem of mine. It did end my career in the service but thankfully I still have those fond memories and it's especially fun to hear the new kids. The wife and I attended a fantastic national high-school jazz competition and I was asked to 'set in' for one of the 'final four's' practice gigs -- The kids were wonderful to converse with and especially to hear them play and it felt unbelievable to be asked to be with them. Nobody could have felt as good on that day, I assure you ... and I felt that they legitimately wanted me there!
These days I reminisce and tell stories (some are even true)! LOL I'm so thankful for the use of the Internet -- it has provided me a lasting career in computers and access to people like yourselves right here on great forum! Some pretty good company to keep!
Ike
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,673
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,673 |
I work on occasion with several of the West Point band folks. They are top notch jazz players.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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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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Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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 amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac 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 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.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
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