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Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? #836013 12/27/24 08:08 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA Jim Fogle OP Veteran
OP Jim Fogle Veteran Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA	Where do you use Band-in-a-Box in the audio production process? For this thread I'm limiting audio production to a four step process; pre-production, production, post-production and mastering. Let's define the four audio production processes below. Pre-production is everything that happens before recording. Examples may include choosing what song or songs to record, creating charts, selecting what instrumentation to use, song or project arrangement and practice. Production is creating tracks. That can be by using loops, midi sequences, recording vocals or instruments or whatever else you do to create a track. Post-production is editing, mixing and adding effects to create a finished song or project. Mastering is sequencing the songs in a project, balancing songs so all have a similar feel, adding metadata, setting maximum levels to meet the specifications set by the publishing house and shipping the master to the publisher. The publisher could be ReverbNation, Bandlab, this forum, CD Baby, YouTube or something similar. How do you use Band-in-a-Box in this setting? Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1224) RB (Build 8) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836029 12/27/24 11:27 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 20,607 Australia Noel96 Veteran
Noel96 Veteran Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 20,607 Australia	Hi Jim, What an interesting idea for a thread I use BIAB/RB for creating and arranging, and for obtaining audio and midi material that I can assemble into a song. So with that in mind, my process seems to involve Pre-Production and Production as you have defined the terms. I also use BIAB to notate my songs (which part of the publishing process). --Noel MY SONGS... Audiophile BIAB 2026 audios on Soundcloud

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836058 12/28/24 07:04 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,787 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,787 Hamlin NY	This should be a very interesting thread! My main use for BiaB is in the Pre-production phase. I input my chord progression then I choose what MIDI styles, MIDI tracks, and on occasion RTs/RDs to use. Note that sometimes I will use the RTs' MIDI charts to convert the audio tracks to MIDI tracks in my songs. Post-production is just generating the tracks. Everything else like choosing MIDI sound sources, modifying the tracks if needed, adding effects, recording vocals and instruments, etc is done in my DAW. Note that I don't string songs together so I do no mastering. Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"? Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"! 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836126 12/28/24 11:47 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 8,248 Sacramento, California dcuny Veteran
dcuny Veteran Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 8,248 Sacramento, California	I use it in: Pre-production for finding the general feel of the song, building a chord progression, and creating a backing track to create vocal to; Production as I choose which tracks to keep, and which tracks to replace with other BiaB tracks, and which new BiaB tracks to use. Production, Post-production and Mastering are all performed mainly in a DAW that isn't BiaB. -- David Cuny My virtual singer development blog Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing? BiaB 2025 \| Windows 11 \| Reaper \| Way too many VSTis.

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836175 12/28/24 04:38 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA Jim Fogle OP Veteran
OP Jim Fogle Veteran Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA	Interesting responses so far. I'm glad that others beside me are interested in how Band-in-a-Box is used in the audio production process. Regarding Marios's comment about Mastering. If you are posting a song, or songs online then some type of mastering is being performed on your files. YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, all have requirements files that must be met to be accepted. Exporting a file in a certain format so it can be accepted by a distributor is mastering. Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1224) RB (Build 8) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836176 12/28/24 04:41 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,787 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,787 Hamlin NY	Originally Posted by Jim Fogle Interesting responses so far. I'm glad that others beside me are interested in how Band-in-a-Box is used in the audio production process. Regarding Marios's comment about Mastering. If you are posting a song, or songs online then some type of mastering is being performed on your files. YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, all have requirements files that must be met to be accepted. Exporting a file in a certain format so it can be accepted by a distributor is mastering. Thanx for that information Jim. I didn't know that. Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"? Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"! 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836177 12/28/24 04:46 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA Jim Fogle OP Veteran
OP Jim Fogle Veteran Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA	There maybe some disagreement with my statements about mastering but I feel for the sake of this discussion they make sense. Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1224) RB (Build 8) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836239 12/29/24 06:37 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000 Posts: 22,632 Mi., USA rharv Veteran
rharv Veteran Joined: May 2000 Posts: 22,632 Mi., USA	Well, I'll agree it is probably the most basic requirement of mastering, with the goal, of course, of making it sound a good as possible in that format, but often it involves mediums other than just MP3, like vinyl, film, broadcast etc. I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? MarioD #836244 12/29/24 06:52 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 892 Sonoran Desert mrgeeze Expert
mrgeeze Expert Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 892 Sonoran Desert	Originally Posted by MarioD This should be a very interesting thread! My main use for BiaB is in the Pre-production phase. I input my chord progression then I choose what MIDI styles, MIDI tracks, and on occasion RTs/RDs to use. Note that sometimes I will use the RTs' MIDI charts to convert the audio tracks to MIDI tracks in my songs. Post-production is just generating the tracks. Everything else like choosing MIDI sound sources, modifying the tracks if needed, adding effects, recording vocals and instruments, etc is done in my DAW. Note that I don't string songs together so I do no mastering. +1 I use 97.543% real tracks for my work. a Few superMidi Tracks. I do master using Logics Mastering Assistant and a limited selection of plugins biab2026(Mac) Latest Build Mac OS (Latest) Apple Mac Mini M2 pro 32GB Ram Logic Pro (latest or pretty close) Blue and White Sea Star

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836254 12/29/24 07:44 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,895 Middlesex, NC Guitarhacker Veteran
Guitarhacker Veteran Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,895 Middlesex, NC	Since you divided it into 4 stages..... I use BB in stages one and two. I write the song and build the structure and arrangement in BB. Then I take the tracks I need into my DAW. It's during this stage that I'm deciding if I want to add tracks that are not native to the style and I use BB to create those and drop them into the project too. Once I have all the tracks, it's off to the DAW where stages 3 & 4 are completed. The use of BB in those stages is extremely rare. But if I find a certain track is not working or I really want to hear something else in the project that isn't there currently, I will backup to stage 2 to create the new track. But I don't consider that using BB in stage 3 or 4. That's how I do it. You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? rharv #836273 12/29/24 08:51 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA Jim Fogle OP Veteran
OP Jim Fogle Veteran Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA	Originally Posted by rharv Well, I'll agree it is probably the most basic requirement of mastering, with the goal, of course, of making it sound a good as possible in that format, but often it involves mediums other than just MP3, like vinyl, film, broadcast etc. Very true. Some online services encourage wave submissions, others MP3 or MP4a. Many want the file volume level to meet a certain value or want specific metadata embedded. Even when sharing songs with band mates, family or friends they may prefer receiving audio files in a certain format. But as rharv stated the overall goal of mastering is "making it sound a good as possible in that format". I find Guitarhacker's statement, "I write the song and build the structure and arrangement in BB" fascinating. Song structure and arrangement are definitely two areas of song composition that Band-in-a-Box supports. I hope Guitarhacker will go into more detail about how he uses Band-in-a-Box while writing a song. I also hope mrgeeze expands on his comments. His quoting of Mario and declaration about RealTracks and SuperMidiTracks implies he uses Band-in-a-Box in pre-production and production 97.543% of the time. So far he is the lone Mac Band-in-a-Box user to contribute to the thread. Noel96, Guitarhacker, mrgeeze, dcuny and Mario seem to agree Band-in-a-Box is a tool they use in pre-production and production. Questions, do you see some of the newer Band-in-a-Box features such as partial track re-generation, the Track View and rebuilt Audio Editor, making pre-production and production easier and more fruitful? Can they play a role in your post production workflow? Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1224) RB (Build 8) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836309 12/29/24 03:10 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 2,068 Sillie Con Valley, California Mike Halloran Veteran
Mike Halloran Veteran Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 2,068 Sillie Con Valley, California	The best I can say is that it depends. Some projects are done entirely in BIAB for certain vanity projects where the client's goal is private distribution to family and friends only—much, much better than commercial karaoke tracks and far less expensive than doing them from scratch. Offering a superior product to these clients at a reasonable price is why I bought BIAB Audiophile all those years ago. For most projects, BIAB happens after basic tracks are recorded. I then export those tracks into Digital Performer and go from there, sometimes using the BIAB audio, normally quite good, or the MIDI piano rolls and assign my VIs from there. I can no longer use BIAB audio with MIDI in my DAW until BIAB becomes Apple Silicon native, unfortunately. As of 2024, BIAB over Rosetta II no longer plays well with others. I do not use a separate post production process for audio and never have. Post is for video, film & AV and has been since I started. I never confuse it with Mastering, even if others do. Mastering all depends on the final medium or media. Broadcast radio, KLOVE (not the same thing!), streaming, Broadcast TV, commercial beds, YouTube, iTunes/AppleMusic Store, CDs, AV etc. each have their own requirements and it's my job to know what they are and Master accordingly as I have been doing over 50 years, now. BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836327 12/29/24 06:06 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,787 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,787 Hamlin NY	Originally Posted by Jim Fogle ......................................... Questions, do you see some of the newer Band-in-a-Box features such as partial track re-generation, the Track View and rebuilt Audio Editor, making pre-production and production easier and more fruitful? Can they play a role in your post production workflow? No and No. Personally I think PGM should stop trying to make BiaB into a DAW. I would like to keep BiaB as the backing track generator and bring the entire BiaB structure into RB. RB would become the BiaB DAW and BiaB would be the backing track generator sans any DAW features for those of us whom use DAWs other than RB. I find working in BiaB other than #1 and #2 extremely frustrating. I can work much faster in my DAW. I know that part of that problem is me. Personally I would like to see PGM incorporate all of the BiaB features into the VST and make the VST very user friendly. I think that would be a better use of the programmers time. YMMV Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"? Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"! 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836815 01/01/25 05:24 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 3,751 DC Ron Veteran
DC Ron Veteran Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 3,751	I'm writing songs from set lyrics, and use BiaB for backing tracks. Once I write a song, usually on guitar, I'll use BiaB to generate an arrangement, always starting with a RealStyle. I'll add individual RealTracks if something I want is missing. Added RealTracks are usually something basic like an acoustic guitar or a synth pad. I'll generate all shots and hold in BiaB, but save rests for the DAW. I may partially regenerate a section in BiaB, but have limited success with this feature. (If something's still off I'll either edit in Melodyne or cut and paste from another section of the track.) Anyway, my intent is to have enough instrument choices to mix an interesting backing track in my DAW. I'll use the BiaB VST to import a chord track into my DAW. Then I'm done with BiaB. Final arrangement, RealTrack FX (when used), vocals and mixing are all in the DAW. Mastering is in Lurssen Mastering Console. The last new BiaB feature I couldn't live without is RealTracks. Been a while. I keep buying and trying all the new features though. My poorly-informed recommendation for PGMusic and AI is to train an AI on the BiaB track library and create an integrated approach to accessing the thousands of tracks that are available. Last edited by DC Ron; 01/01/25 06:40 PM. DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #836929 01/02/25 11:38 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 2,068 Sillie Con Valley, California Mike Halloran Veteran
Mike Halloran Veteran Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 2,068 Sillie Con Valley, California	Quote Personally I think PGM should stop trying to make BiaB into a DAW. I would like to keep BiaB as the backing track generator and bring the entire BiaB structure into RB. RB would become the BiaB DAW and BiaB would be the backing track generator sans any DAW features for those of us whom use DAWs other than RB. Amen to that! BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Mike Halloran #836947 01/02/25 01:01 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,787 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,787 Hamlin NY	Originally Posted by Mike Halloran Quote Personally I think PGM should stop trying to make BiaB into a DAW. I would like to keep BiaB as the backing track generator and bring the entire BiaB structure into RB. RB would become the BiaB DAW and BiaB would be the backing track generator sans any DAW features for those of us whom use DAWs other than RB. Amen to that! A second amen to that! Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"? Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"! 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #837142 01/03/25 01:53 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jul 2022 Posts: 3,083 3rd rock from the sun B.D.Thomas Veteran
B.D.Thomas Veteran Joined: Jul 2022 Posts: 3,083 3rd rock from the sun	Originally Posted by Jim Fogle Where do you use Band-in-a-Box in the audio production process? Pre-production: I noodle on the acoustic or maltreat my keyboard until I come up with an interesting chord progression, which I then put into BIAB, where I play around with different styles and instruments until I find something useful or archive it for later consideration. Production: Apart from selecting the BIAB tracks I want to keep, this is mainly done in my DAW, but I switch between BIAB and DAW until everything is the way I want it. The rest is done exclusively in my DAW, which in my opinion is much better suited for these tasks. Goldmania Bella Listen on Spotify Watch on YouTube Buy on Amazon

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #845952 03/12/25 12:50 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Mar 2025 Posts: 1,197 Adelaide, Sth Aust. Andrew Dee Expert
Andrew Dee Expert Joined: Mar 2025 Posts: 1,197 Adelaide, Sth Aust.	Hi Jim! This is a very interesting question and one reason why I rejoined the BIAB Forums after an 8 year hiatus (AndrewD, AussieAndrew). Pre-production - I use BIAB even when I have the slightest germ of an idea - I might only have 4 chords and the mumble of a melody with promise, and I've learned years ago to get the idea down as soon as possible. I've had many song ideas in the bathroom or somewhere else and they've gone by the time I walk to my music room. I've even taken to humming or mumble-singing into my phone. In this creative phase, I will input the chords and melody (in BIAB notation) and immediately go looking for a style that I hear in my head - one that at least is useful during the writing phase and almost always Real Style. For me, lyrics usually come last, but before this in 95% of cases, I'll also have a word or phrase that I am mumbling that becomes the working title of the song. Over a period of time, I'll then use BIAB to develop the song musically. At some point, I will make the song 'singable' (even without lyrics completed) because I find I sing melodies different to how I notate them e.g. a pushed note or note outside of the chord e.g. a 2nd, 4th, 6th or 7th. I do some preliminary arrangement in BIAB, including a manually notated soloist part, rests, shots etc. Lyrics usually come to me playing on the guitar. Given I have limited vocal range, BIAB will also help me get the key best for my range - sometimes tricky if I need to play specific guitar chord voicings and avoiding playing up the neck with a capo. The above process is also why I have only 50 songs recorded but about 150 ideas or partly completed songs e.g. verses looking for a chorus or middle eight; song looking for lyrics. Production - I output wav files (mono per track, normalised track) then import into a new Cakewalk project. My aim here is to take inspiration from BIAB track but replace it with my own recorded track. I suffer under the weight of avoiding BIAB as a karaoke backing (as good as it is), so anything I can do to put my own creativity to work is what I aim for. All vocals added in Cakewalk. Post-production - I do most creative arranging, editing and mixing in Cakewalk. All mixing in Cakewalk. I output to mp3. Publishing - upload mp3 to Soundcloud but mostly import into Clipchamp and compile a video for my Youtube channel. I might explore whether recording vocals into BIAB might help with my own demo while in the creation phase. Andrew Regards, Andrew D Adelaide, Sth Aust Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/SQE4btVvNVkLq74e9 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewoftheantipodes

