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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,312
PG Music Staff
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OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,312 |
Did you know that Band-in-a-Box® is more than 30 years old? I stumbled across this 1990 magazine article explaining the relatively new program, and think it's an enjoyable read for any Band-in-a-Box user - it really shows that we are always listening to user feedback when developing our program! Read the article: Boxing Clever: Band-In-A-Box SoftwareA few of my favorite statements: "The intention of PG Music's Band-In-A-Box package is to couple that speed and convenience with the improved flexibility of the personal computer. Versions are available for the Atari ST, Mac, and PC compatibles. Have the programmers succeeded? And can they rid themselves of the stigma of the auto-accompaniment section? Given the above state of affairs, the first hurdle that the program has to overcome is one of acceptance and, frankly, a name like 'Band-In-A-Box' is a bad start." ( I think our name was a great start!) "The final results are, to say the least, impressive. Band-In-A-Box achieves something that most hardwired auto-accompaniment sections have never been able to do - inject a degree of feel into the music. It really does sound more human than so many of the computer generated pieces I've heard." "...I'm quite convinced that PG Music will have a winner on their hands. This is one piece of software that you can get more out of than you put in."
Callie
Marketing Representative
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,564
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,564 |
I’ve been using it almost 30 years. It’s fun to look back.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,837
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,837 |
Biab Audiophile 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,786
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,786 |
Wow, have you come a looong way or what!  No seriously, this time you've really topped yourself, that's an absolutely brilliant find  p.s. If anyone could dig up a sample of what the program actually sounded like back then, with its 3-track limits and all, I'd be most interested to hear it 
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
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BBox 2022 Audiophile, Mac Pro Intel, OSX 10.6.8, 800x600 (TV VGA)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734 |
I think I bought it in 1991 or 1992, I can't remember, I used to have the diskettes. Remember those! Threw them out quite a while back when my wife said I had to clean/straighten my music room!
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 41
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 41 |
I well remember using BIAB on an Atari 1040ST. It certainly has advanced in all respects. Imagine how many diskettes you would need to use for the current version!
BIAB 2025 Ultrapak, Mixcraft Pro 10.5
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,647
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,647 |
going thru the attic i recently found an atari st sequencer 1 diskette and some games...ah those were the days.lol.
the st had good midi timing if i remember.
om
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 2,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 2,333 |
30 years ago, BIAB had found the right direction.
Chord, style, generation
After 30 years of accumulation, a revolution in music production will be set off in 2021.
Many people may not realize it.
WIN10 20H2, AMD R4800H ,16G , 2T ,FOCUSRITE 2i4 MKII，Studio One,FL STUDIO
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,491
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,491 |
Congrats! But there is no way anyone will ever, ever, ever compete with this EPIC demo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdpWc0hT5OQ
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689 |
I think our name was a great start! I recall being aware of the existence of BIAB back in the early 90s, but I never tried it out until a few months ago. Why not? Well, partly because of that name, which always had cheesy associations for me.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,312
PG Music Staff
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OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,312 |
Great video flashback - thanks for the share!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,167
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,167 |
Great video, we need Peters brother in law to join the forum.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,417
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,417 |
I think our name was a great start! I recall being aware of the existence of BIAB back in the early 90s, but I never tried it out until a few months ago. Why not? Well, partly because of that name, which always had cheesy associations for me. I loved the name Band-In-A-Box way back in the midi only, floppy days... now, I think the name is "cheesy"... but I do love the program & PGM... and especially this outstanding forum.
Bandcamp Win-11; BiaB-2026 Audiophile (latest version)
Cakewalk Sonar; Melodyne-5; Scaler 3; NI Komplete:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,564
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,564 |
“The computer will add a few colorful things that will add some zip to the song.”
And there it is.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,417
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,417 |
Great video, we need Peters brother in law to join the forum. I totally agree... I love this guy...
Bandcamp Win-11; BiaB-2026 Audiophile (latest version)
Cakewalk Sonar; Melodyne-5; Scaler 3; NI Komplete:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,417
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,417 |
“The computer will add a few colorful things that will add some zip to the song.”
And there it is. Ha, this is great
Bandcamp Win-11; BiaB-2026 Audiophile (latest version)
Cakewalk Sonar; Melodyne-5; Scaler 3; NI Komplete:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
I well remember using BIAB on an Atari 1040ST. It certainly has advanced in all respects. Imagine how many diskettes you would need to use for the current version! Doing some rough math, if you were using 360k floppy disks it would take nearly 73,000 floppies to fit the Pro version of BIAB 2021, which is the smallest one available. For the Audiophile edition it would take nearly 4.5 million! The stack of floppies for the Pro would be almost 80 feet high, and for the Audiophile would be nearly a mile! Hah, great find David!
I work here
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,786
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,786 |
Doing some rough math, if you were using 360k floppy disks it would take nearly 73,000 floppies to fit the Pro version of BIAB 2021, which is the smallest one available. For the Audiophile edition it would take nearly 4.5 million! The stack of floppies for the Pro would be almost 80 feet high, and for the Audiophile would be nearly a mile! Oh wow, if there was an award issued for the "Geekiest post of a thread", then this one takes the crown for sure! 
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BBox 2022 Audiophile, Mac Pro Intel, OSX 10.6.8, 800x600 (TV VGA)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,662
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,662 |
Doing some rough math, if you were using 360k floppy disks it would take nearly 73,000 floppies to fit the Pro version of BIAB 2021, which is the smallest one available. For the Audiophile edition it would take nearly 4.5 million! The stack of floppies for the Pro would be almost 80 feet high, and for the Audiophile would be nearly a mile!
Right, so if I were to install Pro at, say, 2 minutes per disc at 8 hours per day, I could be installed in just a little over 10 months. I suspect many of us would be dead before we'd installed that audiophile edition. It's easy sometimes to forget just how far things have moved on. My first hands-on computer, around 1973, was a Data General Nova 3 with twin 8" 160k floppies, a "massive" 128kB magnetic memory and a "top-loader washing machine" for 5MB Winchester + 5MB removable drive, the latter taking a couple or so hours to spin up or down. My present actual washing machine almost certainly has more compute power, though it may still be lower on storage. Now I casually consider whether to go to 1 or 2TB on my next SSD drive. Hmm, I wonder, though not much(!), just how many tons of paper tape even that Pro edition would need.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 63
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 63 |
Eli/ken Mondragon
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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 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!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for 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
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
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Forums57
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