To be sure, I'm not certain I even know what a VST is...
Probably the first place to start is to make sure you don't confuse VST with VSTi.
Oversimplifying, a VSTi is a virtual instrument, such as a string or brass library of sounds. It's normally some form of MIDI but there are exceptions. A VST is itself a program but it is written to interface seamlessly with a DAW or other music program, hence the term 'plugin'. VSTs are primarily for adjusting audio, not MIDI.
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.
- Reaper - Toonetrack: EZDrummer3, EZKeys, EZBass, EZmix. - BIAB - Notation software mainly GuitarPro8 (and MuseScore4) - I hardly don't use any VSTs (if so mainly free ones). I recently bought EZmix which I found quite useful since it lets me get rid of most VSTs. (I have a very simple approach to it). The only other VST I have bought is Valhalla VintageVerb.
I am not a musician only an amateur playing violin and guitar as my own instruments, and some vocals.
VST is Virtual Studio Technology. Thus VSTi is Virtual Studio technology instrument. A VST is more along the lines of compressors, reverbs... signal processing stuff.
I used a US 20x20 (yeah, I know who needs that many inputs) from Tascam for years. Recently switched to the IK Multimedia AXE I/O which works great for my guitar and any limited vocals I may need. It works seamlessly with Amplitube 5 also from IK, so that is a win-win. Mostly use Cakewalk as I had invested in it plenty back when it was not free. But I also have Cubase 12 Pro and find it useful. I have more guitars than I need (my wife says!), but I play them all and each has its purpose. I have a Komplete Kontrol S61 from Native Instruments along with their Komplete Ultimate Collectors Supercalifragilistic software. And lots of other library stuff that I find uses for. I use BIAB and Real Band all the time for ideas, backing tracks, practice.
I have many of Bob 'Notes' Norton's add on styles and several of the fake disks as well. Saves a lot of time not having to enter the songs I want to practice. His stuff is top notch for anyone that might want or need it. Well worth the money.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
I (Bud) played in bluegrass bands from the early 70's to 2003. Janice played in them from 1989 to 2003. We gigged a lot even though we were both doing 40+ hours a week in the mental health field. I can in all honesty say that I had rather sit down with Logic Pro X, BiaB and a host of Waves/Izotope plug-ins for hours than play a festival set in front of thousands much less a three night club gig -- no matter how appreciative the fans. For some reason we never thrived on it and often wanted to be out hiking or riding our bikes instead. However, I find time with BiaB and my DAW to be almost zen like at times. Mesmerizing even. To hear what I can do compared to my recording efforts from the 60's thru the early 2000's never ceases to amaze me. I mean did anybody really enjoy splicing tape?
So at the risk of redundancy, in a room that serves as an office, workout, and recording area a couple of mics, an interface, a Mac, BiaB RTs/RDs/MSTs, Logic Pro X (and its zillion sounds, fx and loops), a large Waves/Izotope suite, and a wonderful bride who is willing to sing about any genre I suggest I can get lost in the production thing. Well at least for the one per month we average. Heck sometimes I even drag the ole 1953 bass fiddle into the picture and contribute something other than the tech stuff. And, every now and then with the appearance of the proverbial blue moon I pretend I know what the hell I'm doing.
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
LOL...What it looked like before software and before the internet...lol
My bus, my band, Super Blue
I was lucky enough to play a lot with these guys'
Me,Joe, and Grady
Joe Guitar Hughes was inspired by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Johnny "Guitar" Watson – "anyone who had fire in their playing and a good shuffle".[2] His first band was the Dukes of Rhythm in the 1950s, which also included his friend Johnny Copeland.[3] He worked with Little Richard and in Bobby Bland's band in the 1960s.[2]
Grady Gaines (May 14, 1934 – January 29, 2021)[2] was an American electric blues, Texas blues and jazz blues tenor saxophonist, who performed and recorded with Little Richard in the 1950s. He backed other musicians such as Dee Clark, Little Willie John, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and Joe Tex.
This was a New Years gig, Joe and me and a really drunk lady who danced to every song we played that night...lol
Earl Gillum
Gilliam was born in New Waverly, Texas on January 13, 1930 and died aged 81 in Tomball, Texas on October 19, 2011. Gilliam was a longtime fixture in the Texas blues scene, moving to Houston at age 18 and going on to play with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Albert “Iceman” Collins and Little Joe Washington.
Don't ever get old...lol I can't remember the bass player's name. The drummer was Johnny Preajune.
These were fun times. The only thing transistor was the PA and the keyboard.
Billy
Last edited by Planobilly; 04/09/2306:09 AM.
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
For years I have been producing music with hundreds of gigabytes of VSTs, and I was proud of myself.
Until recently, I started to dig a bit deeper on BiaB, and only realized all my efforts, knowledge, and skills in the previous years, were all wasted.
Why? Because of BiaB, I don't need to use VSTs anymore.
BiaB makes 90% of my past workflow instantly useless and irrelevant.
That's why I'm so sad and so excited at the same time. Too much emotion to handle.
Band-in-a-Box is the war to end all wars.
This makes me feel better about not knowing what the heck a VST is (sometimes ignorance is bliss). But for those that find them useful, more power to you.
I'm just glad I'm hitching my wagon to the BiaB tractor.
PG Music . . . Keep up the good work, looking forward to what the future holds for this great tool.
As far as an emotional breakdown, maybe this will help? Breakdown
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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.
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!
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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.
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.
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.
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