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Mac and pc...any new tech rumours ??
1..MAC...anyone heard any rumours about further M series
processors...ie M5 and M6 etc ?
2..PC....now that microsoft are building asio into the OS
anyone heard of any advances re on board pc sound chips ??
i'm sorta wondering if the need for buying a usb interface
will go away...ie on board could be a interface industry disruptor.
all that would be needed would be a connector on the pc that would
be connected to a break out box to which mics and instruments
could be connected ??
btw talking of PC...on gearspace.com a MS product guy Pete Brown
(Psychlist1972 ?) has various interesting posts on what MS
is doing in the audio realm. very very knowledgeable.
(has his own studio.) his posts are very interesting.
gonna be very interesting times re mac and pc.
if anyone has info or insights on the above or interesting
tech developments for studios that might be on the
horizon...please comment etc etc.
happiness.
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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1..MAC...anyone heard any rumours about further M series
processors...ie M5 and M6 etc ? No, nothing yet. 2..PC....now that microsoft are building asio into the OS
anyone heard of any advances re on board pc sound chips ?? No, nothing yet.
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It's all happening in IoT right now. Devices get power from the environment or use, like a controller that recharges the battery every time you push a key So it gets power from you. Rumor is that eventually you become 'one' with the controller because if you don't use it regularly it dies, but if you use it all the time it becomes your friend for life.  //disclaimer - the above is sarcasm please to do share on your social media
Last edited by rharv; 03/13/25 04:59 AM.
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No, I haven’t seen any chatter on these subjects.
About onboard PC sound chips, I have to wonder what the incentive would be to improve them. The RealTec chips play back audio files just fine for the masses. Anything an audio professional would use is outside the box.
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Aside from Thunderbolt 5, the M3 Ultra and M4 Max Studios shipping next month? Nah…
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ok ive spent some time googling mac m 5...
theres some interesting info out there.
maybe m5 macs later this year ??...dunno.
if apple follow the biz model for future macs like the iphones...
im gonna be curious how far they can take each new generation of the m series....whch begs the question how will amd and intel
respond ? yummy fun tech times...lol.
meanwhile im rooting for the cheap raspberry pi....lol.
if and when the pi gets another cpu upgrade...could be interesting.
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 03/13/25 12:19 PM.
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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1..MAC...anyone heard any rumours about further M series
processors...ie M5 and M6 etc ? Apple tends to release new products only once a year. M4 released in October, that's probably when M5 will be released. Entirely speculation. 2..PC....now that microsoft are building asio into the OS That's news to me, and doesn't make any sense. ASIO only exists as a way of bypassing Windows. Rumor is that eventually you become 'one' with the controller because if you don't use it regularly it dies, but if you use it all the time it becomes your friend for life. I'm looking forward to having my own real Weighted Companion Cube. About onboard PC sound chips, I have to wonder what the incentive would be to improve them. The RealTec chips play back audio files just fine for the masses. Anything an audio professional would use is outside the box. Exactly. Onboard sound chips are always going to shoot for the bottom shelf. Thankfully bottom shelf these days is pretty decent, but I don't think it'll ever be more than that since that requires more expensive supporting circuitry (op amps, capacitors, etc) rather than just a single chip.
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Simon. re asio... maybe ive miread the announcement then. heres one link i found... https://midi.org/microsofts-major-moves-to-make-making-music-on-windows-easiernote also the guitarist demo at above link. the audio aspects are a ways down below midi details. from the ms devblog. ms have announced a new low latency driver for win on arm...followed by x86 intel is my understanding. they also talk about just plugging in. the way it reads to me is they are trying to do plug n play of an interface like apple core audio....?? maybe ive misunderstood. if im wrong why are they working on a new low latency driver ? now ya got me confused...lol. so will a user have to still worry installing a interface driver rather than useing the built in ms driver ....?? maybe im getting daft as i age...lol. what is your viewpoint on this new win driver ?? happiness. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 03/13/25 03:33 PM.
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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2..PC....now that microsoft are building asio into the OS That's news to me, and doesn't make any sense. ASIO only exists as a way of bypassing Windows. It didn't make sense to me either, though I didn't read through the detail. More likely I think is that MS are improving the drivers within Windows to make ASIO 'unnecessary', at least with class-compliant devices, much as Linux and I believe MacOS have done for a long time.. How well that'll work out is another matter. We'll see I guess.
Last edited by Gordon Scott; 03/13/25 04:09 PM.
