|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,329
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,329 |
Keith,
may I ask where you saw this?:
"the every 6 month deactivation feature will go away, and the old program will remain permanently activated."
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,116 |
Keith,
may I ask where you saw this?:
"the every 6 month deactivation feature will go away, and the old program will remain permanently activated."
Thanks. So far, I can’t find where I saw this exact language, only that it remains available. I know that I saw it somewhere but it’s not where I expected to find it. I’ll keep looking.
Keith
2026 Audiophile Windows 11 RYZEN THREADRIPPER 3960X 4.5GHZ 128 GB RAM 2 Nvidia RTX 3090s, Vegas,Acid,SoundForge,Izotope Production,Melodyne Studio,SONAR,3 Raven Mtis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,329
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 7,329 |
Don't. Save your time. I don't think it was clearly mentioned... yet by developers. Lets just wait and see what happens. Noel said that likely roll out of new Sonar/Next is by the end of the year.
While most of the DAWs are very capable these days, I am married to Cakewalk. Meng (owner) proved that they are serious about it by updating/patching it very aggressively in the last 5 years. I will definitely buy a license, if the price is fair and will not make me sell a kidney.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109 |
"[I switched to Studio One after it became clear Cakewalk was going to be killed off, and before BandLab picked it up.]"
I also switched to Studio One before BandLab picked it up. As things have turned out, I am glad I did. Studio One is a better product than Sonar.
.......................................
Billy
Same here and I agree that Studio One is a better product than the original Sonar. can any of the people who like Studio One better than Cakewalk post a few observations about why it's better?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,594
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,594 |
Hi Pat. That first line quoted was me.
My reasons aren’t going to apply to most people, but what I like best about Studio One is the tight integration with my hardware. I have a Presonus audio interface that I bought because I couldn’t stand the Focusrite control software. Once I had that, I bought a Presonus Faderport for mixing, and a Presonus Revelator mic for Zoom. All of it works seamlessly.
You know I’m a composer and arranger. I should mention that I’m a beta tester for Presonus Notion notation software. I paid for everything but it helps me that the notation in Studio One is tightly integrated with Notion.
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 745
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 745 |
I have mostly Presonus equipment.
...Deb
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 637
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 637 |
Pat, I started with Cakewalk Pro Audio 8 and had all the Sonar Versions. I first got Studio One Pro V2 and have been with them ever since. The speed and ease of the drag and drop sold me right off the bat. I too also use Presonus hardware including the Fader Port. As others have stated it has tight integration with the software and hardware.
I own Melodyne Studio which is also tightly integrated with Studio One. In fact Presonus co-developed ARA with Celemony which even Sonar and others also use.
Studio One is cross platform which I own a PC and a Apple iMac and releases at the same time.
As Matt mentions it also works with it's Notion notation software.
Some of the features I like is the Arranger track, Chord track, The Scratch Pad, Lyrics Track.
One particular feature I like is just being able to drag over a effect on a send and it will setup and create everything for you including a aux track.
Another feature that is cool if drag and drop a Virtual instrument it will create everything for you and if you drag another on top of that one it will ask you if you want to combine them or replace the other one. This also works with effects. You no longer need to use a separate track for parallel compression just drop another compressor and make a splitter. They have features for doing live shows, beat making ,video and the list goes on and on.
I do have other DAWS including Logic, Reaper and so on but by far my favorite is Studio One.
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,508
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,508 |
I guess I missed the boat.
I was planning to download Cakewalk to replace my aging Master Tracks Pro MIDI sequencer.
All I want it for is the MIDI sequencing and editing abilities.
Is the last free version still available?
Master Tracks Pro works just fine, and has great editing features, but it's abandonware, so someday it won't work anymore.
Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,809
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,809 |
To me the difference between cakewalk and studio is personal,choice. Both work well. I have track many projects in both programs. Studio one seems to handle things in a slightly and mean slightly simpler approach. I like the way studio one has a simpler setup when you open it. Yes I know you can template cakewalk to open up to you custom screen template, but after fussing with it for over an hour one day I got nothing that was saved. I don’t like the pro channel on each track in cake. It is cluttered and confusing. I like the signal chain capability of studio one. Simple and straightforward. Studio one does a video track as well. Nice feature. It also has a mastering page to finish a album like project. Lastly it comes with far superior plugins. Yes you pay for them. But they are really good. I don’t like the sonitus stuff when compared to the studio one plugins.
As mentioned above studio one is cross platform so I can run the exact same program on my Mac and my win laptop.
If cake goes to a paid system then to me it is a non starter for me. Cake is only interesting since it is free. For paid I want more than it offers.
Is cake a good DAW? Yes very good. Especially for free. And it was free since it stripped out the extra content. I want the extra content. I want a full suite of native plugins, a nice library of sounds.
I do agree cakes comping is really cool, but studio ne does almost the exact same thing. You just have to know it’s workflow. I love you can template even at that level. Jeff Pettit showed me a while back how to setup a one button arrangement that opened up a track and eight comping tracks for dragging the BiaB plugins original multiriff output this was so cool. One click and you could comp a finished lead track.
Finally it falls to familiarity. Which are used to. For me I started on cake and have used it a lot, so familiar. I Switched to studio one simple because it was for my mind more intuitive. For someone else like my friend Misha, he things differently, so cake is more intuitive to him. This just personal opinion.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,508
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,508 |
Got it. Thanks. Now I'll figure out how to use it. If I like it a lot, I'll go ahead and get the paid version if the price is right. I met the guy who wrote Master Tracks Pro, he came to one of our gigs, and he said after he updates Encore, he'll work on MTPro. But he also said that after GVox bought the apps so many years ago, they messed up the code, so it'll be a huge, time-consuming job. I like MTPro because it's MIDI only. That means it's quicker, and the menus are easy to acess, no menu->sub menu->sub-menu so every editing dialog is no more than a hover and click away. Plus the editing features are great. Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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 PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,350
Posts803,725
Members40,104
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean