Thanks Dan! I can upgrade Komplete for $99 and get 3 things I've really wanted...Electric Mint, Prime Bass and Kontakt 7 plus a bunch of other things I don't even know what to do with (yet!) BTW, I think I read that Electric Mint allows exporting MIDI patterns (something I wanted to do with Picked Acoustic.)
Thanks Dan! I can upgrade Komplete for $99 and get 3 things I've really wanted...Electric Mint, Prime Bass and Kontakt 7 plus a bunch of other things I don't even know what to do with (yet!) BTW, I think I read that Electric Mint allows exporting MIDI patterns (something I wanted to do with Picked Acoustic.)
Ya, time for me to update also.
By the way, Electric Mint, Drag and Drop Midi - not exactly how I thought it would be done, but does provide new featured workflow.
Check out the video at 1:59 which walks throught the Midi Drag & Drop feature. This actually provides pre-arranged chord progressions versus having to input them from the DAW or Keyboard. This feature is new to the Session Guitarist Series.
Quote:
I have many ???s
Not surprizing. Kontakt is huge. Between YouTube, the NI website and VI-Control... All of your questions can be answered.
Here is the series as best I recall: 1. Strummed Acoustic (Both I and II) 2. Sunburst (Both Regular and Deluxe) 3. Picked Acoustic 4. Electric Vintage 5. Picked Nylon 6. Electric Mint
We had a chat about this a couple years back here in the forum when Picked Nylon came out. The consensus of BIAB users on this product at the time was very favorable. And that it works well with BIAB.
If it helps, first, I can tell you the price at $49.50 is right.
Otherwise, my decision process for any new VI is "...will I be able to use this in a compositon?" Having said that I have to admit, I have bought some packages simply because they are so cool and fun to play with. But I am happy to say I have used every one of my Session Guitars in my music. But I don't have them all.
I do remember the Electric Vintage and I passed on it at the time (Feb 2021). It is a Telecaster known for its twang country sound. I have owned over a dozen guitars and never bought or played a Tele. So maybe that explains why I passed on it?
I am currently sitting on the fence with the Mint. My current upgrade really only needs Kontakt 7 at $49.50. But I am a Strat guy so the Mint looks cool. But i have not been making much guitar music these days. ?? I will make the decision very soon.
Here is the series as best I recall: 1. Strummed Acoustic (Both I and II) 2. Sunburst (Both Regular and Deluxe) 3. Picked Acoustic 4. Electric Vintage 5. Picked Nylon 6. Electric Mint
We had a chat about this a couple years back here in the forum when Picked Nylon came out. The consensus of BIAB users on this product at the time was very favorable. And that it works well with BIAB.
If it helps, first, I can tell you the price at $49.50 is right.
Otherwise, my decision process for any new VI is "...will I be able to use this in a compositon?" Having said that I have to admit, I have bought some packages simply because they are so cool and fun to play with. But I am happy to say I have used every one of my Session Guitars in my music. But I don't have them all.
I do remember the Electric Vintage and I passed on it at the time (Feb 2021). It is a Telecaster known for its twang country sound. I have owned over a dozen guitars and never bought or played a Tele. So maybe that explains why I passed on it?
I am currently sitting on the fence with the Mint. My current upgrade really only needs Kontakt 7 at $49.50. But I am a Strat guy so the Mint looks cool. But i have not been making much guitar music these days. ?? I will make the decision very soon.
Dan
Thanks for that careful, considered advice. Pretty sure I'll buy it; I currently have a set with a missing piece! Maybe I'll wait a couple more days so I can feel like I didn't just splurge on everything in May.
JJJ, it probably won't hit the card until June if you do it after midnight tonight <grin>
My upgrade price is apparently $199; more than I wanted to spend on surprise notice (just paid a garage door guy a couple hundred tonight ..), and as usual the NI site is not really clear on what I would get for that. If I knew I got the new Kontakt Library (and *something else) I'd likely be thinking about it at work tomorrow.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
My upgrade price is apparently $199; more than I wanted to spend on surprise notice (just paid a garage door guy a couple hundred tonight ..), and as usual the NI site is not really clear on what I would get for that. If I knew I got the new Kontakt Library (and *something else) I'd likely be thinking about it at work tomorrow.
I had mentioned it was a tough decision. But the Kontakt web page does provide much of the info needed. You need to log in. They will know who you are and what you already have. They will tell you exactly what packages you will get for the $199. You just have to push buttons. They will throw in way more than any one person will need or want. Keep in mind you don't have to download everything. The programs will be there for you at anytime in the future. If you see more than 3 or 4 gems you may decide the price is a bargin.
My upgrade price is apparently $199; more than I wanted to spend on surprise notice (just paid a garage door guy a couple hundred tonight ..), and as usual the NI site is not really clear on what I would get for that. If I knew I got the new Kontakt Library (and *something else) I'd likely be thinking about it at work tomorrow.
I had mentioned it was a tough decision. But the Kontakt web page does provide much of the info needed. You need to log in. They will know who you are and what you already have. They will tell you exactly what packages you will get for the $199. You just have to push buttons. They will throw in way more than any one person will need or want. Keep in mind you don't have to download everything. The programs will be there for you at anytime in the future. If you see more than 3 or 4 gems you may decide the price is a bargin.
Good luck. Dan
They do a poor job of showing what you'll get that is new vs. what you already have (probably intentionally!) So, what I did was go here, https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-14-standard/compare/ and look down the text list of included items under Standard (I had KOMPLETE 13 Standard). I loaded Native Access and installed everything I own then made myself a text file of all the items listed on the webpage that I did not already have in Native Access. Then, I could quickly see that I was going to get 30+ new items including KONTAKT 7 and 3 Session instruments I've been wanting. My upgrade price was only $99.50+tax so it ended up being a no-brainer for me (very fortunate since lately I'm kind of a no-brain sort of fella!)
There is a link called "Whats New for Me?" which itemizes what is available in V14 Standard vrs what was in V13 Standard. I thought that was pretty well laid out showing me what I would get for the $99.50. That would get me Kontakt 7, Mint, Prime Bass plus a lots of additions stuff I have no intention of downloading at this time.
For $299 I could have updated from Standard 13 to Ultimate 14 - then I would have gotten a lot of stuff I would have downloaded: Nylon, Vintage, Alica Keys, Colors, Horns Pro 1 and 2, Damage, Action strikes 1 and 2, along with the whole orchestral esstential series of classical instruments. Would certainly be worth the money, but I could not say all would end up in my recordings since I have a lot of equivalent libraries.
By the way, I have been working with Mint and have an arrangement in the works.
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
Windows 10 (64bit) M-Audio Fast Track Pro, Band in a Box 2025, Cubase 14, Cakewalk and far too many VST plugins that I probably don't need or will ever use
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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!
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.
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.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.