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I think they're trying to say that they've made their own generic ASIO driver that should work with most USB audio devices, but I'm not certain. In the article they also mentioned that Focusrite and Steinberg/Yamaha are making ARM native ASIO drivers for their devices - which is cool because that's what I have.
WaveRT is Microsoft's new audio system. From a quick web search, it seems like most people still feel that ASIO performs better - not to mention that most DAWs don't support it.
Last edited by Simon - PG Music; 03/13/25 05:02 PM.
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Simon.
a question...why would i use a daw on arm versus a daw on amd or intel....advantages ? im kinda at a happy place currently with my new amd mini pc. and audient .
im kinda chuffed that arm was developed originally at cambridge uni being uk born. havent really kept up with arm tech
as to that new ms native driver i think its for plug n play without worrying bout other drivers. i just hope its very !ow latency.
btw do you see any time rb might run on mac m4 say natively ??
rb is coming along really well.
best
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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btw do you see any time rb might run on mac m4 say natively ?? The decision was made long ago not to port RB to the Mac. The given reason is that, because GarageBand is free, RB for the Mac is redundant. It will be nice if BIAB becomes AS Native in 2025. We’ve not been given any heads up on this but it has been five years since the M1 was released.
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Mike. that mac m4 mini is one heck of a beast. but so is this to be fair...plus various flexibilities viz memory and upgrades...not a slouch...high single thread score... (various vids on you tube.) https://www.amazon.com/GEEKOM-GT1-U9-185H-Processor-Computers/dp/B0DG7WDW75?th=1there are various makers of powerfull mini pc's like... ..beelink ..GMKtec ..minisforum etc etc its a pity about rb native on mac beause rb does things gband doesnt. just my 2 cents. happiness. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 03/16/25 12:52 PM.
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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a question...why would i use a daw on arm versus a daw on amd or intel....advantages ? im kinda at a happy place currently with my new amd mini pc. and audient . If it ain't broke, don't break it. The advantage would be efficiency - RISC vs CISC, and watts per operation. Again, if it ain't broke, don't throw money at it. Also, take a peek at the upcoming Lenovo Thinkcentre Neo 50q and the Ideacentre Mini X, both running Qualcomm ARM chips instead of Intel/AMD x86... I'm considering getting one when they launch (after a round or two of reviews to shake bugs out). btw do you see any time rb might run on mac m4 say natively ??
rb is coming along really well. RB is Windows only and will stay that way, so unless the ARM Mac's can run Windows...
Last edited by Simon - PG Music; 03/17/25 02:32 PM.
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Simon.
tell me your views re the geekom mini pc beast i linked to upthread.
geekom minis are starting to find their way into some recording rigs.
note the following...
..cpu power and cores/threads.
and single core and math scores on cpubenchmark.net
..the method used for cooling and power.
and energy efficiency versus desktops
..AI features
..ssd slots expandability.
..array of ports and usb etc....includeing usb 4.
looks to me like the ports are beastly fast.
page down the link for tons of further tech info.
you tube has vids etc etc.
what is interesting with this new generation of mini pc's is some offer multiple m.2 ssd slots and more flexibility than traditional laptops.
frankly my new lesser specced mini pc eats bb for bfast.
gens in a blink of an idea....so this monster ??...lol.
exciting times.
yep...im watching what happens with snapdragon.
but frankly i think intel and amd wont cede market share easily.
more new generations coming.
happiness.
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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Being a newer company I wouldn't even look at them. No offence to them at all, but if I'm buying a work computer I'm either building it myself using parts from reputable companies that I'm familiar with, or I'm buying a prebuilt computer from one of the major companies like Dell/HP/Lenovo/etc. I buy computers for long-term use, and having never heard of Geekom before reading this thread I have no idea whether they'll still exist in 5 years - which is important for both sourcing replacement parts and for updated drivers and firmware. And if I'm buying a computer for play/gaming/etc then likely I'm building from scratch - though I've been using one of those handheld gaming computers a lot lately...
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Simon.
yep ive always stuck with big names but to be fair the company seems to be building a good rep from reviews ive seen.
as we all know people can get probs with any pc.
happiness.
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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so ive got a further deeper look at the mac m4 mini
at a tech store. did a special trip...lol.
while its a beast with a great processor...
some things troubled me...
1..i thought the boot from cold to desktop (after switching on power) would be faster. my new mini pc takes only a few secs.
talking of switches...
2..the power is on the underside of the mini !...huh ??
so one has to get ones finger underneath.
no biggie...but..why ? if its a case of small form factor my mini pc is small
but has the power switch on the side.
why not make the mini a tad bigger and put the power button so its easily accessible ??
