I am using BiaB for many years. I use it at home. I am not a professional musician. I play piano and use mp3 files generated by BiaB on my desktop PC. I like to use a laptop with BiaB installed to use just the basic features: typing the chords, using realtracks and realdrums, playing thru my audio active monitors via mixer.

The laptop will not be used for other things than BiaB. I like to know what the requirements are to use BiaB for above mentioned tasks.

Jan, since BIAB 2015, the program has three activations each year. This allows you to install it on both your desktop and your laptop.

There is no ‘basic’ version of the program. The program is the same; the differences in packages is the number of RealTracks and styles you get.

Most laptops have a smaller hard drive but if you bought BIAB on a USB drive you can just move that between computers.

When connecting a laptop to monitors, I recommend a USB sound module instead of plugging into the headphone jack.

If I misunderstood your question and this isn’t the info you needed, write back. For example, are you looking for the minimum requirements for a laptop to be able to run BIAB?

Thanks Matt,

Yes, if you can give me an idea of the minimum requirements? Because I will not use the laptop for normal PC activities I don't like to spend to much money.

OK. I think the best way to put it is that BIAB requires more computer power than most programs. I would not skimp on the laptop if it were for BIAB and you want a satisfactory experience.

To my knowledge, the most important factor in regenerating RealTracks is the CPU. After that, a fast hard drive to load them. Finally, you should consider having more than the minimum memory. The display is the one thing that doesn't matter.

A good way to measure a computer's fitness for BIAB is the free utility, Geekbench 4. Report the single-core speed.

I realize that the minimum specs given by PG Music are far lower than what I'm describing. Here is what it says: https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.requirements.htm

One more thing: if all you want to do is play back MP3 files you make on your desktop and copy to the laptop, then any laptop will do. Playing back audio files is almost no load on a computer at all. I use a little SONY recorder that takes MP3 and WAV files and plug that into a PA. For that matter, playing back frozen BIAB songs also requires less computer power, because they are already converted to audio. It's just (re)generating the songs that takes the power.

I copy MP3 files to a usb stick. But the reason I want to use BiaB on a laptop is that I can easy change instruments or styles and that I can follow the chords.

I will look for a laptop with adequate specs.

Thanks for helping.

That makes sense. Changing instruments for melody or soloist tracks doesn't matter, but changing styles means regenerating the song and my comments above apply.

Good luck!

Jan R,
If you do not want to spend a lot of money, my suggestion, get a pre-owned Lenovo Thinkpad i7 quad core with 8-16GB of RAM and at least 256 GB (preferably SSD drive) ThinkPad T430 might be a good option. They are build like tanks (military specs, not your average electronic shop laptop) and are very easy to maintain (upgrade ram or hard drive). You can get them for $200-$300 used. Parts are cheap if something breaks. Should run BIAB well and should last for years.

Thanks for the information. I like to go for new. I will look for the two laptops you suggested.

I found a HP laptop:

screen: (1920 x 1080)
Processor: Intel Core i5-8250U
memory: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD
Video: Intel UHD Graphics 620

I think the extra 1 TB hardrive is a nice option. I can store all the Realtrack en Realdrum files on.

Jan, that’s almost exactly what I have as a laptop. It will be fine!

Matt, using ssd 256 GB for the program + hdd 1 TB for realtracks and realdrums, is that combination slower than all the data stored on 1 ssd of 512 GB?

Hi Jan,

I'd say having everything on the SSD would be faster. The difference will be even bigger if the 1 TB HD is an external USB drive, since USB is so much slower than the SATA connection used by internal drives.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

Packing everything on some SSD sure would be faster. Yet for all practical purposes stuffing RealTracks onto some HDD would be quite ok. I even have a complete BiaB UltraPak installation running smoothly from a 400GB *SDcard* with an i5 tablet PC here.

Jan, your question has already been answered well. You would be fine with BIAB on a standard hard drive. A SSD is much faster than a hard drive, which in turn is faster than a drive running under USB.

Yes, thank you all for your respons and advice. I will go shopping for a suitable laptop.