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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14 |
So I have just discovered ths AMAZING Program but just like many things...It's Biggest Strength is also a weak Point! Now Don't get all excited..what I mean is that there are so many features and purchase options that I have NO IDEA which package to purchase.
Will I need it all? Will I use it all? Do I only need Most but not all of the features??? I am considering the Everything Pak but not sure why the Audiophile pack has a larger drive? Will the Everything drive be too slow and create problems ie..freeze up's???
Shoooweee that is a lot of $$$$ HELP!!
I am an intermediate guitar player learning to sing that likes to learn new songs and would also like to begin arranging all the crazy lyrics that I have written over the years.
Thanks in advance for your help!!!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,419
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,419 |
Hi Badabing,
Welcome to the forums.
For a first-time purchaser the EverythingPak is a great choice. You get songs, lessons and tutorials that I know you would find a great help when starting out.
The difference between the Audiophile edition and the EverythingPak is that the Realtracks and Realdrums in the Audiophile ed. are wav files whereas in the EverthingPak, the Realtracks and -drums are wma files. From an audio perspective, wave files are superior in the reproduction of sound. There is a great deal of information on the web about this. That being said, though, I have the UltraplusPak with wma files and it sounds excellent! I'd imagine that someone with the Audiophile ed. will reply to your email and tell you about their experience.
Also, keep in mind that PGMusic have a 30-day money-back guarantee. This is a legitimate offer. It might pay to ring Sales and ask them about the possibility of buying the EverythingPak and if it can be changed for the Audiophile edition, in less than 30 days.
All the best,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,157
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,157 |
Simple, buy the most Biab you can afford ; )
Trax
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,944 |
Bad a Bing,
Based on your information above, I would recommend the Everything Pak (not the audiophile).
>Will I need it all? Will I use it all?
You likely wont use it all, but you would use all of the Blues and maybe the Rock stuff. And the best way to get that (price wise) is the Everything Pak.
>>> I am considering the Everything Pak but not sure why the Audiophile pack has a larger drive? Will the Everything drive be too slow and create problems ie..freeze up's???
The audiophile is mainly for people doing high-quality recordings, it comes on a huge hard drive (1.5TB)
No, the Everything Pak is just as fast as the other PAKS. You can even install the whole thing to your own hard drive (if you have 80GB) available, or just run it from the USB hard drive.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 928
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 928 |
Well, since I make no money on this, I usually recommned beginneers get either the Mega or the UltraPlus package.
They're all described here:
http://www.pgmusic.com/bandbox.htm
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,722
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,722 |
Welcome aboard, oh yes, buy as much as you can afford. And of course come back to post some of your music when it is ready.
Later,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14 |
You guys are awesome!!
Thanks again!!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 484
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 484 |
Hey Badabing, First it sounds like you are coming from my neck of the woods!
Anyway, I was overwhelmed at all the features at first. And months later, I still am! I started with the second PAK from the bottom. So far, I have used the pre-existing songs to stretch my instrumental abilities. Next, the notation functions to study what types of chordal/melodic movements were taking place in these existing songs so I can understand a little how music arrangement works.
Then, I branched out to actually writing songs in the BIAB main area. There, I use my previous experience on songwriting coupled with the neat things I learned going through the previous mentioned that it served to be more than just a place to write the same routine songs I have been doing over the past decades.
Lastly, this discussion board. A huge selling point for me was the support here. You have a wealth of users out there that have really pushed the pedal to the floor on this product and can answer every possible quandry I can work myself into.
My advice is if you are easily overwhelmed take the eating an elephant approach to whichever PAK you buy. Eat it one bite at a time. And when you need help, unlike other products, you actually will not be lost. Jump on the board and research your question. if you don't see it, ask.
Best to ya!
RickeG
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 92
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 92 |
Hi Noel,
I have the audio file edition but I think for what I use biab for I would have been better off with wma files. Has anyone had any experience with both audio file vs wma files when it comes to loading times?
Dell Studio 16 Laptop i7 with 256 gig SSD
BIAB, Reaper, Encore, Sibelius
Roland SD-50
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14 |
Jakob,
Are you saying that beucause you bought the "audiophile" pakage that has the .wav format, the software runs slower???? This is one of the concerns I had about the size of this software on a laptop/PC??