3..the limited ports really troubled me. many mini pc's these days have a generous number of usb and other ports.
eg the geekom i linked to upthread and other mini pc's.
4..also troubling is the unified memory.
i really wish they would allow the ability to use third party memory...twould help musos who havent got a lot of money.
also my concern is producers who use a ton of instrument plugins which might consume lots of resources that need more memory than the basic amount.
5..i also wish like some mini pc's there was more internal expansion.
for example now some mini pc's allow a couple of internal m.2 ssd's or even more storage.
dont get me wrong...the mac mini is very very impressive.
im just troubled re the above points compared to various mini pc powerhouses.
(see the net for further info and competitive comparisons.)
i cant wait to see what further mini generations might be...assuming such come to market. exciting times.
om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 03/21/25 11:11 AM.
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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The power button on the underside of the current Mini is ... ok, let's call that weird. There's a cottage industry of folks with 3D printers churning out gizmos designed to fix that. Anyway, with my left side paralyzed, I wanted no part of that. Slow startup time may have to do with network connections that have to be made at the store. From the startup chime to login screen, my Studio M2 Ultra averages 17 seconds. I shut it down and restarted five times this morning just to report. Contrast this with ancient times — twelve years ago—when my 2010 i7 iMac took 20 minutes to boot up and log into 100 browser tabs over 3 screens. I'd start, get my breakfast and be ready for work (company had been working from home since 1995). Ten years ago, I replaced the mechanical HDD with an SSD and cut the time down to 4 minutes—Yeah Baby! Eight years ago, I called Apple Support to wonder why a 2 1/2 hour video of an opera I sang was locking up FinalCutProX. After a screen share, I was told that it wasn't locked—my file would finish rendering in a week. Oh... I ordered my iMac Pro the next day—it arrived about the time that AV file was finished. As you can bet, the first test I gave it was that same file which took 28 minutes to crunch on that same machine (now my test file foe every Mac—4 minutes on my current Studio). If you like Gilbert & Sullivan, some Russian site has it for viewing. Ruddigore — Gilbert & Sullivan Society of San Jose. Roderick was my first stage role 4 1/2 years after my stroke and, to hide my paralysis, I'm wearing a floor length cape made from a velvet curtain (I felt like Scarlett O'Hara).
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Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture
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so ive got a further deeper look at the mac m4 mini
at a tech store. did a special trip...lol.
while its a beast with a great processor...
some things troubled me...
1..i thought the boot from cold to desktop (after switching on power) would be faster. my new mini pc takes only a few secs.
talking of switches...
2..the power is on the underside of the mini !...huh ??
so one has to get ones finger underneath.
no biggie...but..why ? if its a case of small form factor my mini pc is small
but has the power switch on the side.
why not make the mini a tad bigger and put the power button so its easily accessible ??
3..the limited ports really troubled me. many mini pc's these days have a generous number of usb and other ports.
eg the geekom i linked to upthread and other mini pc's.
4..also troubling is the unified memory.
i really wish they would allow the ability to use third party memory...twould help musos who havent got a lot of money.
also my concern is producers who use a ton of instrument plugins which might consume lots of resources that need more memory than the basic amount.
5..i also wish like some mini pc's there was more internal expansion.
for example now some mini pc's allow a couple of internal m.2 ssd's or even more storage.
dont get me wrong...the mac mini is very very impressive.
im just troubled re the above points compared to various mini pc powerhouses.
(see the net for further info and competitive comparisons.)
i cant wait to see what further mini generations might be...assuming such come to market. exciting times.
om My Mac Mini M4 takes around 17 seconds to boot to login. Enter password to ready screen takes another 5-6 seconds The power switch does not bother me none the thing fits in my hand As far as ports go I have a USB expansion connected to one of my USB which leaves me 4 extra ports on my mini. Yes memory upgrades are really out of the question with this little machine. What I did the first thing was use an external SSD to store all of my sound library's. Apple charges a ton for more memory and storage so them are things you have to consider. The Mac Mini M4 is a bargain considering how powerful this thing is. This machine really cooks and smokes my PC I also use has a AMD Rysen 7 with 8 core 3.59 Ghz processor with 32gb ram. I do not do video editing like Mike does which can really put a load on a machine. But it certainly can handle any audio tracks loaded with plugins and instruments I can throw at it. I personally do not need anything more than this for my use with music.
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
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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!
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