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #846049 03/12/25 12:08 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA Jim Fogle OP Veteran
OP Jim Fogle Veteran Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 11,060 Winston Salem, NC USA	Thanks Andrew, Your post is an example of the information I hoped readers will find useful and informative. Thank you for taking time to think it through and share with us. It is real easy for an idea to slip away before it can be recorded and fleshed out. I've read that many songwriters carry a pad and pencil in their pocket or purse because they never know when inspiration may strike. Some keep a notepad and pencil beside their bed or next to the toilet (ugh). I've found a fondness for carrying an old MP3 media player in my pocket. It has a record function with a built-in microphone that works well for capturing melodies or riffs. A friend uses a pocket Dictaphone like students sometimes use to record lectures. Whatever you do, it feels good to capture an idea when it strikes you and it's hot on your mind. Jim Fogle - 2026 BiaB (Build 1224) RB (Build 8) - Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home

Re: Where Do You Use Band-in-a-Box In The Audio Production Process? Jim Fogle #846178 03/13/25 08:12 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 2,068 Sillie Con Valley, California Mike Halloran Veteran
Mike Halloran Veteran Joined: Apr 2017 Posts: 2,068 Sillie Con Valley, California	Quote I've found a fondness for carrying an old MP3 media player in my pocket. It has a record function with a built-in microphone that works well for capturing melodies or riffs. A friend uses a pocket Dictaphone like students sometimes use to record lectures Most of us use a smartphone nowadays. No reason to carry extra gear that I can think of. BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture

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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!

May 06, 2026

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®!

April 28, 2026

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!

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