Also(This is for Everone's comments and opinions):
Can anyone help me understand in simple terms how easy/difficult it is to create a backing track from an mp3 song. For instance I'm trying to learn "Hideaway" by Freddie king and I want to create a backing track so I can play to it
Thank you everyrone for your great advice!!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
.Wav files load faster than compressed .wma files. The .wma files must be converted to .wav first.
However, with the advent of "Allow Fast Loading of RealTracks files" it is virtually a nonissue with the compressed files now.
Besides that, it was likely only an issue for those using BiaB for live performances anyway. In the studio, you can surely wait less than 30 secs to load the song. And that's only for the first time in a session. After that, hit Play and response for that song is instantaneous.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14 |
Can anyone help me understand in simple terms how easy/difficult it is to create a backing track from an mp3 song. For instance I'm trying to learn "Hideaway" by Freddie king and I want to create a backing track so I can play to it. is it as simple as playing the song and hitting a button to have BIB make a backing track out of the original mp3?
Thank you everyrone for your great advice!!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199 |
Badabing,
A couple of things.
1. If you are looking to create an exact replica of the backing tracks for Hideaway, then Band In A Box is NOT the program you want to use. You want to use a dedicated sequencer and manually enter everything.
2. If you are looking to create a backing track that may not be an exact replica, simply type in the chords to the song, select an appropriate style, and press the play button. The backing tracks will be generated. From there, you can move the tracks to a sequencer like Real Band, Power Tracks Pro Audio, Sonar, Pro Tools, etc., and tweak volumes, pans, etc., and finally mix down to a wave file. From that, you can convert to a .mp3 file.
I found a chart for the chords for the song, and I listened to a bit of the song itself. I used the chart to enter the chords into Band In A Box, and used the '_HRPBLUZ' Real Style for the backing. How close that is to what you want, I have no idea, but that's how you use BIAB to create a backing track.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Why anyone wants to play an exact replica is always beyond me. I understand cover bands, but.....
To me finding a style that suits YOU, that is true to the original beat and feel, and then tweaking it with RealTracks is all the fun. As to chord changes etc, you can find most of them on the net. And the lyrics. So I enter the chords, I put in the lyrics in a box, and find the exact style I want. Then I swap in realtracks until Iike the result.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14 |
I don't have to have the exact song reproduced but a close version if fine for me as I like to have a close resemblence to the original song. I noticed that the previous comments list that you input the chords and the lyrics which I did not know you could do and the song is reproduced. I thought there was an "audio chord" feature that allowed you to play an mp3 and the BIB software would automatically reproduce the song in the "style" that you chose?
is that correct or do you have to input the correct chords and changes in the correct measures??
Thanks in advance for your help!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199 |
The Audio Chord Wizard will take a .wav or .mp3 file and decipher the chords of the song. Once you get the chords, it's still up to you to find a good backing style to match the original song. John, in answer to your question, there are some songs, two that pop into my head immediately are 'Peter Gunn' and 'Wipeout!' that have very specific licks and backing tracks that would make it very difficult to do the song justice with a generic jazz or rock style. Roy Hawksford has styles that Bob Norton sells that are written specifically for certain songs. For instance 'Wipeout!', that I did a few years ago. http://www.catsmeowcafe.com/Music/MP3s/wipeout.mp3Would have been impossible for me to create that song by myself without the help of BIAB. But, then again, I'm not the musician you are, so that's not saying too much.  However, in this case, I would say that Hide Away is a generic blues tune and Badabing should be able to play it using several of the blues styles. 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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14 |
Gary,
Great info!! Thanks!!
So where do I get the custom backing tracks that you mentioned like "wipeout" and "Peter Gunn?". Those are songs I would love to have backing tracks to as well.
What do you think about a song like "Folsom Prison Blues" or "Hot Rod Lincoln?" Would I need custom backing tracks for those songs as well or would I be able to simply play them into BIAB(audio chord) and they would give me chords and a backing track? Are there "styles" that would work for those kind of songs?
Thanks!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199 |
I made a response to this once, and accidently closed Firefox while researching an answer to it, so I have to type it all over again. Meh!  What I need to emphasize is that Band In A Box is actually a very simplistic program. You take a simple chord progression, and select a style, and it will create the backing track based on the style that you choose. That really is the entire basis of BIAB. Of course, it's much more elaborate than that, but that is the basic core function of the program. So, what IS a style, anyway? In a nutshell, it's a combination of up to five parts, the drums, bass, piano, guitar and strings that when combined make up a backing track. It's how that style is put together that is the real genius of Band In A Box. In an 'arranger keyboard' like the Yamaha, Casio or other manufacturers, you play a chord with your left hand, and the keyboard builds a backing track around that. Now, I'm not dissing arranger keyboards, since that is what I use, and have two very expensive ones. But, you play a C chord, and the arranger keyboard will play a singular backing track for as long as that C chord is input, only changing when you put a new chord it. That chord NEVER will change, it will ALWAYS play exactly the same notes. If you put in a progression, every single time, the keyboard will play back an identical track. Band In A Box is not that way. The five 'parts' of the BIAB backing track are composed of stylistic patterns. Peter Gannon designed BIAB so that you can have multiple patterns for each element. He also designed it to 'look ahead' and know how long that chord is going to last for, and choose an appropriate pattern for the chord length. In detail, depending on how the style was written, you may have 1 bar patterns, 2 bar patterns and four bar patterns. You may have ten slightly different patterns for the one bar patterns, five slightly different patters for the 2 bar patterns and five slight different patterns for the four bar pattern. So, for a major chord, you may have up to 20 different patterns that can be selected depending on the length of the chord. Which pattern gets selected is determined within the program and based on the designer's weighting of the pattern. Now, that is just for say the drums. That same thing may apply to the bass, the piano, the guitar and the string parts, giving you 20 different patterns for each instrument for any given bar. This is why BIAB sounds so good. Given a two bar C chord, a one bar F chord and a one bar G chord, and then a four bar C chord, played over and over again, it is possible that it may play 100 times before repeating itself. Again, it depends on the weighting of each pattern, but it's possible to have so many different combinations that you'll be hard pressed to hear the same thing repeated over the course of those eight bars, at least very often. Now, for a song like 'Wipeout!' or 'Peter Gunn', certain parts of the song have a very specific motif to them, and you would have to build a style to match that song. For 'Peter Gunn' the bass is very unique, and the bass pattern would have to be written not to change each time. For 'Wipeout!' the drums are very unique and would have to be written to reflect the song. You could select another style, but it would not have the specific motif of the song, and hence would sound 'wrong.' For me, doing 'Wipeout!' or 'Tequila', I bought certain styles from Norton Music that had those styles already created. You can make your own styles. Most of us do not because of the time involved in doing it, and for me, the lack of musical knowledge to actually do it. Bob Norton makes excellent styles, and you can pay him some good money for some great styles. Or, if you are talented, you can do it yourself. For something like Folsom Prison Blues, Hot Rod Lincoln, or any song for that matter, the Audio Chord Wizard only determines the chords. It does nothing for the style. The ACW doesn't know style from melody. YOU get to select the style, and if there is a style similar to what you need, you can use that. If not, then you need to find someone who has created it, or create your own. The that end, you may also use the Hybrid Style maker, which allows you to take a stylistic element from one style and combine it with elements of other styles to come up with one that works. Does this answer some of your question? 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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 14 |
Gary,
First and foremost Thank you for your time and details! I know how frustrating it is to get half way through a very detailed message or e-mail only to loose it at the brush of an erroneous keystroke!! aaaghh!!!
Your message is very helpful!! I think that "Folsom Prison" and "Hot Rod Lincoln" have very common country old school beats and I bet that style is in BIAB. I would have to arrange it accordingly but I bet it can be done.
Thank you again, you are a scholar and a gentleman!!
BADABING
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,199 |
Badabing, A lot of people use BIAB for creating music for gigging. I'm not one, since my playing isn't up to that level. However, "Notes" Norton has the best description of how to set up files from BIAB for playing live with. I would highly recommend this web page as a great link, even if you aren't going to use them playing live. http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.htmlThe information contained here comes from a wealth of experience Bob has gained over the years, and it shows from the acclaim of his group, the Sophisticats. http://www.nortonmusic.com/cats/cats.htmlGary
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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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 Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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