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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2004
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I'm running BIAB 2021 (latest version) on a cheapo HP Pavilion Slimline 400 PC desktop and it works fine (also on low end HP laptop) - I really have no complaints. I mostly use it for making Mp3 backing tracks for solo gutar (country and jazz standards). I sometimes, but rarely output to Reaper - mostly just output as an Mp3 from BIAB and play them off my tablet or phone. While I have no complaints about the sound quality of the files I'm getting, I'm curious if there's a way to improve it via some sort of external sound card or module. I mostly use Real Tracks so a midi module doesn't really enter the picture (used to use one years ago). I assume the sound card on my PC is integrated into the motherboard and doubt there's even a slot for a better one. Not sure if there's any room for improvement - just thinking out loud. Any thoughts?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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While I have quite good audio equipment for audio production, I’m not sure you need anything more than what you have if your goal is only to play back MP3 or WAV files you make in BIAB. Laptops have decent enough sound chips because most people expect them to have good sound for playback of music. My older laptop sounds just fine for listening.
Now, if you are doing recording, that’s another matter. You could try a Presonus or Focusrite interface for not too much. The smaller ones are even bus-powered so you just power them by USB. My one experience with an HP desktop was that they stripped it down so much that there weren’t any slots, power, or even space inside for expansion. A USB interface like a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 would be the way to go.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2011
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The playback sound quality output from your motherboard sound card is likely as good as what you can achieve with an inexpensive external sound card. The weak link for your internal motherboard sound is the mechanical connection of the output jack. Over time it can become noisy and / or have an intermittent connection. External sound cards can be roughly divided into three groups, consumers, audiophiles and musicians. Consumer sound cards like +++ THESE +++ mostly duplicate the features of your motherboard sound card. You bypass your computer jacks so they can't mess up over time due to wear and tear. Audiophile hardware is typically divided in separate components like D/A convertor, preamp, amp and speakers. Musician hardware concentrates on the quality of the sound input, blending the computer output and input signals together so the sound from both is in sync. This +++ REVIEW +++ of the Focusrite 2i2 Generation 3 demonstrates the focus on overall sound quality. I believe most will advise you to get a music based audio interface. My advise is to get a consumer grade interface that replaces the computer jacks. That way when the output jack goes bad it is easily and cheaply replaced. For audio playback, that's really all you need. Note: Looks like Matt and I were typing at the same time.
Last edited by Jim Fogle; 07/13/22 12:55 PM. Reason: Clarify thoughts
Jim Fogle - 2024 BiaB (1111) RB (5) Ultra+ PAK DAWs: Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8 Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Jim is right; there are few things I hate in audio equipment more than mini headphone jacks.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2015
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FWIW, I use external sound modules because I find sometimes the PC audio outputs suffer from hum.
Provided that's not a problem, most modern PCs seem to have surprisingly good sound quality.
The sound quality from an external module may be a little better but for live playing I doubt it's of huge significance.
A module is also usually another box + plug-top + some cables to carry around, lose, break, whatever.
I think recording is almost always better through a module.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
Kawai MP6, Korg M50, Ui24R, Saffire Pro 40.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11; Win8.1: Scarletts
BIAB2022 UltraPAK, Reaper, a bunch of stuff.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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if you are playing off your tablet or phone the sound quality is determined by that device. you may 'hear' a better sound from your laptop with an external card, but the music you create in BIAB stays in the digital realm all the time up to and including the transfer to mp3. so the mp3s will be of the same quality as the original biab files and only leave the digital realm and enter the world of audio when you play them.
so as long as you are not recording the end result will be as good as your phone or tablet - not limited by the soundcard on the laptop.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Jim is right; there are few things I hate in audio equipment more than mini headphone jacks. And I have to chime in here. A USB to Audio interface is the only way to get decent audio out of a computer. The headphone jack is prone to static and perhaps even a ground loop hum and, depending on the computer, might not even have full audio bandwidth. 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
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Been there, done that. Don't ever rely on the 3.5mm miniature jack for something important. It's no going to be your friend.
BIAB & RB2024 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2015
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Jim is right; there are few things I hate in audio equipment more than mini headphone jacks. And I have to chime in here. A USB to Audio interface is the only way to get decent audio out of a computer. The headphone jack is prone to static and perhaps even a ground loop hum and, depending on the computer, might not even have full audio bandwidth. Notes ♫ I agree 100% with the sentiment and 90%+ with the whole. I 100% agree that mini-jacks are pretty awful. I implied that other outputs from a PC may be useful, but I think RCAs are as bad or worse. HDMI may be better as the connector generally mates solidly, but then you have to get from HDMI to something useful at the studio/stage end of the chain, and while one's paying for that, one might as well buy a USB to audio module. For a modest cost good audio output, a small USB to audio module is undoubtedly the way to go. I mostly (90%+) agree with the "USB to Audio" part, in particular I've been disappointed in the past by internal cards. That same hum problem again, and not always just from ground-loops, but sometimes picked-up noise just because they're inside the box with all that digital electronics. But other connections like Thunderbolt, the earlier Firewire and Ethernet are available and may well be appropriate. I think most or all of those are more expensive than USB, though. FWIW, I have four USB modules (including my mixer) and one Firewire module. They've all performed very well. The particular problem of earth-loop hum, is that a setup can work fine several times over, then somewhere you'll have a hard to track-down problem, because there's something different with the cabling. Someone's amp plugged in a different branch, someone else's new PC, different earthing in this venue and so on. External boxes seem to pretty much eliminate most of that. The mini-jack has one big advantage, though. It's already there and if/whilst it's working well, anything more may be an unnecessary cost. Caveat emptor.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
Kawai MP6, Korg M50, Ui24R, Saffire Pro 40.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11; Win8.1: Scarletts
BIAB2022 UltraPAK, Reaper, a bunch of stuff.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Did you ever jostle a connection from a mini jack to a PA? Sounds like thunder. Bad form on a gig.
Beating a dead horse even further, it’s not even the right signal to send to a PA or powered speaker. The mini jack is after a volume control (a rheostat that can introduce noise of its own) and it makes the voltage vary. At full volume, it’s more than a line-out signal, so you have to back it off but there’s no way to know without measuring the signal if it’s about right.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,897
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Did you ever jostle a connection from a mini jack to a PA? Sounds like thunder. Bad form on a gig. Absolutely, and in comparison to the cost of one's instrument, mic(s), PA, cables and other ancillaries, a USB to audio module is small beer. If one's busking with a 10W mini-amp, not so much.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
Kawai MP6, Korg M50, Ui24R, Saffire Pro 40.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11; Win8.1: Scarletts
BIAB2022 UltraPAK, Reaper, a bunch of stuff.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 61
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Hello Skip Ellis,
my soundcard is not activated and I have no external one.
I'm using hdmi cable with a samsung soundbar to get 7.4.1 atmos sound.
With hdmi u don't use cheap soundcard dac's and u can connect any avr to get hifi.
Maybe that helps?
Last edited by Uwe Schwarz; 07/14/22 09:01 PM.
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Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
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Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed!
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