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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2014
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Hello,
I've got BiaB 2020 on a Dell XPS 18 (a maxi-pad) with Windows 10 that I use on a digital piano and that I carry around.
I plan to buy BiaB 2025.
My computer's SSD is only 256 GB. It already contains more than 75 GB taken by various programs and files and so I will not be able to install on it Biab 2025 which is about 180 GB.
I do not want to carry BiaB on a disk connected to my computer with a cable, whether it is an HDD or an SSD.
Since my computer has a slot for an SD card, I plan to buy a 512 GB SD card with a speed of 150 MB/s (example: SanDisk Ultra) and install the Realtracks on the SD card since, unless I am mistaken, the BiaB installation procedure allows you to install the RealTracks elsewhere than on the C:\ drive
But PG Music advises me against it, reporting many problems encountered by SD card users.
What do you think? Have you encountered or heard of problems resulting from the installation of RealTracks on an SD card?
Thanks in advance for your opinion.
Lazy Bird
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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LB.
a m.2 with enclosure is 50 bucks.
hooks up to usb c eg.
merry x.
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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LB.
a m.2 with enclosure is 50 bucks.
hooks up to usb c eg.
om Maximum weight = 10 grams
Biab Audiophile 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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LB.
a m.2 with enclosure is 50 bucks.
hooks up to usb c eg.
om Maximum weight = 10 grams Thanks for your suggestions, but with the SSD there is a cable that connects it to the pad and the SSD dangles when you place the pad on a lectern: it is neither very practical nor very safe ... and it does not look very professional. And if you leave quickly and forget the SSD or the cable it can be a pain... ;-) While an SD card is in the computer and is carried with it. Maybe it is better that I see if I can replace the 256 GB SSD of my computer with a 512 GB SSD!
Lazy Bird
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"Maybe it is better that I see if I can replace the 256 GB SSD of my computer with a 512 GB SSD!"
That would be the best option. Don't do it on the SD card, you will be crying.
There are several disk cloner software titles available. Free ones too. I use a free one. Usually cloning takes about 1-2 hours. Plus you will have a mirror of your original system as a backup. Don't forget to buy external enclosure (for cloning). Cheaper ones are $10 - $15.
Last edited by Rustyspoon#; 12/05/24 11:44 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Maybe it is better that I see if I can replace the 256 GB SSD of my computer with a 512 GB SSD! Don't stop there, go to a full TB and beyond if you got a few extra bucks.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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PG Music Staff
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Hi -
I don't think you will have good results using an SD card. I know you don't want an external drive, but you might reconsider, as you can get the BiaB 2025 UltraPAK on a 256 GB SSD drive (option provided in the shopping cart). This can attach to your USB-C port on that computer with a short cable (only a few inches), and the drive itself is very small - smaller than a credit card, so this is much different experience than carrying around the standard 2.5 HDD with a long cable.
Andrew
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I don't know yet what I'm going to do, but in any case everyone seems to agree that the SD card solution is not the right one ;-) ...
Thanks to all !
Lazy Bird
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Although I concur, the half-organized tests that we did on this are older news now. It's been several years. I do not know for sure anymore that it won't work on a new speed 10 flash drive.
I would always be guided by whatever Andrew says.
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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I don't know yet what I'm going to do, but in any case everyone seems to agree that the SD card solution is not the right one ;-) ...
Thanks to all ! Have you got an M2 slot in your laptop ?
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"Maybe it is better that I see if I can replace the 256 GB SSD of my computer with a 512 GB SSD!"
That would be the best option. Don't do it on the SD card, you will be crying.
There are several disk cloner software titles available. Free ones too. I use a free one. Usually cloning takes about 1-2 hours. Plus you will have a mirror of your original system as a backup. Don't forget to buy external enclosure (for cloning). Cheaper ones are $10 - $15. Doing that on a Dell XPS 18 that could be an iffy situation. I'd get the lay of the land before proceeding (opening it and looking at what I had to work with; you're gonna have to open it eventually anyway to do it). Reasons: *All in one *some models have parts not user replaceable (soldered etc) *some have custom caddies to support the drive being replaced (could be notebook HDD or regular HDD or SSD, best to know what you are replacing) Many on this forum are capable, but not knowing OPs skill level I don't want to give any advice without more definition of what he has to work with. Then we can guess if it's worth it.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I don't know yet what I'm going to do, but in any case everyone seems to agree that the SD card solution is not the right one ;-) ...
Thanks to all ! Have you got an M2 slot in your laptop ? No idea: I'd have to open my computer ! And I'd better leave that to a professional: before you asked and I looked it up on Google, I didn't even know what an M2 slot was 😊!) Thanks for alerting me to this point though!
Lazy Bird
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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"Maybe it is better that I see if I can replace the 256 GB SSD of my computer with a 512 GB SSD!"
That would be the best option. Don't do it on the SD card, you will be crying.
