I've been eyeing a desktop with a ryzen 5 and 12gb of ram I mainly want Biab to make jazz backing tracks and record myself over them without a lot tracks
I already have a audio interface and I've had some jbl 305p's studio monitors that I really didn't like to play backing tracks with they sounded really weak
My budget is $2200ish for Biab a pc and speakers
Mainly want to jam over them with my twin reverb set around 2.5 or it might be 4.0 had to send it for repair so not sure
If it's US$2,200 then you should definitely be able to deliver something reasonable.
I just purchased something different (different for me anyway, as I always build my own systems).
It's a Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 All-In-One. It has an optical drive, plenty of USB ports, wireless keyboard and mouse, 16Gb RAM, Ryzen 7 5700U processor, Bluetooth, WiFi, both Wireless and Wired LAN, 512Gb SSD. 24" monitor, Windows 11. I'm more impressed with it than I thought I would be.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Nica. with a budget that nice i would contact companies that specialise in building turnkey computers for recording studios before making a final decision.. they even install the audio interface.and see what they can do for you. (go on gearspace.com << lots of builders names) eg....
i recommend at least 2 ssd's starting out. i highly recommend not recording onto the drive that win resides on. use a seperate one for recording/playback//daw.
alternative i'm a big fan of cheap under 600 buk off lease pc desktops.
eg google >> "refurb ssd hp z workstation" or lenovo or dell workstation...get a 1 yr warranty. lots of people use refurbs as recording rigs. once again if you dont believe moi start a thread on gesarspace "recommended pc refurbs for music production'.
just some ideas. om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 07/19/2212:33 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.)
Sounds like you have the PC side set up. I am an instrumental guitar player. I make backing tracks for jazz and popular (at least to me) music. I play in my studio, living room and sometimes in the backyard I also gig in restaurants and bars.
I have a set of jbl 305's. They are not enough to get a band like sound while playing guitar and amp.
A twin reverb is a lot of gas. Better keep it on 2.
Anyway, one of the rigs I use for tracks amplification is a Turbosound Inspire 300 Its a line array PA that has enough bass to handle the drums and bass in the arrangements. It costs $450+-. Hard to beat. Much better than the Bose S1Pro. If you ever plan to gig out its a great small room rig. Sometime I practice and/or gig with it as my only amplification. I run tracks and my guitar with a direct box (Quilter Superblock,FlyRig,Pod, etc) on it. Its got direct connects and bluetooth. Check it out.
biab2026(Mac) Mac Mini M2 pro 32GB Ram Logic Pro X Lie Neilsen No.102
5" woofers will sound anaemic in the bottom end though JBLs are voiced to be pleasing rather than neutral and neutral is the aim for mixing. I've been researching for a monitor upgrade and in the 7 - 8" woofer range there're some contenders...the ADAMS TV7s are good value & sound the TV8s are even better for AUS$200 a pair extra. The Yamaha 8s are nice, the JBLs 8s are, to my ears, voiced/hyped a little in the mids and are popular as speakers for TVs and book shelf sound systems. There're a lot out there and the prices are reasobnable - yet the quality of sound is quite good even at the prices. Be cautious about front ported monitors as they can cause a narrow cancellation effect.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
I personally have a Ryzen 5 (6 core 12 thread) and 16 gig RAM for home use .. runs my stuff fine and doesn't show any signs of stress even with large files (20+ tracks with FX). In the studio we doubled the RAM, not sure it was needed. 12 gig RAM seems an odd choice .. I'd likely opt for 16 gig and two matching sticks if needed. Probably minimal cost difference.
For monitors I think the 8" does make a difference as noted above. Monitors are one of those things that until you hear it in your target room, you are guessing. My BX8a's sounded dull in the next room over, but are MUCH more accurate in this room. (sadly, I do not think you can find these monitors anymore) It wasn't because they weren't loud enough for the other room, just that they didn't match the room. Monitors are hard to recommend for this reason.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Sounds like you have the PC side set up. I am an instrumental guitar player. I make backing tracks for jazz and popular (at least to me) music. I play in my studio, living room and sometimes in the backyard I also gig in restaurants and bars.
I have a set of jbl 305's. They are not enough to get a band like sound while playing guitar and amp.
A twin reverb is a lot of gas. Better keep it on 2.
Anyway, one of the rigs I use for tracks amplification is a Turbosound Inspire 300 Its a line array PA that has enough bass to handle the drums and bass in the arrangements. It costs $450+-. Hard to beat. Much better than the Bose S1Pro. If you ever plan to gig out its a great small room rig. Sometime I practice and/or gig with it as my only amplification. I run tracks and my guitar with a direct box (Quilter Superblock,FlyRig,Pod, etc) on it. Its got direct connects and bluetooth. Check it out.