There are several disk cloner software titles available. Free ones too. I use a free one. Usually cloning takes about 1-2 hours. Plus you will have a mirror of your original system as a backup. Don't forget to buy external enclosure (for cloning). Cheaper ones are $10 - $15. Doing that on a Dell XPS 18 that could be an iffy situation. I'd get the lay of the land before proceeding (opening it and looking at what I had to work with; you're gonna have to open it eventually anyway to do it). Reasons: *All in one *some models have parts not user replaceable (soldered etc) *some have custom caddies to support the drive being replaced (could be notebook HDD or regular HDD or SSD, best to know what you are replacing) Many on this forum are capable, but not knowing OPs skill level I don't want to give any advice without more definition of what he has to work with. Then we can guess if it's worth it. Thank you for alerting me on this point! As I don't know much about all these technical points, I will contact a professional if I change my SSD 😊
Lazy Bird
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
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PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
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The issue with the SD cards is mainly the file system. The RealTracks and RealDrums have a huge number of files (100,000+), which means a huge file system. Windows drives and SSD use NTFS and they are designed expecting rapid access to huge numbers of files. SD cards we have tested in the past are much too slow in this regard. You can tell this by trying to copy an entire RealTracks folder using wu diss explorer and watch the slow speed as each file is copied and then an entry is added to the file system.
Band-in-a-Box accesses the drive during playback, and any drive slowness can result in audio glitches or silence (this is the case for any DAW, which is why fast drives are important.
The SD cards are getting better, and some use NTFS or can be formatted to do so. If anyone has had success with a new SD cards for use as a drive on a DAW or other digital audio program, please let me know.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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...No idea: I'd have to open my computer !
And I'd better leave that to a professional: before you asked and I looked it up on Google, I didn't even know what an M2 slot was 😊!)
Thanks for alerting me to this point though! If you can post the full specs of the Dell model, I can have a look as the M2 drives just plug in easily, if you have a DVD rom slot you can use that for a SATA SSD bay to give an extra internal hard drive.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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...No idea: I'd have to open my computer !
And I'd better leave that to a professional: before you asked and I looked it up on Google, I didn't even know what an M2 slot was 😊!)
Thanks for alerting me to this point though! If you can post the full specs of the Dell model, I can have a look as the M2 drives just plug in easily, if you have a DVD rom slot you can use that for a SATA SSD bay to give an extra internal hard drive. It is very kind of you, musocity, to offer me this help. Unfortunately, apart from the model name (Dell XPS 18), I do not have the detailed specifications of my device. Also, there is no DVD slot: the Dell XPS 18 is shaped like a maxi pad (18-inch screen) with a separate keyboard and is therefore very thin. This is a model that Dell manufactured ten years ago, but which has been discontinued for several years (which is a shame because it was a very original product and ideal for a pianist ☹) : https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/servicetag/0-Ukd0blN6NlYxZDFRb29mcy9DVDZyQT090/overview
Lazy Bird
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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The issue with the SD cards is mainly the file system. The RealTracks and RealDrums have a huge number of files (100,000+), which means a huge file system. Windows drives and SSD use NTFS and they are designed expecting rapid access to huge numbers of files. SD cards we have tested in the past are much too slow in this regard. You can tell this by trying to copy an entire RealTracks folder using wu diss explorer and watch the slow speed as each file is copied and then an entry is added to the file system.
Band-in-a-Box accesses the drive during playback, and any drive slowness can result in audio glitches or silence (this is the case for any DAW, which is why fast drives are important.
The SD cards are getting better, and some use NTFS or can be formatted to do so. If anyone has had success with a new SD cards for use as a drive on a DAW or other digital audio program, please let me know. Thank you very much, Peter, for these details that will surely interest many Band-in-a-Box users. But I will probably not be the first to experience installing Realtracks on a high-speed SD card formatted in NTFS: if it is possible with my maxi tablet, I will rather choose to replace my 256 GB SSD with a 512 or 1000 GB SSD.
Lazy Bird
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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PG Music Staff
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>>> But I will probably not be the first to experience installing Realtracks on a high-speed SD card formatted in NTFS: if it is possible with my maxi tablet, I will rather choose to replace my 256 GB SSD with a 512 or 1000 GB SSD.
Yes, it would be great if SD cards have improved for speed and file handling. I'd love to hear from anyone that has tried one of the new ones with BiaB. And if so, let us know make/model.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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It should have an M2 SSD slot, if not the hard drive is easy enough to upgrade, you just need to clone the old drive to the new bigger one. You can use a USB 3.0 to SSD adapter to clone from your SSD to new bigger SSD. You also have USB 3.0 M2 adapters, you can plug into USB 3.0 and tape it to the back of the pad or use double sided tape. https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Dell+XPS+18+HDD-SSD+Replacement/103769M2 SSD slot: ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=29355&filename=XPS-1820-M2.jpeg) Here is a link to download the free DiskGenius software. https://www.diskgenius.com/![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=29357&filename=USB-3-SSD.jpg) USB 3.0 M2: ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=29358&filename=USB-M2.jpg) ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=29360&filename=M2-SSD.jpg)
Last edited by musocity; 12/09/24 04:56 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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It should have an M2 SSD slot, if not the hard drive is easy enough to upgrade, you just need to clone the old drive to the new bigger one. You can use a USB 3.0 to SSD adapter to clone from your SSD to new bigger SSD. You also have USB 3.0 M2 adapters, you can plug into USB 3.0 and tape it to the back of the pad or use double sided tape. https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Dell+XPS+18+HDD-SSD+Replacement/103769Here is a link to download the free DiskGenius software. https://www.diskgenius.com/USB 3.0 M2: That's so kind, musocity ;-) Maybe I should have tried it myself, but I preferred to entrust my machine to a professional, and I now have an SSD that will allow me to install Band-in-a-Box 2025. That being said, with all the information and illustrations you provided me, I'm sure I will be able to do it myself when Band-in-Box exceeds 512 GB ;-) Thanks again!
Lazy Bird
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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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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!
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.
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