I've always wondered about those array speakers do they sound mono-is? If you only have one of them and it's a GB twin and channel 1 isn't as hot as 2 probably why I have it on 4 my dB meter measures around 70
Actually, one might be surprised how well they do sound. They're not just speakers, they are Active Powered Monitors, and have plenty of drive and a great sound throughout their entire range. I play an 88-key grand piano VSTi through them (Synthogy Ivory - certainly not an 'entry-level' product) and the drive is brilliant, especially at the bottom end. Anaemic? No way.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
To add, my choice of the powered speaker system I chose had evolved over a serious practical evaluation of many different monitor speaker systems, which included brand names, sizes, varying music styles and more. It involved hours of listening, comparisons and discussions with knowledgeable experts.
It's important that you undertake your own practical evaluation in your decision process, and don't just rely on comments made in this forum.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Also, I can mix with my Yamaha NS40M Monitors, which are still up there as reference monitors. They are unbelievably realistic, with absolutely no added color, variation, emphasis or added dynamics. Just perfect clean sound.
If the mix sounds good on NS40M's, then it's going to sound great on just about everything else you can put in front of it.
That's not what you need, but I make the reference because this is why the big studios studios regularly include these types of monitors in their mixing line-up.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I'm using a home built computer.... with a Focusrite Saffire interface and a pair of Mackie MR-5 speakers. For my guitar rig, I have a Spark 40 modeling amp that is run directly into the audio input on the Saffire coming off the Spark headphone jack. This is one amazing sounding rig. Well, let me say this.... it works well for me. I've had a few other guitar players here in my studio who were also very impressed with the sound quality.
The speakers you have look to be similar. If they are trying to keep up with the volume of the amp, well, they probably will have a difficult time doing that. However, if you can get that signal to a line level and input it into the interface, that whole picture changes. The only way I could run my Mesa boogie along with the music projects I was working on was to use noise isolation cans and mike the guitar to put it into the mix and even then, I had to run the cans a bit louder than I really wanted to stay above the room volume of the amp. Getting that signal into the DAW is the best way.... that way you can monitor the guitar in the mix at a very respectable level.
Your budget is a nice starting point for doing it RIGHT.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 07/20/2204:23 AM.
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.
I totally agree Herb, there's certainly nothing wrong with the Mackie MR5 speakers. Another great sounding and highly respected 5" Studio Monitor. Great accuracy and excellent clarity. Definitely worthy of consideration.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
As in my signature, I'm using 5" Adam monitors and an Adam subwoofer in my small production studio. For playing along, though, I use two KRK 8" monitors in a bigger room. No subwoofer needed.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-8, 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.
PC yep Audio interface yep Speakers yep ones that won't be drowned by your amp and won't strain to be heard. Isolation pads for the speakers? Biab yep yep Mics...but which? A condenser for vocals and a 57 or e609 for guitar amp? Cables...to & from the computer interface wise from interface to speakers TRS or? with graphite bead shielding? Mic cables - length, shielding? Monitor...yep...though I use an old TV screen so I can read it from a distance when tracking & following the chord sheet. Good seat for extended sitting - reduce DVT exposure. Pop filter if recording vocals.Mic stand for vocals & another for the amp...I use two on an amp a 57 & an e609 - then blend to taste so two short stands. A latency setting that works for you. Power strip that's surge protected and reasonably "clean". Wireless mouse n keyboard maybe to allow you to sit back n play yet still manipulate the comp. I use an old R16 as a control surface with a long USB cable so I can work away from the comp. Oh, if you'll be using pedals look at a discrete power supply and maybe something to break a ground loop if it occurs.
Last edited by rayc; 07/20/2211:30 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Nice list Ray. The one thing that I would change would be to use an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) in place of a surge protector. Brown outs can cause a lot of damage and a UPS can protect against them as well as being a surge protector. YMMV
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Special Extended Until September 15, 2026! Save over 40% on XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac!
We've extended our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs sale until September 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® 2026 offer a wide range of genres designed to work seamlessly with your project. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 for Mac or for Windows are on special for only $29 each (reg. $49 ea), or get all 11 PAKs for only $149 (reg. $299)!
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with ANY version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-11 includes 1,100 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 for Mac or for Windows are on special for only $29 each (reg. $49 ea), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! .
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 includes 3,900 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
Note: XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs include additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® that work seamlessly with your project. Xtra Styles PAKs and XPro Styles PAKs are NOT included in any Band-in-a-Box® package!
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Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
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Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
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